Earlier today there were reports about New York Mets VP of player development and amateur scouting Paul DePodesta leaving the organization for the NFL. Those reports became official not too long ago.
"The Cleveland Browns named Paul DePodesta the team's Chief Strategy Officer, Owner Jimmy Haslam announced Tuesday," the team wrote on its website. "DePodesta will be responsible for assessing and implementing best practices and strategies that will provide the organization with the comprehensive resources needed to make optimal decisions."
Joel Sherman of the New York Post was the first to report the move, followed by FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Conor Orr of NFL.com also noted that DePodesta played football during his college days at Harvard.
While the news is surprising because DePodesta is a baseball executive moving to work for a snake-bitten NFL franchise, David Lennon of Newsday says analysts like DePodesta "see the NFL and NBA as the new frontier that the MLB once was."
On Monday the Browns officially announced the dismissals of head coach Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer in what will be another new chapter looming in Cleveland. Since the beginning of 2008, the Browns have made five head coaching and GM changes. The team hasn't made the playoffs since 2002.
The Browns are apparently looking to move in a completely new direction in hiring an analytics baseball executive. DePodesta has been an integral figure in the analytics movement in the MLB having served under famed executives John Hart, Billy Beane, Jed Hoyer and Sandy Alderson. Actor Jonah Hill portrayed DePodesta in the movie "Moneyball" - the story of how the small-market Oakland Athletics built a competitive team through sabermetrics.
"Cleveland and football have always held a special place in my heart," said DePodesta in the Browns' press release. "It was 20 years ago this month, after pursing my first love of football and looking at every possible job in the NFL, that I got the biggest break I could imagine - a job offer from the American League Champion Cleveland Indians. As excited as I was then, I am even more excited now to return to Cleveland and to try to help the Browns."
Well, the Browns will need a lot of help, but DePodesta is no stranger to starting from scratch.
