Owner Randy Lerner has been criticized for the hiring a coach before hiring a general manager.  Most Browns fans are going with the idea of a modern NFL power structure when getting upset.  The idea is this:

• Hire a general manager.  He has power of the entire football operation of the team, which includes hiring of a head coach.
• The general manager works with the ownership, and other team executives to hire a coach who works well with the GM.  The coach and GM would basically be a cohesive unit philosophically, so that the GM can seek out players in the draft and free agency who fit the schemes run by the head coach.
• When the time comes, the GM has final say on personnel decisions, with input from the coaching staff.  The GM drafts the players the coaches want, and signs the free agents (all with input from the pro & college scouting department).
• When roster cuts come at the end of training camp, the coach usually provides input to the GM about who he would like to keep, and a cohesive decicision is made on the final roster.  In a typical NFL franchise, the GM usually has a higher degree of control on the final roster than the head coach, though it varies from team to team.

The Browns under Phil Savage and Romeo Crennnel were structured this way, although rather dysfunctionally.  With Mangini, the Browns will not be working under this same structure.  Mangini does have some degree of final say on the roster, and personnel matters in general.  The hiring of a general manager at this point is a bit of a formality.

Presumably the reason candidates such as Rich McKay (Atlanta Falcons), Tom Heckert (Philadelphia Eagles), and Scott Pioli (New England Patriots) took their names out of consideration because they were seeking final control over the draft and free agency.  All three of the candidates were likely seeking to move into a more powerful role, as they play second fiddle right now to someone else.  So on the surface, saying they couldn't hire their own head coach was an issue, but for all three candidates this was a lateral move.

So where does this leave popular choice George Kokinis?  Likely in the same place he was before the Ravens moved on to the AFC Championship Game.  The Ravens do not have to contractually release Kokinis until February 2nd, 2009.  Kokinis has been working with the team to gameplan for their playoff run, and that likely won't change as longas the Ravens are still alive in the playoff hunt.

Kokinis is currently the Director of Pro Personnel for the Ravens.  His description of his duties from the Ravens websites lists that he, "… in his 5th year as director of pro personnel and his 17th season as a member of the franchise, works closely with GM Ozzie Newsome in analyzing NFL rosters and coordinating and evaluating each year’s free agency market. Along with personnel recommendations, Kokinis assists vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty in negotiating contracts for some of the Ravens’ draft picks."

His accomplishments are listed as follows:

1996-2007: (with Baltimore) 2007: Ravens acquired Pro Bowl alternate RB Willis McGahee from the Bills in exchange for future draft choices…Team retained OLB Jarret Johnson, who re-signed with the team during the spring. 2006: Negotiated the contracts of draft picks S Dawan Landry (5th round) and DE Ryan LaCasse (7th round)…Ravens acquired QB Steve McNair in exchange for an ‘07 draft pick, re-signed OLB Bart Scott and also signed a number of significant free agent contributors: DE Trevor Pryce, who led the team with 13 sacks, RB Mike Anderson, DT Justin Bannan, CB Corey Ivy and OLB Gary Stills. 2005: Negotiated the contracts of draft picks FB Justin Green and LB Mike Smith…Ravens signed 3 current starters: WR Derrick Mason, CB Samari Rolle and G Keydrick Vincent. 2003: Became the team’s director of pro personnel, overseeing all aspects of the pro personnel department. 2000-02: Promoted to the Ravens’ assistant director of pro personnel in 2000…Conducted the advance scouting of Ravens opponents and provided reports to the coaches. 1996-99: Kokinis was the Ravens’ Northeast area scout for 4 years, and also conducted “the box” workouts of college prospects before moving over to pro personnel…Moved to Baltimore with the Modell franchise.

Kokinis' strengths are in contract negotiation and pro scouting.  He is by no means a draftnik, outside of signing a few draft picks each season.  His title as general manager would probably be in a facilitative role to Mangini, who will be making personnel decisions.

For all of the hype around the hiring process of a general manager, most of us are missing the point.  Mangini will be making his own football decisions, and coaching the team.  Whoever the Browns hire at this point to be the general manager will be the Robin to Mangini's Batman.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 12th, 2009 at 12:18 am and is filed under Cleveland Browns, Eric Mangini. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.