If the Browns wait to hire Ravens director of pro personnel George Kokinis as general manager until Baltimore is done in the playoffs, that could be until after the Super Bowl.

That would mean the Browns wouldn't have a general manager present at the Senior Bowl practices, which begin on Jan. 18. And for a team that has to make an impact in the first two rounds of the draft, is that a risk the franchise can take?

Perhaps it's time the organization thinks about bringing in more candidates. One of them, former Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist, would probably like that.

Sundquist told Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer that the Browns job is "very intriguing."

"I feel like I've got a lot of experience to offer a club and I'd love the opportunity to get back to running a team again."

Unfortunately for Sundquist, Browns owner Randy Lerner seems to have no interest in interviewing him.

Sundquist spent 16 years with the Broncos and is known as a GM who can save some money. He was the team's general manager from 2002-07 and spent the last year working for Profootballtalk.com scouting games.

As expected, the Browns announced Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator and Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator. The team also hired Brad Seely as special teams coordinator.

You probably know all the particulars about each guy by now. So, instead, here is a fun video of Rob Ryan and his brother, Rex, the likely next coach of the Jets.

I immediately love Rob Ryan.

Why would Seely jump from the Patriots to the Browns? It's not exactly a lateral move. Seely will be assistant head coach/special teams coach, instead of just special teams coach.

Next for the Browns is hiring a general manager. Just in case the team is unexpectedly spurned by George Kokinis, owner Randy Lerner is at least interviewing other candidates.

Brian Sipe, the star of the early 1980s Browns "Kardiac Kids" teams, is the new quarterbacks coach at San Diego State University.

Sipe, a SDSU legend with coach Don Coryell, has been a successful high school coach in the Southern California area.

"This is San Diego State. It's not USD, it's not UCLA or a position with the Browns. I was born and raised in this community. I grew up dreaming of playing Aztec football. And I got to do it with some great coaches, some great men who remain friends of mine to this day."

With the Browns, Sipe was named NFL MVP in 1980. In 10 seasons with Cleveland, Sipe threw for 23,713 yards and 154 touchdowns. He infamously threw the "Red Right 88" pass in the 1981 playoffs against Oakland.

Check these out from here.

Make of them what you will. Shot at the University of Akron Stile Field House, this is certainly from a commercial or magazine shoot. But can you imagine a 6-foot-8, 250-pound wide receiver charging down the field catching passes from Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson?

The mere thought gives Danny Ferry a migraine.

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.

While most indications point toward Ravens director of pro personnel George Kokinis being a lock to become the next Browns general manager, it may not be the slam dunk once thought.

Mary Kay Cabot writes that former Denver Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist as a candidate.  He may be interviewed.  Sundquist was the fall guy a year ago for Denver's disappointing 2007 season.  He lost a power struggle with then head coach Mike Shanahan, who is now also unemployed.  Sundquist has had mixed results with the draft and in free agency.

Also identified in the article is Chris Polian, the son of Indianapolis Colts team president Bill Polian.  If Chris can identify talent like his father, it would be a coup for the Browns.

The Browns will not be run next year by Scott Pioli or Tom Heckert, per Adam Schefter of the NFL Network. Pioli and Mangini likely don't mesh after that "Spygate" business, and Heckert was turned off because he had no say in the hiring process of the coach.

Perhaps a quiet deal could already be in place with Kokinis, which would not be surprising.  Maybe he's just waiting out the Ravens' season.  Right now, though, the effect of hiring a coach first has been seen.  Heckert and Pioli are savvy front office guys who knew that this was a trap job for a general manager, and mostly just a figure-head for Mangini's decision making.  If Kokinis doesn't take this job, I'd be stunned.  If somehow Kokinis decides to stay in Baltimore, a fallback is current Browns pro personnel director T.J. McCreight.

Also see Patrick McManamon: What about James Harris for Browns GM?

Per Adam Schefter of NFL Network, both Scott Pioli and Tom Heckert are out as possible general manager candidates for the Browns.

Neither is surprising. What does come as something of a shock is the last part of Heckert's reasoning.

Heckert told the Browns he is canceling the interview that was scheduled for Friday because he doesn’t know Mangini and would not be entirely comfortable with the situation in Cleveland the way that it is.

That's no good.

Rick, over at Waiting for Next Year, wonders if Randy Lerner dropped the ball by not showing up for today's news conference.

Mangini needs to maintain his stance as a disciplinarian, writes Bill Livingston of the Plain Dealer.

Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker will interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the same job.

The Browns will be getting one of the Ryan coaching brothers, just the wrong one. At least that's what Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun wrote in his blog today.

How can you not give one of the best defensive coordinators in your division, in the NFL, an interview?

Good question.

First, owner Randy Lerner was not present. Eric Mangini was introduced by team president Mike Keenan. The news conference lasted just about a half hour with Mangini opening with a statement followed by questions.

- On coming back to Cleveland where he was a ball boy and public relations intern:
"It is really special to be back here when I got my first opportunity. I couldn't be happier than to come home to Cleveland and see a lot of old friends here."

- On what he learned in three years as Jets coach:
"You learn so much from your experiences. I tell players, win or lose, be honest. I ask myself that all the time. Nobody stops improving. I learned so many things over three years that there's no handbook for."

- What his plans are as Browns coach:
"There's probably a laundry list. There's so many different areas you're involved with as head coach … I go back and look at my notes."

- Mangini talked about playing the Browns in preseason and seeing how similar the offenses of the two teams are.

- The possibility of bringing in George Kokinis as general manager:
"I think he's impressive. He's got tremendous substance. That being said, what's also important is getting the best possible people to fill all the roles in the organization. We're going to go through that process."

- Mangini said he has a distinct vision of the team.

- He wants players to have these characteristics: smart, tough, hardworking, competitive, selfless and a passion for the game.

- There was an implication that Romeo Crennel will be kept with the franchise in some capacity.

- Mangini mentioned bringing in new players a few times.

- He was resolute in keeping the 3-4 defense.

- It seems like Bill Callahan, an assistant head coach in New York, will be brought in to add pieces of the West Coast offense.

This isn't meant to be a gathering of every story out there. A lot of them are redundant. Besides, you know the facts. Instead, here are the opinions:

- Akron Beacon Journal (Patrick McManamon): Browns' choice just doesn't feel right

- Canton Repository (Todd Porter): Mangini becomes right choice at the right time

- ESPN (Tim Graham): Browns fans might jump to the conclusion they're taking on some other team's rubbish

- Fox Sports (Alex Marvez): Mangini is small consolation for Browns fans

- New York Times (William C. Rhoden): Mangini Lands on His Feet, While Jets Fans Land Hard

- News-Herald (Jeff Schudel): It can work with Mangini

- OBR Report (Rich Passan): A Sense of Deja Vu

- Plain Dealer (Mary Kay Cabot): Sources: Crennel won't be on Mangini staff

- Plain Dealer (Terry Pluto): Scribbles in my notebook

- Plain Dealer (Bud Shaw): Hiring requires a "genius" leap of faith in Lerner

According to Michael Smith of ESPN.com, new Browns head coach Eric Mangini will bring in Rob Ryan of the Raiders as defensive coordinator and Jets quarterbacks coach Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator.

Ryan has been the defensive coordinator for the Raiders since 2004. He is the brother of Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan and the son of legendary coach Buddy Ryan. Find more on Ryan on his wiki. Daboll has been the Jets quarterbacks coach since 2007. Prior to that, he was the wide receivers coach with New England from 2002 to 2007. Read more on Daboll.

AFC North blogger James Walker immediately has some questions for Mangini and the Browns.

Patrick McManamon of the Beacon Journal says the hiring just doesn't feel right. Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer would probably disagree.

But at least Mark Shapiro is excited.

10:15 p.m. UPDATE: According to the Newark Star-Ledger, Mangini is looking at Jets defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, defensive line coach Dan Quinn and receivers coach Noel Mazzone as other possible additions to his staff.

Even with Mangini's closeness to George Kokinis, Pro Personnel Director of the Ravens, and Tom Heckert of the Eagles coming in for an interview, Scott Pioli could still be a candidate to run the Browns' front office.

Lastly, current Browns coaches have been told to stay away from Berea.

In this humble blogger's opinion, of the current Browns coaches, the only ones who should stay are quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer and special teams coach Ted Daisher.