It's Official: Tom Heckert in as Browns' New GM

Today, the Cleveland Browns named Tom Heckert, Jr. as the club's new General Manager, joining Mike Holmgren in the front office.

Most everyone is already pretty informed about Holmgren. If they weren't already familiar with his philosophy and demeanor from his many years of stalking the sidelines as a Head Coach in Green Bay and Seattle, they've certainly been brought up to speed in the last couple of weeks since signing on in Cleveland.  But what's the story on Heckert?

I've done a little preliminary research into his background and personality, and I like what I see and hear, so far.

Brief biography

Born July 17, 1967 in Adrian, Michigan.

Attended Hillsdale College, graduating in 1991.  Played defensive back and spent two years as an assistant coach.

Alumnus of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity.

His father, Tom Sr., was the Midwest scout for the Browns from 1982-86.

Director of Pro Personnel for the Miami Dolphins, December 1991—May 2001.

General Manager of the Philadelphia Eagles, May 2002 - January 2010.

Appointed to the NFL's College Advisory Committee in 2003.

Named to the General Manager's Advisory Committee in 2008.

Has worked for Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson, and Andy Reid.

Quotes from around the NFL

"In the interview, I just felt comfortable with him, comfortable with what he knew.  I knew he wouldn't be afraid to tell me his honest opinion.  I knew it wouldn't matter what the scouts or the coaches said.  He was going to give me a straight shot." —Andy Reid

"I told Coach Reid if I were to come back as a head coach, Tom would be one of the first guys I'd try to hire." —Jimmy Johnson

From his own mouth

“We put a value on everybody, and we look at a player's ability and what players are going to be doing down the road. The system we use - sooner or later, somebody is going to get their feelings hurt.”

“He wanted somebody [with strong convictions]. I think that's one of the reasons he hired me. He thought I would have strong convictions on guys and tell him. Now, we don't agree on everybody. But we come up with a mutual decision on whether we like a guy or don't like a guy.”

“I think the size thing is a little bit overrated in running backs. Everybody says, 'Well, we need a big back.' Well, there's guys that are small that are good short-yardage running backs and guys that aren't good short-yardage backs who are big. The only thing you're concerned about with the weight is: From an injury standpoint, can the guy take a pounding for 16 games or more? That's what you're really concerned about.”

“If you have a bad draft, I don't think it sets you back a whole lot. If it's a quarterback or a top-10 pick, then it's going to put you back a little bit. I think probably what happens is that if you don't admit your mistakes and you keep waiting for a guy to develop, that's when it potentially turns into a problem.”

“After 2 years, you'd better know whether a guy can play or not. If he's not playing by his third year, then you're probably dreaming about him being a player for you and you've got to find somebody else.”

“We're going to get a player who's going to at least compete.”

"The biggest thing is, if you're drafting for a need and that guy doesn't work out, then you have to go and do the same thing over again.”

Watch him in person

Click here to watch a clip from the Philadelphia Eagles' website, where he discusses their team during the 2009 training camp.  It's a long clip, and some may find it a bit boring.  But it does give some insight into his passion and demeanor.

Heckert, by all accounts, is respected and "credible" league wide.  Although Andy Reid is unquestionably the guy making the final decisions in Philly, Tom is given an awful lot of credit there for his participation in both draft evaluation and locating rookie free agents.  He's an articulate, passionate guy, and it certainly appears like he'll be a fine addition to the new Cleveland Browns management team.