Browns Rumors: Vikings' George Paton Could Be Hired as GM in Coming Days

Minnesota Vikings assistant general manager George Paton has emerged as a lead candidate for the Cleveland Browns' open GM position and reportedly could be hired this week.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported Paton interviewed for the position Saturday, and the Browns are expected to make a decision quickly. Eagles vice president of football operations Andrew Berry and Patriots director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort are the other two candidates for the job, which came open after the Browns parted ways with John Dorsey.

Paton has spent the last 13 seasons with the Vikings under general manager Rick Spielman. He has an existing relationship with new Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, who was an assistant in Minnesota since 2006.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has emphasized harmony between his front office and coaching staff while looking to replace Dorsey and fired coach Freddie Kitchens. Stefanski landed the coaching job after being the runner-up in 2019, and Paton would be the most obvious candidate for the general manager spot. 

"If you look at the successful organizations that are consistently in the playoffs, there is alignment within the organization, and they have the right people in the right place, coach and GM," Haslam told reporters. "That's what we're focused on tremendously, and that alignment is something that is really, really important."

Berry seems like the second likeliest candidate because of his familiarity with the Browns front office. He was Cleveland's vice president of player personnel from 2016-18 before joining the Eagles.

Stefanski is expected to have a say in football operations, but the new general manager will make the final decision on roster choices. The Browns entered 2019 expected to compete for the AFC North championship but floundered to a 6-10 finish.