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After wrapping up the 2023 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry had a message of tough love for the roster, especially the veteran players — nobody’s job is a given.
Andrew Berry Said Everyone Better to Be Ready to ‘Compete For Your Job’
In his post-draft wrap-up press conference, Berry was asked about the depth the Browns have at the wide receiver position, especially in regards to both drafting five wide receivers in four years and if players like WR David Bell are going to have to prove they deserve to get the ball.
To this, Berry said that they are simply trying to “match [their] resources to opportunities.”
“[You] can’t really force things in the draft, necessarily, and I think even with the … players you’ve identified, they all have different skillsets, strengths or weaknesses that made them attractive at the time we made the selection. I’d like to say there is some pattern or something there, but honestly, there really wasn’t,” said Berry.
But he went on to say that they want to foster healthy competition because if you aren’t ready to compete for your job, you have no place in professional football.
“I think for all the guys in that room, it really is just about competition,” said Berry. “I think if, for any player that comes in the NFL, if you’re not ready to come compete for your job, then it’s just not the league and it’s not the sport for you. That’s the reality for young players, rookies and vets. That’s just kind of the way it is and that’s kind of the way that we’ll build out the roster.”
He added, “We look at our role as building the best roster that we can through any avenue possible. We want to try and pull on every lever that we can and that we have at our disposal. Really, our job is resource allocation. How we deploy our picks, how we deploy our cash, how we organize our cap. That’s really more the perspective I look at it from and really the overall roster health.”
Berry Also Said There’s ‘A Need Everywhere’ on the Team
Berry also talked quite a bit about how you can never have too much talent on a team. When asked “do you still feel the need to add a veteran safety,” Berry kind of laughed and said, “I’d say I feel like we still have a need everywhere.”
“We’re just going to try and add talent and competition,” said Berry, adding, “I think any player that you bring into the organization, whether it’s through draft, whether it’s through free agency, whether it’s through a trade or some other means, you are hopeful that you can easier raise the floor and/or ceiling a position group. We have the same aspirations for this class of seven players, but we have to wait and see until they hit the grass.”
Berry also said that while they’re “excited” about the guys they drafted, there is still a lot of “work to do on the roster.”
“We are excited about the guys we added this weekend. … [but] it really is just that we still have work to do on the roster. We will explore every opportunity, trade, and veteran market to continue to add depth and competition to all spots. This is a good point in the offseason and we are really excited about the guys we added [in the draft],” said Berry.
The Browns are currently in the middle of their voluntary off-season workout program. Their mandatory minicamp is taking place from June 6 to June 8. The NFL preseason kicks off with the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 3, which will feature the Browns taking on the New York Jets this year.
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Browns GM Andrew Berry Sends a Message to the Veteran Players