steel88 Posted January 11, 2010 Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/article.php?id=10408 The Cleveland Browns today named Tom Heckert, Jr. as the club's General Manager and Bryan Wiedmeier as Executive Vice President - Business Operations. Heckert joins the Browns after spending the previous nine seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (2001-09), including the last four as General Manager (2006-09). Wiedmeier comes to the club following a 29-year stint as a member of the Miami Dolphins' front office, three of which he was the team's President and Chief Operating Officer (2006-08). "I want to thank Randy Lerner and Mike Holmgren for this tremendous opportunity," Heckert said. "I also want to thank Jeffrey Lurie, Andy Reid and Joe Banner for an outstanding nine-year run with a first-class organization. It was the Eagles who allowed me to climb the NFL personnel ladder, and I am proud of what we were able to accomplish there. I will always have fond memories of my stay in Philadelphia. I am eager to get started with the Browns, a team for which my father worked and that I rooted for growing up.Working alongside some of the most experienced and successful people in this business in Mike, Eric Mangini and Bryan, I believe we have the foundation in place to re-establish the Browns as one of the top franchises in the NFL." Heckert first went to the Eagles as Director of Player Personnel in 2001 before being promoted to Vice President of Player Personnel in 2003. He joined the Eagles following a 10-year stint with the Miami Dolphins, spending his first nine seasons there as both a pro and college scout. Heckert also served as the Dolphins' Assistant Director of Pro Personnel/College Scout in 1999 before being promoted to Director of Pro Personnel in 2000. During Heckert's tenure with the Eagles, the team drafted or acquired 10 players who would go on to earn Pro Bowl status, including kicker David Akers, defensive lineman Trent Cole, wide receiver DeSean Jackson, offensive lineman Jason Peters, cornerback Asante Samuel and fullback Leonard Weaver, all of whom recently were selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl. Of the 22 Eagles starters at the end of the 2009 season, 13 were draft choices of the team during Heckert's tenure while two more were signed as undrafted free agents. In fact, three players from the club's 2009 draft class were among the 13. Over the course of Heckert's 17-year NFL career, the teams with which he has been associated have experienced 16 winning seasons, won eight division titles and made 13 postseason trips, including five NFC Championship game appearances (2001-04, 2008 seasons), in addition to representing the NFC at Super Bowl XXXIX following the 2004 season. In his career, Heckert has had the opportunity to work for three of the most successful head coaches in NFL history, including Hall of Famer Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson and Andy Reid. Heckert was appointed by the NFL to the College Advisory Committee in 2003, which advises college football juniors on their draft status. He was named to the General Managers Advisory Committee in 2008, which consults Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL football operations department on key issues regarding player development, scouting and technology. A native of Adrian, Michigan, Heckert spent two seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Hillsdale College, in Hillsdale, Michigan, where he also played defensive back. A second generation NFL executive, his father, Tom Sr., spent 26 years in the NFL player personnel ranks, with his final 19 seasons as part of the Dolphins' personnel department before retiring following the 2007 season. Tom Sr. also spent five seasons as the Midwest scout for the Cleveland Browns from 1982-86. Tom Jr. has a son, Griffin, and a daughter, Madison. Wiedmeier is a veteran of 29 NFL seasons, all with the Dolphins. He served in a myriad of roles during his tenure with the team, including President and Chief Operating Officer from 2006-08. This followed a four-year stint (2002-05) as Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer. This past season, he was the club's Senior Vice President - NFL Affairs and Special Projects. During his NFL career, which began in 1981, Wiedmeier's experience includes business operations, football administration and labor. For a majority of his time with the Dolphins, he was the club's primary representative in National Football League affairs. In addition, he has served on a number of NFL committees, is an original member of the NFL Management Council's Working Club Executive Committee and is a Trustee of the NFL Player Insurance Trust. In Wiedmeier's 29 years with the Dolphins, the team recorded 20 winning seasons and qualified for the playoffs on 14 occasions, including eight division titles and a pair of Super Bowl appearances. Wiedmeier earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law and is a member of the Florida Bar. He received his B.A. from Carroll College in Montana, which he attended on a football scholarship and served as team captain his senior year. He was the starting center on the school's 1978 undefeated Hall of Fame team. Bryan and his wife, Mary K., have five children, Lauren, Victoria, John, Danielle and Matthew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpeen Posted January 11, 2010 Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 Both hires look to be excellent additions. To be a top organization, you have to be strong on the field, the sidelines, the training room, and the board roon. Upgrade the field and we are there. I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canton Mike Posted January 11, 2010 Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 I just now looked on the Browns site & saw that. Every move finalized just gives more reason for excitement & optimism. Seems to me that Randy got it right this time! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marqui Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 I just now looked on the Browns site & saw that. Every move finalized just gives more reason for excitement & optimism. Seems to me that Randy got it right this time! Mike I agree now its time to hire Will Lewis next. I really want them to look at our scouting department. The best thing about thes hires thes guys have a track record of winning. Where Phil, Romero, Eric, and GenKos, wasn't guys with proven track records. They were really low racked guys good teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gips Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 A great hire in heckert now lets build in an internal scouting unit from scratch instead of depending so much on a hunch and the word of a traitorous 3rd party scouting system..lewis would be a nice add here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClevelandFanForLife Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 let the manhert regime begin... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steel88 Posted January 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 alright I'm taking bets how soon will it be before heckert tells a fan to "F off and go root for buffalo" I say middle of this coming season hahahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshutchins Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 I guess we now have to look under rocks to find the people who said no one good would want to come to Cleveland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choco Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 ^+1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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