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McCarthy reportedly contacted by the Browns

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Mike McCarthy

According to a Toronto Sun report, the Cleveland Browns have reached out to Mike McCarthy about their head-coaching vacancy.

McCarthy was fired by the Green Bay Packers back on December 3.

Browns GM John Dorsey is familiar with McCarthy from their days working together in Green Bay.  McCarthy went 125-75-2 in his 13 seasons with the Packers, winning a Super Bowl in 2010.

The Browns also have a pair of former Packers personal people in their front office in assistant GM Eliot Wolf and Vice President of Player Personnel Alonzo Highsmith.  They’re both very familiar with McCarthy’s work as well.

The Browns will consider McCarthy, but they’ll also interview interim coach Gregg Williams, who went 5-3 in his eight game stint.

 

College Scout Alonzo leaving the Packers

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Former Packers scout Alonzo Dotson

College scout Alonzo Dotson is leaving the Green Bay Packers for a job with the New York Jets.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dotson’s exact title with the Jets is unclear, but the franchise needs a national scout and a director of college scouting.

Dotson joined the Packers in 2013 after two seasons at the University of Houston.  His departure means the Packers are looking for his replacement, as well as executives Alonzo Highsmith and Eliot Wolf, both of whom joined the Cleveland Browns.

 

Wolf interviewing in Cleveland with the Browns

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Eliot Wolf

After being passed over for the GM job in Green Bay, Packers Director of Football Operations Eliot Wolf is interviewing with the Cleveland Browns today.

The Browns just hired John Dorsey as their new General Manager and he quickly hired another Green Bay Packers personnel executive, Alonzo Highsmith as a vice president in the personnel department.

New Packers GM Brian Gutekunst offered Wolf a prominent position to stay in Green Bay, but he may be looking to move on.

Former Packers GM Ron Wolf was not happy to see his son get passed over for the GM job in Green Bay.  he told ESPN on Sunday night, “Obviously the people up there don’t think he’s worthy or they would’ve hired him. End of discussion.”

Eliot Wolf is still under contract with the Packers and Gutekunst could prevent him from interviewing for any other NFL job except for GM.  But it appears Gutekunst would let Wolf go elsewhere, even though he’s like to see him return to Green Bay to allow the two, who have become good friends, to work together.

 

Highsmith on his way to Cleveland

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Alonzo Highsmith didn’t figure he would have been a candidate for the Green Bay Packers general manager vacancy, so he’s on his way to Cleveland where he’ll join John Dorsey in the Browns front office.  Highsmith will become the Browns Vice President of Football Operations.

Highsmith and Dorsey worked together for 13 years in Green Bay.

Dorsey left the Packers in 2012 to become the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs.  He was hired as the new GM of the Browns last month.

Highsmith has worked in the Packers’ personnel department for 19 years.  He gets credit for finding Donald Driver, a former seventh-round draft pick who went on to become the Packers’ all-time leading receiver, as well as former undrafted corner Sam Shields.

Thompson steps down from GM post

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Ted Thompson

It would appear that the Green Bay Packers are serious about shaking things up after a disappointing 7-9 season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

The NFL Network first reported that GM Ted Thompson would step down and a search for his replacement would begin immediately.  Thompson’s contract is set to expire after next season and he’s expected to move into an advisory position within the personnel department.

The search won’t be limited to just in-house candidates.  That list includes director of football operations Eliot Wolf, director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst, senior personnel advisor Alonzo Highsmith and vice president of football administration/player finance Russ Ball.

Among the top candidates outside of the organization are Minnesota assistant general manager George Paton, Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas and Baltimore Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta.

Also to be considered is what to do with head coach Mike McCarthy, who is entering the final year of his contract.  Team president Mark Murphy must decide whether to extend McCarthy’s contract regardless of who the new GM is, or he can leave McCarthy’s fate in the hands of the new GM.

Thompson was hired by Ron Wolf in 1992 and stayed with the Packers until 2000, when he left to join former Packers coach Mike Holmgren with the Seattle Seahawks.  Thompson served as Seattle’s vice president of football operations until 2005 when he was hired to take over the general manager position in Green Bay.

Mark Murphy is expected to meet with reporters to discuss the latest move on Tuesday.