CLEVELAND — Dating back to the conclusion of the 2015 season, the Cleveland Browns have made heavy investments in advanced analytics.
And the franchise's efforts are continuing to be recognized.
On Tuesday, ESPN.com's Seth Walder released the results of his annual poll regarding advanced metrics in the league. And for the second straight year, the Browns ranked first when it came to the following questions, which were sent to a member of each team's analytics group, with 21 teams responding:
- Which NFL team is the most analytically advanced?
- Which team produces the highest level of analytics work?
- Which team most incorporates analytics into its decision-making?
"From what I understand, all their decision-making takes a scouting or coaching perspective and then marries that with some kind of quantitative analysis or quantitative investigation," an NFC analytics staffer told Walder.
Added an AFC staffer: "[The Browns] have an analytically minded GM -- they have leadership all the way, director level and above, who is quantitatively inclined."
That the Browns would rank so highly for the third consecutive year -- they finished third behind the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 -- doesn't come as a surprise. While general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski have traditional football backgrounds, both have shown a willingness to incorporate advanced metrics, which is also reflected in the sizable investment the Browns have made in their analytics staff, which includes chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta.
That staff used to include Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who has since become the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings. In doing so, Adofo-Mensah became the league's first general manager to possess experience as an analytics staffer -- perhaps an indication of where the league is headed in regard to advanced metrics.
You can see the full results from the survey here.