Browns name Farmer assistant GM, promote Lombardi
Mike Lombardi was promoted to general manager with the addition of Ray Farmer as Cleveland Browns assistant general manager.
Lombardi held veto power in personnel decisions, and that responsibility doesn't change with his new title.
Farmer was assistant general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs, a franchise undergoing significant turnover that is likely to continue through May. Most scouting contracts run until the completion of the NFL draft, which is held April 25-27.
Lombardi was hired in January to oversee college and pro scouting after working as an analyst for NFL Network. He previously worked in Cleveland under Bill Belichick in scouting in addition to a long stint as personnel executive in Oakland.
"Ray is highly regarded in league circles as an outstanding evaluator of talent," said Browns CEO Joe Banner. "We had the opportunity to meet with Ray in our initial search for a general manager and came away extremely impressed. I have known Ray since he played with us in Philadelphia, and I am familiar with the type of person he is, his work ethic and his knowledge of the game. We are very fortunate that we were able to add someone of Ray's caliber to our personnel staff."
Farmer, a former standout at Duke who was drafted in the fourth round by the Eagles and started 16 games before a career-ending knee injury, spent seven seasons (2006-12) as the Kansas City Chiefs' director of pro personnel. He previously worked for four seasons (2002-05) as a pro scout with the Atlanta Falcons.
