The Cleveland Browns submitted a request Saturday to interview Philadelphia Eagles vice president of football operations Andrew Berry for their vacant general manager position -- and there's a persistent feeling in league circles that he remains the favorite for the job.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has publicly stated that he planned to hire a new coach before hiring a GM, but sources told ESPN that Berry was considered the favorite even before Cleveland's request to interview him.

The Browns are planning to hire Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach, sources confirmed to ESPN. Cleveland's plan to hire Stefanski was first reported Sunday by the NFL Network.

Cleveland doesn't have to interview Berry to know what it would be getting, since Berry was the Browns' vice president of player personnel from 2016 to 2018. Berry's return to Cleveland also would signify a prominent place for analytics and the approach the team relied on before turning to John Dorsey as GM.

Berry graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in computer science. He also played football at Harvard, starting all four years at cornerback, a position at which he was chosen as All-Ivy League three times.

The Browns and Dorsey agreed to part ways on Dec. 31. Dorsey, 59, became the Browns' GM in December 2017 as the team was finishing an 0-16 season and oversaw the past two drafts and free agency in 2018 and 2019.