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Andy Reid to be the next coach of the Cleveland Browns

Are you ready for the Andy Reid era, Browns fans?

Because it seems pretty likely that Reid could be working the sidelines at Cleveland Browns Stadium next season – especially if Browns CEO Joe Banner reads the latest from Grantland’s Bill Barnwell.

Barnwell lays out a pretty good case that Reid hasn’t been that bad of a coach in Philadelphia. Some of the highlights include:

• Reid’s .588 winning percentage puts the Eagles as the sixth-best in the NFL over the 14 years Reid has been coach. The five teams ahead of Philadelphia are the Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Packers and Ravens.
• Under Reid, the Eagles made the playoffs in nine of his 14 seasons, after only making the playoffs 10 times in the previous 30 seasons before Reid took over as coach. (How many Browns fans would sign off, right now, on nine playoff appearances over the next 14 years?)
• Each of Reid’s first seven drafts produced at least one Pro Bowl player.
• Reid also has a knack for getting rid of players at just the right time – especially at the quarterback position. Over the years, the Eagles have been able to trade A.J. Feely, Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb, just to name a few, for second-round picks. Ask the Dolphins, Redskins and Cardinals how well that worked out on their end.

But it’s this is the part that will get Banner’s attention (and help him justify the hiring):

It’s also foolish to believe that (Reid’s) done. If he wants to come back to coaching (and reports say that he does), he would be at the top of the list for many of the league’s coach-needy teams. There’s a track record of guys who fizzled out after a long run with one team immediately succeeding elsewhere, too. John Fox followed a 2-14 year with the Panthers by going to Denver and winning two consecutive AFC West titles. Tom Coughlin peaked at 12-4 and had three years of below-average football before being let go by the Jaguars, but when he caught on with the Giants, he had them in the playoffs in two years. It may take another chance with another team for people to realize just how valuable Reid is as a head coach.

We thought about e-mailing Banner and asking him to deny that he will hire Reid, but then we realized how absurd it is to expect the CEO of the local football team to take time out of his day to comment on every bit of nonsense that is “reported” these days. Especially in an age where too many reporters believe that being first and being the loudest is far more important than being right.

No matter what the media thinks, Banner has more important things to do that try to answer every anonymous, single-sourced report that is flung at the wall, like so many monkeys flinging poo at the zoo.

Now, of course, there is the issue that Reid is currently employed by the Eagles and the Browns have a coach in Pat Shurmur. But that will probably change in a few weeks. Plus, things like “facts” don’t always have a role in a “report.”

So get ready for Reid, Browns fans, because he’s coming.

And if the Browns don’t hire him? Well, that’s what our sources told us.

As far you know.

(Photo by Getty Images)