When it comes to extending the contract of third-year running back Peyton Hillis, the Browns are approaching it like a fine BBQ chef.
Low and slow.
Browns general manager Tom Heckert said on Thursday that, “Until we get a contract done with somebody, we’re not gonna talk about it.
After a few weeks without anyone taking the temperature of the office furniture in Berea, the nonsense has come back thanks to a line from ESPN broadcaster Jon Gruden.
Gruden was on Rich Eisen’s podcast show and Eisen asked Gruden if he would listen if someone wanted him to coach again next year.
“I think I might,” Gruden said.
That’s all. Not, “I’m coaching next year.” Or “I’m already moving my furniture into the coach’s office in Berea.” Just that he would think about it if someone came calling.
That didn’t stop the speculation from the “experts” who quickly drew the conclusion that Gruden will be on the sidelines for the Browns next year:
I guess we should be thankful that no one is trying to sell Gruden as an in-season replacement.
When Mike Holmgren decided to bring Eric Mangini back as coach it was clear he was going to give him the full year. It wouldn’t make any sense to bring Mangini back only to fire him after six or seven games – Holmgren needs a full season to evaluate Mangini and it’s only fair to give him that.
As to Gruden, what is it about him that makes anyone think we’d want him to coach the Browns? People like to point out that he is a “Super Bowl-winning coach*,” but that was in 2002 and with Tony Dungy’s players. Once Gruden started turning the roster over and bringing in his own players the team went downhill.
And Gruden’s inability to settle on a quarterback in Tampa makes the past few years in Cleveland quarterback issues look like a dream.
Finally, since every coach and every player is great, as Gruden tells us each week on Monday Night Football, can we really trust his ability to judge talent?
If some other team wants to take a shot on Gruden, if they fall in love with his bad haircut and goofy faces, good for them.
But there’s no place for him in Cleveland.
Not now and not next year.
*We really need a statute of limitations of about 10 years on the phrase “Super Bowl-winning.” It’s a bit ridiculous when people refer for Mike Shanahan as a “Super Bowl-winning coach” when his last Super Bowl was in 1998; same with Brett Favre who won a Super Bowl in 1996. That’s a long time ago.
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Oh, and all that talk about James Harrison retiring? Yeah, not so much.
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I often wish we had more aspects of European soccer crowds in American sports – check out this video from Anfield, how sweet would it be to see that at a Browns game? – then something like this happens and makes me think that maybe we can do with a little less passion.
For a team that is 0-3 on the season and 5-14 over its last 19 games, all is refreshingly quiet in Berea.
After three close losses, the Browns are focusing on Sunday’s game vs. Cincinnati, trying to figure how to get not only their first win of the season, but how to beat the Bengals in Cleveland for the first time since 2007 (aka when we didn’t know how horrible Derek Anderson is at quarterback).
For a change other teams are dealing with quarterback issues: Buffalo, Arizona (ha!), and Carolina to name a few. And, for the most part, those media members who are interested in the temperature of the office furniture have moved on to Miami, Jacksonville and San Francisco.
This must be what it’s like to follow a real NFL team, looking ahead to the next game and wondering:
After more than a decade of distractions, hoo-haa, motorcycle crashes, “teeny, tiny fractures,” debates over which lousy quarterback gives the team the best chance of not being embarrassed and everything else, it’s nice to be able to focus on football for a change.
This is something we could get used to around here.
Now about that 0-3 record …
With the Browns 0-2 (again) and people busy monitoring the temperature of the office chairs in Berea (again, some more), reader jimkanicki asked where we at Red Right 88 stand on coach Eric Mangini.
I kind of talked around the answer, eventually pointing him to this post. It’s a tough question to answer, because I don’t think this is an either/or situation. In some ways it is still hard to evaluate Mangini, even 18 games into his tenure as coach as coach of the Browns and carrying the weight of a 28-38 career record.
I think either explicitly, by locking GM George Kokinis in an equipment shed last season so he couldn’t make any decisions; or implicitly, by Randy Lerner not telling him no, Mangini ran the show last season. And that just doesn’t work.
When he was a coach, Bill Parcells would talk about how if he was “cooking the dinner” then he should be the one “buying the groceries.” But when he took over as the top guy in Miami, he didn’t let the coach pick the players. It’s just too much for one person to handle.
Just like coaches have to put players in a position to succeed, the GM has to put the coach in a position to succeed, the president has to do the same for the GM and the owner for the president. That’s only fair.
Now that the Browns have the proper structure in place, Mangini has the framework around him to maximize his potential to succeed. If he fails, it won’t be because he was distracted from doing his primary job. If the structure had been in place when he was hired last season, we would be able to evaluate him better at this stage.
All this got me to thinking, who would be the perfect coach for the Browns? Who would finally satisfy the fans?
So, armed with the knowledge of 30+ years of watching Browns football, plus countless hours reading books, news sites and other blogs on the Browns, as well as fan comments, we entered the Red Right 88 laboratory to build the perfect Browns coach.
First, you need someone who will win. The coach doesn’t have to go 16-0 every year, 14-2 will be fine; just don’t ever lose a division game. And they have to win the Super Bowl, not every year, just three out of ever four.
When the Browns were looking for a coach after firing Romeo Crennel, the call went up for Bill Cowher. After all, he won a Super Bowl with the help of an incompetent officiating crew. But what about those four AFC title game losses at home? That would never work here in Cleveland.
The coach also has to oversee an offensive attack that would make the famed Air Coryell offense in San Diego look like a Pop Warner team running the single wing, while getting the starting quarterback and his backup an equal amount of playing time.
The defense must be a combination of the Steel Curtain, the ’86 Bears, the Fearsome Foursome and Dallas’ Doomsday. And don’t give up more than 10 points a game; and never give up any points against a division opponent.
He should also make sure the every draft pick and free agent performs at an All Pro level.
Finally, he must handle the media flawlessly, providing quotes worthy of Shakespeare.
We think that sums up the expectations placed on the coach of the Browns. And despite working tirelessly to build someone to fill the role, we were unable to pull it off.
So, for now, we’ll ride with Mangini as coach and keep our pitchforks and torches in storage.
But we’ll keep our matches close at hand.
ESPN’s John Clayton confirmed a point in his mailbag that we (and others) have been making all week:
“The key to the start of any season is not to overreact … there’s no need to panic. It’s a long season.”
But not everyone got the message at ESPN, as AFC North beat writer James Walker has determined that the Browns are already in a “must-win” situation Sunday against Kansas City.
They must win or … what? Well, let’s find out:
“If the Cleveland Browns can lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they can lose to just about anybody. And considering their next eight opponents include only one team that didn’t have a winning record in 2009, the Browns desperately need a win Sunday …”
Really? So a team that was widely picked to only win about 3-4 games this season is in a “must-win” situation after just one week?
“The Browns, who won four straight to end the 2009 season, lost all momentum after last week’s loss to the Buccaneers.”
Did you get that? ALL MOMENTUM IS LOST. So, the Browns, no momentum. But the Bengals, Falcons & Jets, who also lost Week 1, and the Ravens & Steelers, who barely won Week 1? All momentum, baby.
“It’s no secret that Cleveland head coach Eric Mangini entered the year on the hot seat.”
Well, it might be a secret to Randy Lerner and Mike Holmgren. And they are the only ones who count here.
“The Browns weren’t expected to be a playoff team this season.”
So what’s the problem then? If they weren’t expected to be very good and they lost a game, then why hit the panic button?
The only thing the Browns “must do” on Sunday is show up and play. Nothing else. The season won’t be won or lost on Sunday, no one will lose their job, no one will be monkeying with the thermostat on Mangini’s office chair.
Oh boy, it’s going to be a long year.
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For a more reasonable reading of the temperature of Mangini’s chair, check out this piece from Waiting for Next Year.
Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner is apparently a quick study.
According to a story out of England, Lerner is using his experience reshaping the Browns this off-season as a guide to fixing what ails his Premier League team, Aston Villa, which found itself without a manager when Martin O’Neill walked out five days before the season started.
Lerner’s plan to name Gerard Houllier as his new chief at Aston Villa has been inspired by his “other side across the pond,” the Cleveland Browns.
According to the report, “he was in a similar situation with his Cleveland side last year as the club suffered a difficult start. His solution was to appoint experienced Mike Holmgren as club president and allow him to oversee team operations while Eric Mangini continued as head coach.
“The set-up has shown signs of success and Lerner fancies testing out the policy in the Premier League.
“Villa have not yet decided on a formal title for Houllier but Lerner has been hugely impressed by his credentials and director of football seems his most likely position. He would take on a similar role to Holmgren, in that he will oversee all football operations including scouting, transfers and contracts.”
It’s good to see the Browns front office being acknowledged for the work they’ve done in trying to turn this team around. It’s just too bad that credit comes from an English paper, rather than from the national media here at home, who seem content to recycle the same bowl of soupy drek, like the Associated Press’ latest coach on the hot seat* story, featuring Eric Mangini:
“The Browns won their final four games, long after they had become irrelevant in the AFC standings, then Mangini persuaded Holmgren to give him another chance. The roster doesn’t look any stronger after a 5-11 season, and unless Mangini shows some versatility in demeanor and strategy, his stay in Cleveland could end with another firing.”
Yep, the team didn’t improve in any area since last season. Good analysis there.
We can already see evidence that the Holmgren/Heckert/Mangini trio is working out. It will be interesting to see how well Lerner’s plan translates across the pond.
*Why is the seat always a hot one? I was talking with a physics professor at work a few years ago and he was explaining how extreme cold and extreme heat do the exact same damage to our bodies, our brains just perceive them differently. So an extremely cold seat would be just an uncomfortable as a hot one.
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A bit of a disturbing article in USA Today about more NFL teams are expected to face blackouts this season.
The Browns are listed as “no blackouts expected,” but I just went online and could buy tickets for the home opener against Kansas City. If the team gets off to a slow start this year, they could run into some trouble selling out games, although having a strong home schedule will help.
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Finally, the Browns waived David Veikune, aka Chaun Thompson 2.0, today. Fellow 2009 second-round picks Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi really need to come through this year.
Red Right 88 