Savage's State of the Browns PC

[consigliere]

Are you kidding me? What a JOKE that press conference was. Also, RAC will be returning. Good grief, this org is in shambles....and I'm starting to lean in the direction where I want Savage out of here too. This guy just does not know how to talk to the media or the fans.

We have Larry, Curly and Moe running this franchise.

[pup]

We have Larry, Curly and Moe running this franchise

Is that Lerner, Savage and Crennel

or

Dolan, Shapiro and Wedge?

[consigliere]

BOTH! LOL!

Although, of those 6 guys, at least Shapiro has some credibility.....

[pup]

Although, of those 6 guys, at least Shapiro has some credibility

That's right, he did get lucky with Millwood and Howry signings.

[Dozen]

Consigliere"BOTH! LOL!

Although, of those 6 guys, at least Shapiro has some credibility.....

Shapiro is an excellent spin doctor. I think he's a very good GM, but Dolan limits what he can do. Did he ever sign an extension yet?? Say what you want about Lerner, but at least he tries. Same with Savage, it's not like he came to a championship team. Shapiro could give you a turd, and say it was a gold nugget and you would wear it. But if Lerner gave you gold, you'd call it a turd.

[consigliere]

Lerner has deep pockets, but he also seems very disinterested. He is NOT a good owner. He needs to be here, and be visible more. Period. And with Savage, he has yet to really do anything. His two offseasons in FA were a joke, and his 2005 draft looks pretty bad right now. The only thing saving him is the 2006 draft at this point looks solid. Dolan is a penny pincher cheapo, but they are more prudent in the team's acquisitions.

Actually, if you combined Lerner and Dolan, you'd have a damn good owner. Lerner with the deep pockets, and Dolan being a fan at heart for the team and being a bit more budget conscious and doing their homework on players.

[Dozen]

I see it different, I think Lerner wants the best product on the field that he can. He understands that he doesnt know a thing about it, so he tries to hire people who do. That IMO, IS being a good owner. I really dont think he would be in the NFL if it wer not for his father.

[Guest]

In reading between the lines of what was said (at least from reading Fred Greetham's recap on the OBR), here's what I think:

1. Phil's not going to draft Calvin Johnson. Not after stating that "the face of the Cleveland offense will be #17 and #80)

2. He may not be looking at Thomas in the first round. And I REALLY didn't like what he said about stocking the guard-center-guard from players "taken on the second day".

3. Phil will take JeMarcus Russell or Brady Quinn if they are on the board when the Browns pick. What he won't do is bring in Plummer, Brad Johnson, Brunnel, or any other veteran. (Dumb).

My guess right now is that if the Browns don't trade down, and the two QBs are off the board, they'll take either Peterson or Branch.

If that's the plan, Phil sure as hell better be paying Steinbach as much as he wants to get here.

[Dozen]

I'm thinking maybe Peterson with that "Droughns can play fullback" comment..........I hope thats true, if they draft Quinn I will vomit

[consigliere]

I see it different, I think Lerner wants the best product on the field that he can. He understands that he doesnt know a thing about it, so he tries to hire people who do. That IMO, IS being a good owner. I really dont think he would be in the NFL if it wer not for his father.

I agree a good owner hires people to run the business and lets them handle the operations without him stepping in. Both Lerner and Dolan do that well. But, you never see Lerner. He is not visible. And, with a team in such disarray, he needs to be here and take control of things more. He'd rather be in England with his polo team or whatever the hell that team he owns over there is. I just don't see any passion with Randy Lerner for the Cleveland Browns, which is not a good thing.

[pup]

But, you never see Lerner. He is not visible. And, with a team in such disarray, he needs to be here and take control of things more.

So if he sat down next to Opie today, and said "I agree with everything Phil just said" you would be happier with him as an owner? The guy does not know football, but he does understand what it means to own the Browns and what it means if they are good. I don't see what his presence in Berea has anything to do with them beinh 4-12. What exactly would you like him to be in control of?

His two offseasons in FA were a joke

I would agree with 2005. His intentions were to bring in people that played for winners and could understand, then preach the system they wanted to put in here.

In 2006, I don't see what was so terrible. Did McGinest slack his way through? Possibly, but he also helped mold some young players in a way that coaches can't. Wimbley was helped immensly by having Willie here. JJ was solid, once he got healthy. Shafer was not that bad and you could here today the plan was always to eventually bring in a LT and move him to RT. Ted Washington has had better years, but a lot of his faults were exposed by poor lineback play.

[consigliere]

Last year's FA haul turned out to be very average at best. Go back to the talk on here in mid-March....people were going bananas over these signings. Washington and McGinnest proved to be past their prime and pretty much useless. Jurevicious is a great guy.....but the guy is a 3rd/4th WR, so big deal. Schaeffer was not worth what they paid him and was very average. Bentley got hurt. Yes, the intentions were good last offseason and it looked good at the time, but his spending spree resulted in an average FA haul at best. He needs to do a ton better this offseason in FA and at least stay the course with his 2006 draft.

I'm just not impressed much with Savage at this point. I mean, when Butch Davis came on board, they inherited an even worse team than the one Savage inherited. Butch Davis won 7 games in year 1 and 9 in year two and in his second year had a pretty solid product/team on the field.....but the salary cap killed us as we had to cut so many players after that 9 win season. Savage needs to do a ton this offseason and have at least a B average in the draft and FA to keep his job if you ask me......maybe even a B+.

And keeping Crennel is laughable. Hello Dave Campo. Ask Cowboys fans how much good it did brining back Campo for a third (and final) season after he put up 5-11 seasons his first two years. The 2007 season is already over.

[Dozen]

yeah, I dont see Lerner's presence being an issue. I mean how does that honestly matter? That really makes no sense to me. He can go to England all he wants so long as he continues to support the franchise by allowing his guys to spend his money. Did you ever see that interview he did last year on the NFL network? To say he doesnt care or has no "passion" to me,...........is absurd.

[British_Pharaoh]

Are you kidding me? What a JOKE that press conference was. Also, RAC will be returning. Good grief, this org is in shambles....and I'm starting to lean in the direction where I want Savage out of here too. This guy just does not know how to talk to the media or the fans.

We have Larry, Curly and Moe running this franchise.

although not a crennel fan

wasnt the feeling about mike brown last season very similar?

no he ahs turned the cavs into the best defensive team in the east, which was emphasized with last nights second half shutdown of the kings especially bibby.

give Crennel time thats all brown needed to implement his defensive tactics and make them work. You gotta give him another season especially since this year his team was crippled by a freakish spate of injuries and faced with an impossible schedule

[British_Pharaoh]

yeah, I dont see Lerner's presence being an issue. I mean how does that honestly matter? That really makes no sense to me. He can go to England all he wants so long as he continues to support the franchise by allowing his guys to spend his money. Did you ever see that interview he did last year on the NFL network? To say he doesnt care or has no "passion" to me,...........is absurd.

Lerner has made a success of a team in the Premier League (real football) who were about the equivalent of the browns before he bought them.

[Dozen]

Here is some good reads on Lerner.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/f ... index.html

http://sports.aol.com/nfl/story/_a/lern ... 4809990001

[British_Pharaoh]

Here is some good reads on Lerner.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/f ... index.html

http://sports.aol.com/nfl/story/_a/lern ... 4809990001

"If I call it soccer they would drag me around by my nostrils.''


aaahhhhhh so true

[consigliere]

No, Lerner is a very average owner. A good owner, to me, is someone like Dan Gilbert (at least to this point). Someone who moreorless is allowing his basketball people to make the basketball decisions and spend his money.....but he is also an owner who is constantly working his ass off every day to try and sell this franchise to the fans and players, and is involved very heavily with the team.

If being a "great" owner only required you to allow your people to run the team and have an infinite checkbook, hundreds of owners would be in the HOF. I guess I expect more from the owner of the Cleveland Browns, a franchise once considered one of the elite in the NFL....but now one of the largest laughing stocks in the NFL. And, it is no surprise that it came under the Lerner watch.

[swerb]

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/article.php?id=6397

Savage pledges support for Crennel
Jeff Walcoff, Staff Writer
01.10.2007

Addressing the media for the first time in 2007 Wednesday, Browns general manager Phil Savage placed trust in head coach Romeo Crennel and said the team intends to build on progress made as it moves forward in the new year.

Savage acknowledged progress may be hard to find at first glance, but he believes several aspects of the team moved forward during the past year.

The team is just two years into a lengthy road to long-term success, Savage said, but he admitted he had hoped for a quicker turnaround.

"Anytime you're in a new job you think you'll be able to come in and perform some magic tricks," Savage said. "Once we got here and realized the core of players just wasn't there, we realized it would take some time to get things turned around.

"We're in the middle of the process. Our record wasn't what we wanted it to be this year but there were some areas of progress made in terms of certain positions on our team."

To improve the areas in which the team hasn't shown progress and to additionally improve the places in which the team has excelled, Savage has held meetings with both Crennel and owner Randy Lerner since the beginning of December to start planning the team's offseason strategy.

Since the season came to a close, the trio has discussed every player on the roster, their performance in '06, and their prospects for the future.

"We have a comprehensive plan in place to make the Browns better for 2007," Savage said. "We've gone over every player on our team. We discussed what he did in '06, what our expectations are in '07, off the field concerns -- a full review of every player on the team. That begins to formulate the road map."

Savage outlined the most disappointing aspects of the '06 season threefold: the team's record, LeCharles Bentley's season-ending knee injury on the first day of training camp, and the club's lack of an offensive identity.

Admitting there were several factors contributing to these problems, Savage dismissed thoughts that Crennel was solely at fault and that his job was in jeopardy heading into the '07 offseason.

"When you look at our season, we had some of our best-laid plans go out the window due to injury," Savage said. "The fact that we also played a fairly difficult schedule and the core players is just not in place yet - when you look at those factors, I don't know how you can place the blame on one person.

"I said to myself, 'There's no way I can look in the mirror and say this is all Romeo Crennel's fault,'" he said.

He said Lerner is firmly behind the head coach as well.

"I feel like Randy's commitment to myself and Romeo has been 100 percent," Savage said. "He's tried to do what the best owners do. He stands in support ofus and lets usdo our job. He's had full support in every thought and idea and suggestion I've made over the past 12 months. The relationship is good there. We've improved communication amongst all of us so we can have some very serious discussions."

While Savage was quick to acknowledge the disappointment from the team's performance in '06, he said he still believes in his ability -- and his players' and coaches' ability -- to turn the Browns into a winning franchise.

"I have no less confidence now than I did two years ago that the Browns can become winners," Savage said. "I'm confident in myself. I'm confident in the staff we have and I believe in the players we have and will continue to add."

Some other items discussed during Savage's press conference:

Savage said the team is in the process of interviewing candidates for the team's offensive coordinator role as well as the club's other vacant coaching positions.
The team recently interviewed assistant head coach/offensive line coach and interim coordinator Jeff Davidson, as well as quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer. He said the team would explore options around the pros as well as in college.

"The biggest thing for this offensive coordinator is to get this team on the same page and to be innovative enough to use all the pieces we have," Savage said.

Savage said Charlie Frye will likely head into the offseason as the team's No. 1 quarterback but the club still hasn't ruled out bringing in another QB during the offseason via free agency or the draft.
"It could go a number of different ways," Savage said. "Charlie has 16 games under his belt as a starter. Charlie going into the offseason is the incumbent. Derek (Anderson) certainly played himself into the discussion. Is it a competition? Sure it is. Just because a guy is coming back at the perceived (starter) doesn't mean a guy can't beat him out."

Savage said he expects receiver Braylon Edwards to improve as the team's offensive staff learns more about the best way to use the 2005 No. 3 overall pick.
"To whom much is given things are expected," Savage said. "He realized that the things that happened this year were a mistake and he's not that kind of guy or teammate. We'll see a Bryalon Edwards with a renewed enthusiasm once this offensive thing settles down.

He said the future of the team's offense probably lies with Edwards and Kellen Winslow, who he called the unit's most talented players.

He said he expects Reuben Droughns to bounce back after a rough season in '06 and blamed the troubles on the lack of reps Droughns received prior of the season and on injuries to both he and the offensive line.
He did not, however, rule out signing or drafting another back.

"Rueben didn't get the at bats in August he needed to hit the regular season full speed," he said. "Then he had (some injuries). It just was a bad year. He can bounce back. He is able to do some work at fullback and in special teams. If we did get another back I don't think that means we're casting Reuben Droughns aside."

Savage did not comment on the status of Bentley and said a further announcement will likely be made sometime later in the month or in early February.

[johnnyo]

I stand by what I said a couple weeks ago:

Romeo gets a one-year reprieve. The Clowns will make a move for Cowher in 2008.