DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum cont...The Browns Front Office...not ready for prime time...

Maybe you missed this article that came out yesterday? You seem to be acting very presumptuous, but that's your provocative.

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Today's trade was big win for Cleveland; its leverage for No. 2 pick went way up. Anyone who wants next QB now needs to pay up to Cleveland.

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What would you have given up to acquire the first pick, too? We need all our draft picks because we have an abundance of holes to fill.

If the Browns' goal was to finally land their franchise QB...this trade is not good news.

Don't ask me, ask Mac. He's the one who's saying we should have moved up to the #1 pick. I think that would have been stupid.

If the Browns' goal was to finally land their franchise QB...this trade is not good news.

If the Browns' goal was to finally land their franchise QB...this trade is not good news.

Mac, my gut tells me they're taking Goff at #1, if that is the case and "if" we take Wentz...then how would your perception of FO be?

I am not sure I would want to trade down. I can see why we would as you said more picks to fill more holes, hard to ague with that line of thinking. But for me I would love to Ramsey or Jack or Buckner or Bosa tho...

Cleveland Browns must stop talking about importance of continuity and start showing us they're capable of it: Tom Reed

By Tom Reed, Cleveland.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on April 13, 2016 at 5:24 PM, updated April 13, 2016 at 7:38 PM

BEREA, Ohio – The Browns executive who failed to re-sign any of the team's three most prominent free agents under age 30 spoke on national satellite radio Wednesday and said "our biggest barrier to success is a lack of continuity."

OK, then.

This isn't meant to single out head of football operations Sashi Brown, who either declined or was unable to retain right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, receiver Travis Benjamin or safety Tashaun Gipson. The Browns are undertaking a massive rebuild. We get it. It's why they cut ties with older players such as linebacker Karlos Dansby, safety Donte Whitner and allowed three-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack to walk.

But not keeping Schwartz and Benjamin, who were coming off their best seasons, and Gipson, one year removed from the Pro Bowl, is the antithesis of continuity.

"I think it's tremendously important," Brown said when asked about continuity during a wide-ranging interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "One of the quickest ways to be bad for a long time is to keep making changes in this league.

"Success isn't built overnight. I think the teams we all admire around the league have had that continuity that is a little bit circular. But I absolutely think that Jimmy and Dee (Haslam) understand the importance of continuity."

Browns' decision makers have been uttering similar comments for years only to be shown the door after a season or two. Jimmy Haslam, a former Steelers minority owner, has been espousing the virtues of continuity since his 2012 arrival. He's on his fourth head coach and front office.

It makes you wonder if anyone in Berea knows the actual definition of continuity. You know how people sometimes get words confused. Stalagmite or stalactite? Concave or convex?

Here's Merriam-Webster's simple definition of continuity: "the quality of something that does not stop or change as time passes: a continuous quality."

Synonyms: Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals.

Antonyms: Cleveland Browns.

OK, that last part isn't in the dictionary, but Brown referenced all three AFC North rivals during his interview when asked about their stability:

"We understand our biggest, in the division, our biggest barrier to success is a lack of continuity."

It's the same executive who prior to the start of free agency said: "It's important that we keep our own. It sends the right message to the locker room when you reward guys who do it the right way ... "

It goes beyond not re-signing Schwartz, Benjamin and Gipson, who never caused the franchise grief and epitomized doing it "the right way." This has been going on for years – new regimes not wanting building blocks of predecessors on their roster. It's how homegrown talent like T.J. Ward and Buster Skrine wind up on other teams.

It all gets back to the skewed definition of continuity. Each group thinks it starts on their watch.

"(The Haslams) want us to build a system here, a Browns' way," Brown said. "We will all be pushing toward that – Paul DePodesta, myself and others – are truly going to build a system. ... There is a real commitment from the top down here that's sustainable. We want that to be a competitive advantage of ours in time and I'm looking forward to seeing that grass grow, so to speak."

What is a Browns' way? One of the reasons the franchise has been so poor in the draft is the men running it don't get time to establish a system or a core philosophy.

Look at how the Bengals reversed their fortunes after a dreadful four-win season under Marvin Lewis in 2010. Many expected Mike Brown to make a coaching change. Yahoo reported that Lewis' friends urged him to leave the dysfunctional franchise. Instead, owner and coach learned from previous mistakes and built an organization that's made five straight trips to the playoffs.

In Oakland, it would have been easy for the Raiders to fire general manger Reggie McKenzie after a pair of 4-12 years. The Raiders and Browns had been almost identical franchises for the previous decade – a revolving door of front offices, coaches and quarterbacks. Everything changed in the 2014 draft as McKenzie landed edge rusher Khalil Mack and quarterback Derek Carr – players whom the Browns passed on.

Cleveland, meanwhile, was in the middle of another front-office change. Outgoing executive Joe Banner, who should never have been fired after one year, had commissioned an analytical quarterback study whose findings were essentially: Anybody but Johnny Manziel. We all know how that turned out.

Browns fans hate reliving past failures, but they often serve as a powerful teacher. Is there ever a time to fire a coach or a GM after a short stint? Of course. Sometimes change is beneficial, but when you make a habit of it, when it becomes systematic, then you invite chaos and instability.

That, unfortunately, has been the Browns' way.

The concept of continuity is like saying you want to keep your kids or your country safe. Who isn't in favor of the sentiment? But it's how you go about achieving goals that matters. Are you willing to weather rough patches? Are you willing to pay more money to keep your free agents?

The Haslams need to be patient with DePodesta and Brown as they take a deep dive into analytics. They must realize coach Hue Jackson will absorb some brutal seasons as the organization restocks the roster.

The Browns need to take a quarterback with the No. 2 pick and develop him. They must surround Jared Goff or Carson Wentz with talent acquired through high picks over the next few seasons. Establish a plan and stick to it.

And, before he's either traded or retires, decision makers should talk to left tackle Joe Thomas and let him explain the meaning of continuity and the problems caused by not adhering to it. Nobody in the franchise understands or expresses the damage caused by constant turnover better than No. 73. He's seen it first-hand for nine years. JT, starting over:

When the conversation ends, the Browns should declare a moratorium on talk of continuity. We've heard it all before. Let's see it in action.

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Mac, my gut tells me they're taking Goff at #1, if that is the case and "if" we take Wentz...then how would your perception of FO be?

Sash was 100% correct saying "It's important that we keep our own. It sends the right message to the locker room when you reward guys who do it the right way ... "

....so why didn't Sashi follow his own stated principle for keeping players the Browns drafted?

Reed is just stoking the fire.

Oh for goodness sakes.. ONE MORE TIME:

Mack got an offer from us and took one offered by Atlanta. he wanted out.

Benji had his best season last year, love to have him, but not at the money he got

Gipson had a good year and then a down year. And he got a boat load of money.

Schwartz is the only one I can find fault with. They should have been able to retain him. I'm not sure what happened.

Reed is just stoking the fire.

J/C

Could it be that the Rams, now moving to California, take Goff - the kid who just finished his college ball in California?

milk...so one article convinces you that Goff is the best QB in this draft?...let's see if the Rams take Goff.

Oh for goodness sakes.. ONE MORE TIME:

Mack got an offer from us and took one offered by Atlanta. he wanted out.

Benji had his best season last year, love to have him, but not at the money he got

Gipson had a good year and then a down year. And he got a boat load of money.

Schwartz is the only one I can find fault with. They should have been able to retain him. I'm not sure what happened.

Reed is just stoking the fire.

101...and my gut tells me you are wrong.

The Rams did not give up all those draft picks to take Goff.

I would take a gentleman's bet on that. if my take on it is right, would your stance on the FO change at all?

Boy Howdy! There's a question I've never heard asked before.

Howdy Boy! Dodging the question by attacking the poster is something I have never seen before.

I would take a gentleman's bet on that. if my take on it is right, would your stance on the FO change at all?

Sashi just "let them walk"?

For someone who is hating on posters for passing off "opinion as fact" you sure as hell don't adhere to your own requests.

You get exasperated w/mac, yet you only state opinions on all those players.

Saying it over and over and over again does not make it true.

Here is the ONE thing we know to be true. All those players are gone!