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Prominent changes looming for Browns
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Mary Kay Cabot
Plain Dealer Reporter

Browns coach Romeo Crennel probably will survive this dismal season, but sweeping changes are expected to be made on the offensive staff.

Crennel, in response to Internet and radio rumors that major changes are forthcoming, said Friday, "My main focus is this game, and after this game we're going to sit down and we're going to evaluate what's happened, why things happened and what we can do to improve it - and I anticipate that I'll be a part of that."

The Browns' top brass will huddle next week to make changes. The meetings will include owner Randy Lerner, General Manager Phil Savage, Crennel and possibly others. Crennel most likely will be retained, but will be asked to hire an accomplished offensive coordinator. He could be fired if one of the following happens:

No. 1. Lerner doesn't like what he hears in the meetings (i.e. Crennel is reluctant to fire certain assistants).

No. 2. A blockbuster head coach becomes available.

Blockbuster names would include Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher and Tennessee's Jeff Fisher, but neither will be available. The Titans have exercised Fisher's option for 2007 and Cowher will be untouchable next season. Even if he resigns after this season with a year left on his contract - a decision that could be made by next week - he can't coach in 2007 without permission from the Steelers, and Dan Rooney certainly wouldn't let him go to the Browns.

They'd have to wait until 2008, when Cowher will be a free agent. Other marquee names include Ohio State's Jim Tressel and Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, a close friend of Savage's.

The feeling is the Browns will try to stay the course and not fire Crennel after two seasons, in which he's gone 6-10 and 4-11, including a 1-11 mark in the division. Lerner and Savage have declined to comment until after the season.

"Randy Lerner can look at this situation like everybody else and look at what's happened with injuries," said Crennel's agent, Joe Linta. "I'm sure he wouldn't fire Romeo under these circumstances."

The Browns placed another starter on injured reserve Friday in right guard Cosey Coleman, meaning they'll finish the season with at least 16 players on season-ending lists. What's more, they'll be without several other key starters for this game, including cornerback Leigh Bodden (ankle), linebacker Andra Davis (concussion), quarterback Charlie Frye (wrist), receiver Joe Jurevicius (concussion) and defensive end Alvin McKinley (shoulder).

Of the 16 players lost to injury, 12 were either starters or projected starters, including center LeCharles Bentley, who was signed to anchor a revamped line. Instead, the Browns played with their fourth option at center, lost right tackle Ryan Tucker for much of the season and are banged up at guard.

They're also playing with smoke and mirrors in the secondary, with their top three corners - Gary Baxter, Daylon McCutcheon and Bodden - lost for all or most of the season. All told, they're down to four defensive starters from the beginning of the season.

For Sunday's season finale in Houston, they'll start third-string quarterback Ken Dorsey behind a patchwork line. But the team still is mortified by the offensive production and embarrassed by Braylon Edwards' behavior.

They're 30th in points scored, 31st in total offense, 31st in rushing offense and 31st with 39 giveaways. That's why Crennel likely will be asked to hire an offensive coordinator as soon as possible. Jeff Davidson, who replaced the fired Maurice Carthon midway through the season, earned mild praise from some corners despite being saddled with Carthon's offense, but it's expected the Browns will look for a coordinator with more experience.

More likely, the Browns will hire someone with a good track record such as former Browns coach Chris Palmer, who's currently quarterbacks coach in Dallas, where Tony Romo is excelling. Crennel and Palmer are close friends, and Palmer hired Crennel as his defensive coordinator in 2000.

Receivers coach Terry Robiskie is another assistant who could be on the bubble because someone is going to take the fall for Edwards' misbehavior. Robiskie is a player favorite who's been praised by Hall of Famers such as Marcus Allen, but is a holdover from the Butch Davis staff and not handpicked by Crennel.

The Browns also have been disappointed in the 31st-ranked running game and the performance of Reuben Droughns. Running backs coach Dave Atkins could take the fall for that.

Two red flags went up earlier in the season that lend some credence to the Crennel-on-the-fence rumors. The Browns' flagship station, WTAM AM/1100, reported he was on the hot seat and Jim Brown, executive consultant and Lerner's confidante, publicly criticized Crennel's handling of Edwards.

If Crennel has fallen out of favor with Brown, Lerner will take that into consideration in the postseason meetings, because he respects Brown's opinion.

Bottom line, Crennel probably will have at least part of another season to try to right the ship, unless something drastic happens next week. But he'll likely have a different supporting cast.

? 2006 The Plain Dealer
? 2006 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

The only thing worse than keeping a coach in whom you have lost faith is keeping said coach and forcing him to make changes that he himself doesn't see necessary.<img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Nice read Dave, the bologna cups thank you. <img src="/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />



How true is this statement? I seem to remember Brown backing the hiring of RAC quite a bit and does he pull this much if any, weight around the Browns organization ?

One of the more realistic articles/posts I have read recently. Good read, thanks.

One change is the Browns should hire a new President of Operations. Another football mind could only help and I dont consider Lerner a football mind.

I dont like Chris Palmer at all. He has excelled as a QB coach everywhere he went but his offenses in Cleveland and Houston were always in the bottom 5 in every offensive statistic.

This is the drawback of Jeff getting his shot mid-season. Little to no chance to impress anyone under the circumstances.


Palmer will be hesitant to go anywhere with big question marks on the offensive line and QB positions.


More media spin, IMO. Criticizing the handling of Edwards <> falling out of favor. I'd bet RAC second guesses how he handled things in hind-sight. There's no "right" answer in those types of situations, just those that work and those that don't.

You can always count on Mary Kay to not let the facts get in the way of good reporting.

PD sports writers have to be among the worst in the country...

You're right,mere speculation.I doubt there is a written agenda that MaryKay gotta look at.More of what she and many of her readers want,then what actually takes place.
Good point also about Davidson.I hope,if a new OC is hired,that he can swallow his pride and go back to being the line coach.Aparantly he's well liked within the org.

And to be honest, a lot proably falls on the PD rather than on the writers themselves. They have bosses...


He's got the "assistant head-coach" title to keep him around, unless he's gotten a taste of what he really wants to do....

If we go another route at OC and totally change offensive systems - again - it needs to be with someone who's PROVEN their system can be run by a relatively young QB. I don't want to hear this crap after the 10th game of the 2007 season that we only have 10% of the playbook in....

I'm sure the agenda is to set themselves up to look right when some changes come down the line. It's like a preemptive strike- granted, it's a lot of shots in the dark but, one might land near something close to what Mary Kay saying.

I think Robiskie should go not for that reason, but because he hasn't got the best out of our receivers since he got here.

I'd hesitant to lay blame on anyone except RAC, because he shoulda kicked Braylon's ass weeks ago.




I don't want to see RAC fired unless we suck in 2007, and I don't know why Jim Brown's opinion is important.

No doubt......the way this piece is written, regardless of what happens, she can say "See? I told you that might happen!"

+ = <img src="/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Sorry folks, its an inside joke. We now return to our regularly scheduled thread.

Not to disagree w/you all on the media, but I've been saying that there will quite a few coaches fired at the conclusion of the season.

We'll see.

If you're not, then you're unemployed.

I dunno ... of all the Plain Dealer writers - Grossi, Cabot, Shaw, and Livington - I usually found Mary Kay to be the least "agenda-driven". In other words, the most fair. The Browns face a difficult dilemma this off-season ... whether to maintain an unacceptable status quo or to sacrifice any kind of continuity and basically start over yet again. Clearly, the blame lies somewhere ... the front office? ... the coaching staff? ... the players? My guess is that they have chosen a middle-ground approach ... new OC, new WR coach, new OL coach (maybe) ... a whole lot of player turnover ... while still keeping Savage and Crennel for at least another year.

I don't think anyone is debating that changes are possible or even probable - but the writing style is the usual crap that really doesn't say anything in the end. No opinions. No facts. Just word-weaving.

While I understand your cynical view of the local media, it seems to me that beat reporters do sometimes have information that cannot be sourced for obvious reasons. The story here is what has been being kicked around on these boards for a couple weeks now: whether or not Romeo keeps his job. This story says he more than likely does. That's news, IMO.

I agree.

When the owner or GM have to move in and tell a coach to chop away a large portion of his staff, they might as well chop the head as well.

As for Romeo, he is in a bad spot. If he doesn't go along, he is canned. If he does, he is a little twerp just looking to save his neck.

If I was him, I would go into tomorrow with the attitude it was my last game as HC of the Cleveland Browns. When you have worked yourself into a position that requires others to come in and set your staff for you, you are done.

Different people read different things, I guess. I didn't get that at all.

News is more about business any more, which is fine. They all have their issues, but I prefer the ABJ over the PD where sports writing is concerned. Just a personal preference.

I will add.....maybe the changes are indeed at Romeo's request.

But....based on what I have seen so far.....I doubt it.

Then again, taking the "little twerp" approach does maintain a steady income and after all steady income is the main reason for any job.

Yep, I can see him taking the "little twerp" approach to this one. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

j/c

Norv Turner went from head coach of the Raiders to OC of the 49ers. SF has made a pretty good showing this year overall with similar offensive personnel to last year's miserable team. New schemes and aggessive playcalling utilizing the players' strengths can make a big difference. Let PS do what he needs to do and let's see this ship get on track.

I see it too.

That is just how I feel about stuff like that. To me it would be hard to stand up in front of players and talk about the importance of "team" after allowing someone else come in and rip mine apart.

Rampant Little-Twerpism is one of the necessary components of any free market economy.

Does anyone think maybe Romeo would accept a demotion to DC?

I don't want to lose him, even if he can't be the head coach here.

We would have to bring Belicheck over if we wanted him to do well.

<img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" />

Well said... <img src="/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Sad but true.

You honestly think he is that bad that he couldn't run a defense?

You don't know it to be true. It's a silly suggestion and even sillier replies to it.

It's ridiculous to assume he wouldn't be an excellent defensive coach under another head coach and just as ridiculous to assume he can't be a good head coach after two seasons with a team so lacking in talent and depth. You people are becoming laughable. <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" />

He can run one. He just isn't the brains behind the operation.

No, rampant twerpism aside (thanks Dave <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />) it would show a total lack of male genitalia to take such a demotion with his current team. He could take such a position elsewhere but not here.

Maybe with the Patriots or the Jets, but not here. Besides, what about having the 31st ranked defense recommends him for DC?

if it was me, I'd get rid of whack RAC and hire Cam Cameron in a heartbeat. Let him assemble a staff. Roll the frigging dice Lerner and lets see what happens...continuity be damned!

If they fire Romeo after just two seasons trying to coax wins out of Butch's disastrous holdovers, then Lerner is an idiot.

Maybe no one will get fired, or maybe Romeo himself wants to upgrade some facets of his staff.

www.WhackRAC.com ?

Maybe next year ... <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Russ Grimm anyone <img src="/images/graemlins/naughtydevil.gif" alt="" />

Lampy, lerner looks like an idiot sticking with a clueless coach who's team is REGRESSING not progressing!

You're right, I don't know it to be true, but I expect it to be. It is just a personal opinion. As I have stated before, when Crennel was hired I was told by a friend of Eric Mangini that Crennel's success was largely due to the scheme Belichick devised. I didn't believe it the time, but the more I watch the more I am beginning to believe it is true. I like Crennel, he seems like a nice guy, but there are more things I dislike about him than I like. And the the most horrible thing is the more I see the more concerned I become. In my opinion, Crennell lacks foresight and creativity in all aspects. He sticks to the same thing from play to play, quarter to quarter, game to game, even if it isn't working. This applies to both schemes, players, and coaches. Crennel's refusal to adapt or try new shcemes or personnel, even when the season was lost, bugs me to no end and makes me believe he doesn't quite get the big picture. JMHO, take it as you will, which is probably to laugh at it.

Will Autumn be saying "damn the continuity" or "damned continuity"?

Tune in on Black Monday to find the answers to this and many many other questions on, "As the Football Spirils"... <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />