DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Lerner says he's committed to having winning franchise

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What's important is to get the right coaches and the right players under contract.

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Ya think so?

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So you're indicating that our problem is with the "players"? Which players? All of them? Because a lack of good tackling seems to be lacking by MANY on our D.

So then we just get a a new team and keep RAC?

Let me ask you, how many players are you seeing benched due to poor play, poor tackling, or poor anything else for that matter?

Maybe they aren't playing well because they know there won't be any ramifications for poor play?

Who knows?

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This train wreck of a Browns season jumped off the tracks the first week of November.

In the span of five days, the Browns blew a 14-point lead to Baltimore, made a quarterback change, and then blew a 13-point lead to Denver.

After those two excruciating losses at home, there was a brief respite with a road win against Buffalo. Then came another dreadful loss at home to Houston. That's when owner Randy Lerner set the wheels in motion for a probable coaching change.

He instructed some of his closest advisers to begin compiling lists of possible replacements in the event Romeo Crennel were to be released after the season.

Some of the names might require a restructuring of roles within Lerner's organization. Some may not officially be available. Others were the obvious choices any team pondering a coaching change in January would include.

The point of the lists was to prepare Lerner for the likely conclusions reached after conducting a review of Crennel and General Manager Phil Savage shortly after the Browns' last game at Pittsburgh on Dec. 28.

The questions repeatedly posed of the reclusive Lerner is whether he is up to the business at hand and on whom will he rely to make some tough decisions.

"The difference between Randy now and Randy 2 1/2 years ago is he knows the business now," said a person close to Lerner. "So he will listen to everybody, but he will make the final decision. He now has enough confidence to make the decision."

Lerner gained confidence through his experience in owning of the soccer team Aston Villa F.C., a venerable member of the English Premiership. Lerner purchased the club in Birmingham, England, for approximately $100 million in August 2006.

After Lerner reorganized management of the club, it has consistently improved on the field and gained in popularity among its legion of fans. It reportedly is worth at least twice what Lerner paid. Lerner is routinely hailed in England as the model owner of British soccer clubs among American sportsmen.

"So we now have a very good, experienced owner [of the Browns]," said the source.

When Lerner last made a major change in his football organization, in 2005, he was dipping his toe into new waters. Determined to put his own stamp on the franchise, Lerner cleared out Carmen Policy and Butch Davis -- the last vestiges of the organization built by his father, Al Lerner -- and named John Collins, an NFL marketing executive, as president and CEO.

Before the 2004 season concluded, Lerner and Collins had jointly visited two of the most successful NFL franchises -- the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles -- to determine the best way to proceed. They decided to split football operations into two offices, one held by a general manager and the other by a head coach.

Savage was hired as GM and Crennel as coach a month later. In the organization chart, both men reported to the club president, Collins. It took less than a year for this all-rookie management team to unravel. Collins and Savage sparred. Lerner ultimately sided with Savage, releasing Collins from his duties.

Collins' office was not filled until May of this year when Lerner promoted Mike Keenan, formerly in charge of business operations, to president.

Savage and Crennel each received contract extensions in the spring, Savage's through 2012 and Crennel's through 2011.

In a sit-down interview with media last month, Lerner said financial commitments made to them, or to coordinators Rob Chudzinski and Mel Tucker, who also received new contracts, would have no bearing on his pending moves.

He said whatever moves he makes will be based on input from his closest advisers, whom he declined to name. "I'm not sitting alone in the room," Lerner said.

Today, The Plain Dealer opens the boardroom door and introduces Lerner's inner circle, the ones who may determine the immediate future of the Browns.

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I think Lerner will give both Savage and Crennel one more year. If the Browns don't make any progress, then this regime will be over. But Lerner KNOWS this schedule was going to be tough.

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The reality is that if it did absolutely anything for this team, RAC would be on the street already.

There won't be any discussion. He's done.

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