DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns' GM Says Coach Has His Support

Browns' GM Says Coach Has His Support

By TOM WITHERS (AP Sports Writer)
From Associated Press
November 30, 2006 12:38 PM EST

BEREA, Ohio - Browns general manager Phil Savage strongly backed coach Romeo Crennel on Thursday, temporarily snuffing speculation the club was on the verge of another coaching change.

"Romeo has the total support of (owner) Randy Lerner and myself," Savage said during a news conference. "He has the respect of the team. We believe in him."

Crennel, just 9-18 in two seasons with Cleveland, has come under heavy attack for the Browns' 3-8 record and a perceived lack of player discipline. During Sunday's 30-0 loss to Cincinnati, wide receiver Braylon Edwards argued with teammates - a spectacle that led many to think Crennel had lost control of his team.

Savage refuted that notion and vowed his support to Crennel "in the next five games, in the upcoming offseason and next year."

"Romeo and I are in this together," Savage said. "Some of the problems we've had this year you can't lay at the feet of one person."

The Browns have again been riddled with injuries at key positions, making progress nearly impossible.

Still, Savage feels the club has made small strides in getting back to respectability, and feels the Browns have fewer problems with player conduct that most NFL teams.

"I feel like we're going to come out on the other side of this," he said.

Several Browns players were pleased to hear Savage's support of Crennel, hired in February 2005 after winning a Super Bowl as New England's defensive coordinator - his fifth title as an assistant.

"Romeo is a great guy and when people taste blood they are going to try and gobble him up," tight end Kellen Winslow said. "He's got nothing to worry about. He's a great coach."

The Browns have again been riddled with injuries at key positions, making progress nearly impossible.

With all of the bickering on the board about CF, the OL and RB's, it would be nice to just point the finger at this one thing,...and then have to ask--who the hell's in charge of conditioning ?? Is THAT what's not working ??

Not telling, just asking. I don't really care what the problem is, I just want it fixed.

This is a point that is frequently forgotten I think....

What team can really expected to be a winner without their top THREE cornerbacks?

We all have heard similar comments many times. The trouble is that we don't know if those comments are:

a] the truth
b the kiss of death



Most of you have no idea what a talented, idiotic player can do to the greater good. Rick Pitino gave me some advice long ago. He said to simply remove them from your program, no matter how talented they are. You lose your integrity and their talent will never outshine their disruptions. They will make you compromise your principles and your program will be hindered in the long run. It was sage advice.

The trouble in professional sports is that very few head coaches have the kind of power to eliminate bad seeds. Has to be tough.

I should clarify something. I'm not positive that Leon is a bad seed, but I predicted these problems would come to fruition on the day we drafted him. However, I am still hoping that he gets his head straight, because there is NO WAY that we get rid of him. For better or worse, he is w/us.......so, I hope it is for the better.

Some of you are probably thinking I am being overly harsh. But....think about the unfair criticism RAC is taking because of one idiot's behavior.

How freaking fair is that?????????

Dennis Rodman = 5 NBA Championships
People said he'd ruin the Bulls. Instead the Bulls went 72-10.

Michael Irvin = 3 Super Bowl Rings


Braylon isn't the problem.

Watch Phil's presser, watch his demeanor and facial expressions.
He's either a really damned good actor, or he's sincere in what he says about RAC.

Now, his demeanor when he discusses his own future role... I sensed a bit of discomfort there, but that could just be because he was having to shine the spotlight on himself a bit.

I'm glad to hear that he seemed sincere.

I do imagine they are all feeling a little uncomfortabe.


PaulBrown: I didn't say he was "the" problem, but........

[color:"white"] During Sunday's 30-0 loss to Cincinnati, wide receiver Braylon Edwards argued with teammates - a spectacle that led many to think Crennel had lost control of his team.
[/color]

That is a problem. Ain't no other way to slice it. It's time for some of you to do a reality check in regards to Leon.

A buddy at work (not a Browns fan), who knows football but doesn't follow it like many of us... he's read a couple of articles about Braylon's recent transgressions and said to me: '"what's his problem?"

When I told him about Edwards complaining about WRs getting hit over the middle i.e. Chad, he said, "Edwards sounds like a wimp."
That's from an unbiased observer.

Braylon should shutup, catch the ball and grow a pair.

With all the ticked off fans in here and everywhere.............it was perfect timing for Savage to address the media!

Rumors flying of Romeo being fired! <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" />

Let's blame Romeo for not having Bodden the last five weeks or so.........and losing Baxter, Bentley, Clutch for the season and being without Tucker and JJ for most of the season! <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Oh yeah..............let's also put the blame on RACs shoulders for all the times both Ralph Brown and Holly got burnt either in the red zone or the end zone for big plays to just take all life out of the defense!

But then again..........that is all about the injury bug! <img src="/images/graemlins/plthumbsdown.gif" alt="" />

We do have five games left.............I will be watching every play to see how it turns out! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

A huge "Bravo Zulu" Phil..............give the media something else to write about and put the rumors to rest! <img src="/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

I love the attitude in here, as compared the the OBR. Over there, the majority of the people just want to fire Romeo, get rid of Charlie, etc. There are people here that want to do that, but the not nearly the number as over there. That place is just wild with irrational people, suggesting that we hire Jim Tressel, draft Troy Smith, etc etc.

I used to like the OBR, but anymore its a joke. Its poorly moderated anymore and its almost all fair weather uneducated fans. Kinda like the official site now... <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" />

Lots of attitudes in here also.............just expressed in more logical ways I think! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Well, we knew Savage wouldn't come out and say that Romeo doesn't have the support of his superiors and that he believes Romeo may have lost the team. I just hope their support is genuine. Most teams lay an egg every year. We've been competative in most games. People forget that that in itself is progress. Doesn't make losing all that much easier to take however.

[color:"white"]

You need a new buddy (or a new job).[/color]

That's true. Even very good teams lay an egg every now and then.

Figures it would be when I drove/boated several hundred miles to see them. <img src="/images/graemlins/plthumbsdown.gif" alt="" />

I believe in this guy more than I believed in anybody we've had in the FO since '99 and I really feel that he means what he says about RAC....100%. There is a strong bond between the two new guys and I only hope we don't run this guy outa town like they did with Belichek. JMHO

Also, now this is just my own intuition on things in the FO, I think you will see Phil getting some help next year. In what form, I can only guess but, maybe a more older experienced FO person as a consultant could be a possibility. I feel him and Randy have discussed his duties and there will be some help for Phil in dealing with myriad of duties. JMHO <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

j/c....

I`t`s been said over and over....Most fans expected this record...Even thou we didn`t want to accept the reallity of it......

Reallity looking us in the face....

This is Racs first NFL head coaching job.....It takes time and experiance...Some coaches can come in and get it done quicker than others.......

It all depends on the situation.........

I totally agree with the fact that injuries are going to hurt a team but that should just open the door for somebody to come in and step up on the field. I felt this quote from The Rock, more so Sean Connery himself, fit the situation in a sense. John Mason: Your "best"! Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and [censored] the prom queen. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Any GM is going to say this right up to the day they fire the HC. The fact remains that if next year is like this one, then RAC is out. That's just a truth of the NFL -- you got to win.

[color:"white"]Does he have to win next year.............I dunno. I think the master plan......you know, the one they won't confess to in any public venue.......suggests that a winning record would be great next year, but it's probably just a .500 record that's the real expectation.

Honestly, this is such a screwed up team right now. On one hand, we have some actual talent in the secondary. On the other hand, we can't seem to get them all on the field. Then there's the linebackers, where they look to be developing, in part because our D-line is playing well and appear to have adjusted to the 3-4. On the other hand (I'm going to run out of hands soon), Washington and Roye are close to the end, and you just never know which McKinley is going to show up. He played well towards the end of last year, leading me to believe that this would be a very good year for him. Well, he didn't play well during the first half and made me feel like a dolt *L* Then, over the last few games that I've replayed in slomo, where he's actually been doing a rather good job. The last three teams we've played haven't done that well on the ground.

Then there's the offensive line. Stopgaps have reached the end of their usefulness due to wear and tear and lack of athletic ability. Shaffer was a rather large investment that hasn't paid off, and Tucker......Jeez......Tucker......he can't finish a season, and has been afflicted with......God knows what. Bentley. Wrecked knee and a huge question mark as to whether or not he'll play again. Truth is, there isn't one single spot on the line that's occupied by a guy who's guaranteed to be there next year.

Then some guy named Chuck (kinda reminds me of Charlie Brown *L*) makes some plays with his legs and shows some magic, then turns around and makes at least a couple bad plays a game. Problem is that he doesn't have enough time to properly develop so that we can make a truly educated guess on what he can or can't be.

And RAC is supposed to fix it right now. <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" />

RAC will get his 3rd year because it's the right thing to do. Maybe I'm talking out of the wrong pie-hole, but the tea leaves are telling me that his time isn't up yet.

What's a damned shame is that this discussion is even happening.......[/color]

I think that the players and FO are sincere about RAC. I truly think they have his respect, they want to learn from him because he has been there before.

Vers- about the quote youposted on problem players........ I feel the same way. Sometimes its the hard road to take, but look what Andy Reid did in Philly with TO. TO pretty much took an excellent team and tore them apart rather quickly. I couldnt believe it when they kicked him off the team because it is something that really hadn't been done before and it takes a strong character to do that.

I think BE will come around. Some people just come from different situations I guess. I think a player is developed by his coaches along the way and somewhere maybe he was just given the golden ticket because he was good.

My high school coach on the otherhand didnt mess around and taught us that we were only one on a team of many. My sister was player of the year, all american, leading scorer........ blah blah blah......... went to Univ of MD on a full ride, was rookie of the year and so on......... in HS she forgot a safety pin incase they had to turn their kilts around. We were playing a team with similar colors and uniforms that didnt reverse like ours so our coach asked us to turn our kilts to solid instead of plaid. My sister asked her for a pin, (she knew she should have had a button or a pin with her) and our coach benched her. Talk about a slap in the face, being the best player in the state. Strong lesson.

Anyway, sometimes it takes something like this to turn a players head. I think winslow figured it out....... BE will too. I think its rediculous to give RAC a hard time for what BE did on the sidelines. He was coaching the players that were out there, not babysitting. The only person who it made look bad was BE.

Anyway........... I hope RAC is here for a fair amount of time. If any position will be replaced it would probably be OC, if they don't keep Davidson. Hank thinks they should give him a chance to bring his own stuff to the team.

I support both Frye and RAC.... too much time and investment to just let them go and start ALL THE WAY BACK OVER!!.....

with a good draft.. (o-line, d-line, cb's)... our team will be a lot better...
with a healthy team... our team will be a lot better...

The media keeps forgetting that our O-line is banged... our CB's are banged...
we have backup's backups starting for us.. lol.. and with the exception of the two games against the bengals.. we've been competitive in all our games..

let just hope that a win against the chiefs will stop all of this nonsense..

Agreed that RAC will get his third year. But if this team only wins 3-4 games next year, then there's going to be some serious discussion about changes. I suspect even the FO, coaches and Lerner expected a little improvement this year over last year.

I'm not sure RAC is an improvement over BD, the coach. Often, to my subjective mind, the team does not appear as prepared as they should, and RAC doesn't seem to make in-game adjustments very well. Second halves seem longer then 30 minutes. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see where he has really shined as a HC.

I see where PS has drafted better then BD. So there's an improvement there, but I wouldn't call PS great; just good.

Change isn't bad as long as you get someone better. That goes for players, coaches and FO. So I wouldn't want to see a change unless there was some guy out there who is clearly better.

I always thought RAC would be a inevitable casualty of the rebuilding process. Almost any HC would be given how much PS wiped the slate.

But what do I know. I'. foolish enough to cheer for the Browns and Rutgers, which usually mean two losers. At least Rutgers is winning this year.

I'm with you there, Toad. I look at the team and I see where we may just be brilliant next season, then I look at a lot of positions that could potentially screw us again (most notably O-line and D-line tied for first, with corner coming in 2nd). I look at the team and I wonder "WTF are we supposed to do without screwing our cap? I mean, the majority of our FA investment may never play again."

I'm worried about using up all the cap room we created with no results to show for it. That's how I feel this year and why the season has taken the life out of me as a once positive Browns fan. For once, I have no idea to even suggest how to fix things in one offseason, knowing that we HAVE to be AT LEAST a playoff contender down to the last week of the regular season next year.

But hey, that's why I'm not a GM anywhere (yet).

If we're truly starting over like an expansion team again, then I can see why we suck again. 1999, 2-14, 2000, 3-13...next year HAS TO be that huge leap like in '01. And if we drafted correctly (which IMO we have, I see more potential studs on this team than I ever did in the '99 and '00 seasons), the big leap SHOULD be bigger than 7-9 in '07.

I said this year has to be the year of improvement, I can let it slide given the expansion scenario. But next year there's no excuse for a team that's not knocking on the door of the playoffs til' the very end.

That expansion team excuse went out the window 3 or 4 years ago,this is still a bad football team in it's 7th year of play.The team is totally devoid of talent,because what little was here,was let go.Whether it was right or wrong isn't for me to decide,that's just how it is.
Next year if god smiles upon the francise,we may just finish 500,not much more.The year after,who knows.There are no guarantees,maybe we'll get better,maybe we'll get worse

im so tired of excuses for the reason why our team is still in the bottom of the league year in and year out.... buttttt, RAC was dealt a 7-2 off-suit this year and its really hard to say can him. especially with what he's done with this defense despite injuries

There are good thoughts being put forth in this thread. Almost everyone is being very rational. That's nice to see.

Danielle: You have a lot of common sense and it's obvious to me that you played competitive sports.....and in the manner in which they should be played.




I hope he comes around. We made a huge investment in the guy and we need to get a positive return on him.

I like your point about how some coaches/schools give star players preferential treatment and look the other way if the star's behavior is troublesome.

I believe that high school athletes should be held to a higher standard. I mean that they should be model citizens in the classroom, hallways, cafeteria, and the community. It calls for discipline and discipline is actually a good thing. Anyone can act a fool. It takes strong character to behave properly.

I feel it is harder for professional coaches to being able to take such a firm stance. I mentioned why in my previous post. I am glad you brought up Andy Reid and how he handled the TO situation. I will always respect Reid for that.



Many times, a humiliating experience can be a great learning tool, but only if you are strong enough to admit you made a mistake.

I agree completely w/you on it's wrong for RAC to be blamed for Leon's actions, however, that won't stop people for doing exactly that.



I actually think the offense is worse under Davidson, especially when it comes to second half adjustments. Although, to be fair, he is being forced to use Mo's offense. That's a huge factor.

Either way, I never thought--and still don't think--that playcalling is what hinders the Brown's offense. I think you know why I feel the O is struggling. LOL......at least you should....as many times as I have repeated it.

Still has his support?Good god I sure hope so.If I were RAC,I would be getting outa Cleveland just as fast as my big behind would carry me.This guy has been dealt a stinker.
In '05
the starting LT decides he would rather pick up strippers than blitzes,and he was last seen heading down I-71,screaming something about being a top 3 LT.
The TE almost kills himself doing his best Evil Knievel.
The prized FA barely sees the field before tears a pec muscle.
The #1 pick blows a knee,naturally.
In '06
The prized FA puts on helmet for the 1st time,and promptly tears a patellar tendon,the most freakish of football injuries.
The reserve signed for backup duty retires,saying he only signed to get in for free,not to actually have to play.
The next guy in line,recently rescued from the NFL scrapheap,gets slapped with a 4 game suspension for substance abuse.
Not to be outdone,the prized FA from '05 tears both patellar tendons.
The #1 pick from '05 hasn't yet met a player on his own team that he won't argue with,on national television.
And now the starting RT is gone,due to some mental illness.
Change the name to the Cleveland Bizarros.

im gunna crack open another beer <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

drink Molson XXX, it'll make it go faster.

What this says to me, is that the focus of this upcoming draft will be to address need first and long term development second.

The drafting of Edwards was BPA. Pool was a BPA, Frye was a combination

Wembley/Jackson was a need/BPA, But Wilson/Sowells/Williams were BPA (future replacements), even if their development was a year away.

I see the 3/4/5 round players in the upcoming draft addressing need. With so many holes to fill, the Browns will probably be more focused upon the players that can make an impact in 2007.

Molson should partner with the Browns and put that quote on a flag under a Browns helmet...I'd buy one.