DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Mike Pettine let Shanahan leave to avoid 'dark cloud'

Thought this was very interesting. I always thought Pettine was a straight shooter and find this believable. What do you think?

Mike Pettine let Shanahan leave to avoid 'dark cloud'

By Conor Orr
Around The NFL Writer
Published: Jan. 23, 2015 at 08:03 a.m. Updated: Jan. 23, 2015 at 08:57 a.m.
Just how bad was it between Kyle Shanahan and Mike Pettine in Cleveland?


At an introductory press conference for new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo on Thursday, Pettine cast Shanahan as a coach that had his eye elsewhere, which made it hard to function as a unified staff.

"It was something that we didn't want to drag out," Pettine told reporters, via The Plain-Dealer. "It's just very hard to win in the NFL (even) when everybody's into it and they truly want to be there, and again if you have somebody that just doesn't want to be there, I know it's easy to say, 'Hey he's under contract, hold him to it,' (but now) there's a dark cloud over your coaching offices, and I've been a part of that."

Pettine's words are interesting and will certainly invite some form of rebuttal from Shanahan whenever the talented coordinator lands his next gig. This is obviously just one side of the story.

But in introducing DeFilippo, Pettine had better hope he has the answer to a complex problem he'll soon see on offense. Johnny Manziel is just the beginning, and at the least, Shanahan had a background with mobile quarterbacks.

DeFilippo finally earned a promotion that, according to a few of his former players, was a long time coming. Perhaps some enthusiasm will be enough to set the Browns ahead of where they were a few months ago.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000...void-dark-cloud

Shanny was really good, but it appeared the Browns where just a stepping stone for him. Time to move on. Good move letting him walk. I hope the new guy is close to be as good as Shanny or we could see an ugly season next year.

i don't know what to think honestly.

on one hand, i really wish i was a fly on the wall to see what actually went down.

on the other, well, i never thought in a million years shanny would come to cleveland in the first place, and i always thought he was gonna be here 2 years max until somebody came calling with a better job offer and/or HC job.

i think cleveland, as a city and our FO history, truly does have an effect on whether or not coaches and players want to come here.

i know this is a football thread, but just as an example: JR smith was traded here to cleveland. anybody seen his interview? dude says its easier to focus on basketball compared to NY because there isn't anything to do here.

or when Joakim Noah was blasting us a few years back saying "who wants to come to cleveland?"

that stuff matters, folks. whether some posters want to admit it or not. but its easier for players to "deal" with cleveland as a city and weather because they are playing for big money contracts.

coaches? so far we've been used as a lay over or where coaches come to end their careers.

shanny saw a light and took it. it sucks, because he was hands down the best OC we had. but if a guy doesn't want to be here....at the end of the day, what can we really do about it? not much.

Probably is a good move with those sentiments. Now, we need to work on removing the Gordon dark cloud or at the very least, find the silver lining in it.

Seems like Pett and Flip will be on the same page from what is being said and what was said at the intro.

for some reason, i doubt they are gonna get rid of gordon. the only way he gets released/traded is if he gets into trouble again in the off season.

especially since we got a GM who thinks we don't need top talent WR OR a QB for that matter, then gordon will have to do, since he's top talent already on the roster prior to Farmer getting here.

Bb

Ideally, I would love to see JG get it together and remain a Brown returning to 2013 form. Remains to be seen.

With the way Flip spoke of Gordon in his presser, all the praise heaped on him, I don't know, it almost sounds as if Flip wants a chance to work with him.,,

As for the "dark cloud" comment. A few hours ago on another thread, I kinda thought that there was some issues with Shany. Couldn't get along with RGIII, had issues here?

You gotta wonder, maybe it's better he's gone.

We'll see

I have absolutely no way of knowing for sure, and this is all just supposition on my part, but I could see this happening.

After his DC experience, the Shanahan brand was damaged. However, he got a job offer in Cleveland, and jumped at it. It wasn't a perfect opportunity, but they had a QB who appeared to have some degree of ability, and a commitment to the style of offense that could rehabilitate Shanahan's image. The team had a good OL, and were committed to upgrading the run game. Shanahan was never one to worry about having a superstar WR, but he had one in Gordon anyway. (and I also have no idea the timing of the Browns learning of Gordon's suspension as compared to the hiring of Shanahan)

Anyway, the Browns made a commitment to him of upgrading the run game dramatically. That gave Shanahan hope. Then the Browns also committed to try and draft a QB in case Hoyer didn't work.

The Browns job looked pretty good for rehabbing Shanahan's image, damaged by his time in DC.

Shanahan takes the job.

The season plays out as it did, and after the season Shanahan takes a look around the NFL at some pretty nice opportunities available. He even gets a few head coach interviews. The Browns, agreeing to grant him head coach interviews, start looking for his replacement. Shanahan gets ticked off. When he doesn't make it to the finalist stage for any of the coaching spots, he takes another look, and sees a lot of great opportunities around the NFL. Maybe he could work with Manning in Denver. Or maybe Matt Ryan in Atlanta. Perhaps he gets a shot at a job in San Francisco. Buffalo wouldn't be attractive without a QB, but maybe the Jets get a shot at either Mariota or Winston. Maybe even Jacksonville, with Bortles, looks attractive to Shanahan, or perhaps Oakland as well. Point is that there are suddenly a lot of jobs that look more attractive than the Browns job, and maybe the time is right to get out.

This is all just supposition on my part, but I could see it going down along these lines.

Useless article, just filler...

If you have aspirations to be a head coach in the NFL you don't want to be stuck with Hoyer and Manziel as an offensive coordinator.

I think we should give JG a chance with Flip. If he has trouble with him too then we cut the ties.

Or, it could be that he came here wanting to build a winner. Had Manziel stuffed down his throat and he knew as long as those were the type of decisions being made at the top, he would never have a chance to succeed here. They probably did promise to draft an answer at QB for Shanny. Then very well may have decided to refuse to listen to what Shanny wanted at the QB position. Say Shanny said Bridgewater or Carr and they forced JFF on him. At that juncture, I wouldn't blame him for wanting to move on.

Let's face it, he had more experience at his position at OC than anyone else in our coaching staff and FO had experience at theirs.

I mean if we're just throwing out speculation, my theory holds as much water as yours.

Really?
Becacuse Hoyer was making Shanny look pretty darn good through the first half of the season... then something changed, and Gordon came back.

Right. Something happened. Shanahan doesn't want something to happen.

I can frame the release easily enough. Sorry to see the talent go, but he had problems with some of his game calling. Now he is just another guy to beat.

I think Pettine deserves to have committed coaches around him. If we are going to war, I want people I can trust. His reasons for leaving are his.

I think there is quite a bit of truth to this. I just disagree w/most of you as to is at fault.

Shanny did not like the Manziel pick. He didn't like being forced to play Manziel when he was not ready to play. Shanny did not like bozos in the FO mocking his play calling. Shanny did not like how the FO dictated so many personnel decisions.

He knew the situation in Cleveland was toxic and bailed. We ended up hiring a nobody OC as his replacement.

Another guy to beat?

Whose offense and whose team do you think will do better this year.............Cleveland's or Atlanta's?

Again? This is a horrible argument.

How so?

because everybody knows the answer.

we have a bit of talent. but atlanta?

he gets to work with Ryan, Julio Jones and White. Shanny literally has an elite QB and two #1 WR's on one damn squad. they were already a good offense before shanny was even a thought.

thats really is a silly argument.

I like Cleveland....as long as we can play in the NFC South.

I was hoping someone would be dumb enough to reply.

Despite three interceptions from Hoyer, Cleveland racked up 475 yards of total offense and beat Atlanta's superior talent in a thrilling win on the road.

Vers,
Don't those stats say as much about defense as offense?

Perhaps, but two posters said I was silly to make that statement. So, what is it?

so one game proves.......huh?

we beat the steelers this season, does that mean we are the better team overall?

clearly not. just stop it.

Nobody called you "silly". It was an apples and oranges comparison that you made...

I ain't stoppin' squat, Swish. Hey........cool alliteration.

You might refuse to give Shanny credit, but I will give him credit.

And when the Brown's offense struggles even more next year, expect to hear it from me. And then you will get all mad again, just like our TRich arguments.

Remember those? You acted like I was ignorant then, too.
How did that turn out for you?

Are you unable to read the written word? Did you not read what Swish cfrs said? Sheesh!

You guys are your stupid "I love this regime" and "I hate this regime" w/out letting facts be a factor is so counterproductive and lame.

Reading is not my problem...but perhaps math is.

That's how I know you haven't read a damn thing. I've been giving shanny props all season and now. I've said multiple times he's the best OC we ever had.

You're wcting very blinded right now.

Maybe, maybe not.

But, that isn't the only news here. The Browns, w/Shanny, were 7 and 9. The Falcons, w/out Shanny, were 6 and 10.

So again.............wanna bet who has more success next year. The odds seem to favor the Browns. They were better this year and most people on here seem to think Shanny sucked. Let's wager, shall we? LOL

I would agree with you. I have heard this a lot over the years about Cleveland - that it is a boring place and not a good place to be young and rich, etc. In that vein - had Lebron NOT come back to cleveland, do you think JM would have sent that text to us? I seem to remember him tweeting that he could not wait to get out of College Station because it was 'boring' also...

speculation on my part - but I agree players will go where the money is tops and/or they have a chance to win a SB .... or worse, they don't have any other viable option...

Coaches - I am not so sure b/c they move around so much - seems like 1-3 years. i think coaches may want to be more associated with 'greater coaches' and regimes... I seem to recall coaches being associated with the mentors - like Parcells or Belichick disciples...so if you can't HC at least be associated with a top HC, maybe?

It says silly where?

THe more accurate comparisone of Shanny and DeFillipo would be comparing the Browns offense in 2015 vs 2014, if we resign Hoyer.

Otherwise there isn't much of a comparison to be made. My buddy who is a HS football coach could have success as OC of Atlanta but would get destroyed as OC of the Browns. Talent to talent there is just no comparing the 2 teams.

I don't think Shanny sucked. I believe Shanny was more of a me, me, me guy, and flip is more of a we, we, we guy. I am just saying don't be suprised if the Browns offense preforms a lot better than you think it will next season bro.

He was a OC candidate last year.

And was being courted by many teams this off-season for various positions.