DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum How Ray Farmer, Mike Pettine completely transformed the Cleveland Browns roster in 2 years

How Ray Farmer, Mike Pettine completely transformed the Cleveland Browns roster in 2 years

Kevin Jones

GM, head coach building the team their way

When the Mike Pettine-Ray Farmer era began Feb. 11, 2014, 67 of the players who will enter Cleveland Browns training camp Thursday weren’t on the roster.

Let that number sink in. 67 new players. Only 22 remain from the team that met the Steelers in Week 17 of the 2013 season.

“We just feel so much better now,” Pettine said about the Browns roster in an informal chat with beat writers Monday. “You know that’s the case when you start to do the roster math. Look at the 53. Who are the guys we think we can even get to the practice squad? A lot of those decisions are not easy ones, which at least that way, you know you are building it the right way.”

The truth is, Pettine and Farmer’s vision together is as clear as it’s ever been, and the current roster reflects it.

After going through their first draft, first offseason program and first training camp together last year, Pettine and Farmer routinely hit the “pause” button after each major event and filled out action reports. In preparing for these major events for a second go-around in 2015, the head coach and general manager felt more equipped, more in sync and more ready to have answers for any curveballs that may arise.

“You feel like Year 2 you have so many more answers to the test than Year 1,” Pettine said. “I think our players know what to expect more from the staff. There’s a trust and comfort level there. That first year is almost like being in a dark room and feeling your way along. Whereas we feel like there’s a lot more light Year 2.”

Last year’s improved 7-9 record was first and foremost a reflection of the buy-in from the players. Pettine’s and Farmer’s joint strategy of adding veterans through free agency – Andrew Hawkins, Donte Whitner and Karlos Dansby – paid dividends. The confidence and vibe in the locker room was altered for the better.

Other additions who played like mainstays include Isaiah Crowell, Taylor Gabriel, Joel Bitonio, Christian Kirksey and K’Waun Williams – all of whom clawed their way up the depth chart for increased playing time.

“We haven't been very secretive about our identity,” Pettine said. “Let's build on toughness, mentally and physically. You have to in this division.”

Pettine and Farmer doubled down on their veteran leadership strategy this offseason – Josh McCown, Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline, Randy Starks and Tramon Williams – and some fans and media members are taking a wait-and-see approach. The draft, which featured an NFL-high haul of 12 players, reflected the pair’s commitment to stopping the run (first-round DL Danny Shelton, second-round LB Nate Orchard and third-round DL Xavier Cooper) and becoming a dominant running team (first-round OL Cameron Erving, third-round RB Duke Johnson).

And Farmer and Pettine both know the noise and grumblings will remain until first-round picks Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert both prove they can stay on the field consistently.

“Do we bat 1.000 on personal decisions? We don’t. But it’s pretty close to it,” Pettine said. “If you look at the roster moves we’ve made, from the beginning here through this past draft, and even adding Terrelle Pryor right up next to the things we’re doing around camp, we are singing out of the same hymnal on virtually every decision."

As the calendar flips from July to August, Pettine isn’t just saying “he feels so much better now” about the roster for effect. He and Farmer genuinely believe with the strengths of the offensive line and secondary, with new explosive playmakers and a veteran quarterback steering the ship, this Browns football team can challenge the national expectations and climb up the treacherous AFC North.

“I don't look at the roster and say, 'wow, if we get dinged up there or have some issues there, we're pretty thin,'” Pettine said. “I'd like to feel we've really bolstered our depth and we're going to have to make some tough decisions come cut time. That's when you know you're building it right.”

By the way, the remaining players from 2013: Johnson Bademosi, Gary Barnidge, Armonty Bryant, Tank Carder, Darius Eubanks, Tashaun Gipson, John Greco, Josh Gordon, Joe Haden, John Hughes, Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, Paul Kruger, Alex Mack, Barkevious Mingo, Jordan Poyer, Craig Robertson, Mitchell Schwartz, Phil Taylor, Joe Thomas, Billy Winn, Travis Benjamin, Desmond Bryant

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Thanks Vambo

we obviously have some talent on this roster ... many of our OL and members of the defense would start on other NFL teams

Unfortunately, we don't have any talent at the most important position

We've been reading similar comments for years and it is one of the main reasons why we continually suck.

That is the way to look at it. I also think Crowell and Hawkins could start for many teams, or at least see meaningful play time.

I wanted to add one other thing to address this paid-for article: TC rosters have larger numbers. We probably have close to 90 players on the roster at this time, thus the byline of completely transforming the roster is deceptive and yet another example of poor journalism by a writer who is paid by the Browns to write positive propaganda articles.

Where were you when Vic Carucci was writing all these articles for Banner & Co.? I don't recall any of this hate....

I understand the point you are making. According to the article we have 22 players who were on the roster with Banner and company. That is basically 40% of a 54 man roster. So 60% is new. That is a fairly high number of turnover, but not what I would call a huge. You could take a team like the Pats and probably show 25% turn over 2 seasons.

None the less, I don't get the total dismissal. This team is different and this team is better.

Are you denying the truth of my assertions?

No, I'm not.

Are you denying that you never brought up this exact stuff up when Vic Carucci wrote similar articles for the Browns?

We still have a few holes that need filled (TE, WR, QB, important positions....) however I certainly like the direction the team is actually headed. Remember 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 we had next to nothing on either side of the ball!? Ugh.

That article - with its direct quotes from Pettine - should lay to rest the BS that floats about regarding text-gate and some imagined, ongoing strife between Pettine & Farmer.

Let's see what they do next...they have a lot of work to do.

Thanks, Vambo.

The highlit portion was jus Kevin pronouncifying instead of reporting. If neither plays, bust & disappointment obviously, but sounds like we are building a team to avoid "grumblings" and make JFF and Gilbey proud.

Nonsense. Just win. A bunch.

There should have never been any BS floating about as it was never true to begin with.

I just wanted to comment on this .......

If someone wants to know why we have sucked, here you go. We have had zero consistency over the years. We have changed schemes and players like we have been shuffling cards, and we wonder why we have stunk.

Are we a 4-3 team, of a 3-4 team? Are we a downfield passing team, or are we a WCO team? Do we want to run the ball, or do we want to use the run only to set up the pass? And so it goes ... on and on and on and on and on ..............

It has to stop. However, it has to stop because we find competent leadership. I am sold on Pettine. Maybe it's too early for it, but I am. I think that he can be a great Head Coach. he understands delegation and allows his assistants to shine. He doesn't seek the credit himself, but shares it. I like that he has played the better players, regardless of draft status, and that he has disciplined players for the things they have done wrong.

I am not as sold on Farmer though. I have some hope, but also concerns. (about some of the obvious things) I do like many of his picks though. (outside of the 2014 1st round ... and I saw the logic in taking Manziel, and liked the Gilbert pick .... and I think that he is going to come on this year)

I hope that Farmer can learn (in all ways) to be respectful of Pettine as the head Coach, and stay out of the way of the things that fall under the Head Coach's authority. In the structure of the Browns, the Coach and GM are supposed to be parallel positions.

Anyway, just a few random, insomnia induced thouhghts.

The fact is the impact players and there are few pre date Text and Pet. Their drafts have been good up until you include the 1st round picks then they slide off into oblivion. They are hitting it out of the park on solid but are void of impact.

JTHFacts.

I agree w/you that there does not seem to be a power struggle between Pet and Farmer.

I can't imagine Pet was happy w/the texting and hands-on crap that Farmer was guilty of last year, but hopefully that is all behind them.

Was this actually confirmed? I thought it was just speculated by Grossi.

You have a bad habit of taking speculation that you want to believe and turning them into facts.

That was one of the best posts I have read on here in a long time.

Well done.

Yep, you just don't invite someone who you *have riffs with* on a vacation where you likely planned and took to get away from football for a bit.

Grossi you MUST take his rhetoric with a grain of salt, or a gallon of beer...

We are dysfunctional until proven otherwise.

You must have a mouse in your pocket.

Yep...In the eyes of the media and those not following the Browns closely.

In reality today...I don't think so.

We still have to prove it though for sure.

Well it's nice that everything is so great and wonderful. No reason we can't make a DEEP playoff run then. McCown being such a GREAT quarterback and our defense being the best in the league.... So lets let Pettine and Farmer bet their JOBS on that shall we? If we don't make the playoffs and win at least one PO game their GONE. Works for me.

Time to actually SHOW they are this great team you guys insist they are. Because TALKING isn't WINNNING. So if they win, they can stay, if they don't they've got to GO.

I follow the Browns closely and they still seem pretty disfunctional to me. Textgate was a clusterf... and then some. Johnny Dumbass and Gilbert made last years frst round a horror show....

This team isn't good enough to win a playoff game and I don't want either Pettine [especially] or Farmer fired. We need continuity.

However, I will say they are talking too much and too big w/out any proof behind those big words. The articles by Kevin Jones are so annoying because of so many lies that are being bandied about.

I wish they would shut-up about playing like a Brown and Actions and just win more games than they lose. They apparently forgot what Paul Brown said about talking.

Jones works for the Browns. Of course his articles are going to be slanted, maybe even heavily, towards the positive side.

Who is going to go to the Browns official site to read articles like you would write? (no offense) Fans want to see the positive .... especially at this time of year. Jones would be fired the first time he started posting articles that took your point of view.

I would also add one more thing about words.

While they do not win games, they can help change a team's mindset. Face it, this team does not have a winning tradition, It needs something other than history to build upon. Simple slogans can help focus the players on the messages the coaches communicate on a daily basis.

Last year it was "Play like a Brown", and they outlined a whole set of criteria for what this looked like. Did every player do so? Of course not. Does any team have every player completely buy into what the coaches are teaching? Of course not. The Pats have been famous for getting players to buy in, and dumping players who do not do so. The Browns have not dumped those players, but guys like Manziel, Gilbert, West and Crowell all lost significant playing time by not buying in. Gordon cost himself a game, and a year of service by not buying in. Pettine made mistakes past year, but he did one thing really well. He sat players when they deserved it, and he played the guys who practiced the hardest, worked the hardest, and who played the best.

All teams have annual slogans. The Steelers had a motto of "Whatever it takes" last year. The Ravens had an OTA slogan of "Ravens football is hustle. Constant hustle." last year. All teams do it. The Browns are no different.

I am not as stupid as you think I am.......of course I know that.

My intention was to emphasize that point and to ensure that people aren't taking these "articles" as real reporting.

They are as real as anything else, when there is nothing going on out on the practice field.

So do the rest of us, no need for you to harp on it.

If only they could transform our record...

They have played one season .... finished 7-9 ..... and now have improved the team going into season 2 .... you think maybe we should wait and see what happens? From your statement it sounds like you have decided the record will be the same or worse than previous regimes.

So what? This team is always changing...where are the results?

Took a team that hasn't won more than 5 games for 6 years and won 7 games, probably would have won a couple more had it not been for some devastating injuries... picked by one writer as having the 14th best roster in the league..

The results are a work in process...