Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

[dav713]

Originally Posted by LitlBuck

I have seen on ESPN bottom line that they are reporting Mangini might be the front runner for the HC position...

Can someone tell me why? Sitting at 8-3 with 5 weeks to play, and only having to face 1 eventual playoff team, they go 1-4 to miss the playoffs. Jets players have been bickering all year, which falls somewhat on the coach. I'd take an unproven commodity coordinator over a proven bad head coach.

[NFBuck]

Originally Posted by billmac91

it feels like history is repeating itself....

Yep, and my patience is wearing thin...

[LitlBuck]

Originally Posted by dav713

Can someone tell me why? Sitting at 8-3 with 5 weeks to play, and only having to face 1 eventual playoff team, they go 1-4 to miss the playoffs. Jets players have been bickering all year, which falls somewhat on the coach. I'd take an unproven commodity coordinator over a proven bad head coach.

I think Mangini was in a pretty difficult situation with Favre. I don't know who called to shot to get rid of Pennington and bring in Favre but Brett has an ego that is so large it could probably destroy anyone. Mangini has had some pretty good records over the past few years and I don't know if it was his fault or the fault of the QB who brought the Jets down at the end of the season. Sometimes a guy like Favre wields more power than the HC. I guess you want to try another coordinator like Romeo who was an "unproven commodity". Maybe we could bring in big Charlie from ND who was also a "unproven commodity coordinator". Brilliant.

[dav713]

Originally Posted by LitlBuck

I think Mangini was in a pretty difficult situation with Favre. I don't know who called to shot to get rid of Pennington and bring in Favre but Brett has an ego that is so large it could probably destroy anyone. Mangini has had some pretty good records over the past few years and I don't know if it was his fault or the fault of the QB who brought the Jets down at the end of the season. Sometimes a guy like Favre wields more power than the HC. I guess you want to try another coordinator like Romeo who was an "unproven commodity". Maybe we could bring in big Charlie from ND who was also a "unproven commodity coordinator". Brilliant.

Granted dealing with Favre situation must have been tough, the situation didn't end well. Some of this blame has to be on the coaching staff.

This team absolutely imploded. 1-4 to finish the season while having to play only 1 playoff team. 3 of these games were home teams. You need someone that can win when the games mean the most. Romeo sure didn't have it (just listen to his press conferences after a loss if you don't believe me). Mangini doesn't seem to either. His overall record is 23-26 including 0-1 in the playoffs. I don't see how any of this justifies giving him another shot. On top of which, my buddy whose a jets fan has been complaining about him all year.

I don't know for sure how would be a good choice. But I doubt Lerner has much of a clue either. And I can't think of a more backwards move than finding a coach before a GM. And further, why the hell do we need to make such a fast decision? Tens of Millions of dollars are at stake. Take your time. Hire a GM. Wait til after the season is over. Interview some of the top coordinators from the playoff teams. Then make a decision.

[billmac91]

While Mangini might not be on the top of our wishlist, he's at least an upgrade over Crennel.

And I can say that confidentally, knowing Mangini would never send out a field goal unit with 5 minutes, on a 4th and short, to keep the score at a 3 possession game.

[dav713]

Originally Posted by billmac91

While Mangini might not be on the top of our wishlist, he's at least an upgrade over Crennel.

And I can say that confidentally, knowing Mangini would never send out a field goal unit with 5 minutes, on a 4th and short, to keep the score at a 3 possession game.

Haha I hope so. Yea, I just talked to my buddy again, and it was the coordinators he hated mostly, and says Mangini is ok. I guess he'd be ok, but it still seems silly to even think of hiring a coach before a GM.

[23Skidoo]

I'd take Shanahan in a heartbeat. Now there's a change in culture. A guy who knows how to create an identity for the team. Knows the intricacies of his job perfectly. Knows what he wants out of a draft and gets it. Develops talent from nowhere.
Sure he was more successful with Elway -- but he's made the playoffs fine without him too.

[BuckeyeMike80]

Originally Posted by LitlBuck

Cleveland.com


I don't think I want anyone who was associated with Savage in Cleveland. I would like to have some fresh blood both in the front office and on the field.

Tucker and McCreight need not bother, especially Tucker. Can you imagine a few more years of an ancient Willie McGinnest missing tackles and being out-run by backup left tackles with bad knees?

[Buckrock]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeMike80

Tucker and McCreight need not bother, especially Tucker. Can you imagine a few more years of an ancient Willie McGinnest missing tackles and being out-run by backup left tackles with bad knees?

W. McGinnest was actually one of the Browns better defensive players this year. Especially down the stretch he played very well and hard.

[MSURacerDT55]

Yeah, I second that...given his age,he played well

[LitlBuck]

Originally Posted by Buckrock

W. McGinnest was actually one of the Browns better defensive players this year. Especially down the stretch he played very well and hard.

Originally Posted by MSURacerDT55

Yeah, I second that...given his age,he played well

I guess you two just summed up why our defense was so good this year

[LitlBuck]

Cleveland.com

Grossi's NFL Insider: A Mangini-Kokinis package is a back to the future move by Browns
by Tony Grossi/Plain Dealer Reporter
Saturday January 03, 2009, 6:28 PM

As Browns owner Randy Lerner moves toward hiring fired Jets coach Eric Mangini (above), he further reveals his fascination with the Patriots/Bill Belichick management tree.

One NFL executive observing the Browns' GM and coaching search commented, "In these situations, sometimes it's not who interviews first but who interviews last" who makes the biggest impression.
Let's hope so.

After one busy week of interviews, owner Randy Lerner is said to be enamored with Eric Mangini as coach and Scott Pioli as general manager, but he fears that the the two can't co-exist. So Lerner may choose Mangini and let him pick his personnel chief to assure they work arm-in-arm.

It is no secret in the NFL that one of Mangini's best friends in the business is George Kokinis, currently the director of pro personnel for the Baltimore Ravens. If Mangini wants to lure Kokinis as his right-hand man, he would have to formally cede total football authority to Kokinis. Anything less than that and Kokinis would not be able to leave the Ravens.

So how does a Kokinis-Mangini duo grab you?

Wow.

There are good "wows" and bad "wows." A good wow would mean Bill Parcells or Bill Cowher or Mike Shanahan entering the picture.


The other kind of wow is the equivalent of "Are you kidding me?"


Kokinis, 41, is yet another branch of the Bill Belichick tree sown in Cleveland in the early 1990s. As is Mangini. As is Pioli. As is Kirk Ferentz, Pioli's alleged favorite coaching candidate. As was Phil Savage.

The Browns have been obsessed with the Belichick "tree" ever since Belichick departed Cleveland and created a dynasty with the New England Patriots. Nobody has been able to do in Cleveland what Belichick has done in New England. That includes Belichick. So the Browns might want to expand their horizons.

Possible alternatives: Atlanta President Rich McKay reportedly told the Browns not to consider him a candidate for chief football executive until they finish all their due diligence and conduct the rest of their interviews.
You can't blame McKay if he doesn't want to be part of this circus. He is over-qualified for the position Lerner appears to be favoring.

McKay fits as an overseer, an experienced football executive who could re-establish the Browns' football culture by hiring his own general manager-type and coach.

He also is a polished public communicator and would bring to the Browns a much-needed expertise in law. The Princeton-educated McKay was a licensed attorney and was Tampa Bay's chief legal counsel before embarking as a football executive. You don't think McKay could have prevented the fiasco that unfolded this year with Kellen Winslow?

Continued

[LitlBuck]

After reading the above article, I would like for Lerner to give the job to McKay in whatever capacity McKay wants it and let McKay structure the organization below him including hiring the HC. At least McKay knows something about football unlike Lerner. It would be interesting to know how Lerner structured his soccer team over in England. I wonder if he hired the coach of the soccer team or left it up to guys whoknew soccer.

I guess my second choice would be Pioli but it seems like he wants to bring in Ferentz. I guess I might not have too much of a problem with that since Ferentz has had some prior NFL experience as the OL coach under Bill B while he was with the Browns. He might be a better choice than hiring a coordinator. Also, quite a few guys from Iowa play OL in the NFL these days so they must know something about offensive line coaching if nothing else.

[23Skidoo]

Originally Posted by LitlBuck

After reading the above article, I would like for Lerner to give the job to McKay in whatever capacity McKay wants it and let McKay structure the organization below him including hiring the HC. At least McKay knows something about football unlike Lerner. It would be interesting to know how Lerner structured his soccer team over in England. I wonder if he hired the coach of the soccer team or left it up to guys whoknew soccer.

I guess my second choice would be Pioli but it seems like he wants to bring in Ferentz. I guess I might not have too much of a problem with that since Ferentz has had some prior NFL experience as the OL coach under Bill B while he was with the Browns. He might be a better choice than hiring a coordinator. Also, quite a few guys from Iowa play OL in the NFL these days so they must know something about offensive line coaching if nothing else.

He left it up to the guys who knew soccer -- or at least took heavy advice from them. His HC at Aston Villa was considered a major coup at the time.
Martin (the gaffer) took a leave from coaching for a year or two to tend to his terminally ill wife and returned the same time Lerner got involved in picking up the crumbled pieces across the pond. So in some ways Martin picked himself, but it was a homerun for Aston Villa (at the time at least -- as everyone was picking them to be relegated in preseason.)

Bottom Line: Lerner is clueless about sports organization.
I think you're right he needs an exec beneath him to organize it for him.

[NFBuck]

I'm seriously nearing the end of my rope with this organization. Who hires a coach before bringing in a personnel guy? I've been saying this is as critical a hire as this organization has seen and it smells like history is just repeating itself. [censored]ing great.