Lombardi and Banner gone, Farmer new GM
-
The way i see it, everything last year was a total wash. It's obvious everything in the organization was toxic and dysfunctional, and needed to be purged out. Haslam was a first year owner dealing with a major issue in his company. A year gone is a year wiser, and now all the trash is gone. We have a guy who is actually widely respected in Farmer. We got a young seemingly fiery coach and an aggressive owner who wants to win. It's time to get a QB and win.
-
Whoa, some National respect for the Browns (NFL.com) :
The Browns were mocked as clowns, a mess of an organization. Cleveland changing coaches and executives like you change your socks. Everyone was having a grand old time yucking it up.
Laugh now, but the joke will be on you later.
Haslam saw a problem. He fixed it. The Browns are much better off. Seriously.
Such rapid and unrelenting change can signal the lack of a plan or vision. Maybe that's true. Or maybe Jimmy Haslam just hit a home run.
Early call for the Season :
Cleveland won four games last year. But with the regime changes, a whole bunch of cap space and a ton of talent already on the roster, I think the Browns are in prime position to double their win total in 2014. Again, seriously.
-
Grossi interview with Farmer (Part 1) :
http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&action=blog&r=17&post_id=28581
Interesting comment here :
Q: Do you prioritize certain positions in building a team?
I do, but I will not reveal what positions I think are most important to us because I think it leads to a competitive disadvantage. I think it’s good when teams don’t know what you want or how you want. So it gives you a lead-in. There’s a thought process that you have to take certain positions. I would caution everyone to believe that just because you think it’s important and you think it should go here, doesn’t mean that’s necessarily the strategy. There’s always other ways to solve the puzzle. I don’t think anything’s exact. People take different risks at different times. For me, I think it’s best stated for me that we should fly low and under the radar for as long as possible.
-
Grossi interview with Farmer (Part 1) :
http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&action=blog&r=17&post_id=28581
Interesting comment here :
Q: Do you prioritize certain positions in building a team?
I do, but I will not reveal what positions I think are most important to us because I think it leads to a competitive disadvantage. I think it’s good when teams don’t know what you want or how you want. So it gives you a lead-in. There’s a thought process that you have to take certain positions. I would caution everyone to believe that just because you think it’s important and you think it should go here, doesn’t mean that’s necessarily the strategy. There’s always other ways to solve the puzzle. I don’t think anything’s exact. People take different risks at different times. For me, I think it’s best stated for me that we should fly low and under the radar for as long as possible.
Grossi interview with Farmer (Part 1) :
http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&action=blog&r=17&post_id=28581
Interesting comment here :
Quote
Q: Do you prioritize certain positions in building a team?
I do, but I will not reveal what positions I think are most important to us because I think it leads to a competitive disadvantage. I think it’s good when teams don’t know what you want or how you want. So it gives you a lead-in. There’s a thought process that you have to take certain positions. I would caution everyone to believe that just because you think it’s important and you think it should go here, doesn’t mean that’s necessarily the strategy. There’s always other ways to solve the puzzle. I don’t think anything’s exact. People take different risks at different times. For me, I think it’s best stated for me that we should fly low and under the radar for as long as possible.
The Manziel rumors can now officially be put in the dumpster. I have to wonder who started them in the first place. LOL it had to be Lobotomy- he's a big enough bozo to do something like that. Scouting heavily? Like the Browns didn't "scout heavily" Bridgewater, Bortles, & Carr too?
-
Anyone familiar with his drafting scouting and signing record out in Kansas City? That might give us a clue as to priorities. I could look it up but I bet some of you guys already know.
WSS
www.westsidesteve.com www.myspace.com/westsidestevemusic www.cdbaby.com/artist/westsidestevesimmons -
Anyone familiar with his drafting scouting and signing record out in Kansas City? That might give us a clue as to priorities. I could look it up but I bet some of you guys already know.
WSS
Anyone familiar with his drafting scouting and signing record out in Kansas City? That might give us a clue as to priorities. I could look it up but I bet some of you guys already know.
WSS
I posted that in another thread (actually in response to one of your posts, lol). See this link, you can skip the part about Lombardi's horrible record:
http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28391&page=2&do=findComment&comment=384664
We can't say he is completely responsible for this, but I'm sure he was involved in the process, as was his new advisor, Bill Kuharich. I'd take those picks any day of the week.
-
Anyone familiar with his drafting scouting and signing record out in Kansas City? That might give us a clue as to priorities. I could look it up but I bet some of you guys already know.
WSS
Anyone familiar with his drafting scouting and signing record out in Kansas City? That might give us a clue as to priorities. I could look it up but I bet some of you guys already know.
WSS
A lot of defense. They also grabbed 4 offensive lineman in the top 3 rounds the past 3 years. There are some high skill offensive positions there like McCluster and Dwayne Bowe.
Interestingly enough, only 2 QBs though. Round 3 and 5. That was about the last thing KC put in place over there.
-
Thanx! The Mike Lombardi Hall of Fame you posted I recall, but I didn't recall the Kansas City pics.
Yep a lot of defensive players. Could be a great sign.
I think it's a good idea to put together a hell of a defense then drop in a quarterback.
WSS
-
MK comes in with her big scoop, after the fact, and "according to sources"
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns CEO Joe Banner and his top lieutenant Mike Lombardi ended on bad terms with each other, and their discord led to Jimmy Haslam firing both, league sources told cleveland.com.
Banner and Lombardi clashed over a number of things, but the disconnect came to a head during the tumultuous 25-day coaching search.By the end of it, Banner wanted to fire his embattled GM, and Lombardi knew it. If he didn't know, he missed the writing on the wall.But what Banner didn't know, and should have, was that Haslam had also grown weary of him during the search -- portrayed as dysfunctional in the local and national media -- and was gearing up to fire him.The owner and the CEO didn't see eye-to-eye over a number of candidates, and Haslam came to feel that Banner was the reason some didn't want to interview for -- or accept -- his coaching job.Banner took a gamble last year on Lombardi -- who is reportedly set to join Bill Belichick's staff in New England -- despite a thunderous backlash from Cleveland fans and media, and it ultimately contributed to his downfall.In the latter stages of the coaching search, Lombardi's good friend Belichick was calling to advise Haslam on candidates, including encouraging him to interview fired Bucs coach Greg Schiano, sources confirmed for cleveland.com. Sports Illustrated's Peter King first reported that Banner was miffed about the last-minute Schiano interview, which took place a day or two after their second interview with Mike Pettine at the Senior Bowl in late January.Against Banner's wishes, the Browns left the Senior Bowl and flew to Tampa to interview Schiano, who was coming off a scandal-rocked 4-12 season. The year was marred by a MRSA outbreak in the locker room and a public battle between the team and quarterback Josh Freeman. At the time, the interview looked like a favor for a coach down on his luck, but it was more than that. Haslam listened to the recommendations of Belichick and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, and overrode his CEO's opinion. Others in the organization were also on board with talking to Schiano.The Josh McDaniels candidacyJosh McDanielsView full sizeNew England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was a key figure in the Browns coaching search.Elise Amendola, APHaslam and Banner were also at odds over Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, according to insiders. McDaniels -- a longtime Lombardi favorite -- supposedly became Haslam's top choice, but Banner had his reservations.McDaniels had been fired by the Broncos after a controversial reign in which he alienated some players and lost 17 of his last 22 games. He was also fired in large part because of a videotaping scandal. But Lombardi strongly felt McDaniels received a raw deal in Denver, and would excel in the right situation chance, much like his pal Belichick did in New England.Shortly after the Browns interviewed McDaniels, a Canton native, he pulled his name out of the search, saying he was happy where he was. After the media portrayed McDaniels' withdrawal as another sign that no one wanted the "radioactive'' Browns job, sources told cleveland.com and other local reporters that McDaniels pulled his name out because he was told he wasn't the frontrunner.The "frontrunner'' retort didn't sit well with some candidates or potential candidates, a source said.But a McDaniels hire might've also gone over like a lead balloon. During the interview, NFL Network's Mike Silver wrote, “ ... when I read reports that former Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels might be the leading candidate to fill the Cleveland Browns opening, I feel like someone has just taken a tire iron to my skull.”Within about 24 hours after McDaniels pulled out of the search, he called to get back in, sources close to the situation told cleveland.com. This was contrary to a report on NFL Network that the Browns called McDaniels and tried to lure him back into the mix.Regardless, he remained in the running right up until the end, when the Browns hired Pettine on Jan. 23. In fact, he received the support and recommendation of Belichick right up until the 11th hour.McDaniels was likely the "mystery finalist'' the Browns referred to on the day Pettine was hired, although they later said it was Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who also hadn't yet been eliminated until Pettine agreed to terms.The Ken Whisenhunt candidacywhisenhunt.jpgView full sizeKen Whisenhunt wanted to know why the Browns passed on him for their head-coaching job after the 2012 season.APThe Ken Whisenhunt candidacy also presented problems. Sources said that Whisenhunt, who took the Titans head job, would've considered coming to Cleveland but had concerns over the management team in place, specifically Banner.The Browns had interviewed Whisenhunt for their head-coaching vacancy last year, but passed him over because they were more impressed with the coordinators Rob Chudzinski could produce -- Norv Turner and Ray Horton, sources told cleveland.com at the time. Whisenhunt also interviewed with Buffalo in 2013, but the job went to Doug Marrone.SI's King reported Wednesday that when Whisenhunt asked the Browns in his interview this year why they didn't hire him in 2013, Banner told him it was because they wanted to see more of a “a championship coaching staff”Whisenhunt, one NFL source told King, was miffed that Banner, who had never coached, would criticize his choice of assistants.“Who are you to tell me what makes up a championship coaching staff?” Whisenhunt said, with an edge in his voice, King wrote.Sources told cleveland.com it's true Whisenhunt was told he didn't get the job last year because of his staff, but that he never called out Banner over it during this year's interview or had an edge in his voice. One source said there was never an awkward moment during the Whisenhunt meeting and that he was the consummate professional. The discussion was frank and open, but Whisenhunt was non-confrontational."Why would someone who was trying to land a job go off on one of the interviewers?'' said one source.Beginning of the endCleveland Browns: Mike Pettine named head coachView full sizeEven though the search had its rough patches, in the end the Browns are happy that they landed Mike Pettine as their coach.Thomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerStill, the disconnect amongst the power-brokers was evident by then, and the groundwork had been laid for the end of the short Banner-Lombardi regime. Banner had the job for 16 months, and Lombardi, 13 months -- although he was involved behind the scenes from the moment Haslam agreed to purchase the team 18 months ago.Sources also said that former Penn State coach Bill O'Brien, who also remains close to his former boss Belichick, wasn't interested in interviewing with the Browns this year because of the management team in place. He talked to Browns last year but opted to remain at Penn State. This year, he took the Texans head-coaching job without interviewing with the Browns.By the day Pettine was hired, the signs were strong that Lombardi was gone, and that Haslam and Banner weren't in lockstep.While Lombardi wasn't even present at introductory press conference, Farmer was hailed that day by Haslam and Banner as "a rising star'' in the organization -- the first sign that Lombardi was on his way out.That same day, Banner also lamented the fact that he didn't get a chance to meet with the Super Bowl-bound Quinn a second time, calling it "the toughest decision'' of the interview process. He went on to praise Quinn, predicting he'd be an excellent head coach some day. It almost sounded like buyer's remorse -- but several sources said that wasn't true, that everyone in the organization was completely on board with Pettine and blown away by his interviews.A week later at the Super Bowl, Banner continued to praise Farmer in an interview with cleveland.com regarding the assistant GM's decision to turn down the Dolphins' GM job."I'm not surprised that other people are recognizing it,'' Banner said. "He's extremely hard-working, smart, totally trustworthy loyal and a great evaluator. He understands the elements of character, personality and drive (in prospects) and he integrates them into the grading of what you see on the film.''Meanwhile, Banner barely mentioned Lombardi and kept his media-savvy GM out of the public eye all season, describing him in March as a "lightning rod for criticism.'' It was clear that Lombardi had fallen out of favor with Banner, and that the top of the organization was splintered.Still, two sources said Banner was "flabbergasted'' by his firing and never saw it coming. They said Banner thought Haslam was happy with Banner's first 16 months, during which he attracted excellent top-level executives such as President Alec Scheiner and general counsel Sashi Brown and had overhauled the entire operation.Insiders also said Haslam may have had second thoughts about firing coach Rob Chudzinski, even though he was completely on board with it at the time.In the end, the Browns felt they landed an excellent head coach in Pettine after a thorough process in which they cast a wide net. Several sources said that perceptions candidates didn't want their job were inaccurate, and that many excellent prospects called to be interviewed and weren't considered.The only candidate on their list who actually declined to interview was Broncos coordinator Adam Gase, who told them he wanted to focus on the Super Bowl and was happy with his current job.In the end, Banner took a chance on Lombardi, and when he set out to fire him, they both went down.Zombo said:
MK comes in with her big scoop, after the fact, and "according to sources"
Well... what it lacked in timeliness it more than made up for in length..
Grossi interview with Farmer (Part 1) :
Interesting comment here :
Very interesting...
I swear Haslam is 2 for 2 with Pettine and Farmer.
This really feels good... strange, but good...
Anyone familiar with his drafting scouting and signing record out in Kansas City? That might give us a clue as to priorities. I could look it up but I bet some of you guys already know.
The QB was the last piece...
-
Anyone familiar with his drafting scouting and signing record out in Kansas City? That might give us a clue as to priorities. I could look it up but I bet some of you guys already know.
WSS
A lot of defense. They also grabbed 4 offensive lineman in the top 3 rounds the past 3 years. There are some high skill offensive positions there like McCluster and Dwayne Bowe.
Interestingly enough, only 2 QBs though. Round 3 and 5. That was about the last thing KC put in place over there.
A lot of defense. They also grabbed 4 offensive lineman in the top 3 rounds the past 3 years. There are some high skill offensive positions there like McCluster and Dwayne Bowe.
Interestingly enough, only 2 QBs though. Round 3 and 5. That was about the last thing KC put in place over there.
I suspect we can see his imprint on those draft picks in the linebackers they selected, since he happens to be a former linebacker himself, he'd know that position better than he knows any of the others.
I am definitely getting the vibe from his interviews, especially this one with Tony Grossi, that we may not take a QB with that #4 pick. He just doesn't seem to think QB is the end-all-and-be-all of the team.
-
Trying hard not to get sucked in yet again.... saying all the right things .. but show me don't tell me.
We better win our first game & our home opener this year.
-
was wondering what happened to dough boy. Get off my dick lolClowney is by and large the best athlete and it's really not even close.
Brilliant analysis, yet again.
-
was wondering what happened to dough boy. Get off my dick lolClowney is by and large the best athlete and it's really not even close.
Brilliant analysis, yet again.
-
Somebody has to be on it.
Yea ur right whether it's a big titty blonde with no gag reflex or some big goofy prison lookin dipshit. It's a damn shame if no one climbs up there.
-
Somebody has to be on it.
Yea ur right whether it's a big titty blonde with no gag reflex or some big goofy prison lookin dipshit. It's a damn shame if no one climbs up there.
-
-
Some thoughts on Farmer and the impact on the Draft :
http://espn.go.com/blog/cleveland-browns/post/_/id/4057/what-might-change-under-ray-farmer
-
MKC with Ray Farmer, lot's of good Q & A :
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2014/02/cleveland_browns_ray_farmer_q.html#incart_river
In regards to QB and Draft position:
Q: If you had to pick a quarterback tomorrow, do you have your man?
A: Yes, I do. I've studied the quarterbacks and I've studied other players, and I've already started to formulate the rank and order of each position. I do know what I'd do if I was held down at the moment. It doesn't mean that can't change, but I currently have somebody in front.
Q: Will you draft a quarterback?
A: I don't think we have to do anything. The charge is to get it right regardless of which position. (But) I there are players in this draft who can help us at that position and dependent upon where they're at and where we're at, if the two can match up, we can be in good shape. I just don't know if we're going to have the opportunity to take those players.
Q: The guy you have in mind, would you take him at No. 4?
A: I'd say that No. 4 is not necessarily where I would take the guy that I like. Again, it may not be the name that everybody thinks is the latest, greatest, and the easy one to spot. There's definitely an art to selecting people in the draft and it's finding the right name that fits who you want to be.
I don't know about anyone else, but to me this says we're not trading up to take a guy, and it's probably not going to be Manziel.
EDIT:
Keep finding standout stuff :
Q: You seem less enamored with a "championship caliber quarterback'' than your predecessors. Is that accurate?
A: People seem to think you can't win unless you have a superstar quarterback. In the NFL, the vast majority of quarterbacks are guys that have to be managed. You have to put them in situations where they can be successful, and when you get them
out of their comfort zone, or you put them in situations where they fail, it's not going to be positive for your club. The position isn't as complicated as people think it is.
-
I'm now 100% sure he's talking about Derek Carr when he's talking about the QB position.
Carr at #4 overall, eh. Carr at #26 would be ideal, but, he's not sure he'll be available the next time they pick.
...just my observation...
The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one. -Mark Twain- "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." -Mark Twain- -
I'm now 100% sure he's talking about Derek Carr when he's talking about the QB position.
Carr at #4 overall, eh. Carr at #26 would be ideal, but, he's not sure he'll be available the next time they pick.
...just my observation...
I'm now 100% sure he's talking about Derek Carr when he's talking about the QB position.
Carr at #4 overall, eh. Carr at #26 would be ideal, but, he's not sure he'll be available the next time they pick.
...just my observation...
You being 100% sure about anything means it's certainly not true.
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login