Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

[Piney]

Makes you wonder who was really the brains in Baltimore when Savage was there. I read last week in the PD that Romeo told Savage about Bell and Rucker, in addition to Wembley, that they would not fit his system. In addition to the two positions that you mentioned, we also need a OLB or two that can rush the passer in addition to being able to stop the run. Maybe the kid from Wake Forest will be around. I think he is worthy of a very high selection.

utter nonsense.

it was the talk of the '06 draft that savage told crennel that they had wimbley and ngata equally rated and asked him if he wanted a DL or OLB and Crennel told him OLB. So, there is no way that Crennel told Savage that Wimbley wouldn't fit his system.

As for Rucker, he's listed at 260 on the roster, that's plenty big enough to play TE. As for Crennel telling Savage about Bell and Rucker, the PD also ran a piece right after Savage was canned that said he picked Rucker and Bell without ever telling the coaching staff they were targets to get their feedback, and this was highlighted as one of the disconnects between the GM and coaching staff.

So, either the PD is making shit up, you misread, or the PD is contradicting itself and its "sources".

Just sounds like the media piling on after the fact. But back to the draft.

The big question is whether the Wake Forest OLB would fit into a 3-4 LB. Another interesting prospect would be the Florida LB Spikes if he were to come out. And that is if Mangini keeps a 3-4, but I assume he will. So if the top rated LBs don't fit the 3-4, it comes down to Jenkins at CB, or a WR or RB. Cuz you don't take a RT that high in the draft and the top rated DL don't fit the 3-4 from what I have read.

The best option would be to trade down, but doesn't every team in the top 10 say that?

 

[LitlBuck]

utter nonsense.

it was the talk of the '06 draft that savage told crennel that they had wimbley and ngata equally rated and asked him if he wanted a DL or OLB and Crennel told him OLB. So, there is no way that Crennel told Savage that Wimbley wouldn't fit his system.

As for Rucker, he's listed at 260 on the roster, that's plenty big enough to play TE. As for Crennel telling Savage about Bell and Rucker, the PD also ran a piece right after Savage was canned that said he picked Rucker and Bell without ever telling the coaching staff they were targets to get their feedback, and this was highlighted as one of the disconnects between the GM and coaching staff.

So, either the PD is making [censored] up, you misread, or the PD is contradicting itself and its "sources".

Savage had full control of the make up of the roster along with college scouting but I think you know that. He should have been able to tell who is going to make a better prose prospect Wembley or Ngata.

As to Rucker and Bell you might want to look up a couple posts and see what YSUBuck posted. I guess both of us do not know how to read.

 

[LitlBuck]

Just sounds like the media piling on after the fact. But back to the draft.

The big question is whether the Wake Forest OLB would fit into a 3-4 LB. Another interesting prospect would be the Florida LB Spikes if he were to come out. And that is if Mangini keeps a 3-4, but I assume he will. So if the top rated LBs don't fit the 3-4, it comes down to Jenkins at CB, or a WR or RB. Cuz you don't take a RT that high in the draft and the top rated DL don't fit the 3-4 from what I have read.

The best option would be to trade down, but doesn't every team in the top 10 say that?

They had Mangini's press conference on Cleveland.com and he said that he is going to bring the 3-4 as his base defense but that he could mix it up a little and not run a straight 3-4 all of the time. Spikes would make a nice ILB if he does come out. I don't know that much about the OLB From Wake Forest. I totally agree with you regarding a RT. I would not take one of those in the first or second round plus we have too many other needs as you mention.

 

[Ttown]

Will that help them ? :( I think not.

 

[LitlBuck]

Analysis: Does Crennel deserve to be the fall guy? - Cleveland Browns football NFL News - cleveland.com

Players: An example of the disconnect between Crennel and Savage concerns the drafting of UNLV linebacker Beau Bell. A league source said Crennel watched tape of Bell before the draft and determined that he was not the right player for him. Not only did the Browns draft Bell, they traded their fifth-round pick to move up in the fourth round to get him.

Before the 2007 season, Crennel made it clear he wanted to keep safety Brian Russell. Russell was allowed to become a free agent. This season, when Daven Holly went out for the year with a knee injury and Leigh Bodden was traded to Detroit, Crennel wanted to bring in veteran cornerback Ty Law, who was signed by the Jets before Week 11. Crennel talked to Law all season, but Savage repeatedly said Law didn't fit in the Browns' budget. Crennel also was interested in trading for Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard when he was available.

Instead, Crennel was forced to suffer growing pains with Brandon McDonald, who gave up some costly TD passes and was benched for a play in Buffalo. McDonald, a fifth-round pick in 2007, is a good, young player, but too much was expected of him this year.

Crennel and his staff also wanted to bring in a veteran receiver such as a Joe Horn, Terry Glenn or Keenan McCardell when it became apparent Joe Jurevicius would be lost for the season and Dont Stallworth was hurt.

As for his 3-4 defense, Crennel was not given the horses to run the scheme effectively. Some of Savage's draft picks, including linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, are better suited to the 4-3. Even Savage admitted that he hasn't been drafting specifically for the 3-4, but leaning toward versatile players. Crennel needed a formidable pass rusher to make the scheme work, and Kamerion Wimbley is barely rushing anymore, instead dropping back more into coverage.

 

[NFBuck]

If they don't take MJ at #5, I'll be pretty upset. Wright may develop into a good corner, but McDonald is a nickle back, nothing more. Shutdown corners don't come around often and when you have the chance to grab one, especially when it's already a position of need, you do it.

 

[jlb1705]

If they don't take MJ at #5, I'll be pretty upset. Wright may develop into a good corner, but McDonald is a nickle back, nothing more. Shutdown corners don't come around often and when you have the chance to grab one, especially when it's already a position of need, you do it.

Agreed.

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Mangini says it's 'special' to be back with Browns


By Tom Withers
Associated Press

Thursday, January 08, 2009

BEREA ? Eric Mangini is starting over where he started out.
Mangini, who began his NFL career as a ballboy for the Browns, was introduced as Cleveland's 12th full-time coach on Thursday, Jan. 8, less than two weeks after he was fired by the New York Jets.
The 37-year-old Mangini signed a four-year deal with the Browns, who are rebuilding once again following a 4-12 season that ended with the firings of coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Phil Savage.
Browns owner Randy Lerner hasn't decided on a GM yet, but the frontrunner is George Kokinis, Baltimore's director of player personnel and a longtime friend of Mangini's.
Mangini began shagging balls with the Browns in 1994 under then-coach Bill Belichick, who liked the kid's work ethic and quickly promoted him to a public relations assistant before adding him to the scouting department. Now Mangini's taking over the job from Crennel, one of his best friends in the game who may be on his staff in Cleveland.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Patrick McManamon: Browns' choice just doesn't feel right By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist
POSTED: 07:46 p.m. EST, Jan 07, 2009
It would be nice to jump feet-first, head-over-heels into the pool to celebrate the hiring of Eric Mangini as coach of the Browns.
But it's not possible.
Not today at least.
Yes, there are good reasons owner Randy Lerner made this choice, starting with the fact Lerner spent more time with him than anyone and therefore should know Mangini's pluses and minuses better than those of us who have been observing from afar.
Mangini is experienced. He worked under Bill Belichick. He hopefully learned from any mistakes he made in his three years as coach of the New York Jets. He understands the game. He's very bright. He will bring discipline to players that need discipline.
Those positives are all there.
But the concerns about Mangini just don't go away. Nor did they go away the past few days as it became more and more apparent he was going to be hired.
To say that Mangini was a tough person to work for in New York might be an understatement. People did not think it was a fun place to work.
Some say Mangini tried too hard to be like Belichick. It never works when a coach tries to be someone other than himself.
Interesting, because many also say that Mangini also can be an engaging, good-natured guy ? he just wasn't as a head coach in New York.
Stories even were told of him shunning people as a head coach that he had been friends with when he was an intern.
Perhaps this won't matter.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Browns' Mangini blinking in lights By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 07:34 p.m. EST, Jan 08, 2009
BEREA: With three years of experience, Eric Mangini agreed that he is light-years ahead of where he was when the New York Jets made him the youngest coach in the NFL.
But his news conference skills still need work.
After being introduced Thursday morning as the Browns' 12th full-time coach and giving his opening remarks, Mangini concluded with a ''Go Browns'' and walked off the podium. Only then did he learn he was expected to take questions.
Perhaps his faux pas was due to the realization of the enormity of his leap from Browns ball boy to coach in a span of 14 years. It was almost as if it hit him when he stepped to the microphone and flashed back to his days as the team's public relations intern in 1994.
''I feel like I should be getting [food from] Bucci's or coffee or something,'' Mangini said.
Taking over a team that has qualified for the playoffs just twice since the 1989 season and went 24-40 the past four years, Mangini seemed undaunted.
''When I first came to Cleveland I was a 23-year-old ball boy, and I had to explain that to my mother,'' Mangini said. ''I had a lot of student loans, and she sees this picture of 11- and 12-year-olds and I've got my arms around them. It's a hard sell. I kept telling her, 'Mom, this is the Cleveland Browns. Do you understand? THE Cleveland Browns.' It took some explaining.
''When Randy called me last week, it was the same feeling. That same level of excitement, that same level of pride. It was the Dawg Pound. It was Jim Brown. It was all those special things with arguably the most storied franchise in NFL history. I remember thinking about the fans, and I thought, 'All fans love football and they love their team. The difference is that Cleveland fans, they live football.' ''
Mangini, who turns 38 on Jan. 19, was the first person owner Randy Lerner interviewed after firing coach Romeo Crennel and General Manager Phil Savage. Lerner was smitten from the start, actually from the moment that he learned in a media session that Mangini had been dumped by the Jets after going 9-7 last season and 23-25 in three years. Reportedly, he gave Mangini a four-year contract.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Leavened with humor, Mangini highlights discipline, experience in assuming Browns' helm

by Tony Grossi/Plain Dealer Reporter Thursday January 08, 2009, 6:49 PM

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerMangini on discipline: "One of the things I explain right off in the first meeting with players is that rules are in place to give us the best possible working environment. It's a very diverse population. A lot of people have to work together and an environment has to be created where you can be successful. That's why we have rules. That being said, if the rules are broken, there's consequences and those are strictly enforced."



BEREA -- Early in his introductory news conference as the new Browns coach, Eric Mangini disarmed critics who contend he is a humorless replica of Bill Belichick, his taciturn mentor. Asked how he sold Browns owner Randy Lerner on hiring him so quickly, nine days after only one formal interview, Mangini deadpanned, "I think it starts with my press conferences. The excitement I bring. I can feel it in the room. The applause is overwhelming."
The self-deprecation played well. From that point on, Mangini relaxed and talked more easily about the excitement of returning to the city where his career started and about his hopes to feed its starved fans a winner.
The long shadow of Belichick blanketed the Mangini appointment as 12th full-time Browns coach. Belichick was the last Browns coach of the old era. He created Mangini, molding him from training camp ball boy to defensive protege.
Mangini is the fourth Browns coach of the new era. He separated from Belichick to become New York Jets coach three years ago, invoking his boss' wrath, and now tries to achieve something here that even Belichick couldn't do -- win on a consistent basis.
Belichick was 38 when he took the Browns job; Mangini is 37. The one difference in their career paths is that Mangini has those three years of head coach experience from which to learn.

He was 23-26 with the Jets, counting a playoff loss, and had two winning seasons. In Belichick's first three years with the Browns in the 1990s, he was 20-28 with no winning seasons.
"I learned so many things over the course of those three years that there's no handbook for," Mangini said of his Jets' experience. "Walking into the first day at the Jets, it wasn't like there's a Dummies Guide to Head Coaching. It's just, 'there you go.'

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

What the Browns family is saying about Mangini

by Staff reports Thursday January 08, 2009, 10:36 PM

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerOn Thursday, Eric Mangini could reach out and get plenty of support from former Browns anxious to see the franchise rebuild itself.
Browns legend Jim Brown, an executive adviser to the team, said owner Randy Lerner told him Mangini nailed the interview, especially with his grasp of every aspect of the football organization. "It was very important to Randy that everyone is headed in the same direction, and Mangini had his organizational structure down tight. That's the impression I got from Randy. He wants a straightforward, cohesive organization that can present a product that will make the city very, very proud."
Brown believes Mangini's friendship with Romeo Crennel (they coached together in New England) is a plus. "I can't imagine him and Romeo not talking. A head coach that's leaving that's friendly toward you can give you so much information, personnel-wise and everything. That's a great advantage for him. He's not coming in as a total outsider."


Former Browns head coach Sam Rutigliano would have preferred a general manager be hired first so the GM could have been involved in the head coach decision. But in Mangini, he said, the Browns get a coach with a solid foundation, learning from former bosses Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells.
"I just hope he's able to address categorically the things that need to be addressed, in terms of discipline, in terms of accountability. He has to make it clear to the players that you get paid to have your 'A' game every week. ... This is our fourth try in 10 years. I just hope they're going to hit the jackpot now because the fans really deserve it."

Former Browns nose tackle Bob Golic, now a local restaurateur and radio host, said he didn't know much about Mangini but attended Thursday's news conference and was won over.
"The one thing that I really took from it before you even get to the Xs and Os, as he stood up talking to everybody he really had this look of 'I'm home' and in the sound of his voice. If he can impart some of that pride that he sounds like he has into some of the players, this could be a good deal. ... He seems like a genuine guy, and the things he was saying absolutely sold me."

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Daboll, Ryan remain Mangini's favorites for staff

by Mary Kay Cabot/Plain Dealer Reporter Thursday January 08, 2009, 8:16 PM


BEREA -- Browns coach Eric Mangini confirmed Thursday that his top choices for offensive and defensive coordinator are Brian Daboll and Rob Ryan, respectively.
Daboll is currently the Jets quarterbacks coach and Ryan is the Raiders' defensive coordinator. Ryan cleaned out his office in Oakland Thursday and was told by the Raiders that he's free to go even though his contract isn't officially up until Tuesday. Ryan, whom Mangini has coveted for several years, is expected to accept the job.
If he does, he might bring linebackers coach Don Martindale with him. The two are inseparable in Oakland.
Mangini admitted he's interested in currents Jets assistant head coach/offensive line coach Bill Callahan, but Callahan is still under contract and the Browns would have to receive permission to interview him. The Jets recently interviewed Callahan for their head coaching vacancy and might want to keep him.

Mangini also stressed that he'd love to have Romeo Crennel stay on in some capacity and that he's already talked to him about it.
"I've known Romeo for a lot of years and he's a great, great friend," said Mangini. "I have so much respect for him professionally and I'd love for him to continue to be involved. He's a huge asset and I think it would be a really positive thing for everybody.

Cont..

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Heckert ends GM candidacy, Browns may talk with ex-Broncos GM Sundquist

by Mary Kay Cabot/Plain Dealer Reporter Thursday January 08, 2009, 8:00 PM

AP file photoFormer Broncos GM Ted Sundquist could be interviewed by the Browns soon.

Eagles General Manager Tom Heckert has taken himself out of the running for the Browns GM vacancy and the team might interview former Broncos GM Ted Sundquist, a league source told The Plain Dealer Thursday. Heckert, who was scheduled to interview on Friday, pulled his name because he wanted to have a say in hiring the head coach. The Browns are planning to touch bases with Heckert again on Friday, but he won't change his mind, the source said.
Heckert agreed to interview with the Browns before they hired Eric Mangini on Wednesday night. If Heckert had been interviewed, he probably would've pushed for Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who interviewed with the Browns last Thursday.
The Browns will interview Ravens director of pro personnel George Kokinas on Sunday, but are prepared to reach out to other candidates, including Sundquist, who spent six seasons as Broncos GM before being fired in March.

Kokinis, who is Mangini's first choice, is the front-runner, but the Browns are keeping their options open.
The new GM has to be able to work well with the new coach, but Mangini has identified other candidates besides Kokinis. Another name that could appear on the radar screen is Colts Vice President of Football Operations Chris Polian, son of team president Bill Polian.

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Browns scribbles on a big day: No shortage of issues await the new regime

by Terry Pluto/Plain Dealer Columnist Thursday January 08, 2009, 7:15 PM

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerThe formal press conference was over when Eric Mangini dealt with the crush of local media looking for one additional sound bite.

BEREA -- Now that Eric Mangini is in place and as the Browns move to hire George Kokinis as general manager, the problems will begin. One of the first will be Kellen Winslow, who will still want a new contract despite being signed through 2010. If he doesn't get one, he may want to be traded -- something he requested early in the 2008 regular season. The new regime will have to decide if Winslow is worth a new deal and can he stay healthy? Also, will he buy into Mangini's team-first, disciplined approach? In addition to considering what is next for Winslow, he soon should meet with Braylon Edwards. It's simple for fans to say, "dump the guy," because Edwards led the league in dropped passes and whined about the fans not liking him because he's from Michigan. At some point, it may come to that. But the Browns are so thin at receiver, and when focused, Edwards is a big-play threat. Can Mangini convince Edwards to play as part of the team, or will he continue to come off as self-absorbed?
It is easier to find a tight end to replace Winslow than it is to come up with a game-breaking receiver. No one has said it, but the Browns may be forced to pick between Edwards and Winslow. Mangini wants to change the culture, installing more discipline. He has several immature players on the roster, that's why it's so important he and the new general manager set a policy for how they will handle problems -- and stick with it.

There are reasons for not liking the hiring of Mangini, but most fans and media members who take issue don't seem to be offering realistic options. The field is thin. The Jets fired Mangini, perhaps in the hope of convincing Bill Cowher to coach in New York. He turned them down. Now, they are interviewing assistants Bill Callahan, Russ Grimm, Ron Meeks and Brian Schottenheimer. Perhaps former Ravens coach Brian Billick may receive an interview. There probably is a good coach in that group, but it's hard to know who it may be.

Cont...