A power struggle between Davis and Policy?
http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm
RUMORS RAMPANT REGARDING BROWNS
During our discussions with league insiders over the past few days, we've caught wind of several new rumors regarding the Browns organization that are making the rounds in the wake of the announcement that president Carmen Policy will step down from his position as team president, effective May 1. (Thereafter, he'll become a consultant to the team.)
First, several league types view the Policy departure not as a stepping stone to the Commissioner's chair (which is highly unlikely given his age) but as the outcome of a power struggle between Policy and coach Butch Davis.
Davis, we're hearing, was against the recent addition of Ron Wolf as a high-priced consultant, even though the move was viewed by some at the time as an effort by their shared agent, Marvin Demoff, to get the powers-that-be on the same page. Instead, Davis simply isn't using Wolf, as Davis recently has acknowledged.
Second, the arrival of John Collins, who had been serving as the NFL senior V.P. of marketing and sales, is being regarded in many circles as a kid-glove ouster of the man who ultimately was responsible for the Janet Jackson Super Bowl halftime boob tube boob flap. Paul Tagliabue suggested in the wake of the incident that heads would roll, but no one ever took the fall. The Browns, many league insiders believe, provided Collins with a secure landing pad.
The move also represents the latest example of the homogenization of NFL franchises via the influence of league office alumni. As businessmen take on greater and greater roles in NFL front offices, it makes sense for the various teams to look to the league offices for candidates. And as the former blue-suited go getters propagate around the 32 cities in which the league does its business, the various teams necessarily will emulate to a certain extent the tone set by the Commissioner at world headquarters.
Third, the fact that Collins isn't a "football guy" means that Davis necessarily will acquire more power over personnel. Really, there's no one behind Policy (other than Wolf) when it comes to picking players. Since Collins won't be in a position to distinguish between a seam route and a trout stream, Davis will essentially have the keys to the football operation.