Thanks to Randy Lerner and his hiring of Eric Mangini, the Cleveland Browns are enjoying their worst season since rejoining the league in 1999. The reason I can say this so early in the season is because if it hasn't become blatantly apparent to everyone by now, let me spell it out for you, Cleveland will be the second 0-16 team in NFL history at the conclusion of the 2009 season. Contrary to Mangini's belief, this is not Brady Quinn's fault. In fact, the blame should not be solely thrust upon the quaterback (Quinn or Anderson) when clearly the problem is the entire 53 man roster and not one position.
Hiring Mangini was easily the worst decision Lerner ever made which is saying a lot when you consider the plethora of inept hirings made since '99 including Carmen Policy, Chris Palmer, Butch Davis, John Collins, Romeo Crennel, Phil Savage, I think you get the point. Mangini's complete lack of personality is destroying this team faster than a stick of dynamite shoved in a mailbox. He has no idea how to relate to anyone other than himself and is such a control freak that he fined Abram Elam (I think it was Elam) $1,701 for a $3 bottle of water he thought was comped at a hotel they were staying at. What an asshole! Aside from Mangini's off-the-field antics, he and his sorry excuse for a General Manager, George Kokinis, have absolutely no idea how to evaluate talent. If it were up to me, given the dire circumstances the team is in, I would cut every single person on that team with 3 exceptions (Joe Thomas, Shaun Rogers and Joshua Cribbs). The argument can be made to keep Alex Mack as well considering he is only a rookie and, other than his shotgun snaps, has played relatively well. The rest of the team is worthless inlcluding the coaching staff. Hitting the reset button and starting over from scratch as if you were putting together a brand new expansion team would be better than trying to build and rebuild around whatever foundation has already been laid over the last 11 years.
Some possible coaching/GM candidates in "wish list" order include
1. Bill Cowher - HC- the former Steelers legend would be the most obvious and ideal choice to run the franchise whether it be as the head coach or GM. He would bring instant credibility to a franchise that has none and with any luck, revamp and remodel the structure of the front office/team so that it can function as an effective NFL franchise.
2. Tony Dungy - GM - the recently retired coach would be a prime candidate for a front office position because he has made it clear that his coaching days are behind him for the time being. His uncanny ability to evaluate talent and get the most out of his players is well documented.
3. Doug Whaley and/or Ron Hughes - GM's - the current Pro Personnel Coordinator and College Scouting Coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers have assembled two Super Bowl winning teams in 4 seasons. In all likelihood, 2009 will bring yet another AFC Championship appearance and Super Bowl appearance for the Steelers.
4. Russ Grimm - HC - the current Cardinals co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach helped Arizona reach the Super Bowl for the first time last season. His rugged, lunch pale mentality is perfect for the Browns. I liken him to Mike Singeltary and what he has done so far in San Francisco. Not to mention, there are a few Super Bowl rings on his fingers.
5. Kirk Ferentz or Urban Meyer - HC - Meyer is the more accomplished of the two winning 2 national championships in the last 3 years at Florida, however, the spread offense he covets so much is ill-suited for the NFL. Meyer's undeniable abilities to "recruit," evaluate talent and prepare his players week in and week out make him a desirable coach nonetheless. Ferentz style of offense and defense are more suited for a smooth NFL transition. His Hawkeyes are routinely in the Big Ten title chase despite being unable to recruit high profile high schoolers like big wigs Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan.
*NOTE: The route of hiring a college coach is not popular in the NFL and with the exception of Jimmy Johnson in Dallas, has not worked out well for any franchise including Cleveland. Regardless, these 2 coaches are intriguing to me simply because of their ability to "coach" despite what history has to say about the leap from college to the NFL.
I have presented 4 head coaching candidates and 3 general manager candidates. In my opinion, none of these people will be pursued (except Cowher) for the respective positions. Their credentials speak for themselves and should undoubtedly be given serious consideration or at the very least, be granted an interview. Their body of work with their current and former teams is more than Cleveland has accomplished since its last championship in 1964 (45 years ago).
