Laundry List

Mike Holmgren is the new Browns President and he’s got a lot of work to do. The question is where should he start?

Eric Mangini – Fire him, he took over a crappy team and completely restructured the roster. A roster that was hurting for leadership and passionate players. He got rid of selfish players and slackers and added depth. He also managed to collect 11 draft picks for the 2010 draft, and that is way to many, you can’t build a team through the draft can you? Phil Savage?

Most coaches that don’t perform in their first season with a new team will probably never work out in the NFL. Forget about the Belichick, Bill Walsh, Tuna, and Andy Reid’s of the world, everybody already knows Eric Mangini will never reach that level. Psychic abbilities i assume.

The Browns should hire a new coach every year until they win the super bowl.

Josh Cribbs – Don’t pay the man. This is a new regime, I don’t care what the last GM said about restructuring a deal for him. It only makes sense to see what he can do with the new regime in town before we go tossing money around at a special teams player. Seriously, he shouldn’t have signed that stupid extension in the first place. I would tell Josh to fire his agent, don’t blame the Browns. It’s not like he’s the best player on the team or the fans love him.

Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson - Both of these guys need to be retained, one of them has got to be the future. The Browns organization has invested so much into both of them. If they’re each given another shot in the pre-season and training camp one of them has got to emerge as a franchise QB.

Jim Brown – I know he’s an advisor to Mr. Lerner but with Randy giving Mike Holmgren full control and having Bernie Kosar on hand he wont need Jim Brown as an advisor now.

The Browns should make Jim Brown the team spokesman. Hey, he likes to here himself talk and he never says anything dumb or controversial! The Browns organization could really benefit from this, he would take so much focus off the team.

Jamal Lewis – Re-sign the man. He has produced so much since his last contract extension (1-100 yard game and 4 touchdowns) we would be fools to let him retire like this, we owe him so much more. He is obviously a great leader as well, seeing how the Browns have won 2 games since he’s been out and had their two biggest rushing games of the year. I kind of like listening to Jamal throw his teammates under the bus, it's good for the team, it brings them together.

Will Mangini's "Process" fit in the U-HAUL?

For the past year the Browns and their fans have been pounded with Eric Mangini's "process". Early in the season as the losses piled up we were told that "this is a process and it's not going to happen overnight". When the Browns beat arch rival Pittsburgh on a frigid Thursday night we were told that "the process is coming together".

The "process" might be leaving on a U-HAUL soon.

He's not Santa Claus but Mike Holmgren is coming to town and he's making a list and you can bet your dawgbones that he will check it at least twice.

Browns owner Randy Lerner did what he said he was going to do and hired a "serious, credible leader" to finally bring the Cleveland Browns back to respectability. Call it a year too late or better late than never but Randy Lerner has used the resources around him to figure this thing out. You can't build a font office by first hiring a head coach and then letting said coach hand pick the GM.

Unless Eric Mangini can sell Mike Holmgren on his "process" there's going to be a new leadership and a new vision for the Cleveland Browns in 2010 and its got nothing to do with $1,200 water bottle fines or not naming a starting QB.

There are people out there trying to make a case that Holmgren should absolutely keep Eric Mangini. These are the same people that have been making excuses for Mangini all season so this comes as no surprise. Mangini made his bed in Cleveland and now he will have to sleep in it for two more weeks.

A legend like Mike Holmgren doesn't come out of retirement to become the President of the Cleveland Browns so he can move out of the way and let Eric Mangini's "process" continue to play out after one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

Call me crazy, but don't call me late for dinner.

Browns Big Board

Well the Browns have all but locked up the first pick in the draft after the loss in Detroit Sunday. It is sad to say but I’ve been thinking a lot about the draft the last couple days and a top 5 pick scares me to death.

The front of this draft is loaded with defensive players that don’t really fit out system. Where the Browns really need to be picking is between 7 and 15 where they could draft somebody that would fill a huge need. Such as a MLB like Brandon Spikes or a RB like C.J. Spiller. But that’s not going to happen so we will take what we can get.

Assuming the Browns stay in the top 3, here are my favorites.

1 - Ndamukong Suh. DT/Nebraska. A 6’4” 300 pound beast. Suh is the consensus #1 prospect this year. He is the most dominant defensive lineman in college football and would look very good next to Shaun Rogers. Suh has the perfect size and skill to play the DE in a 3-4 defense.



2 - Eric Berry. S/Tennessee. I really hate to put a safety this high on my board specifically because the Browns have much bigger needs. Abe Elam and Brodney Pool have done a good job this year but we’ve all seen what a Troy Palamalu or Ed Reed can do for a teams defense and Eric Berry has that kind of ability. This kid is a defensive playmaker and the Browns are in serious need of one.


3 – Dez Bryant. WR/Oaklahoma St. He will have been out of football for almost a year after being suspended but no matter how you look at it Dez is the #1 receiver entering the draft this year. In a relatively weak WR draft class Dez would be a reach in the top 5 but WR is a top need for the Browns.

The Real Czar

Book it, Bill Parcells will be the next President of the Cleveland Browns. I actually think he is secretly making the decisions already. I also think this has been in place since last season when the Miami Dolphins owner sold the team and gave Parcells the option to walk away from his contract and still get paid.

Eric Mangini is Parcells boy. Which could be the reason that Randy Lerner immediately jumped on him when he became available last season. It could also mean that Eric Mangini wont be going anywhere for quite some time and I know that bothers a lot of people, but it makes sense.

Think about it. If Parcells is the President and he brings in a GM and he wants to keep his boy Mangini as the coach who would second-guess him. This man has won and turned teams around every place he’s been. There is nobody I would rather see hired than Parcells, nobody.

Who else would you rather give 11 draft picks to?

I know almost everything I’m saying if far fetched but I could see this happening. I’m sure Parcells enjoys being in Miami but that project is over and we all know he doesn’t stay anywhere for to long. Besides who wouldn’t take free money?

Jim Brown! Why?

I need to get a couple things off my chest.

Most people who follow The Cleveland Sports Flow already know that I think Eric Mangini can be a good coach. I have stuck up for him and pointed out numerous facts and opinions on why I feel the way I do. With that said, I do believe he will be fired, but not just yet.

Chris Mortensen reported on ESPN news last night that if the Browns lose to Detroit, Eric Mangini will be fired next week. Well I can almost guarantee that won’t happen. Who would run this team? Randy Lerner and Rob Ryan? I don’t think so. The point is, until a president and/or a GM is hired don’t plan on Eric being fired. Even if Casserly or Holmgren were hired today they would need at least a couple weeks to evaluate the staff and players before any major decisions were made.

Right now there are a couple of rumors out there about the Browns next leader. One of them says that Charley Casserly, former Houston Texans and Washington Redskins GM has been hired by the Browns as the next President and GM, and will be announced in the next 72 hours.

I don’t buy it but anything is possible with Randy Lerner.

Would Casserly be a good hire? Hard to say. He has definitely had his ups and downs but the one thing that stands out the most to me after reading the good and bad is the draft he put together in 2006. He drafted Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans and Owen Daniels. That’s 3 pro bowlers in one draft. A draft like that could easily turn a 3 or 4 win team into an 8 or 9 win team.

Which would be great for Cleveland.

The one thing I don’t like about the rumor of Casserly is that he’d be president and GM. This team needs to get with the program and do things the right way and install a chain of command and get Lerner completely out of the picture.

Now to my melt and the point of this whole post.

On Tuesday it was reported that Randy Lerner was interviewing Mike Holmgren, and that’s great, I’m glad to see him being active and trying to get something done. The thing that bothers me is that it was Jim Brown who opened his mouth when obviously Lerner is trying to keep things hush hush.

My question is why is Jim Brown still part of this organization?


I appreciate what Jim did for this organization as a player. I respect his accomplishments and the joy he brought Browns fans but I have no idea why he is on the Browns payroll.

It’s obvious that Jim Brown doesn’t know how to think before he speaks or keep his mouth shut. He is constantly bringing more negative attention to this already depressing organization. From him talking about who Randy is interviewing to calling the NCAA “the most ridiculous organization in the country” or calling out Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan about their lack of effort in social activism. There are so many more examples, i just don't have that much time.

Give it a rest Jim, you’re a wife beater and a black eye to the Browns organization.

Whom ever takes control of this organization, I hope they make getting rid of Jim Brown one of their first priorities. What this organization needs is solid stand up individuals that lead by example and hand out good advice. Not people who constantly bring bad press to this town.

If I were a superstitious person, I would blame him for the curse of Cleveland.

BTW. Congratulations DPM on your failed brown out. You can thank yourself when you get treated like Art Modell in Cleveland Browns Stadium for the rest of your life.

If you were wondering, that yellow sign says Duck Fawg Pound Mike. Classic.

King of Changing the Subject

Just because LeBron is done talking about his impending free agency doesn't mean he's done talking.

In what may or may not be his intended strategy, LeBron has managed to both change the subject and keep his name in the headlines.

First it was LeBron's announcement that he was thinking about changing his number after this season and his proposed plan to launch a campaign to get the NBA to retire MJ's number permanently.

Good one, LeBron, they bit on it. Next thing you know, those same talking heads who haven't shut up about LeFree Agency are now pondering whether or not the NBA should actually go through with LeBron's idea and honor MJ by retiring his number. Those headlines lasted for about a week.

So what's next?

Now LeBron's talking about playing football again. He told some members of the Cleveland media that if he really worked hard he could be a good NFL player. Now the national media is pondering LeBron's potential as a two sport athlete. They are going as far as to dig up video of LBJ's playing days back at Akron St. Vincent St. Mary and comparing his physical gifts with current NFL players.

Good job, LeBron, you got 'em again!

Here is my guess for LeBron's next "write about this instead of 2010 topic":

LeBron James Ponders a Career in Hollywood

Good one, LeBron. (Wink, Wink)

Brady Quinn Will Start

Hey Eric Mangini, I’m more smarter than you is. Hey I can think out of the box and get inside the head of a mad man, it’s not that far of a reach for me. I know your starting Brady Quinn this week and I’m going to tell people why.

It’s simple, you have to put people in the stands this week. The Browns are facing a black out on TV and a brown out in the stands, by people who call themselves fans.

You think, best-case scenario for everyone is Brady plays a good game and the Browns win. Hey, it will quiet the fans down for a week and they'll stop hating everyone. You can show everyone that your starting to turn this team around and you actually pulled Quinn after 2 1/2 games to make him a better player.

But lets say Brady falls right on his face, perfect, you can tell the fans to shut up, you know what your doing and he is not the best QB on this team. He is a career back up at best.

You see coach, in your mind you think this is a win win situation but its not. What you don't understand is that 75% of the Cleveland Browns fans have given up on you and will turn anything positive that happens against you.

If Brady wins and plays a good game, the immediate fan reaction will be its your fault that the Browns lost the last 4 games. If you wouldn't of given up on Brady and pulled him after only 2 1/2 games we could of won more games.

If he falls on his face, it'll be because of the play calling and because he's only played against teams with great defenses. You haven't given him a fair shot and your not capable of coaching in the NFL.

Well coach, I can tell you that any decision you make from here on out is lose lose. No matter what you do the fans will make you out to be the enemy, unless you can win, your only option is to win. There are 8 games left, if you can win four then maybe you can get some of the fans back.

The fans have a fever and its only cure is not more cowbell, it's victories.