In a strong indication of how important rookie quarterback [Brandon Weeden] is to the future of the franchise, new Browns owner Jimmy Haslam says the very first thing he inquired about when talking to the team’s football boss, Mike Holmgren, was the progress of Weeden’s development.
Haslam told the Canton Repository that when he sat down with Holmgren for the first time, he got straight to the point, and asked whether Holmgren believes the team has its quarterback of the future.
“The first question I asked him was, ‘Can Brandon Weeden play?’” Haslam said. “[To win in the NFL, you have to have a quarterback. OK? So the question is, can Brandon Weeden play?]”
It’s not surprising that Haslam didn’t ask whether [Colt McCoy] can play — everyone in Cleveland seems to have agreed that McCoy is the past and Weeden is the present and future. It’s also not surprising that Holmgren — who took Weeden with the 22nd pick in this year’s NFL draft — answered that he thinks Weeden can play very well.
“He said, ‘Yeah. He can throw the ball. He can throw the ball. He can play,’” Haslam relayed Holmgren saying.
Haslam also wanted to know whether the Browns’ second-round draft pick, [Mitchell Schwartz], will be ready to play at right tackle and give Cleveland another good starter on the offensive line along with left tackle [Joe Thomas] and center [Alex Mack].
“Is the right tackle going to be good?” Haslam asked Holmgren. “Because we have a great left tackle. We have a great center. NFL teams . . . generally, if you have two good tackles and a center, you’re gonna be in good shape.”
Haslam wouldn’t say anything about the job security of Holmgren, G.M. Tom Heckert or head coach Pat Shurmur, other than it’s fair to say that Haslam wants to see progress during the 2012 season.
And there would be no greater sign of progress than Weeden establishing himself as a franchise quarterback.
Heckert said he also doesn't know if his old boss, former [Eagles] President Joe Banner, is part of the Haslam group, as has been reported by The Plain Dealer and other outlets. He declined further comment on the sale and its ramifications until it's finalized.Yeah he doesn't have any idea
Until the sale is finally approved by the other owners at their meeting, no one knows anything. The media might as well relax as these guys follow things to the letter of the law. I don't kknow one way or another but I am almost certain feeeler phone calls had to be placed. Wouldn't you if you invested hundreds of millions of dollars?But if Banner takes over, what does that mean for team president Mike Holmgren and former Eagles staffers Heckert, coach Pat Shurmur and offensive coordinator Brad Childress? Holmgren is in the third year of a five-year deal that pays him about $8 million a year.Now that is anyone's guess. Like they have stated it is audition time. I personally think Heckert has done a pretty good job in two years, but his finalsay personnel days are pretty much behind him. I understand it was probably more of Holmgren and Heckert combination as far as draft goes, but I have a feeling Holmgren let Heckert do his thing. I couldn't see a scneario where Childress would leave after all of Banner's and his tight relationship. Yet this is the NFL so anything is possible. Has anyone heard any rumblings as I have about Bill Polian being in limbo? I know he was a commentator on one of the weekly Sunday shows last year. I like Heckert and think he should stay, but how who would people honestly prefer? It seems once Peyton Manning left that team fell apart, and their draft wasn't exactly stellar his last year. But overall I think he did a great job in Indianapolis. Heckert or he is a very difficult decision. I don't envy Haslam when it comes to that. Getting rid of Heckert could come back to bite you. He is only increasing his stock every year.
If Banner wants the title of President, Holmgren will either be gone -- or possibly re-assigned. One source said, "Joe Banner is an astute businessman and he doesn't like to waste money. If Mike has a guaranteed contract and wants to stay, they might decide to keep him around."That's what I am saying. The days of paying guys to leave town should be more than about over. Holmgren has set forth a pretty distinct plan even if we disagree on a couple minor sticking points like ignoring good free agents. Their overall team philosophy seems to have helped in turning the corner in talent and attitude. But bottom line they know better than I do what really went on behind the scenes in Philadelphia. All I know is short of getting Andy Reid to coach, give me whatever provided that team's organizational make-up and product on the field.
Without question, the Eagles enjoyed tremendous success when Heckert, Shurmur and Childress worked under Banner. In Childress' tenure (1999-2005), the club went 70-42, captured four straight NFC East titles, made the playoffs five straight seasons and played in Super Bowl XXXIXYeah that very kind^^^^^
The days of paying guys to leave town should be more than about overLerner will STILL be paying people after he sells the team
Beach has the current longest win streak .
Ruth surprisingly has the longest losing streak followed by KB .Both of those are very good players in anything fantasy .i have played against both of them in baseball & football for the last 5 years . dont count them out .,dont count anybody out or in for that matter
4 teams make the playoffs , Two division winners & two wildcards
I wrote over three years ago when Mike Holmgren and his regime joined the Browns that the most important position in the Browns new front office was GM Tom Heckert.
And I still feel that way.
As the Haslam family era of Browns ownership shortly begins, there is a lot of uncertainty as to what will happen to Holmgren, Heckert and Pat Shurmur.
I came away very impressed with new Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III. Granted, it was just his introductory press conference, but he already has started the process of endearing himself to Browns fans.
I think if Randy Lerner would’ve shown his personality to Browns fans, instead of staying behind the curtain, Browns fans would’ve really liked the man. However, that’s a moot point now.
However, as Haslam said in his introductory meeting that he’ll be judged by wins and losses and the decisions he makes with those he surrounds himself with will go a long way in determining that.
The biggest mystery to many Browns fans is where does former Eagles Joe Banner figure in all this. Banner stepped down in June from his role as president with the Eagles to get involved in seeking a potential ownership role. It would appear, at least on the surface, that the NFL hooked Banner and Haslam together.
In the big picture, I don’t think it will matter a lot if Holmgren is relieved of his duties. His primary job coming here was to put together a front office to turn things around and that starts with the hiring of Heckert.
Heckert has been drafting the past two years for the 4-3 defense and tailor-making the players to fit the West Coast offense. If Haslam brings in a new GM, it could be another case of starting over.
Even if Shurmur is replaced, as long as Heckert is in place the philosophy and direction will be the same. It is unclear what the relationship between Heckert and Banner is. Heckert worked under Banner in Philadelphia but it is unclear if they were on the same page or not. Heckert left the Eagles to be the Browns GM when he had the opportunity to have final say on the final 53-man roster.
I do get the feeling that Haslam is smart enough to look at the body of work of Heckert in his three plus years with the Browns. Despite drafting the first year for Eric Mangini’s system, he appears to have added a good core of young players. In addition, with a couple trades and a few signings of unrestricted free agents, 16 of the 22 projected starters for 2012 will have been acquired during Heckert’s tenure.
The only holdover starters from prior to the Heckert era area trio on each side of the ball: [Joe Thomas], [Alex Mack] and [Mohamed Massaquoi] on offense and Massaquoi could be replaced in the not too distant future by [Josh Gordon] or [Travis Benjamin].
Defensively, D’Qwell Jackson , [Ahtyba Rubin] and [Kaluka Maiava] are the holdovers and Maiava most likely wouldn’t be starting if [Scott Fujita] wasn’t suspended and [Chris Gocong] wasn’t lost for the season.
Here’s a capsule of the players brought in by Heckert expected to either start or play key roles in 2012:
2010—Draftees: [Joe Haden], [T.J. Ward] and [Shawn Lauvao]. Unrestricted free agents: [Ben Watson] and Fujita. Trades: [Sheldon Brown] and Gocong. Also, draftees [Montario Hardesty] and [Colt McCoy] could play key roles.
2011—Draftees: [Phil Taylor] (injured), [Jabaal Sheard], [Greg Little], [Owen Marecic], [Jason Pinkston] and [Eric Hagg]. Unrestricted free agent: [Dimitri Patterson]. Also, drafted players [Jordan Cameron] and [Buster Skrine] will play key roles.
2012—Draftees: [Trent Richardson], [Brandon Weeden], [Mitchell Schwartz] and [James-Michael Johnson]. Unrestricted free agent: [Frostee Rucker]. Drafted players expected to contribute: Josh Gordon, [John Hughes], Travis Benjamin, [Billy Winn] and [Brad Smelley].
Haslam spent the past four years as a minority owner of the Steelers or as he dubbed them ‘that other team’. He had to see and experience one of the keys to the Steelers was their blueprint of continuity and building through the draft. The Steelers have had just three coaches since 1969. Meanwhile, the Browns have had three coaches since 2008.
Haslam believes in continuity in his management of his business the Flying J Pilot Travel Centers and will bring that philosophy to the Browns, whether it’s Holmgren, Heckert and Shurmur remains to be seen.
He said as much in his first press conference as Browns owner. He also acknowledged that there’s a sense the Browns are on the upswing. If that is the case, Heckert will be the key player behind the success.
The NFL is a bottom line business and the Browns this year face a difficult schedule. They could be 6-10 and be a much better team than a year ago, even winning just a couple more games. It seems that a lot will be how they’re playing by season’s end. In Bernie Kosar’s rookie year of 1985, even though the Browns finished 8-8, the feeling was the Browns were up-and-coming and that was proven as they went to the AFC Championship in three of the next four years.
Hopefully, the feeling by the end of this season will be the same or it will almost be a certainty the new regime will start anew and for Browns fans that means another ‘re-boot’ -- which wouldn’t be a good thing—at least for the near future.
BEREA - In 2011 ex-Browns running back Peyton Hillis went from being the cover boy of the Madden NFL 12 video game to the bad boy in the Browns' locker room.
Along the way Hillis, now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, tugged at and pulled down the team. From not playing in a week three game against the Miami Dolphins because of strep throat, to difficult contract negotiations, to a lingering hamstring injury, Hillis was a divisive force behind the scenes.
There were plenty of reasons why the Browns were a dismal 4-12 in coach Pat Shurmur's first year on the job, but it's hard to argue that distractions surrounding Hillis didn't top the list.
"I don't know if anybody picked sides because I don't know if anybody would have been on Peyton's side," five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas said. "The way he handled it wasn't the best. I think he knows it now. It affected everyone.
"It's really nice that it's behind us and we're moving forward here because I think the guys we have right now are going to be stellar."
Hillis was the darling of fans and a must interview after every game in 2010, his first season with the Browns after a trade that sent him and a sixth-round draft choice from Denver to Cleveland in exchange for quarterback Brady Quinn. In 16 games (14 starts) Hillis rushed for 1,177 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on 270 carries. He added 477 yards and two touchdowns on 61 receptions, along with the honor of prevailing in fan voting to have his image on the cover of the popular Madden game.
The fact that Hillis was the first white running back to rush for at least 1,000 yards since Craig James did it with New England in 1985 certainly didn't slip by the attention of marketing types locally and nationally. All that was missing from his meteoric rise to stardom was a lucrative, long-term contract.
Hillis' agent at the time, Kennard McGuire, needed a willing partner in the Browns, but that never materialized. Although team president Mike Holmgren mentioned more than once his desire to get a deal done, the team seemed concerned about earmarking excessive money to Hillis, whose power running style is conducive to injuries.
With Montario Hardesty returning from a serious knee injury, Shurmur wanted to see what he had in the second-round pick in the 2010 draft. Hillis, nonetheless, opened the season as the featured back, rushing for 57 yards in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and having what would be one of his best performances of the season the following week - 94 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries in a 27-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
The drama started the next week when Hillis pulled himself from the lineup prior to a home game against the Miami Dolphins. Strep throat was the official reason, but the media's attention was piqued when it was learned that Hillis' decision was influenced by McGuire.
Hillis played a week later in a home loss to the Tennessee Titans, rushing 10 times for 46 yards. Two weeks later following a bye, Hillis pulled his left hamstring on his first carry in a road game against the Oakland Raiders. The injury wasn't announced in the press box until late in the third quarter. Because he was shown on television standing on the sideline, there was speculation that he was being benched.
Hillis returned later and finished with six carries for 14 yards. There was confusion regarding whether he was sent in by coaches or entered without permission.
The hamstring injury sidelined Hillis the next five games, ending any hopes he had of landing a new contract. During the time his attitude seemed distant and selfish.
With Hardesty again dealing with injury problems, Shurmur began playing Chris Ogbonnaya, who finished second in rushing yards to Hillis with 334. Hillis played in the final six games and ended the season with 587 yards on 161 carries, including a 112-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Baltimore Ravens.
The injuries to Hillis and Hardesty, along with the soap opera created by Hillis, sabotaged the offense. It was damaged further by quarterback Colt McCoy's inability to sustain drives and produce points.
"No running backs," Thomas said when reminded that the offense had virtually no ground game.
That changed in the offseason when the Browns selected Alabama star Trent Richardson with the third overall pick in the draft. Hardesty is healthier than at any time since he's been with the team, and 2011 free-agent arrival Brandon Jackson is back after missing the entire season with a toe injury. Hillis signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Chiefs in March.
"Just to have a running back is awesome," Thomas said. "What we went through last year is tough on any O-lineman. The way we had guys go down to injuries and personal issues were terrible. To be able to have Trent in there, who is as solid as they come as a running back, and to have Montario and Brandon back healthy and a couple of other guys behind that can play, it's going to be really exciting."
. cant catch block or run . not to mention stay healthy..jeesh whats not to like about her. So much for that QB "controversy"Coach Pat Shurmur announced Monday that rookie Brandon Weeden will begin the season as the Browns' starting quarterback.
Related: [Colt McCoy] Source: [Mary Kay Cabot on Twitter ]
Just trying to survive right now. Not worried about catching bluez anymore just make the playoffs.
[Brandon Weeden] is officially the Browns starting quarterback.
The announcement came Monday, but it had been expected by just about everyone since the Browns took Weeden in the first round in April. Not included in “just about everyone” was [Colt McCoy], who thought he had a shot at a starting job after ending last season atop the Cleveland quarterback totem pole.
McCoy said that coach Pat Shurmur told him that Weeden would be the starter before he made the announcement to the media, although McCoy’s comments suggest that there wasn’t much need for such formality. According to McCoy, any talk of a quarterback competition was nothing more [than empty words].
“I have not taken any snaps with the first group,” McCoy said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I thought coming in it would be a competition.”
It’s hard to believe McCoy didn’t see this coming, but you can understand being disappointed that the starting job went to someone else. McCoy passed on saying he wanted to leave the Browns via trade or other means, which was a smart course of action. Making a stink isn’t going to help him.
If he wants out of Cleveland, the best thing he can do is play well in the preseason and hope that another team comes calling. If he doesn’t want out of Cleveland, well, it would be hard to believe McCoy doesn’t want out of Cleveland.
If he wants out of Cleveland, the best thing he can do is play well in the preseason and hope that another team comes calling. If he doesn’t want out of Cleveland, well, it would be hard to believe McCoy doesn’t want out of Cleveland.
..hard to pin that and i wont pin that on McCoy . 
. he didnt help McCoy out at all .he refused . i guess it is all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$ . Wallace has plenty reasons to keep his mouth shut & help out Weeds . i would have liked to see the Browns sign a veteran QB in free agency that knows the WCO to help with Weeds & to kick Wallace and his me first attitude to the curb after last years remarks . in the future
Not worried about catching bluez anymore just make the playoffs.
