Dawgbeat 07/26/2007:Enough is Enough
ENOUGH is ENOUGH
by Eric Brown
07/26/2007
The 2007 season had all the makings of a Cleveland Browns revival. The offensive line was bolstered in free agency, the team made a huge splash in April's draft, and we kept hearing about the amazing comeback of Gary Baxter and then LeCharles Bentley's possible return. Excitement was abound. Now, exactly one day before veterans report to training camp we seemingly have a huge mess, much like Cleveland Browns Stadium after a country music concert.
The Cleveland Browns have roughly 22 million in cap space to sign their draft picks. Why then is the excitement from the off-season moves quickly dwindling and turning into a fiasco. Phil Savage, you drafted Joe Thomas at the number three position in the draft, pay him. Phil Savage, you moved up in the draft to get Brady Quinn and Eric Wright, pay them. Were now hearing rumors that Quinn and the Browns are so far off on contract parameters that Quinn may never see a Cleveland Brown uniform. The rumor is that he may hold out of training camp and the holdout could last well into the season as neither side wants to budge from their contract agendas. This could lead to Quinn never signing with the Browns and his rights being traded or he could go back into next years draft pool. Why get the Browns faithful fans excited only to slap them right back in the face.
Don't misunderstand me, I believe Savage is building a talented roster that could contend for the playoffs and Super Bowls in the not to distant future, but he needs to let go of some of the power he has been afforded and do what he does best, scout. I fear that Randy Lerner is a man without a spine. He let Butch Davis take full control of the football team and we saw how that ended. I see Savage gaining more and more power and it truly scares me. He singlehandedly hired a totally new offensive staff during the 2007 off-season, which needed to be done, but how about some input from your head coach. And if you are that disappointed in your head coach than it was time to move on. A rumor was posted on the OBR that sweeping changes almost came about but Lerner nixed the move. So we now have a general manager with enough power to make changes on the coaching staff and in the roster but not enough to have a coach that he believes in, running the franchise. Savage should stick to what he does best, scouting football players and running the draft. Move over and let someone else handle the contract situations and decide who is calling the plays. Lerner should stick with what he does best, rooting for his team to win. Mr. Lerner, hire a football man for president of this team and let him decide who should coach it. Mr.Savage, scout Northern America and find football players who will take this team back to it's past greatness.
I'm tired of the same old same old when it comes to football in Cleveland,Ohio. You drafted these guys to put the team back on the national pro football map, sign them and let them play. The fans deserve to see a quality football product on the field. The Cleveland Browns organization needs to have structure with a balance of power, and that responsibility falls squarely on one man's shoulders, Randy Lerner. Enough is enough already Mr.Lerner, get this ship right or sell it to someone who will make the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Browns again.