I can't give up on the team I love football too much, and for me it's Browns or no one. That being said what about Lovie Smith as our coach? When he got fired he was 10-6, the Bears play virtually the same type of football as the Browns by being in the NFC North, he has proven head coach experience. The only knock on him coming here would be that be is a defensive minded coach but to me you can give that offensive control over to a QB oriented coach in Norv Turner. If you ask me the defense performed worse than the offense so I would rather have a defensive minded coach here who has had success over an unproven offensive minded coach.

^^sure...As long as he brings in Elway to play qb.  If not, no thanks...

You better get Mike Shanahan. He has just been fired.

Mike Shanahan has been bad - average post Elway. He was 24-40 in Washington in 4 years, and only won one playoff game since Elway, I pass.

 

You better get Mike Shanahan. He has just been fired.

 

If we're going with retreads, McDaniels would be better than Shanahan.

 

That said, the more I hear from my own sources the more I think it's Saban.

As a general rule, I would not hire somebody over the age of 60 to coach a team; especially with the browns being so dedicated to sustainable success

I will make one guarantee.  Whomever we hire is going to bring along a 4-3 defense..... because it wouldn't feel like a Browns re-boot if we didn't have to fundamentally change a part of the team that isn't broken.

 

I loved the idea that Chud grew up a Browns fan, but this team just wasn't playing hard for him.  The body language yesterday was a terrible indictment of his ability to inspire.  He was also just so cliche and robotic in his interviews that I couldn't imagine him being a great motivator.

 

One option people shouldn't cross off is actually an in-house fix.  Turner stays on as O-coordinator.  Horton is promoted to head coach.  He was probably going to get some looks from other teams anyways (to satisfy the Rooney rule if nothing else).

 

I'm not excited about the prospect of McDaniels.  Saban and Cowher are always mentioned any time we have an opening and it never materializes.

I'm surprised Chud only got one season but I have to assume the fact that he was gone so fast means either he didn't really get along with Banner/Haslam, or there's already a candidate lined up for the job.

I loved the idea that Chud grew up a Browns fan, but this team just wasn't playing hard for him.  The body language yesterday was a terrible indictment of his ability to inspire.  He was also just so cliche and robotic in his interviews that I couldn't imagine him being a great motivator.

 

That hasn't hurt Belichick's success rate.

 

I like Chud and I don't think you fire a coach after one year. I think that makes it harder to attract a new coach (although coaches are such an ego'd lot that one will think he can do what the seven coaches before him since 1999 could not do). And I think that makes it even harder to keep and attract free agents.

 

That being said.... This team quit on Chud before the Steelers game (and Grossi is reporting the FO decided to fire Chud before yesterday's game). Like Deion Sanders said on the NFL Network, when you have more pro bowl players than wins, that says a lot about the shortcomings of the coaching staff.

That hasn't hurt Belichick's success rate.

 

Some would argue that it did pre Tom Brady falling in his lap.  Fairly or not, his personality (or lack thereof) was a source of great criticism while he was here in Cleveland.....especially the emotionless way he dealt with the Bernie fiasco.  Regardless, the stoic Belicheck model is much more the exception than the norm when it comes to wildly successful NFL head coaches.

^^ I think its more about the lack of a QB. You can have good players, but without a good QB, its hard to win games. You have to blame the FO for that.

BTW, isn't it ironic that the top three coaches for the Browns -- Chudzinski, Turner and Horton -- all worked for teams last year that didn't make the playoffs. And this year two of those teams made the playoffs while the third one just missed it with a 10-6 record. Now I realize that one person doesn't turn a team around (or turn it down), but these were key persons on those teams. It seems that their presence was not missed.

While watching channel 3 they said one reason he was fired was that he didn't hold players accountable by releasing them, namely Weeden and Little

I will say this for Chud..... I don't recall the locker room ever being this upset when any of our previous coaches got canned.  Of course, we never canned any of them after only one year..... even if in certain situations and using hindsight that would've been the right move.

 

I will say this for Chud..... I don't recall the locker room ever being this upset when any of our previous coaches got canned.  Of course, we never canned any of them after only one year..... even if in certain situations and using hindsight that would've been the right move.

 

 

Chud was and is a great guy and I know players liked him. But being well liked isn't the key for a successful coach. Well respected, even feared sometimes, is. I remember Otto Graham saying that, if he had a gun while on the sidelines, he would have shot Paul Brown on more than one occasion.

I will say this for Chud..... I don't recall the locker room ever being this upset when any of our previous coaches got canned.  Of course, we never canned any of them after only one year..... even if in certain situations and using hindsight that would've been the right move.

 

 

Chud was and is a great guy and I know players liked him. But being well liked isn't the key for a successful coach. Well respected, even feared sometimes, is.I remember Otto Graham saying that, if he had a gun while on the sidelines, he would have shot Paul Brown on more than one occasion.

How old are you?! :P

 

Wow, some big reactions from current players.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000306926/article/rob-chudzinski-firing-infuriates-many-cleveland-browns-players

How uncomfortable did Haslam look during this press conference?

BTW, isn't it ironic that the top three coaches for the Browns -- Chudzinski, Turner and Horton -- all worked for teams last year that didn't make the playoffs. And this year two of those teams made the playoffs while the third one just missed it with a 10-6 record. Now I realize that one person doesn't turn a team around (or turn it down), but these were key persons on those teams. It seems that their presence was not missed.

Agree, but the same can be said about Mangini, Holmgren, & Shurmur.  The teams they all came from ended up better off without them.  We'll see if that pattern continues..

How uncomfortable did Haslam look during this press conference?

I'm more intrigued by his reaction when the 19 action news reporter read off the fan comments after the firing. They seemed to completely catch him off guard.

How uncomfortable did Haslam look during this press conference?

 

He made this face for at least a minute.

 

 

How uncomfortable did Haslam look during this press conference?

I'm more intrigued by his reaction when the 19 action news reporter read off the fan comments after the firing. They seemed to completely catch him off guard.

 

How uncomfortable did Haslam look during this press conference?

I'm more intrigued by his reaction when the 19 action news reporter read off the fan comments after the firing. They seemed to completely catch him off guard.

 

He looked like a schoolboy being scolded by the vice principal

Also, it appears that Joe's throat starts to tighten up whenever he is talking out of his ass.

How do they not get this? We're used to losing seasons. We don't like them, but we're used to them. The thing is, we're used to rebuilding season, then season with some potential that turns into a train wreck. We all expected this to be the rebuilding season, followed by the train wreck next year. Now the Browns may as well have announced a rebuilding year next year. And if the next coach has a losing season next year (and with the guys lombardi drafts it's likely he will) then will he be fired too? Meaning perpetual rebuilding years?

 

You can't come in saying your philosophy is to bring stability to the team then fire a head coach that's had to deal with the injuries the Browns have had and the sloppy seconds from the Holmgren era after one season and expect us to take you seriously.

 

Frankly, my opinion of the front office was pretty much set when they traded McCoy for a 5th round pick and kept Weeden as starter, but I gave them the benefit of the season. I haven't watched the last few games and it'll take something impressive in the news to get me to watch next season.

This franchise is a disaster right now...and some of the possible candidates being thrown around to take over make me really wonder what these people are thinking.

 

I feel bad for Chud even if I'm not at all convinced that he was going to ever turn it around.  He really had the rug swept right out from underneath him and this was his "dream job," no less.  And he'll probably never get another shot at a head coaching gig in the league again.

I will say this for Chud..... I don't recall the locker room ever being this upset when any of our previous coaches got canned.  Of course, we never canned any of them after only one year..... even if in certain situations and using hindsight that would've been the right move.

 

 

Chud was and is a great guy and I know players liked him. But being well liked isn't the key for a successful coach. Well respected, even feared sometimes, is.I remember Otto Graham saying that, if he had a gun while on the sidelines, he would have shot Paul Brown on more than one occasion.

How old are you?! :P

 

 

Otto Graham lived until 2003, and was talking about his football experiences right up to the end. Wise ass. :)

How about this for reckless speculation?  They planned to fire chud the whole time.  They did this so they wouldn't have to answer to the fact that the braintrust intentionally tanked this season. 

They basically said they were tanking in their actions that's what makes this so very perplexing.  You neuter Norvs offense by having no real RB and a rotating circus of QBs.

 

And I think letting Chud go may be the right idea, I just don't understand how they got there?

 

Personally I want to know why Ray Horton isn't getting more heat. His end of half/ end of game defensive schemes were atrocious.  I thought Horton was a Banner/Lombardi pick not Chud's? Oops I answered my own question.

 

Three Stooges indeed.

 

 

I don't think they planned to fire him the whole time, but not having a better record gave them the excuse to try again for someone they actually wanted.

 

 

I loved the idea that Chud grew up a Browns fan, but this team just wasn't playing hard for him.  The body language yesterday was a terrible indictment of his ability to inspire.  He was also just so cliche and robotic in his interviews that I couldn't imagine him being a great motivator.

 

 

 

I remember another young Browns coach who you could question his motivational powers.  He's been in New England a few years now.... ;)

^Yes, yes..... KJP beat you to that.  You can see my response above.

 

How about this for reckless speculation?  They planned to fire chud the whole time.  They did this so they wouldn't have to answer to the fact that the braintrust intentionally tanked this season. 

 

If McDaniels is hired, there might be a smidgen of truth to this.  Some feel he was their top choice last year, but he had just uprooted his family from Denver and wasn't ready for another move.

 

Given their connections to Lombardi, I think McDaniels and Jim Schwartz are the two leading candidates at the moment.

If they hire Jim Schwartz...uh...I'm not even going to finish this statement because the possibility is so troubling.

I haven't watched much of Texas A&M this year, and I've heard a lot of the media reports about Johnny Manziel -- mostly negative. But after watching him tonight lead the Aggies back from 38-17 down at the half against Duke to win 52-48 was pretty impressive. But I was more impressed with how he worked the sideline with his fellow players and got them to focus on winning the game. And I loved how aggressively he attacked Duke's defense. It seems like a number of pundits have the Browns picking Manziel with their first pick. Based on what I saw tonight, I'd be okay with that.

 

Oh, and it seems McDaniels is the favorite to replace Chud. Some of the stuff that happened while he HC'd in Denver seems a little more complicated than being all McDaniels' fault. In fact, a lot of it seems like it wasn't his fault.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_McDaniels

 

Browns to interview McDaniels, Quinn

NBC Sports 8:24 p.m. EST December 31, 2013

 

It appears the Browns have someone willing to interview with them, the guy everyone assumed would be first on their list all along.

 

According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, the Patriots have given the Browns permission to interview offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for their vacant head coaching job.

 

Ostensibly, McDaniels would be interested, given his ties with Browns General Manager Mike Lombardi.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/2013/12/31/browns-to-interview-mcdaniels-quinn/4271215/

Josh McDaniels should be skeptical of Browns

By Ben Volin |  GLOBE STAFF    DECEMBER 31, 2013

 

....And while the prospect of becoming a head coach again must be alluring — there are only 32 of these jobs in the world, after all, and they tend to pay pretty well — McDaniels, 37, might want to think twice about the Cleveland job.

 

There are some pieces to like about the Browns — they have an electrifying receiver in Josh Gordon, good young talent on defense, and two first-round picks (the No. 4 pick and Indianapolis’s) — but this is an organization that just dumped Chudzinski after a year and will now have its fifth head coach in seven years. Owner Jimmy Haslam is still being investigated for fraud involving his truck-stop company, a probe that hangs over the team like a black cloud.

 

And while the Browns are decently positioned to find themselves a franchise quarterback, there’s no guarantee they will.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/12/30/browns-interested-josh-mcdaniels-coaching-vacancies-abound/TTbQgpJ5LjrMmsrbrDoQKI/story.html

If well basically when McDaniels is hired we can expect to see a return of Romeo Crennel

Of course, I'd be happy with a Blake Bortles too! What he's done at UCF is pretty amazing, capping off with his great Fiesta Bowl performance

Of course, I'd be happy with a Blake Bortles too! What he's done at UCF is pretty amazing, capping off with his great Fiesta Bowl performance

Now the question becomes, who are you most comfortable with, Bortles or Manzel? Bortles seems like the safe pick while Manzel seems like the sexy pick.

Of course, I'd be happy with a Blake Bortles too! What he's done at UCF is pretty amazing, capping off with his great Fiesta Bowl performance

Now the question becomes, who are you most comfortable with, Bortles or Manzel? Bortles seems like the safe pick while Manzel seems like the sexy pick.

 

I don't see Manziel being an NFL superstar.  Bortles probably goes to Jacksonville. 

 

At this point I like Clowney at the 4. 

Of course, I'd be happy with a Blake Bortles too! What he's done at UCF is pretty amazing, capping off with his great Fiesta Bowl performance

Now the question becomes, who are you most comfortable with, Bortles or Manzel? Bortles seems like the safe pick while Manzel seems like the sexy pick.

 

I don't see Manziel being an NFL superstar.  Bortles probably goes to Jacksonville. 

 

At this point I like Clowney at the 4. 

I don't see us drafting anyone else at 4 than a QB and knowing the Browns even if all three of the top QBs are available (Teddy included) I see the Browns still taking Manzel. The Browns for some reason always pass up the common sense pick for the storyline grabber and I hate that.

If Clowney works out like teams think he is going to work out, he's going to be gone before pick number 4.  It's going to be interesting to see what happens for the Browns at number 4, actually.  If you assume Bridgewater, Clowney, and Anthony Barr of UCLA are all in the top 4 picks somewhere, the Browns will either be able to pick the next best QB after Bridgewater, or get whichever is left of Barr and Clowney. 

 

Might also be a good year to trade down and pick up extra picks if they just aren't sold on anyone at that spot.  Someone is going to start reaching for a QB. 

Does Romeo Crennel run a 3-4 I can't recall.

^Yes...... but the rumor is that, while Banner is saying that the coach can pick his own staff, Jim Schwartz is the prohibitive favorite to be DC.

 

If you assume Bridgewater, Clowney, and Anthony Barr of UCLA are all in the top 4 picks somewhere

 

That's a big assumption.  Clowney could end up being the #1 pick..... or he could end up like Nick Fairley and drop from presumptive #1 all the way out of the top 10.  I also think that, when all is said and done, Khalil Mack is going to be rated above Barr and perhaps even Clowney.

 

I liked what I saw from Bortles last night and from watching his highlight films.  Good size, good feet, great competitor.  I want to know more about his arm strength.  For now, he's my #2 behind Teddy B.  Johnny MF'in Football scares me as much as he excites me.

I liked what I saw from Bortles last night and from watching his highlight films.  Good size, good feet, great competitor.  I want to know more about his arm strength.  For now, he's my #2 behind Teddy B.  Johnny MF'in Football scares me as much as he excites me.

 

x2. If Manziel survives the off-season and the week between games, then we have a fun Sunday to look forward to.

 

To me, Bortles is a Roethlisberger-type player in terms of his size, feet and game. And he was also bypassed by some of the bigger football programs but ended up proving them all wrong. I love a player like Roethlisberger or Aaron Rodgers who plays with a chip on his shoulder and is out to prove something.

I was thinking the Big Ben comparison for the reason that there were two much more hyped, major conference QBs who went ahead of him in his draft class - Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers.  I would say that Ben has had the most successful career.  But I think that is where the comparison ends.  In terms of style of play, I think Bortles reminds me most of Donavon McNabb.

In terms of style of play, I think Bortles reminds me most of Donavon McNabb.

 

I don't seen McNabb at all. I see more Joe Flacco in him. And I think Bortles still has a lot more growing to do. Sometimes I think many QBs peak in college. I don't think Bortles has peaked yet.

 

BTW, I think Bridgewater could be one of those QBs who peaked in college. Sometimes I wonder if he's driven by his mother's illness and that getting paid in the NFL will help her. If that's his goal, then that's a great human story. I don't know if it's a good sports success story.

Flacco?  Not at all.  Bortles is listed at 6'4, but I bet he is closer to 6'3.  He's also more thick than lanky...... and he has way quicker feet than Flacco.  Flacco's appeal was his cannon arm....... while Bortles' arm strength might be his biggest question mark.  I see McNabb due to his thicker frame, quick feet, ability to throw on the run and off his back foot (when necessary), his ability to step up in the pocket, his incredibly short and quick release, and his precision in the short passing game.  Of course, I am referencing McNabb before he got fat.  You probably won't see many pro scouts make the same comparison because, for whatever reason, they are apparently not allowed to make comparisons between white and black QBs.

 

Oh yeah..... if you google search for a pic of Bortles, you are more likely to find hits for his SMOKIN HOT girlfriend  8-)

 

Maybe they can get Elvin from the Cosby Show if McNabb is busy

I prefer Elvin Bishop.....

 

Those Tressel rumors were ignited and stamped out within an hour.

McDaniels is obviously an early favorite to land the job...... but I think you all are going to be hearing the name Adam Gase a lot in the next few weeks (depending on how far the Broncos go in the playoffs - you can't hire an assistant while his team is still playing).  I like Gase.  He's my personal favorite at the moment.