Lerner Needs to Butt Out

 

Hopefully, what I’ve been reading and hearing is not true.  Browns’ GM Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennel want to draft either tackle Joe Thomas from Wisconsin or Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, but owner Randy Lerner wants to draft Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn.  The reports have the team taking the Fighting Irish signal caller.  How is this any different from when meddling Art Modell owned the team?

 

Lerner hired Savage to rebuild his football team.  Now, he should get out of the way and let him do it as he sees fit.  Lerner thinks the quarterback position is important, and I can’t disagree with that.  However, if his football people think there are other positions that need fixing or that Quinn isn’t the guy to lead the orange helmets back to prominence, then that’s the way the draft should go.  I don’t remember Lerner being a talent guru.

 

Art Modell thought the Browns needed a quarterback in 1970.  In order to get one, he traded All Pro wide receiver and future Hall of Famer Paul Warfield to get in position to draft Purdue’s Mike Phipps.  We all remember how that turned out.  Warfield was part of two Super Bowl teams in Miami, while Phipps started one playoff game in his career in Cleveland.  Ironically, that game was against the Dolphins and the former Boilermaker threw five interceptions.

 

If Savage and Crennel are going to lose their jobs because the team is not successful, they should be allowed to draft who they want.  Most teams who have owners that get involved with personnel decisions are not winning.  For example, look at the Washington Redskins and Daniel Snyder.  

 

Besides, in the latest issue of The Sporting News, their "War Room" rates Quinn as the 63rd best player in the draft, meriting only a 2nd round pick.  Picking him with the 3rd overall pick would be a bit of a reach.  I’m sure Lerner is enamored with the ND products good looks and winning smile, figuring he would be great in promoting the team.  Let me remind the owner that one thing brings in fans in Cleveland:  WINNING.  Ask former Cavs’ owner Gordon Gund about all of the ways he tried to attract fans:  New uniforms, new mascots, bringing in Shaun Kemp, etc.

 

One of the reasons the Browns haven’t won since 1964 was Modell’s interference.  He made some bad decisions when he felt the team was one player away, such as Andre Rison and Jerry Ball.  Those moves did not work out.  Lerner should learn from the past.  He doesn’t want to be in the same class as the guy who moved the Browns.

 

JD