Do You Trust Anyone In Berea?

The NFL Draft is about a month away and as usual Browns’ fans are both excited and showing their undying loyalty. It’s the tanking crowd, and one radio talk show host even recently said it is becoming irresponsible for the Browns not to trade Myles Garrett because he’s making the Browns too good to get one of the top three picks in the draft.

First of all, if you trade Garrett for say four first round picks, the odds of one of those players being even close to Garrett as a player is slim. The two-time defensive player of the year is headed to Canton when his playing days are over. And since 1999, the Browns have drafted two such players.

The Browns believe and have sold their fan base on the idea that there is one way to build a winning football team. Be bad enough to get a very high draft pick, let’s say top five, and draft a franchise quarterback. It seems like that is their only plan. They are always talking about “kicking the can down the road” until the following year to see if that can happen.

Apparently, that’s how other NFL teams have done it.

Oh, no they don’t.

The current NFL champion Seattle Seahawks worst season since 2010 has been a 7-10 record in 2021. The previous champ, the Eagles, have had two four win seasons in that same time span, but after their most recent poor season, they drafted a wide receiver in the first round.

Kansas City, who has won three Super Bowls since 2019, had one terrible season since 2010, a 2-14 record in ’12, following which they drafted Eric Fisher, an offensive tackle with their first selection in the next draft.

To be fair, the Rams won in ’21 and kind of did get their QB that way. Following a 4-12 season in 2016, the drafted Jared Goff with the first overall pick, and traded him for Matthew Stafford, a former first overall pick, who led them to their Super Bowl triumph.

So surely, getting a quarterback with a top three pick guarantees success. Three of the four QBs taken first overall did make the playoffs last season (Caleb Williams, Bryce Young, and Trevor Lawrence).

On the other hand, here are quarterbacks taken in the top three from 2020 to 2024: Joe Burrow, Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Young, C.J. Stroud, Williams, Jaden Daniels, and Drake Maye.

Of those nine passers, four of them are hits, two would be considered huge mistakes, and the others it is too soon to tell. But the way the Browns’ front office talks, it would be a 100% thing and it simply is not.

Add in the Browns’ factor.

They did tank 10 years ago and did get the first overall pick in Baker Mayfield, who at the very least can be considered a serviceable NFL passer. And then they screwed it up.

They either didn’t put a good support system around him which didn’t force him to mature, or they allowed him to play hurt and/or the coaching staff or front office soured on him, and they were distracted by the shiny keys that is Deshaun Watson.

Either way, they mortgaged the future to make the ill-fated Watson deal.

We guess this is just our way of saying we don’t trust anything that comes out of 76 Lou Groza Boulevard and neither should the fans or media.

The reality is that group doesn’t know how to build a winning football team. They are just throwing crap at a wall and seeing if it will stick. Unfortunately, that’s what Cleveland football fans have gotten. Crap.

Browns Being Stubborn On Certain Players

Over our years in following sports, there are things that we admire from winning organizations. One of those traits is the discussion of stubbornness vs. patience. Good organizations aren’t beholden to poor decisions. Meaning, they make a move, it doesn’t work out the way it was intended, and they move on.

A great example occurred at the NBA trading deadline last month. Cavs’ GM Koby Altman traded Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball, a deal we liked at the time. However, Ball’s shooting fell off a cliff, he didn’t seem to fit what the Cavaliers were doing, and Altman moved him at the trade deadline.

He did the same with De’Andre Hunter, who contributed to Cleveland’s 64 regular season wins a year ago, but was struggling with his shot this season despite coach Kenny Atkinson trying him in different roles. He was also moved at the deadline.

Now, consider the Cleveland Browns.

In the last week, people in the media have said Shedeur Sanders was a winner the first week of free agency because the Browns’ did not sign a veteran QB to compete with him. There is plenty of time before the draft and the mini camps start, but it looks like the team is going with a quarterback room of Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel.

Yeah, good luck with that.

We would like to see more of Sanders for sure. We believe he should be better with more experience (most people are) and a better offensive line in front of him. But don’t you have to have a better option behind him if he doesn’t show progress?

And thinking it could be Watson is a ridiculous stretch of any imagination. This is where the stubbornness comes in. Whoever made the call, it was a horrible trade by the organization. Now, it looks like they are trying to get a little justification for the bad deal instead of just moving on.

We are well aware of the salary cap hit involved, but that don’t mean you have to put him on the field. The cap hit is what it is. Putting a player out there who hasn’t played well for six years because of it is just a reach.

And the fans don’t want him playing either.

Another case in our opinion is Jerry Jeudy. The Browns traded a 5th round pick to Denver for him after the organization coveted him for a couple of years. His best year in Denver was his third after being a first round pick, catching 67 passes for 972 yards.

He caught 90 passes in his first year as a Brown, and the organization patted itself on the back quite a bit.

Of those receptions, 44 were when Jameis Winston was a QB, and last season, he fell to 50 receptions, more in line with his production with the Broncos.

Now, the Browns are selling him as a possible #2 receiver, pairing him with whomever Cleveland takes early in the draft.

Our question is this: Do people think Jeudy is going to be happy in that role? Because we do not. But someone in the Browns’ front office thinks highly of him, so they are giving him another chance. Stubbornness.

The Browns haven’t earned any benefit of any doubt. When you have been largely irrelevant in your sport for pretty much 25 years, that’s the way it is.

Just more joys of being a fan of The Browns.

Browns Address The Offensive Line. No Brainer.

Doing something that so obviously needs to be done isn’t something that deserves credit. For example, if the garbage is piling up in our house and we take it out, we don’t expect our wife to be effusive in praise.

Ignoring it looks real bad.

It’s akin to having the Brooklyn Nets calling the Cavs with a proposition that the Cavaliers give them a second-round pick for Jarrett Allen to facilitate the James Harden (ironic) deal. Even the worst GM says yes to that.

That’s the way we look at the Cleveland Browns’ opening salvo in the early stages of the off-season. They closed the season with no starting offensive linemen under contract for 2026, and GM Andrew Berry’s first moves where to get some linemen who should compete for starting jobs come training camp.

First, he traded for G/T Tytus Howard from the Houston Texans and signed him to a three-year contract. Then as free agency started, the Browns inked G Zion Johnson, formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers and C Elgton Jenkins from Green Bay, who was released.

Jenkins was a starter last season until his broke his leg, while Johnson started in 16 of the 17 games last year for the Chargers.

So now the Browns have three experienced starters on the offensive line, and still have Luke Wypler, who started five games at center for Cleveland after Ethan Pocic was injured.

Right now, you can project Wypler at center, Johnson and Jenkins at guard, and Howard at RT, leaving left tackle still up in the air.

We don’t know the ins and outs of offensive line play in football, but we do like what we hear about Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling, who is a left tackle, and is 6’7″, 315 pounds and is reported to be very athletic, and with long arms. Left tackle is a skill position in the NFL, and we would rather take a chance on athleticism.

Based on recent history, the Browns still need depth in this area, and they still have Dawand Jones, who has shown potential on the field, but has battled injuries in each of his three seasons in the pros, and they also resigned Teven Jenkins in the mix. Still, in addition to drafting a LT, we would also be looking for more depth on the line in the draft.

Cleveland also replaced LB Devin Bush, who signed with the Bears by signing Quincy Williams from the Jets. Williams played for new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg when he was in New York and Jacksonville.

We aren’t upset about the Bush departure. He signed with the Browns after being a first round pick for the Steelers, and he had some injury issues there. He blossomed last year, but he’s really had one very good season out of seven in the pros, and to pay him based on that one year? He might have been a product of Jim Schwartz’ defense and playing next to Carson Schwesinger.

We understand the Browns don’t think this way, but they still need a QB to compete or back up Shedeur Sanders. Thinking that guy is Deshaun Watson, six years removed from being a good NFL quarterback is kind of insane.

Good for the Browns’ front office. They did the logical thing. They shouldn’t be criticized for addressing the offensive line, but really, they shouldn’t be praised either.

Browns’ Offense Needs A Total Overhaul

We think everyone would agree the Cleveland Browns have a terrible offense, and the statistics back that up. They were third from the bottom in total yards, ahead of only Tennessee and Las Vegas, 27th in rushing offense, and ahead of only the Jets in terms of passing yards.

How a team builds a great defense but has really, a pathetic offense is a question that should be directed at the front office, but of course in the times we live, they will not give you a straight answer.

Looking at the offensive side of the football, the only player who really should have a starting position locked up is TE Harold Fannin, who caught 72 passes a year ago for 731 yards and six touchdowns. If Joel Bitonio decides to come back for one more season, he can be locked in at left guard too.

That would still leave nine spots up for grabs, including quarterback. It appears GM Andrew Berry has his work cut out for him this off season.

The good news is the free agency period in the NFL starts this week and the Browns have nine picks in this year’s draft to fill all of the holes. Signing free agents is important because obviously you can’t start all rookies.

And yes, there are players who should have a leg on on starting positions. RB Quinshon Judkins was solid running behind perhaps the worst pair of tackles in the NFL. He gained 827 yards. but averaged only 3.6 yards per carry. Cleveland could use another runner to pair with Judkins, and we liked what we saw out of Raheim Sanders, a 230-pound back who was inactive (for some reason) for much of the 2025 season.

Berry did swing a trade last week, bringing in offensive lineman Tytus Howard from Houston. Howard is regarded as a very good pass blocker, but not as good in the running game playing right tackle for the Texans. Browns’ QBs were sacked the 7th most times in the league last year, so keeping the passer upright was definitely a priority.

So, if Bitonio comes back and Luke Wypler can hold down the center position, that’s three starting offensive linemen, and we would guess high picks will be used to fill the other two spots. Plus, you need depth, if there is anything we have learned from the Browns, it’s that injuries will happen.

We hear many people talk about Dawand Jones, and we think the tackle out of Ohio State has ability, but in three years, he can’t stay on the field. Todd Monken and the brass simply cannot rely on him. They have to plan that he will miss time, so perhaps being the sixth lineman would be a good spot.

So, the offensive line needs to be rebuilt, but don’t distract you from realizing the wide receiver position is also terrible. Don’t know the salary cap ramifications, but we’d move on from Jerry Jeudy. Isaiah Bond has big play potential. Cedric Tillman seems injury prone.

We’d like to see what Malachi Corley can do in the passing game, but that’s another spot to be addressed in both the draft and free agency, and maybe the trade market. There should be a lot of openings there.

Note, we haven’t even mentioned quarterback, but we’ve touched on that spot before. We’d get a veteran, like maybe Geno Smith and have him and Shedeur Sanders compete for the job. Maybe draft another QB on day three.

And we are intentional about not talking about anyone else.

It is doubtful a juggernaut can be built this spring, but the AFC North is in flux and as former Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin said last year, the Browns’ defense is probably the best unit in the division.

With the right moves, they can compete. Don’t let them tell you about kicking the can down the road again. It’s a loser’s lament.

Browns Are Just Tough…To Follow As A Fan

Although we remain a fan of the Cleveland Browns, we have to admit it is tough to keep following them even though we are a lifelong resident of northeast Ohio. Every time someone from their front office speaks publicly, our BS meter soars.

And we absolve new coach Todd Monken from this. He just got here.

We have said many times over the past few years the Browns are like the sign in the bar “free beer tomorrow”, meaning we’ll be good next season. They seem to always be telling their fan base they have a plan to get good, and we will see that plan in a year. If we hear one more fan or media person talking about “kicking the can down the road” one more time, we will scream.

We understand an NFL team is not likely to win a Super Bowl unless they have great quarterback play, but this is also true: Just because you have a great QB doesn’t mean you are going to win the championship.

Here is a list of current quarterbacks who haven’t won the Super Bowl: Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, Jared Goff. And of that group, Jackson, Allen, Herbert, and Prescott have never played in the title game. Now, we agree the teams they play on have a better shot of getting to the big game because they are the starting QBs.

But it seems the Browns’ plan to win is get a draft pick in the top three selections in the draft, take their guy and everything will fall into place.

Except they did that before and it didn’t work. Remember 1-31? We do, and the Browns got Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick.

How can we forget the parade in downtown Cleveland when they won their first Super Bowl? It’s easy. It never happened.

First, you don’t need a top three or even five pick to get a great quarterback. You need someone who can tell a great one when they see one, and to be fair, you do need a fairly high draft choice, although you don’t need to go 3-14 every year to get one.

Patrick Mahomes is the best QB in the NFL, right? He was the 10th overall pick and Kansas City did not have an extended span of losing when they took him.

Allen was the 7th overall pick in 2018. This after the Bills were stuck in mediocrity but weren’t terrible. They won six or more games in seven straight seasons before taking Allen.

The current champion Seattle Seahawks do have a top three pick at quarterback in Sam Darnold, but they didn’t draft him. And the last time the franchise won less than six games? Try 2009. And they won 10 or more games ten times in that span.

It can be done without putting your fan base through seasons where they don’t play competitive football. It starts with putting an emphasis on winning. It’s having a culture.

We will be interested in seeing how the Steelers and Ravens do in 2026 because they have a winning culture in their organization and now, they will both have new coaches.

As for the Browns, how about making winning a priority, now! Stop talking about new dome stadium, future draft capital, salary cap manipulations and justifying terrible trades and say we are going to compete for a playoff spot next season.

It’s starts there and it’s really simple. Winning football cures a franchise malaise.

What Browns Need And Don’t Need

It’s the silly season in the NFL, when free agency is a few weeks away and the draft is a couple months away. The media and fans start speculating about what teams can do to improve their rosters and become playoff contenders in 2026.

And of course, in the Browns’ monopolization of sports coverage in northeast Ohio, it carries a lot of conversation here as well.

We love the group who talks about the quarterback position and just staying the course for this year, having a competition with Shedeur Sanders and (dear lord) Deshaun Watson and they use the term “kick the can down the road” on the position until ’27.

To those folks, we say the Browns don’t need another reason to delay being competitive for another season, they have mastered the art of telling fans they will be good the following season. They pretty much do it every season. So, enough of that nonsense.

It is doubtful the Browns are going to use a high pick to draft another QB, but we would be willing to replace Dillon Gabriel with another passer picked in the mid to late rounds. And we would bring in another veteran as insurance to guard against injuries.

But we would get some offensive help, mainly offensive line and wide receivers (that’s obvious to everyone) and get a true measuring stick on Sanders this season. The rookie’s critics point to his stats, which were not as good as Gabriel’s, but in watching him play, we would like to see more. And Sanders deserves that chance.

We think any quarterback will be better with a solid running game, a better offensive line, and wide receivers who can get open. Again, maybe Sanders isn’t the guy, but he also showed something last year and has an ability to make big plays.

The other thing many fans and media pine for is a wide receiver, and they should. Jerry Jeudy has shown the things people in Denver said about him weren’t lies.

However, what a team that is trying to build a winner doesn’t need is a diva wide receiver. So, folks that want George Pickens via free agency or A.J. Brown via trade are perpetuating the Browns’ character issues.

They don’t need players with questionable attitudes; they need to build a winning culture.

We believe that is a weakness of Andrew Berry. he has not put a lot of stock in character and leadership. Maybe that’s changed with the drafting of Carson Schwesinger, who demonstrated it as a rookie, but the Browns need of change of attitude in their locker room.

That doesn’t mean no one on the roster has character or put winning above everything. Certainly, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, Joel Bitonio, Grant Delpit, and others have that trait, but they need more of them.

And what they don’t need are guys who come in and worry about their numbers and aren’t happy after a win. Winning should be the great eraser. If a team win, everyone should be happy.

That’s something that people who have never played a team sport do not understand. That kind of attitude goes a long way and frankly, it is something the Browns have lacked for a long time.

Talent is important, no question about it, but talent plus character? That’s what winning teams have.

Browns Keep Bringing Up Watson. They Are Fooling Themselves

For the most part, no professional sports team should make decisions about who is on team based on the fans. There is an old saying that if you cater to the ticket holders, you will soon be sitting with them.

Over the past six months, there seem to be a lot of stories out of Berea about Deshaun Watson, who since he arrived in Cleveland via one of the worst trades in NFL history, has been more unavailable than able to play.

Near the end of last season, we heard about how he was able to practice, and at least one scribe asked if he would be activated before the end of the regular season. He was not.

Now, since Todd Monken has been hired as the new coach, it was reported that he is “intrigued” with the idea of Watson being the starter when the 2026 season begins this fall.

If you are a Browns’ fan and we are, you want the Browns to win, to be the franchise they were when we grew up in the late 1960’s when they were perennially in the mix for the NFL Championship.

That said, it can also be true that most fans are done with Watson. They don’t care if he never plays another down with the team and many think the Browns should do what Denver did with Russell Wilson, just release him, take the massive cap hit and be done with it.

And although part of the reason is the legal issues Watson had after leaving Houston, but it is also what Watson represents–failure. He is a reminder that the Browns gave up three first round picks and put themselves in salary cap hell with the trade.

As for whether or not Watson can still be the guy who threw for a league leading 4823 yards in his last year with the Texans, let us remind everyone that is happening in 2020. That’s six years ago!

Among the other top ten passers in yardage in that season were Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, and Philip Rivers. They are all retired.

In the 85 regular season games played by the Texans (’21 when Watson was still there) and Browns, the quarterback has been available for 19 due to a variety of injuries, a suspension, and that he sat out his last season with Houston.

His passer rating from ’20 and before was 104.5, among the best in the NFL. Since, the rating drops to 80.7.

He had 19 games of 300 yards or more passing with the Texans. None with the Browns. He had 15 contests where he threw for three or more touchdowns before the trade. None since. His completion percentage prior to 2021 was 67.2%. Touchdown to interception ratio in Houston was 104:36, with the Browns 19:12.

His average yards per attempt has dropped from 8.3 to 6.0.

And perhaps the most telling numbers? He was 25 years old in 2020 and when the ’26 season begins, he will be 31.

We understand guys are still playing effective quarterback in the NFL into their late 30’s. Matthew Stafford was the league MVP this past year at 37. Aaron Rodgers took Pittsburgh to the playoffs at 42. But neither of them had a five-year span where they were ineffective and then came back to be very good again.

Add into the mix that 2026 is Watson’s last year on his contract so if he plays and recaptures his pre-Cleveland form, he will not likely be resigning with the Browns.

We aren’t a salary cap guru, but the best thing to do for the franchise and the fan base is to forget Watson is still on the roster and work out something with him.

The Browns need to move forward and not have a reminder of a terrible mistake hanging around.

Monkin Is Here, Now Comes The QB Obsession

Now that the Cleveland Browns have hired a head coach in Todd Monkin, the next obsession for the fans of the team is quarterback. Of course, many have tied the hiring of Monkin into an endorsement of Shedeur Sanders, who started the last seven games for the Browns last year.

The rookie’s statistics were not great. A 56.6% completion percentage. His touchdown to interception ratio was 7 to 10.

On the other hand, when he played, the Browns did score 20 or more points in four of his starts and managed to go 3-4, which isn’t great, but remember, Cleveland did go 5-12 last season.

So, the maniacs out there have concluded that Monken got the job because he thinks Sanders can be the starting QB in 2026, and the proof (in those eyes) is the Ravens, Monken’s last employer wanted to draft him last season. Something alluded to in the video released by the Browns on the coach’s first day in town.

We did see a lot of good things from Sanders, but we are not in the camp that thinks he is the next Dan Marino either. In terms of passer rating, his fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel ranks better and his QBR is also better.

However, the eye test says Sanders was the much better player. You know, “lies, damn lies, and statistics”.

Still, the Browns should readjust their quarterback room going into 2026.

Yes, we know the team and Monken continue to mention Deshaun Watson in the plans, and to that we say, he could return to his old form in the same way we can buy a lottery ticket and perhaps we will win the Mega Millions jackpot. It’s been six years since he was a very good player.

It could happen, it’s just not likely.

And for the umpteenth time, we think the Browns should reach some kind of agreement with Watson where he gets his money and stays home. The people who think Sanders would be a huge distraction is he isn’t the starter, what do they think Watson is or would be?

But if we were the new coach, we would not want to cast the lot of our first season in the hands of Sanders alone. We would want to bring in a veteran to compete for the job. Perhaps it is free agent Malik Willis, a prize on the market, or maybe someone like a Geno Smith, who can go out and give the Browns decent production at the position if Sanders doesn’t show well in camp.

And we would also look to draft someone, not with one of the two first round picks (get offensive linemen and/or wide receivers), but maybe on day three. Remember, Monken was the offensive coordinator at Georgia when Carson Beck was there.

One other comment about QBs. These pundits who keep writing about Arch Manning, please do not give the Browns another excuse to be terrible next year, which is likely the only way to be in a position to draft him.

The organization has to be out of the mentality that the only way to solve the QB issue is to get the first pick in the NFL Draft. Of the top five passers in the NFL, only Joe Burrow was obtained that way.

Yes, you probably have to be in the top dozen picks or so, but you don’t have to be first. The Browns need to start winning games and make progress toward being a playoff team on at least a semi-regular basis.

Going 4-13 or 5-12 every year and making that your expectation? That’s not helping your new coach or the GM.

Should Browns Look Within If Schwartz Is Out?

Apparently, all the rumors about the Browns telling coaching candidates they wanted Jim Schwartz to stay on as defensive coordinator were a bunch of baloney.

Or the Browns did tell the interviewees they would like to keep the veteran coach on staff, but they didn’t let Schwartz in on the plan.

According to reports, Schwartz was angered that he didn’t get the job, left the facility and told the staff goodbye. At 59, he probably thought this was his best shot to get a second chance at being a head coach, but the Browns seemed to prefer an offensive head man.

We thought Schwartz would be a good hire as the head coach, and pairing him with a younger offensive coordinator would have been a solid plan, but the front office had to know this was a possible consequence to naming Todd Monken as the head coach.

Of course, we have seen the print and broadcast media saying the Browns should work things out with the man who guided a very good defense in his three years here, because he’s under contract, but do you really want someone who is disgruntled around your football team?

That would be another odd circumstance in the story of this franchise.

Now, here’s the part the Browns need to learn from past mistakes.

When Bill Callahan left the Browns to go to Tennessee to coach with his son before the 2024 season, Cleveland went out and hired Andy Dickerson to coach the offensive line. By the middle of the season, he wasn’t really involved with that job with assistant line coach Roy Istvan and consultant Mike Vrabel handling the duties.

We always wondered why they didn’t hire Scott Peters, Callahan’s assistant, who went on to New England and is currently the Bengals’ O-Line coach. The thought was continuing the scheme and work habits put in place by one of the best coaches for that position in the business.

So, for us, the logical person to take over the defense would be linebackers’ coach Jason Tarver. We always hear the people involved with the team raving about his ability, and he has defensive coordinator experience with the Raiders from 2014-16.

You would think Tarver has learned a lot from his time with Schwartz and he has been with mainstays like Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward, being on the Browns’ staff since 2020.

And he could continue the scheme that Schwartz has put in place.

We get that this would have to be signed off with Monken, who may have someone else in mind to run the defense.

And not to diminish Schwartz’ contribution over the last three seasons, there are probably several defensive minds who given Garrett, Ward, Carson Schwesinger, Mason Graham, Tavin Campbell, etc.

There is a lot of talent on the Cleveland defense.

For the Browns, much like Callahan, let Schwartz move on and be happy coaching at his next stop. As we said before, it would not be fair to Monken to have someone who was forced to be there on his staff.

Jim Schwartz is one of the best defensive coordinators in the business, but he is hardly the only good one out there. The players are in place and why not try a little continuity instead of a totally new system that might take half a season to figure out?

After A Weird Process, Browns Go With Monken

The Cleveland Browns finally came to a conclusion on their head coaching search, hiring Todd Monken for the job.

Our reaction to the hire will be reserved until Monken actually coaches a game because despite what everyone will read over the next five months until training camp starts, no one really knows what kind of job he will do.

Monken, who will be 60 a week from today, has been an offensive coordinator in the pros with Tampa from 2016-18, with the Browns in 2019, and with the Ravens for the past three years with the three years in between spent at Georgia.

He ran a passing offense with the Buccaneers and a running offense with the Ravens, so he seems like someone who can adapt, which is always a good trait.

He’s only been a head coach at the college level, three years at Southern Mississippi where he took over an 0-12 team and led them to a 9-5 record in his third year.

However, the month long process is something we have to take issue with because it points to the reason as to why this organization has been stuck in the mire for the last 14 years, since Jimmy Haslam bought the team.

“A camel is a horse designed by committee” – Alec Issigonis
“If you want to kill any idea in the world, get a committee working on it” – Charles Kettering
“If you see a snake, just kill it, don’t appoint a committee on snakes” – Ross Perot
“A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours” – Milton Berle

There are hundreds of quotes criticizing committees out there, yet that’s how the Browns continue to look for head coaches.

They started out with nine candidates, whittled it down to six. Two of the half-dozen dropped out, one because they took another head coaching job, leaving four to undergo second interviews.

That field was narrowed to three.

This seems like a process where either too many people are involved or the person/people making the decision are afraid to make a mistake. That’s because it’s a committee making the decision.

We haven’t hired an NFL head coach, but we have hired people and the process the Browns went through seems incredibly unwieldy. First, if we had a pool of nine candidates, we would probably narrow it down to three or four right off the bat.

Of course, that’s just one person doing the review. If you have three, four, or even five people involved, each of those people are going to have their own favorites.

Then after the second talk, you would have two candidates and then pass the decision over to the ultimate decision maker, in this case, ownership.

It points out once again that what the Browns really need is a head of football operations, who then hires a GM and a coach and they all work together, having one vision for how to build a winning team.

Instead, we have another cliche: “too many cooks spoil the broth”.

With the current set up, we fear the only way the Browns will succeed is by luck.

On the other hand, Monken is a veteran coach, and we agree the Browns need that. They need to win and we believe they couldn’t afford to go through a learning curve with a younger first-time head coach.

Was he a compromise between the owner who wanted Jim Schwartz and the GM who wanted Nate Scheelhaase? Maybe. But that’s not going to matter to Monken, who is getting the biggest opportunity of his career and will want to make the most of it.