Tell me really. How much confidence do you have that the Browns won’t screw up this coaching search?

There is an old saying that when you decide to fire someone, a good organization has a plan as to who is going to succeed them. For example, New England knew when they let Jerod Mayo go, that they had a very good chance of hiring Mike Vrabel, a former Patriot player who had a very good coaching resume.

Does anyone think the Browns had a plan?

Of course, we advocated for Cleveland to do what it could to get John Harbaugh, knowing the best asset the Browns had was money. We also felt the next logical person to get the job is defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and we still feel that way.

Many people in the local media are saying the Browns’ job isn’t as bad as it is viewed nationally, and there is some merit to that. On ESPN Radio’s “Unsportsmanlike”, they viewed the job as the third best among the available openings, behind the Giants and Ravens.

Why do people nationally think the Cleveland head coaching position is toxic? First, it comes from history. While Kevin Stefanski did have six seasons at the helm, prior to that it was musical chairs, with a change seemingly every two years.

That gave the Haslam family a reputation as meddlers. And the thought has occurred here that this search might be more about having control over the head coach and less about winning football games.

The reason is that many of the names being bandied about are very young coaches. Now, we understand some of them may be being brought in to talk about an offensive coordinator post, but if the Browns hire one of these wunderkinds, don’t you think that gives the front office an opportunity to pick some assistants?

It seems at times that it is a classic case of “yes, we want to win, but we want to do it our way”. They have an idea of what they want the organization to look like, but based on that track record, it hasn’t worked. Yet they seem unwilling to make any changes. They are in love with the collaborative effort.

What the Browns need most is a change in culture, leadership, and accountability. That’s a big reason we wanted them to get serious about Harbaugh. He would change the culture. And it’s also why Andrew Berry should have been let go as well.

The job might have been more desirable if the new coach had a chance to bring in his own GM, one that knew how to pick offensive linemen and bigger wide receivers.

Who is the leader in the Browns’ locker room? It might just be rookie Carson Schwesinger, who gutted it out in the penultimate contest against the Steelers.

They need someone who is going to come in and not worry about a “rebuilding plan” and how are they going to get a franchise quarterback. They need someone who is all about winning.

That’s why right now, the best pairing would be to hire Schwartz and pair him with one of the bright offensive minds they have interviewed. Schwartz can pick one of his defensive assistants to handle the coordinator post.

Could it work out for the Browns? Of course. People win the lottery every day too.

Has the ownership looked in the mirror and asked if they need to get a “Lord of Football”? Let’s just say the odds are slim.