Cleveland Browns

Will Johnny Football Pass Or Run In 2015?

April 19, 2015 by Rick Farneski

Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel released a public statement, with regard to his recent stay at the Caron Pennsylvania, an alcohol and substance treatment and rehabilitation center, in January.

The beleaguered former Heisman Trophy winner, known for his off-field, partying lifestyle, issued the statement, as the first step towards winning back the approval and confidence of his teammates.

In an excerpt from the statement, “I take full responsibility for my actions and it’s my intention to work very hard to regain everyone’s trust and respect. I understand that will take time and will only happen through what I do and not what I say. I also understand there’s a lot of curiosity about this, but anyone who has a friend or family member that’s been through things like this knows it’s an ongoing process”.

Teammates have been critical of Manziel’s shenanigans and antics on and off the field, citing a lack of preparation, knowledge, commitment and readiness in practice and on game day against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Unnamed Cleveland Browns players indicated that the issues that were evident on the practice field, appeared as well, in the huddle on gameday. His inability to correctly call plays or even understanding what the pass route of the play or the blocking scheme, was often corrected by other players, who crossed their fingers when the ball was snapped, hoping there was some semblance of a play.With the released statement and preparing to attend the Browns off-season workouts, scheduled for late April, Manziel has a long road ahead of him and a tall mountain to climb, to regain his teammates trust. The Browns signed veteran quarterback Cade McCown to compete with Maziel for the starting job.
Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, coach Mike Pettine and General Manager Ray Farmer have given their vote of confidence in Manziel, despite his lackluster on-field performance, where he was 0-2, as a rookie, with a 51% pass completion percentage. They insist that despite all the distractions and disappointment, Johnny Manziel’s health is the most critical issue at the moment.

For many, to play in the National Football League is a cherished experience, built on many years of hard work, commitment, and determination. For others, such as Manziel, the experienced is treated lightly and taken advantage of, at the expense of his teammates. Will Johnny Manziel pass on this opportunity, or take the ball and run with it?

The Browns Must Get It Right In The Upcoming Draft

March 28, 2015 by Micheal Savoie

The 2014 Cleveland Browns turned in marginal results. The high point commenced on November 23rd, which included a two point victory over the Atlanta Falcons that bumped their record to seven wins and four losses. Yet as excited as the fan base became, it all came crashing down with five consecutive losses to end the year seven and nine. So this is the time of year when Brown’s fans wonder who the team will select in the upcoming NFL draft. The immediate needs are defensive line, linebacker, wide receiver, and yes, a quarterback that can fill the void left by Bernie Kosar since 1993.

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Defensively, the Browns ranked 27th of 32 teams in 2014. The secondary, led by Joe Haden, turned in a good season as evidenced by their 8th overall ranking in passing defense. Yet teams were able to run the ball with ease which drafting defensive tackle Danny Shelton from Washington could correct. Shelton is huge at 339 pounds. He would immediately plug up the inside run, and in addition, his athleticism will improve the pass rush. Coach Pettine’s goal is to develop the Browns into a dominating defense which would mask the deficiencies on the offensive side of the ball.

The linebackers did not assist in stopping the run, so Craig Robertson and Karlos Dansby need immediate competition to improve the inside linebacker position. A couple of options that will be available when the Browns pick 12th and 19th include the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Missouri’s Shane Ray and a better option in Kentucky’s Alvin Dupree. Dupree has the size at 6’4”, 269 pounds and speed running a 4.54 40 yard dash to make an immediate impact to the glaring weakness the Browns had at this position a year ago.

Finally, the quarterback position must be addressed. It is no surprise that Johnny Manziel struggled in 2014. His lack of maturity and non-existent skills for the NFL game was evident to all but the Browns. The opportunity to get it right exists if Marcus Mariota falls a few notches in the draft. Although he would not be immediately ready for week one, his size, arm strength, and demeanor are a perfect fit to finally get a franchise quarterback to Cleveland for the next ten years. Many compare him to Joe Flacco and Russell Wilson. As a Browns fan, one can only hope that the Cleveland brain trust gets it right this time.

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Black Monday Finds 6 Coaching Openings For NFL Teams

December 30, 2013 by Micheal Savoie

Ok, the Houston Texans had already relieved Gary Kubiak of his duties a few weeks ago. Before the end of the football games last night, Rob Chudzinski was let go by the Cleveland Browns to get the Black Monday ball rolling. As morning dawned, the word began to spread of Mike Shanahan, Leslie Frazier and Jim Schwartz also getting canned. A little later, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut ties with both Head Coach Greg Schiano and General Manager Mark Dominik.

Now, talk is abounding of the possibilities for head coaches for these 6 teams. The best of the coaching opportunities is the Houston Texans, with a star studded defense and offense and the number one draft pick to boot.

Now, I am here to offer my services as Head Coach for one of these 6 teams. Here is what I bring to the table:

I am a no-nonsense individual – I don’t put up with bull crap from players and staff.
I am able to accept responsibility for my decisions and also get things happening to change those things which are not working.
I am results oriented – players who do not perform will be coached to increase their production. If they do not improve after being coached, they will lose playing time and possibly a spot on the roster.
I believe in delegation of duties – I am not an expert in any part of the game – but I do have the ability to spot people who are experts.

I would not cost the team much money. I don’t want to bankrupt the team, but I do expect to have a budget for the OC, DC and position coaches. In fact, here is what I would want to get paid:

Annual salary of $300,000 per year with a $100,000 bonus for each win during the regular season ($250,000 for playoff each playoff win & $500,000 for a Super Bowl win). Before you laugh… think about how much that frees up for the coaching staff.

I have heard a lot of team ownership say they wanted to go in a different direction. Think about how different this direction would be. Think about how much publicity that would bring to each game and press conference… You are welcome. I am available for interviews over the next couple weeks.