Cleveland Browns

Lewis doesn't like boycott

Marla Ridenour — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:17:26 +0000

Browns running back Jamal Lewis doesn't agree with the plan of two longtime season ticket holders for the Nov. 16 Monday night home game against Baltimore. Mike Randall of Massillon and Tony Schafer of Sandusky want fans to wait until after kickoff to go to their seats in protest over the state of the franchise and owner Randy Lerner's unwillingness to talk on camera.

"The great thing about Browns fans was that they were going to be there regardless," Lewis said Wednesday. "And that's being an opposing team coming in here that the fans would
be cursing you out no matter what, no matter what the record was and that was how it was going to be. That's what I expected with this team.

"And now the talk that I hear about the fans not coming to the game and doing all this, you should just take a step back and look. We might have a lockout here soon in the future and there's not going to be some football probably, who knows? So as a fan you need to take advantage of the time we have right now with this team and
just know that in the future it's going to be all right. I was just thinking about that last night. I know you all write everything, so hopeful you write that."

When it was suggested that Randall and Schafer are not advocating that fans stay home, Lewis said, "What is that going to do? They should just know that one day there might not be a game going on when it's supposed to be, so enjoy it now and take
advantage of it. You never know what you might miss."

Browns talk with Marla Ridenour

jim — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:56:15 +0000

Marla Ridenour reviews the Browns game against the Bears and the firing of GM George Kokinis as the team heads into the bye week.

Consultant role doesn't interest Schottenheimer

Marla Ridenour — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:46:54 +0000

Former Browns coach Marty Schottenheimer has no interest in a role as a consultant to owner Randy Lerner if Lerner were to contact him, Schottenheimer said Tuesday on SIRIUS NFL radio.

"I don’t even see that kind of a role for me," Schottenheimer told host Alex Marvez. "I’m not familiar enough with what they have in terms of their front office. Let somebody else do that. It’s really a very unusual circumstance and it’s going to take some dramatic measures in my mind to be able to get the thing headed in the right direction."

Schottenheimer said the Browns were lacking talent and underperforming, but said a lack of continuity has to be hurting the team.

"The bottom line for them right now is they don’t have a real good football team," Schottenheimer said. "They’re not playing even to the level that the talent is expressed and it’s going to be a very, very difficult circumstance. The important thing in my view is very simply this: You cannot lose your football team. And dashing around doing all these things that are on the periphery don’t serve any useful purpose at this point in time.

"You want to resolve issues like this? Let the thing play out, gather information as you go. We recognize the decision for them from the standpoint of a playoff berth is virtually impossible for them to achieve. You need to leave some sense of stability at least through this season because players who are signed to long-term contracts are thinking, ‘What in the world is going on here?’ You worry about the reaction of your players and, believe me, let’s not make any mistake about this: That feeling that a player has about his organization is an integral part of their ability to perform at the highest level."

Schottenheimer

Fans meet with Lerner for 2 hours

Marla Ridenour — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:46:54 +0000

Longtime season ticket holders Mike Randall of Massillon and Tony Schafer of Sandusky met with Browns owner Randy Lerner for nearly two hours in Lerner's office Tuesday.

Randall and Schafer, aka "Dawg Pound Mike" and "Mobile Dawg" are organizing a protest for the Browns' next home game, Nov. 16 against the Baltimore Ravens. They are encouraging fans not to go to their seats until after kickoff to voice their displeasure with the state of the franchise and Lerner's unwillingness to address them on camera.

Randall and Schafer said they will not cancel the boycott unless Lerner speaks publicly and Schafer put the odds of that happening at "20 percent."

The meeting was set up before general manager George Kokinis was relieved of his duties Monday. Lerner has not spoken about what led to the ouster of Kokinis, hired on Jan. 23.

Randall and Schafer came with an agenda packet that had a photo of Randall and Schafer on the cover giving a football to a girl in Chicago. Randall said he got the ball from defensive coordinator Rob Ryan before Sunday's game at Soldier Field.

Randall said Lerner told them he was ticked off about the 1-7 Browns and said, "'I'm going to get this right. If there's somebody else better, I'm going to spend the money and try to get this fixed for the fans."'

The pair also came with ideas and addressed issues at the stadium like the lack of entertainment, the lack of championship banners and retired numbers and the policy of having fans ejected for excessive standing. Randall said Lerner seemed shocked by the latter.

"I told him for the home opener next year I wanted the championship banners up, the retired numbers up and I want this place to rock," Randall said. "Get the Michael Stanley Band to play 'Here We Go Again.' We fought for this history, let's display this history. I don't care if the last championship was in 1964, put it up there.

"I want the crowd roaring. There's all this energy and we lack it. He said, 'I'm on it, I hear you."'

Randall said vice president of communications Bill Bonsiewicz and consultant Bernie Kosar also joined them for a few minutes. Randall, who works in sports marketing, said he offered to come to work for the Browns to improve the fan experience at the stadium.

For Randall, the highlight of the meeting may have been when he and Schafer told Lerner, "There's nothing more important than seeing you hold the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the air."

"He smiled liked I'd never seen," Randall said, adding that he'd spoken to Lerner seven times, including Sunday at Chicago. "He said, 'I'd put it right up in the middle for all of us to enjoy. It would be for everyone."'

Schafer said, "'He said he wanted the whole city of Cleveland to hold that trophy, not himself. He said he'd like the whole city to own the Browns, like in Green Bay. He said, 'I know what it is right now, but I'm going to get it right.'

"He feels he owes it to the city of Cleveland. I believe in him and I trust in him."

Report: Barton has neck injury

Marla Ridenour — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:03:23 +0000

Browns inside linebacker Eric Barton has a serious neck injury that could jeopardize his season, Chris Mortensen is reporting on ESPN.com.

Citing a source close to Barton, Mortensen said a spine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic diagnosed Barton with a bulging disc between the C3 and C4 vertebrae in his neck after Sunday's 30-6 loss at Chicago.

Barton left late in the first half against the Bears with what was announced as a shoulder injury. He was seen in the locker room Tuesday and did not appear to be in pain.

The Browns have already lost their other starting inside linebacker, D'Qwell Jackson, who suffered a pectoral injury Oct. 18 at Pittsburgh. He underwent surgery and is out for the season.

Coach Eric Mangini initially went with rookie Kaluka Maiava to replace Jackson. But on Sunday, outside linebacker David Bowens moved inside and Jason Trusnik took over outside. Bowens made the defensive calls when Barton left the game and Mangini praised the defense for its communication, largely thanks to Bowens. Without Barton, Maiava played on running downs, with special teamer Blake Costanzo was pressed into action in the nickel.

Bowens is 32 and in his 11th season. He said he played all 71 snaps against the Bears and was feeling it Monday. It seems unlikely he could hold up without help for the remaining eight games.

Barton, also 32 and an 11-year veteran, joined the Browns in March after spending the previous six years with the New York Jets, the last three under Mangini.

Lewis not at practice

Marla Ridenour — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:36:12 +0000

Browns running back Jamal Lewis was not on the field Tuesday for the first 30 minutes of practice open to the media. It was later learned his absence was excused.

Because this is the Browns bye week, there is no injury report.

After Sunday's 30-6 loss at Chicago, Lewis said he was planning on retiring after the season, even though he has a year left on his contract. Lewis, 30, is in his 10th season.

The Browns released defensive back Anthony Madison and kicker Billy Cundiff. No moves to fill those spots are expected today.

Mangini dodges GM questions

Marla Ridenour — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:51:43 +0000

Mangini virtually mum on Kokinis

Browns coach Eric Mangini addressed Monday's departure of general manager George Kokinis at his Tuesday press conference, but dodged nearly every question about what transpired.

"The decision that was made yesterday, any time a decision like that is made it's difficult personally and professionally. George is a friend of mine and I respect him and I wish his family well. I can tell you for a variety of reasons, things didn't work out. You never go into a situation like this with the intention of it not working out.

We felt organizationally this was the best decision in order to move forward. We have a strong structure in place on both the pro side and the college side and will continue to operate effectively on a day-to-day basis."

When asked if he was unable to talk about Kokinis because of legal issues regarding Kokinis' contract, Mangini said, "There's a variety of reasons and I'll leave it at that."

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Monday night that the Browns were trying to reach a settlement with Kokinis in which he would resign, but that Kokinis would not agree.

Under-fire Mangini trudges on

Marla Ridenour — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:21:19 +0000

BEREA: When it comes to the 1-7 Cleveland Browns, the national consensus is off with their heads.

General manager George Kokinis was escorted out of the Berea headquarters and is no longer with the team, league sources said Monday.

Coach Eric Mangini is on the hotseat, although owner Randy Lerner said after Sunday's 30-6 loss at Chicago he would not make a change during this week's bye.

Quarterback Derek Anderson is under fire, falling to almost unprecedented statistical lows. NBC Sunday night analyst Rodney Harrison, a former Pro Bowl safety for New England and San Diego, called for Anderson to be cut.

First-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is drawing as much fan wrath as Mangini for a unit ranked 31st in the league.

Running back Jamal Lewis is so disenchanted that he said in the Soldier Field locker room that this season will likely be his last.

On top of that, Lerner is looking for a football executive, apparently realizing the void in his organization mired in mediocrity since 1999. He may be on the verge of hiring former Browns and New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, who retired from the Giants after the 2006 season.

But Mangini seemingly emerged unscathed after a Monday morning telephone conversation with Lerner, convinced that Lerner has his back and understands his plan.

"I never got a feeling otherwise in all my conversations with Randy," Mangini said.

"This is a process, we talked about that quite a bit," Mangini said. "There's things that go along with that and that doesn't mean we're not looking to win every game, it doesn't mean we're not looking to improve each week. Randy and I share the same vision and we talk quite a bit about the best way to achieve that. I've always had really good conversations with him and always will."

Mangini sounded like he tried to sell Lerner on his experience in New England and with the New York Jets. The Patriots were 5-11 in his first season as an assistant coach under Bill Belichick in New England, but went on to win three Super Bowls in the next four years. The Jets were coming off a 4-12 season when Mangini took over as coach in 2006 and turned in winning records in two of his three seasons.

"I believe in the things that we're doing and I understand it doesn't happen overnight," Mangini said. "I've been fortunate enough to be part of this process in the past and seen it done a lot of different ways and I appreciate
the fact that it doesn't happen the same way each time.

"There's not one formula in terms of specific ingredients, but there is a very specific approach that you have to take and I believe in that. It has been successful. It will be successful here."

Among the other issues Mangini addressed Monday:
* Daboll's future: He said he's sticking with Daboll as offensive coordinator, even as he touted the credentials of quaterbacks coach Carl Smith, who spent 11 years as offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints and two more with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Only one team, St. Louis, has scored fewer than the Browns' 78 points.

"I've known Brian for a long time," Mangini said. "He's very smart, I like the systems he's worked in, both in New England and New York. I think we share the same vision offensively and I think Carl's a great compliment to that.

"This is the second time I’ve hired a new offensive coordinator who hadn’t done it. I think (the Jets') Brian Schottenheimer has gotten better over time. He wasn’t always perfect his first year. He’s another guy who's very smart and talented. He’s done good things in New York and I think he’ll continue to do good things there, just like I believe Brian will continue to grow as a coordinator and do very good things here."

* Starting quarterback: After lifting Anderson with 3:02 to go against the Bears, Mangini was not ready to name Brady Quinn the starter for the Nov. 16 Monday night game home game against Baltimore. He said he will evaluate the situation during the bye.

Anderson's 33.3 completion percentage the last four games is the lowest by any quarterback with at least 80 attempts since Chicago's Vince Evans in 1981 and Anderson's 320 yards passing in the same span is the lowest since Evans' 272 in the same season.

Anderson's 36.2 rating is the lowest through week 8 since Mark Wilson of the Oakland Raiders compiled a 29.2 rating in 1981.

* On Lewis retiring, even though his contract runs through 2010: "Everybody makes decisions as to when they decide to leave football," Mangini said. "I know that Jamal's approach is consistent, I know that Jamal works hard, I know that Jamal takes losses extremely hard, which is what you want, which is what you look for. If a player didn't take a loss hard, that's a problem. If a coach didn't take a loss hard, that's a problem. You put a lot of time and effort and work into achieving that goal. When you work hard, it's harder to accept defeat."

* On whether his team is too willing to accept losing:

"I don’t think that’s the case," Mangini said. "Seeing the way they work, seeing the way they study and the way they’ve done things in my time here, I don’t think that’s the case at all."

Kokinis out as GM

Marla Ridenour — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:02:07 +0000

Browns general manager George Kokinis was ousted Monday, but the team confirmed only that he is no longer "actively involved with the organization."

Kokinis' departure appeared to come under contentious circumstances, but it is unclear whether he resigned or was forced out. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that the Browns were trying to work out a settlement with Kokinis in which he would resign, but that Kokinis had refused.

A statement released by the Browns denied reports that Kokinis was escorted out of the building.

"In the interest of protecting the parties involved, we will withhold further comment," the statement said.

A witness said Kokinis, carrying a travel bag, came down the stairs and was met by an administrative staffer. The staffer was joined by a high-ranking official and both watched Kokinis walk to his car on the team's security cameras.

Kokinis is the second to go in recent days, following director of football operations Erin O'Brien, who served as coach Eric Mangini's personal assistant with the New York Jets. The moves do not bode well for Mangini's future, even though owner Randy Lerner said Sunday that Mangini would not be fired this week during the Browns' bye.

But this move comes a day after Lerner said he wanted to hire a ''strong, credible, serious leader" to guide the football operations and characterized it as a high priority.

Kokinis was hired Jan. 23 from the Baltimore Ravens, where he worked for 18 years, including the last six as director of pro personnel. But Mangini was hired by Lerner first and clearly had all the power, even though Kokinis said at his introductory press conference that he had final say on the 53-man roster.

Something about the Browns' arrangement clearly angered Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, who would never talk about Kokinis with old friends in Cleveland.

Kokinis watched road games in Pittsburgh and Chicago from the press box, conversing with friends but not the media. On Oct. 18 at Pittsburgh, Kokinis appeared very unhappy when he left the Browns' locker room after the game, spending about two minutes there.

Audio: As pressure builds, Mangini stays the course

jim — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:06:21 +0000