Why do I feel like it’s back to the future with the Cleveland Browns?
This has nothing to do with their ability to win or lose, mind you, just that it seems like I’ve lived some of these scenarios before.
Monday night the Browns signed free agent cornerback Hank Poteat. He’s the same Hank Poteat who got lit up in the Browns only playoff appearance since 1999. 
Which would be since the team returned. The memory of Pittsburgh writers saying that the loss of a starting corner was trouble meant trouble because it meant Poteat had to play more. That was the game Kelly Holcomb threw for 429 yards, I believe. It’s been a long time since that game, so perhaps Poteat has grown – Bill Belichick signed him for a couple years. Too, he’s not Terry Cousin. But it sure brought back memories.
Poteat is the second New York Jet to join the Browns, and linebacker David Bowens very well could be the third. There could be a fourth, or a fifth. In a way it’s logical since their coach came from the Jets. But it brings back the Dwight Clark days when any 49er who changed planes near Hopkins was signed. And when Butch Davis became coach he brought in University of Miami guys he coached or coached against. And when Romeo Crennel arrived he brought in former Patriots while Phil Savage brought in former Ravens. Now it’s former Jets. Good thing the Browns didn’t hire the coach from Savannah State.
Then there’s the front office. One of the first things Carmen Policy did in 1999 was hire Lal Heneghan from the NFL Management Council to run the salary cap. Heneghan did an outstanding job until he challenged Davis in an Irish kind of way about the signing of Jeff Garcia. Exit Heneghan, and Trip MacCracken took over the salary cap duties. This week, what did George Kokinis and Mangini do? They hired someone from the NFL Management Council to run the salary cap – Dawn Aponte. Good thing she’s not Irish.
It’s sort of like quarterback coach Carl Smith returning. Smith is a good guy, and a good coach, but he was swept out by Davis when Bruce Arians was fired. Now Smith is back as the team’s quarterback coach. So the same team that fired him as quarterback coach a few years ago has hired him to be the quarterback coach. This should entail some kind of huge bonus for Smith.
This may have nothing to do with the team’s win total this year, but it sure is interesting. To me at least.
What’s next? The return of the UFO Defense? A tryout for Spergon Wynn? Travis Prentice in to challenge at running back? Ricky Dudley at tight end? A new finest, nicest man who was ever arrested???
Personally, I am hoping for a someone to come down with a teensy-tinsy fracture. You know, something minor that will only keep the guy out nine or ten weeks.
Accepting nominations for who that guy will be. No fair nominating Pat. He's already got vertigo and might end up falling over and getting a teensy-tinsy fracture of the skull all by himself.
What do we need with a bunch of old, and getting older, Jet retreads? I thought Kokinis was supposed have the dope on the pro players so that he could find value (cheap) players who were under 30? Poteat? Barton? Bowens?
Wasn't Dick Lebeau the defensive coordinator in Pittsburgh.Left to be the head coach of Cincinnati.Then was fired and went back to Pittsburgh to be the defensive coordinator again.Didn't Bill Parcells bring in former players from Dallas that he had coached and even traded for a couple.And Parcells current head coach was his former offensive line coach at Dallas.As far as the players age is concerned it doesn't seem to bother Belichick.If a player was good enough to fill a back up role in New England then why not Cleveland?Did they sign him to a multi year million dollar deal?These guys are veteran players brought in because they know the system.Kokinis is doing exactly what your supposed to do in free agency.Bring in role players to fill in roster spots.You draft impact players and developmentally players to be the core of your roster.And target undrafted free agents to sign and build depth to your roster.The roster that you see in mini camp should be the same roster for training camp.
If it should be parallels for which you look, consider the oddity of Browns' fans persecuting both of the QBs who orchestrated the two most-successful stints in New Browns' history—both ravaged within a calendar year of their achievements, both in favor of backups passers wearing number 10. Both seem also to have their country-looks held against them.
While no one with half a mind would debate that the players have their deficiencies, isn't it winning that supposedly rules above all other measurements and distinguishes QBs in particular?
If memory serves correctly, Tim Couch led his squad to 8 wins in 11 to get the Browns to the threshold of their only post-season since the rebirth, including clutch road comeback victories over playoff-contenders NYJ, Tenn and Balt—the last featuring a must-have 92-yard march in 1:48. Couch is also the only QB to have beaten Pitt in the last 16 encounters, on the road on national tv, a team he defeated at least twice, the first as a mere rookie avenging a 43-0 whitewash.
Derek Anderson is the only field general in more than a decade to win 10 games in a single Cleveland season, though he started but 15 games, one of the losses attributable to a blown official's call on what used to be known as a force-out. Had that call been properly acknowledged—one that might've completed a road comeback—DA also gets the Browns into the playoffs. Yet he's presently dirt to most "supporters," available for a third-rounder (or less). Such regard for someone who threw for 29 td, one off the franchise standard.
It is for truths such as these that I question something you and Pluto are fond of saying. I'm not sure Cleveland fans deserve better. Perhaps they deserve precisely what they've been getting.
It will always be that…some new coack bringing in a new staff and group of players. All I want is to WIN…WIN BABY WIN!
Jeez, man. Your never happy. First, Mangini is a coach whose players hated him, who "ignored" his best defensive lineman at some social gathering. What a lousy coach he is going to be because he has no connection to his players.
Now, as a bunch of his former players who obviously like him enough to come to Cleveland and play for him again sign with Cleveland, suddenly its retread city. Are these guys the best players in the league? No. Those players are drafted, not signed. But Mangini is apparently a like-able enough coach to get his former players to come play with him again. Finally, a good sign and you ignore it completely.
yeah, they are coming here because they like the coach. not because they can't find a deal elsewhere.
and salinian! the derek anderson love runneth over! i love watching a guy throw an off target bullet screen pass as much as the next guy but i'd like to see what our gay pride mascot can do under center. unfortunately, as long as randy aston villa soccer lerner is running the team i'm not holding my breath for success. tell me when you guys meet randy at the bar and talk some browns and i'll start believing in this franchise again.
It seems you have some bias in your writing. You like to be negative in most articles regarding the Browns since the hiring of Mangini. Shouldn't you give the regime atleast a few games before the negative judgement.
I wouldn't complain about them liking him or not, I'm just wondering about their talent level. Do they make the team better? Are we at the point were we can just plug a few holes with role-players on defense? Is it a better team with/without a 31 year old Hank Poteat?
Maybe I'll just get on the Go Mangini Goodtime Hayride and shout "Hurrah Hank Poteat! Hurrah You Other Jet Guy! Hurrah You Aging Jet Linebacker! Hurrah!"
You might have left out an important distinction in regards to Dawn Aponte's experience and background. Read the following article and notice that Ms. Aponte would seem to have an impressive resume with the Jets where she was the their salary-cap analyst and pro personnel assistant for a number of years:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9503EFDE1638F932A15754C0A9649C8B63&pagewanted=1
Salinian,
Thanks for the history lesson, I am enlightened. And Cleveland fans do deserve better, what kind of statement was that? Let me give you a history lesson, fans in Cleveland do not care who the quarterback is, if it results in wins, we just want to win, bottomline.
We are tired of losing, and I promise you Derek Anderson is not the solution at the QB position and it was a bonehead move to have signed him to a multi-year deal after his flash in the pan season. Anderson gave them an out, but Romeo and Phil felt he had saved their jobs, but yet did they realize they would be canned a year later in part to his awful start this past year.
I mean did you watch him the last 5-6 games of that season? Defenses figured him out, put a little pressure on him, and he folds, and that just carried over to last year where he couldn't even complete a 5-yard out. Granted only Josh Cribbs and Steve Heiden catch the ball on this team, but you still have to get it there, and Anderson does not. With this offensive line, you better have a QB who can move a little and DA has two bricks for feet, this you cannot argue.
As far as ManKok goes, I am clueless of what direction they are taking us, but I can only hope that it is in a winning one. They can bring back Ken O'Brien if it gets us in the playoffs, but we will eventually have to go outside of the Jets organization to fix the many whole's this team possesses. Get some picks for DA, sign a veteran QB, get some pass-rushing ends, need major help in the secondary, draft LB's, find a number 2 receiver, get a real backup to Lewis and start getting some depth so injuries do not cripple us every year. It's a lot to ask out of a new regime, but time is not on your side in the NFL, so my advice is to get busy and don't suck. GO BROWNS
Sorry Cleveland — you got our baggage along with our x-coach. Sit back and enjoy baseball season and get the brown face mask bags out for next season
I am really growing sick of all the negativity around the Browns, and was pleasently surprised that at least SOME fans have the ability to see some possible positive out of our new coach and the players we are getting.
#1. I am glad we are not getting a first time head coach in Cleveland. Say what you will about the Jets, but they won more games then the Browns DESPITE Farve's numerous bad throws.
#2. If bringing in a few former players who like him and work well in his system will get us up to speed more quickly, then do it.
#3. I am sorry if our coach has offended players by not treating anyone with kid gloves and sending them flowers telling them how lucky he is to have their efforts towards a 4 win season in his lockeroom. Perhaps we should have kept Chef…errr Crennel to hug 'em and tell the little children that love holds the world together (with creepy Barry White music playing in the background).
#4. I have waited probably as long as a lot of you… 40 years… to see any Cleveland team do anything in terms of championships. But I still look forward to every season because I HOPE it will get better. But if I want to be depressed I'll stick to watching our economy… let these forums bring a little levity to our world!
alex, if you are tired of the negativity surrounding the browns then maybe you are following the wrong team. there is nothing but negatives regarding the cleveland browns.
#1. don't forget: DESPITE mangini calling the offensive plays at the end of the year and ignoring the run in the final stretch therefore allowing brett favre to throw bad passes.
#2. you mean bringing in former players who weren't going to get as good a deal anywhere else. nfl players like the check, not the 23-25 coach.
#3. yeah, sending flowers is the equivalent of meeting with your players or at the very least contacting them. let's see, a sub-.500 coach thinks himself too big to touch base with the very people he is counting on for success—real smart. taking a potshot at romeo's physique is fine by me but don't gloss over the mangini lump crotch. he is the pillsbury doughboy to romeo's chef.
#4. hope is better served through religion. regarding cleveland browns football hope only serves to fatten randy lerner's pocketbook. he'll be glad to have your support while he watches aston villa soccer.
With all due respect, terje, you really should get your facts straight. With respect to #3, the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology plainly refers to Mangini's medical condition as the "crotch lump," not the "lump crotch."
These posts sound a lot like those when Belichick was here. Whatever happened to Belichick anyway?
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