It tries to be balanced, and includes the following nuggets:

“… the success (Rex) Ryan has had in galvanizing this team is so dramatic in large part because of the disconnect between his unpopular predecessor and the Jets. In many ways, Mangini made the Cult of Rex possible.”

And this from Damien Woody: “(Mangini) played an integral part in constructing this football team. Rex just took it to a whole different level.”

And finally: “Maybe Ryan’s success and the Jets’ run will serve as a lesson for future NFL head coaches, that they don’t have to act like they’re protecting national security secrets instead of just coaching a game.”

It’s well worth a read, becuase it has some good points.

But I also think this canonization of Rex Ryan has gone a bit too far. The Jets took the back door into the playoffs thanks to Indianapolis and Cincinnati packing it in, then played well in winning two games. Ryan wins two more games, OK, we'll canonize. But let's see what happens.

I love every one of you, in a non-man-crush kind of way.

I respect all your opinions.

I respect all the people who disagreed with my view of Eric Mangini.

I really and truly do. Free-thinking people can have honest differences of opinion.

But I think it's time that those of you who relate everything I write to Mangini call a halt. It's just getting tired.

The latest example: The Browns cleaned out their pro personnel department this week and a loyal and kind reader related it to Mangini and asked why I did not criticize the Browns.

Please.

This happens when a GM hire is made. It's no different than Mangini cleaning out the coaching staff when he was hired last year. Good coaches were let go, but that's what happens.

At the time, I did not criticize Mangini.

The only time I criticized the Browns about letting people go was when they laid people off who were support staff, people who made far, far less than any coach.

And I criticized the Browns for that, not Mangini. Those were not Mangini's decisions. I did find it odd — and still do — that the Browns would spend millions to re-do a building when they are laying people off. So I was critical. Maybe I'm weird, but it seemed like that money could have saved jobs instead of going to putting plaster-board over cinderblock. That was merely my opinion.

Alas I digress.

In the past six or seven weeks, I've tried to back off being overly negative about Mangini. You may disagree whether I succeeded in that regard, but I tried.

Here's the bottom line: As a columnist, I am paid to have an opinion. I am not paid to waffle. I am paid to have a strong opinion, and then state it as clearly as I can.

I've said many, many times that I'm not guaranteed to be right just because I have an opinion and a laptop. Mike Holmgren, a man I respect greatly, has made a decision. I accept it, move on and quite frankly hope that I was wrong.

Because if I was wrong, Mangini will succeed and the Browns will do well. There are people in the NFL whom I respect who thought I was wrong. I get that. I could well have been wrong. If so I freely admit it. It wasn't the first time, nor will it be the last.

I feel nothing personal one way or the other about Mangini — except that I truly hope he succeeds. Because if he succeeds the Browns succeed and I can write about normal football stuff instead of the nonsense that has gone on here the past number of years.

At this point, I've got to do the same thing with the Browns that I did with Mangini, assess the moves and decisions, see if they make sense and then state whether I agree or disagree based on amassing as much information as I can about the moves.

It's kind of the job description of a columnist.

But we have reached the point here where folks will relate it to Mangini if I write about a tiddly-winks tournament. "Why didn't you rip THAT guy for not making the yellow tiddly-wink. You'd have ripped Maningini!"

It's just silly.

Dare I point out that nobody is forcing anyone to read this blog, and that the price to read it is pretty good. This is not curing cancer, not saving victims in Haiti. It's my opinion, and I hope it's fun to stop by now and then and read and take part.

I have enjoyed the blog much more than I ever dreamt I would, and I hope you do as well.

But I'm over the fact that a good football man has decided Mangini should stay. At this point, it's all about 2010.

I understand that right now I look stupid.

But also understand I don't need to write about the Browns or their coach to look stupid. I can do that on my own, thank you very much.

I'm over it.

I think it's time we all move on as well.

Your devoted crogger,

Pat

In past years, guys signed to high contracts might have some protection becuase signing bonuses accelerated into the cap the year they were cut or traded. This meant released players could be on the street, yet still count millions in "dead money" against a team's cap.

If there is no cap, that won't happen.

Writes Lombardi: "My sense of free agency this offseason is that we’ll see players who are terminated by their current teams because of their high contract status and failure to perform to the level of those contracts. Teams will dump these players, allowing them to get rid of their future signing bonus proration without it affecting their salary cap. The market will be filled with players who have been cut and sent packing with no one from their former team offering many complimentary words about their play, and teams will have to rely on their ability to clearly evaluate their play."

Mike Holmgren on the hiring of Bryan Wiedmeier and Tom Heckert: "Excellent, excellent football people with a proven track record."

Holmgren: "There's a lot of curiosity as regards to responsibility. … It was my hope and it will continue to be my hope that the decisions these guys  make going forward will be handled by these guys right here. I trust them. I believe in them. Responsibilities will be defined, but right now we're working that stuff out. … It's a Cleveland Browns decision. And I want you to believe that. That's how we're going to do business from now on."

Heckert said his decision to back out a year ago from interviewing with the Browns "had nothing to do with Eric (Mangini)." He said it was better to stay in Philadelphia because the Eagles had a chance to compete for a Super Bowl.

Heckert gave the standard answer when asked his draft philosophy. Smart, tough guys … blah blah blah.

Mangini brought laughs when he started by saying: "It's pretty great to be up here with three other people. I can get used to this." He added: "It's exciting. … It's a unique situation for any coach and any head coach (to work with Holmgren)." He said one of the great benefits of the new structure is to be able to focus on coaching.

Holmgren: As the 2009 season went along more responsibilities came to (Mangini). Mangini had a harder job than Holmgren did as coach/GM in Seattle. Holmgren said he was prepared for what he got, but Mangini was "thrust into it." Mangini will not have to worry as much about things, because Holmgren will take some of the duties away.

Mangini: "I think this is a really fantastic situation, personally and for the Browns organization. … It's unique, and I'm proud to be a part of it."

Mangini on last year: "It was busy. Very busy. It would have been positive to have someone to bounce ideas off of and go through that process, but the situation was the situation we were in."

Heckert: "My first (NFL) experience was here, and hopefully my last experience is here."

Heckert on the draft: Everybody says the best available player, and that's the ideal situation to not have a need. … That's the last thing you want to do is force a pick in there just because of a need."

Holmgren on why this news conference won't be repeated in a year or two: "I go on my experience and what I've seen can happen. It was my charge from our owner to find the best people I can find for these positions. Then to define their roles and let's go. I believe in them. That's about the best I can say right now. … I don't think this is business as usual. We will not continue to have these kind of press conferences, I don't believe. We're all in it for the long haul. We believe in each other. I'm going to make sure we all play nicely with one another."

Holmgren on Brady Quinn: He said he has not studied him enough to make an evaluation. He wants to talk to Quinn more, but to win games the quarterback has to play well. He said the way the Browns won the final four games, with a  large run-to-pass ratio, was remarkable.

Holmgren on player acquisition: "What I want and what Tom will want is that Eric will make it very clear the type of player and type of team he wants. Then it's Tom's job and my job to try to find the player that will fit for him. He is coaching this football team. He has to let us know his vision to how you set the thing up."

Holmgren on Josh Cribbs going public: "I'd rather that would not happen. But we've been at this business a long time. Are any of us surprised?"

Holmgren said Quinn will not need surgery on his foot.

Heckert on the uncapped year: "First of all it's going to take a lot of players off the market. … From an organization standpoint, we're going to treat it as normally. We'll just deal with the players who are available."

Holmgren: You don't want "yes men." You want people who share the same vision.

Heckert: "We have to evaluate the team that we have right now.

Heckert on the draft: "It's going to be very similar to (Philadelphia). .. It's going to be a Cleveland Browns decision." Said his job is to weed things out that he and the scouts feel are good for the team.

Heckert: What changed from a year ago was the presence of Holmgren as president. "I knew more of what I was getting involved in with Mike here."

He's proven that already by hiring a reputable General Manager in Tom Heckert and by explaining his decision to keep Eric Mangini. Asked on a conference call Monday about retaining Mangini, Holmgren explained it logically and clearly and sensibly.

Holmgren said to come and make a change would have been the easy thing to do. He based his decision to keep Mangini on three factors.

First: "I think having a coach in place for a year and then telling him he no longer has a job, I think that’s basically unfair …"

Second: "I think the team got better as the season went along, by anyone’s standards.  It was rough in the beginning. It was kind of tough in the middle, but they finished strong and that says something about how he kept the guys together and how his coaches continued to work and those things …"

Third: "I liked him.  I liked our talks. I think he was very candid, very honest.  He also listened.  I thought he was a pretty good listener with me."

Anything else: "Lastly, he’s a defensive coach.  In this particular division I think you need to play really good defense when the weather gets bad.  I should culminate with saying that he showed a willingness to work as a team player.  I think he was thrust into a position where he had to accept a lot more responsibility than was fair, through no fault of his own.  I thought I could act as a little bit of a mentor in some ways.  [You] put all that stuff together, I thought I had the right guy."

As I said, logical, clear, sensible.

"That's the first thought, yes," Holmgren said.

That's not good. Lisfranc is a serious injury to the middle of the foot that can involve dislocation and/or fracture.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons web site offers this analysis of the injury, and describes treatment this way:

"Treatment for a Lisfranc injury depends on the severity of the injury. If the bones have not been forced out of position, you will probably have to wear a cast and refrain from putting weight on the foot for about six weeks. When the cast is removed, you may have to wear a rigid arch support. Your orthopaedist will also recommend foot exercises to build strength and help restore full range of motion.

"Often, operative treatment is needed to stabilize the bones and hold them in place until healing is complete. Pins, wires or screws may be used. Afterwards, you will have to wear a cast and limit weightbearing on the foot for six to eight weeks. A walking brace may be prescribed when the fixation devices are removed. You may also have to wear an arch support and a rigid soled shoe until all symptoms have disappeared. In some cases, if arthritis develops in these joints, the bones may have to be fused together."

Holmgren said Quinn should not need surgery, but would need time..

The recovery seems to be dependent on the severity of the injury. But … it's probably too early to guess how serious Quinn's injury is. Hopefully Holmgren and new GM Tom Heckert will address this issue Tuesday at a Browns news conference.

In my years covering the NFL, I can't remember a quarterback getting Lisfranc. Courtney Brown had it, and it sidelined him for the better part of a season. Errict Rhett had it and it effectively ended his career, though he was getting up there in years. Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook had it and came back very well, as did Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney. Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown had surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury in November.

How this injury would affect a quarterback is open to speculation. The left foot is the foot Quinn steps into when he throws. If this situation is serious, it could affect him. Which could affect the Browns offseason thinking and planning. Because if Quinn is iffy in terms of when and how he returns, and if he needs surgery … the Browns may need an alternate plan. Then again, Quinn could be fine. Just fine.

It's all pretty much guessing at this point, though the one certainty is no player wants to hear the word Lisfranc about an injury to his foot.

By the way, it's called Lisfranc after the French surgeon who discovered the injury in Napoleanic times. This is the truth. It could be why the injury fascinates me so much. Lisfranc saw a lot of French soliders hurt their foot while fighting for Napolean.

Tomorrow's lesson: Cooking with Plato.

At this point I'd offer the "consider the source" caveat, but that should be obvious.

I liked Braylon personally and he has talent and I think the Browns could and should have gotten more for him, but this kind of non-stop spouting off — not to mention early-morning fights — was what got him shipped out of Cleveland.

As much talent as he has, this act just gets tiring.

Because if things are not right, it's always about someone else, never about himself.