2014 Cleveland Browns Offseason Thread

• Mulva

  

  SportsAndLady;1579257 wrote:Haha a former member of this site on another site..
  
  "I heard haslam walked in a meeting and said 'banner, Lombardi you're fired get out' and everyone was dead silent"
  
  I definitely do not miss his "stories" on here that 90% turned out to be untrue.

  Will Burge tweeted that.
• Dr. KnOiTaLL

  

  Commander of Awesome;1579378 wrote:Not valid at all. Who is Shawn Starr? Did a google search, seems like a wedding photographer in Hawaii or a sergeant in the army in Georgia with 3 kids. Sure either one of them is really tied into the Browns background info /sarcasm. Sure SE is rubbing his penis to this though, about to write "TOLD YOU SO" in this thread.

  I don't know. I know when they had a press conference weeks ago that people were curious why Lombardi wasn't present, and then again at a function that followed within the next day. The flow of the story seems to have very few holes, which leads me to believe that, while it may not be 100% completely true, I feel like a lot of it has truth to it. Large organizations like this will never air their dirty laundry to the public, so everything is speculation at this point. However, that story seems pretty clear as to what, how, and why things happened. In most cases, faulty or fabricated stories don't include all of these aspects.
  
  Just my $.02
• shook_17

  

  Whats up dudes? Been crazy busy with fucking snow in Toledo, but what a perfect day to come back Banner and Lombardi are gone. Really glad Farmer got promoted. I would like to think this increases the chances of Mack and Ward staying. Its nice knowing who is in control and that the GM will actually listen to our coach and work together.
  
  Combine next week, FA in March, lets see what youve got Farmer. Way more faith in this guy than those dick bags Banner and Lombardi.
• se-alum

  

  Commander of Awesome;1579378 wrote:Not valid at all. Who is Shawn Starr? Did a google search, seems like a wedding photographer in Hawaii or a sergeant in the army in Georgia with 3 kids. Sure either one of them is really tied into the Browns background info /sarcasm. Sure SE is rubbing his penis to this though, about to write "TOLD YOU SO" in this thread.

  Don't know if I should be flattered or scared that you're always thinking about me. What is your evidence that it isn't valid?
• Commander of Awesome

  

  se-alum;1579431 wrote:Don't know if I should be flattered or scared that you're always thinking about me. What is your evidence that it isn't valid?

  Paid professional JOURNALISTS vs a guy with 3 kids that works for the army and lives in Georgia that runs a blog. So logic and common sense.
  
  What evidence do you have that Haslem didn't want to hire the flying spaghetti monster?
• se-alum

  

  Commander of Awesome;1579432 wrote:Paid professional JOURNALISTS vs a guy with 3 kids that works for the army and lives in Georgia that runs a blog. So logic and common sense.
  
  What evidence do you have that Haslem didn't want to hire the flying spaghetti monster?

  So you think Haslem just woke up this morning and decided to fire Banner and Lombardi? It was just coincidence that Farmer turned down the chance to be a GM and stayed in Cleveland?
• Midstate01

  

  Guys Weeden wants out... He doesn't know how he can succeed in this environment.
  
  
  That idiot can't succeed in any environment because he's awful.
• Pick6

  

  Commander of Awesome;1579432 wrote:Paid professional JOURNALISTS vs a guy with 3 kids that works for the army and lives in Georgia that runs a blog. So logic and common sense.
  
  What evidence do you have that Haslem didn't want to hire the flying spaghetti monster?

  Remember Tressel was going to interview with the Browns? S&L could come up with more accurate shit than 90% of these "professional" journalists.
• se-alum

  

  "Professional Journalists" typically work for a company that has monetary ties to the organization they report on. It's much easier for bloggers to use sources and "break" news because they have nobody to answer to. Obviously that can lead to bad information, but in this case, it seemed to lead to the end they predicted. Even Ian Rapoport isn't buying that Farmer just happened to pass up the Dolphins job and then this happens.
• se-alum

  

  Ladies and Gentleman, the incomparable, Mary Kay Cabot:
  

  • The Peyton Manning Factor: Haslam currently has no CEO in the front office. My guess is that he'll offer that job to Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning someday. He loves Manning, they're great friends, and he's watched what John Elway has done in running the Broncos. Manning will play at least one more season to break Brett Favre's record for TD passes, but might be lured into a CEO role after that. The day Haslam agreed to purchase the Browns, I asked him if he'd bring Manning aboard, and he praised Manning, saying among other things, "he's very smart.''

• shook_17

  

  That'd be awesome, but I don't see it happening lol
• mucalum49

  

  http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000325234/article/brandon-weeden-seeks-trade-from-cleveland-browns?campaign=Twitter_atl
  
  LOL can this day get any better for the Browns? First Banner/Lombardi and now Weeden wants out.
• Dr. KnOiTaLL

  

  An anonymous general manager tells the Cleveland Plain Dealer "(he'll) do business with the Browns again" after the team fired GM Mike Lombardi and CEO Joe Banner on Tuesday.
  
  "I'm not the only one that feels this way," the rival executive added. Lombardi has long been a polarizing figure, as evidenced by his embarrassingly-short tenure in Cleveland. Per reporter Mary Kay Cabot, head-coaching candidates Bill O'Brien and Ken Whisenhunt declined interviews with the Browns because of the presence of Lombardi and/or Banner. Although we still think the move was rash and short-sighted for a team that desperately needs to establish some stability, canning Lombardi and Banner might actually help the Browns' standing around the league.
• IggyPride00

  

  Whisenhunt said, “Why didn’t you guys hire me last year?’’
  
  The Browns’ CEO who was in both interviews, Joe Banner, told Whisenhunt he didn’t think the staff he was putting together at the time was “a championship coaching staff.”
  
  Whisenhunt, one NFL source said, was peeved that a man who had never coached and who’d been involved in football mainly on the business side would sit in judgment of his potential coaches.
  
  “Who are you to tell me what makes up a championship coaching staff?” Whisenhunt said, with an edge in his voice.
  

  http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/12/cleveland-browns-jimmy-haslam-fires-joe-banner/
  
  From Peter King's article last night.
  
  It seems like that was the moment Jimmy finally realized what everyone but him knew, that he had a bean counting troll with a Napoleon complex running the football operation instead of a real football person. Banner didn't know jack shit about the football side of things, and I love that Wisenhunt called out his credibility in front of the owner.
  
  King said that Banner and Lombardi were stunned when Jimmy dropped the bomb yesterday, and it couldn't have happened to 2 better people. Banner went out of his way to re-draw the organizational chart, hire yes men, and create his own little fiefdom on Lou Groza Blvd thinking he was untouchable.
  
  Jimmy has once again given hope to Browns fans like me that were in the abyss because of the bridge troll that was running this organization into the ground. It is nice to be back.
• like_that

  

  IggyPride00;1579607 wrote:http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/12/cleveland-browns-jimmy-haslam-fires-joe-banner/
  
  From Peter King's article last night.
  
  It seems like that was the moment Jimmy finally realized what everyone but him knew, that he had a bean counting troll with a Napoleon complex running the football operation instead of a real football person. Banner didn't know jack shit about the football side of things, and I love that Wisenhunt called out his credibility in front of the owner.
  
  King said that Banner and Lombardi were stunned when Jimmy dropped the bomb yesterday, and it couldn't have happened to 2 better people. Banner went out of his way to re-draw the organizational chart, hire yes men, and create his own little fiefdom on Lou Groza Blvd thinking he was untouchable.
  
  Jimmy has once again given hope to Browns fans like me that were in the abyss because of the bridge troll that was running this organization into the ground. It is nice to be back.

  Did you type this post with one hand?
• Commander of Awesome

  

  like_that;1579694 wrote:Did you type this post with one hand?

  lol'd
• like_that

  

  Apparently the browns has started negotiations with Haden for a long term contract.
• shook_17

  

  Good lock Haden, Ward and Mack up. Three pro bowlers.
• like_that

  

  This article sheds some light on everything http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2014/02/joe_banner_and_mike_lombardi_e.html
• Commander of Awesome

  

  like_that;1580300 wrote:This article sheds some light on everything http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2014/02/joe_banner_and_mike_lombardi_e.html

  Pretty much sums up what we all knew about Banner/Lombardi before Haslem hired them. Sounds like it should have happened a hell of a lot sooner.
• like_that

  

  Commander of Awesome;1580301 wrote:Pretty much sums up what we all knew about Banner/Lombardi before Haslem hired them. Sounds like it should have happened a hell of a lot sooner.

  I am happy banner didn't want McDaniel though. Also, some of the shit in that article shows we had certain people QQing over nothing.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  like_that;1580303 wrote:I am happy banner didn't want McDaniel though. Also, some of the shit in that article shows we had certain people QQing over nothing.

  Are you shocked? People with common sense shouldn't be.
• DeyDurkie5

  

  This is a much better at up for haslem. He likes to have control of his situation/company. With only two people running the show and reporting directly to him, he will have a much easier time making decisions. Not too mention you don't have a jew rat and a retard running shit under his nose.
• like_that

  

  DeyDurkie5;1580337 wrote:This is a much better at up for haslem. He likes to have control of his situation/company. With only two people running the show and reporting directly to him, he will have a much easier time making decisions. Not too mention you don't have a jew rat and a retard running shit under his nose.

  
  After all the bitching, I don't think all that much was lost so far this off season. Yeah, nobody wanted chud to be fired after 1 year, but it seems like we got a coach that many players and coaches around the league highly respect. We also still have a shit ton of picks, at least 5 of our 6 pro bowl/all pro players returning, and a shit ton of cap room. On top of that, we fired dumb fuck lombardi, and stubborn banner, which should make even the biggest QQers happy. Now we have farmer, who apparently is a great talent, and the FO all of a sudden seems like less of a cluster fuck than it was a month ago. Farmer seems to also be looking to lock up our best players.
  
  When it's all said and done, after FA and the draft we might look back and say this offseason was an overall positive for the Browns.
• Dr. KnOiTaLL

  

  like_that;1580343 wrote:After all the bitching, I don't think all that much was lost so far this off season. Yeah, nobody wanted chud to be fired after 1 year, but it seems like we got a coach that many players and coaches around the league highly respect. We also still have a shit ton of picks, at least 5 of our 6 pro bowl/all pro players returning, and a shit ton of cap room. On top of that, we fired dumb fuck lombardi, and stubborn banner, which should make even the biggest QQers happy. Now we have farmer, who apparently is a great talent, and the FO all of a sudden seems like less of a cluster fuck than it was a month ago. Farmer seems to also be looking to lock up our best players.
  
  When it's all said and done, after FA and the draft we might look back and say this offseason was an overall positive for the Browns.