Cleveland Browns: Starting over again in 2016

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam began another rebuild after firing head coach Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer.

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam made sure Browns fans had an eventful Sunday.

After the Browns lost 28-12 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it did not take long before the firings of both Ray Farmer and Mike Pettine were announced.

This comes after Haslam declared in August that he would not blow things up. But being the owner of an NFL franchise means he has the ability to disregard past statements.

Only it hurts a bit more when the statement meant stability, which is something Browns fans are desperate for after so many changes at both the head coach and general manger positions.

The above tweet explains it all. A head coach is not supposed to be a temporary hire, and Haslam does not seem to understand this seemingly simple fact.

Pettine may not be a great head coach, but it was clear that his players were giving it all they had all season. Wins are what matters, but he was not given enough talent to have much success, especially in only two seasons.

He was let down by Farmer for his lack of success in free agency and the draft, and also by Haslam for lying about Pettine’s job being secure heading into 2016.

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But nothing should surprise Browns fans at this point. Haslam came to Cleveland as the team’s supposed savior, yet all he has done is oversee a dysfunctional franchise aided in its dysfunction because of poor personnel moves on his part.

The most recent move, following the firings, saw Haslam name Sashi Brown the new executive VP of football operations.

Never heard of Brown? Think he will have success because of his name?

Before the promotion, Brown served as the team’s executive vice president/general counsel. His experience is business-focused, yet he will oversee all football operations for the Browns.

Brown’s promotion should not be judged before seeing what his role entails. Once a head coach and general manager are hired, Brown’s name should not come up often. Let’s just hope that he actually lets the GM do his job, which has been a problem as of late in Cleveland.

This fact means the job is not one that will be desired by any big-name candidates, no matter how much Haslam believes people want to work for him. A general manager wants control and to be in charge of hiring a head coach. Haslam’s announcement that he will hire a head coach then a general manager is enough for people to ignore his calls for an interview.

Add in the mess surrounding Johnny Manziel and this team remains a real dumpster fire heading into the offseason.