Cleveland Browns: Sashi Brown’s “rash of changes” comment hits home

The Swinging Pendulum

The Haslam’s got off to a smashing start by hiring Joe Banner to be the CEO and Mike Lombardi to be the general manager. This may not sound very promising but with these hires, the pendulum began with two people associated with the beginnings of “analytics” and their usage in the NFL.

But when then-head coach Rob Chudzinski went 4-12 in 2013, his first season was quickly his last season. To boot, the Haslam’s fired then-general manager Mike Lombardi.

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Swinging the pendulum in the opposite direction, the Haslam’s decided to hire two “old school” guys as coach and general manager. The head coaching job went to Mike Pettine who was an afterthought in the interview process. The Haslam’s then hired Ray Farmer as general manager. After the “analytics” crowd failed, an “old school” regime was brought in to fix it.

Pettine’s time was a disaster. Farmer undermined the coaching staff on game days. He was communicating with the sidelines on game day, for which he served a suspension. Pettine was undermined to the degree that his offensive coordinator Kyle Shannahan (yes the one coaching the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV) presented a powerpoint to ownership as to why he should be let out of his contract.

When this regime did not win immediately, the Haslam’s fired them. They were replaced by a new regime, an “analytical” regime. This new group was led by executive vice president Sashi Brown.

Brown was paired with “old school” head coach (winless) Hue Jackson. It was apparent from the start that these two were never on the same page. Brown looked to create long term sustainable success by creating cap space and building through the draft. A smart plan for long term success.

But (winless) Hue Jackson was tasked with the “win now or else” duty. Browns fans remember that plan engineered 1 win over two seasons. At the time he blamed it on not having “real players” on the team. So, the Haslam’s did what the Haslam’s do, they fired everybody.

Thus, the pendulum swung in the other direction. Having ousted the “analytics” guys from the front office, they were replaced by “old school” football guys. John Dorsey was hired as the general manager. After firing (winless) Hue Jackson, “old school” guy Freddie Kitchens was brought on to be the head coach.

Their tenure was short-lived. As they failed to bring an immediate winner, they too were also fired. Now the Haslams are installing yet another “analytical” regime.

But we are to believe that this time it will be different. This time the Haslams will have continuity. This time the head coach and front office will work with, and not against, each other. This time things will be right.

But Browns fans shouldn’t hold their breath. There may be continuity this time. But the continuity may not lead to immediate results.

If immediate results do not occur, who is to say that the Haslam’s won’t have a quick axe? Who is to say that they will not simply find continuity with an “old school” general manager and head coach?

There is no reason to believe there is enough friction or drag to force the pendulum to stop. The energy that put the pendulum in motion is not “analytics” vs “old school”.

No. The force that keeps the pendulum moving is the Haslam’s desire for a quick turn around in a business that rarely lends itself to quick turn arounds. Until the Haslam’s think long term with the franchise, nothing with change. The pendulum will go on forever.

It is in this context that Sashi Brown’s recent comments make sense. He spoke up about how the organization is run.