Posted on Monday 23 October 2006 by G @ 10:05 pm
Jim Donovan just reported that Maurice Carthon has been fired by the Browns. According to Donovan, owner Randy Lerner and GM Phil Savage convinced head coach Romeo Crennel to make the change.
It’s the right move. Carthon was a disaster.
This is just a warm up to get rid of Crennel. Did anyone hear his press conference after the game? He has no clue as he started mumbling and just rambled on. This ship has sunk for 2006!
This is a great start, but a little too late. While Carton was a disaster, he was not the only disaster. Anyone who thinks Carthon was the only mis-fire in this team’s engine is fooling themselves.
The no urgency way that Crennel goes about his daily duties is exactly why it took him so long to get that head coaching job in the first place. He does not have that fire in the belly that his mentors Parcels and Belechik have.
Romeo would be a fantastic grandpa, but grandpas tell great stories - they don’t win football games!
Why don’t we quit making the same mistakes over and over again. Seriously…..Chris Palmer? Butch Davis (at least he had the fire in the belly) and now Romeo Crennel?
What would a real coach be able to do with Cleveland football?
I like Romeo, but as a coach I do not respect him. I think the same goes for his players.
its about time! I agree with you other two about Romeo.
iTS ABOUT TIME……YOU GUYS ARE FOOLING YOURSELVES IF YOU THINK ROMEO WILL BE GOING ALSO….CARTHON WAS THE SACRAFICIAL LAMB SO ROMEO COULD KEEP HIS JOB. IT WAS NOT ROMEO WHO WANTS CARTHON TO GO.
LETS FACE AS LONG AS CARTHON STAYED ON BOARD ROMEO HAD A SCAPE GOAT WITH THE MEDIA. NOW IF THE BROWNS DON’T PERFORM THE HEAT WILL CONTINUE TO GO UP THE LADDER TO PHIL AND ROMEO
I wonder will this change any of the players on field? What happens if the offense actually gets worse? I hate cosmetic changes……..
I’ll be surprised if Romeo goes as well. The defense has been playing pretty well, even with the injuries in the secondary. The special teams have also done well. If the offense is just average this team becomes competitive.
I think you’ll see more of Winslow and the other playmakers.
I believe Romeo will not be fired. Just think how many coaches we’ve gone through since comming back. We haven’t been able to get into any type of rythm with the players and coaches, except the defense. Granthem is the real deal.
But I believe and hope that the fireing of Carthon will help Romeo have more emotion and gratitude toward the team. Also, hopefully this puts some fire in Romeo’s as well as the players bellys to excecute and put the winning tradition back to the shores of Lake Erie.
As the offense goes, hopefully we see Harrison hopefully every series and see Travis Wilson on the field as well
ClevelandBrowns.com reports that Carthon resigned. Either way, Mo is gone and we can all take one breath of relief. As happy we all are that he’s gone, it still concerns me the way this all went down. if Phil and Randy were indeed the ones behind this decision, what does that say about their confidence in Romeo. After all, Crennell was the one who hired Carthon.
I don’t believe Crennel will be fired anytime soon. But I am concerned that a power struggle is starting to form….not good. You want your GM, owner, and coach all to be on the same page when running an organization. If Romeo wanted Carthon to stay and the front office wanted him to go, that says to me that there could be a problem brewing.
We already have enough problems on the field, the last thing we need is problems between Romeo and the front office on their philosophies. Granted, Mo had to go no mattter what and if Romeo didn’t see that then he’s an idiot. But I can’t help but be concerned that Phil and Romeo are drifting apart.
http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/article.php?id=5953
the question for me is now, who takes over as offensive coordinator?
ABOUT TIME!!!
Now lets get an offensive mind in here with some experience maybe. I don’t think it’s time for Crennel yet. Starting over every three years is just getting tired. Lets give him another year with a GOOD offensive mind and see what happens. If we groom the Offensive guy, adn still don’t like Crennel then we have our new coach. Remember, after all, Crennel can not block, catch, or throw for the players and if the Quality isn’t there, that’s the Savage’s fault.
it doesn’t concern me that crennel maybe next! who cares if they have to replace him as long as they find the right guy. i don’t care if they replace the next guy in 2 games if he isn’t working, just find the right guy. “staying the course” just to stay the course even if it isn’t working makes no sense. he has failed in the fact he hired carthon, and then stuck with him despite the obvious limitations of the man. what else has he failed on that we don’t know? if he isn’t working, he needs to go i don’t care if it is 2 years 2 months or 2 games!
A step in the right direction, but Crennel was obviously forced into the decision. Which tells me that Crennel is a weak coach. I never thought bringing in a 58 year old guy was wise to begin with. If Cowher becomes available after the season, the Browns can’t kick Romeo to the curb fast enough. Otherwise, they should ride Romeo out 1 more season; otherwise, we’re looking at another complete overhaul and 3 more years of the same.
When are the fans who plunk down such serious $$ going to stop and get the message to Lerner? I have gone to 1 game since they have been back - the Dwayne Rudd helmet throwing game. And I have no desire to go back. Not because I can’t afford it, but because the quality of the product is so pitiful. Ditto for the Indians - haven’t gone to see Dolan’s Discounts since early 2003.
Finally! This should’ve happened 2 weeks ago, while the team was going into the bye, so the offense had 2 weeks under the new system. Carthon coached scared errr, conservative, and unless your offense scores early and often, you will lose often, just like the team did. I think that the Browns are stuck in neutral, when it comes to personnel decisions. Next year, because the Browns aren’t winning any more games this season, the team will have another high draft pick, and have a crack at signing more overachieving free agents. I think it’s time to cut ties with Baxter, Andruzzi, Coleman, Tucker and Washington. If Troy Smith is sitting there when they pick, what do they do? Trade down?, try to get more picks. I’m getting ahead of myself. Good move, it’s about time.
What concerns me is that it came from “higher-ups”. I didn’t think Carthon being let go is going to change what happens on the field or the end result at all but that’s not my point. Crennel obviously did not want this to happen. He is the coach who saved Savage’s job last season, he’s the one who helped build a dynasty in NE,and made the Browns competitive last season in most games. I want him making coaching decisions-not higher ups. This doesn’t say Crennel isn’t a strong caoch-HE SAVED SAVAGE’S JOB-It means a bunch of business men in suits who never won anything made a coaching decision and were allowed by an absentee owner. That is NOT good at all.
i really have been wondering how much crennel really contributed as defensive coordinator in new england these days.
seeing as he was under a defensive minded coach in belicheck. was he just taking belicheck’s stuff and implimenting or was he actually bringing new things to the table.
i’m starting to wonder. i have to believe washington is here not because of savage but because of crennel. i also think the offensive lineman we picked up in the off season was not just savage but i have to believe the coaches weighed in on picking up certain players.
do you all think that savage is just out there signing players without discussion with the coaches?
Iceberg, You wanna release all those o-linemen & then we draft a QB in the first round to get killed like Charlie is??? Not a very smart idea!! What you should do is take the best tackle 1st round, and 2 best guards available in 2nd & 3rd round. Time to get some young talented o-linemen on this team that can grow together!!! Troy Smith is a nice player and I know picking him would be a OSU/Browns fan’s wet dream, but we have bigger needs and I haven’t given up on Charlie Frye yet!!!
I don’t think Belicheck would let ANYONE get a free ride-let alone one of his coaches. Truthfully -the O-line would be a heck of a lot better if Bentley did not get hurt and that’s probably the bottom-line. This is disturbing and a red flag if I’ve ever seen one. Ferry for Harper-ish.
I hope you guys don’t give up on your wives/girlfriends as fast as you give up on a Browns QB! Some of you just don’t get it. C Frye being good or average, we need to build an offensive line. Then as the o-line grows we then can evaluate Frye, and decide who should be running the offense with Droughns, Edwards, and Winslow. I love Troy Smith, but we need beef on both sides of the ball.
draft needs:
1- cornerback
3-7 OFFENSIVE LINE!
maybe not that many o-line picks but i could see taking at least 2 if not 3 o-lineman in the 07 draft.
if we are in position to pick smith though… DAMN that would be hard to pass up.
i have not at all given up on charlie frye, but i think smith is at a much higher level than charlie (or he will be in a couple years).
i would think we could trade our first round pick for several other early picks if we want a lineman that high up…
WOW…. Haters all around…first off yes I think the MO move was long over due..and things should open up a bit…. I know it has been a long time since we have seen a team that can win…but we are on the right track… some of you might want the Browns to go out and buy a Championship..but it’s not that easy in the NFL… and to build a Championship team takes time. This is where everyone groans and says we have been back since ‘99….but we have not had good people in the organization to build a team..so now Crennel and Savage are here and their slowly discarding the waste and bringing in players to make a difference.
I have seen alot od criticism when it comes to savage, but you have to look at the last two drafts…we have some quality players that are young and making a difference… add more players in the offseason, sign a few more FA’s and we will be close to a team ready to compete. I have not given up on this season, but I realize with our schedule it will be tough to turn things around…. At least we are moving in the right direction.
I am 8,000 mile away from Cleveland and I feel I’m a bigger fan than most of the people in Clevelnad…now that’s sad!
Respond to Matt:
I could not agree with you anymore. When the Browns left I think the die hard fans moved to Baltimore also. I am a die hard fan and I don’t go to Browns games becuase of the white collor or “new” era generation X fans. None of which know what it is like to stick with your team through good and bad. I can’t imagine booing the Browns like they do today. I can’t deal with these imaptient silver spoon in their mouth B____ fans. I see some good to great players on the Browns, but they still have some gaps to fill. Feel greatful you can be a Browns fan in peace and not have to stick up for the Browns on a constant basis in your own back yard. Sometimes I feel like I live in Pittsburgh.
Additionally to those fans who justify why they boo because they spend so much money on PCLS and concessions; Don’t go and sell your PCL. You are the very reason why there has not been a great urgency for the Browns to get better. You keep going to the games and Browns have no need feel as though they need to do anything different. Empty seats will make Randy jump, Trust me! Last week there were a lot of empty seats, Tuesaday morning M. Carthon is gone. Yea right I forgot he resigned! just like Kenny Rogers did not know he had anything on his hand.
What happens if the offesne is even worse off? What’s funny is how some of the lineman are blaming Carthon for not blocking….That’s like Quincy Morgan blaming the wr coach for not catching and people are falling for it…………….absolutely hilarious.
In reading some of the previous posts, I don’t get what “Crennel saved Savage’s job” has to do with it. Romeo didn’t save Phil, the Browns fans saved Phil. I hope Phil has learned from his mistakes. Mistake #1 was hiring Romeo. That said, I want to see Romeo here for another year before making a final determination of whether he stays or goes.
One more thing about this so-called loyalty b/w GM’s and coaches that some are implying in this blog. Carmen Policy went out on a limb, stood alone at a press conference to fire Palmer so that Policy could turn around and hire Butch Davis. Using the logic of some of the posters here, Davis should have been completely indebted to Carmen. What happened? Butch forced Policy out in 2004 in a power struggle AND got a 5 year contract extension.
I think Savage, when the time comes to fire Crennel, will opt for someone with previous head coaching experience and a younger guy.
If you’re already talking about firing Crennel then its gonna be quite a while before this team does anything!! I think that if this team gets some linemen up front who can play in this offseason (Draft, FA) & LeCharles returning, I think they will be competitive. Defense I think will get better with these young players, just need to get line figured out!!!
Hiring Romeo was not a mistake -The Browns aren’t doing great but who are they better than. And it’s been a year abd a half? This is why we always SUCK-no consistency. The 1 denomnator of all great organizations. Bad memory-Crennel saved Savage’s job-Fans didn’t even know about it until it was over. People talk like Crennel resume was/is small-it’s Huge with rings and not to many people could be doing a better job with this below talented team.
hiring crennel was not a mistake? are you kidding me? the man hires carthon, he fails miserably after a year, he sticks with him another year, till he is finally forced to get rid of hiim, his over all record is 6-15, he has won one divisional game, and won’t win another this year, making him 1-7 in 2 years, he will probably be 2-14 after this year, but i guess you thought hiring crhis palmer was good too? someone posted eariler that there was no interest in crennel from other teams and we know why. the man was forced on the browns by the league for obvious reasons we all know. so tell us, how or where has he been so succesfull?
before i am corrected his current record is 7-15 but i am guessing his record after 2 years will be either 8-24 or 9-23, palmeresque type numbers
Defense will be fine. Browns have a pretty young offense that needs to play together & they are missing their best linemen (Bentley). First time head coach is gonna make mistakes, don’t make much sense to fire this guy now, when we should aleast give him 3 full years to make the team competitive!! We fire him & this franchise is set back another 5 years, we can’t keep switching coaches w/out giving them proper timeframe to prove themselves!!!
Even though Crennel is a mistake, I don’t think he should be fired. But realistically, how long do you expect a 58 yr old guy to be around as a head coach? Best case scenario - 10 years. More realistic 5 at best. If he goes 2-14 this year and 4-12 next year, Savage will pull the plug.
No way was Romeo the deciding factor in keeping Savage. He may have played a part, but the fans were the ultimate decision maker. I’m not saying that Lerner spoke to them, but I think he is smart enough to realize that if there was such an uproar with the rumor of Savage’s firing last Dec, then that would translate into empty seats. Don’t kid yourself - that’s the bottom line for every owner out there. No owner wants to watch his team play at home to a half-filled stadium or even 5,000 empty seats.
I don’t know why everyone is afraid to “start over again”? In 2 years Davis had the Browns in the playoffs and should of won the game. Th e situation Davis took over was worse. Along those lines what would be worse, conintuing down this road of say 1-2 more disasterous seasons or pulling the plug now to right the ship. Even if it takes “5″ like everyone thinks, how many more of Crennel before you give up? Say 2, +”5″ like everyone keeps saying now you are at 7. The man is over his head, and i don’t care if it take s 2 more coaches to get the one that works, just get him in here! And don’t be too surprised if the next coach is Davidson, remember back to 84 when the Browns were 1-7, Marty took over finished 4-4 and within 2 years they were title contenders!
Personally, I’m tired of our always having to start over and make excuses for not even being average. We deserve better than finding ourselves the butt of jokes, especially when only a few years ago we were perennially in the playoffs. I don’t think we should run and fire Romeo, but we shouldn’t accept the lame excuses and the culture of evasive answers proffered by the Browns organization. Romeo needs to win and demonstrate that we can compete, and if he can’t do that I’m sure that we’ll find someone else.
it has gotten so bad the “women” beat writer for the ft. worth paper has now compared the browns to the arizona cardinals! can it get any worse than that?
Ok guys let me get this straight.
Romeo inherited a disaster from Frakenbutch. Where all the current players did not know how to win.
This is his 21st game where he has installed a 3-4 defense, an entirely different scheme from a 4-3. He has been forced to start his 4th and 5th string corners, his pro bowl center goes down for the year, he has a rookie Qb, its the first time Frye, Winslow, Edwards, and Joe are the field together, the teams the Browns have lost to have a combined record of 22-9, and you think he should be fired. Patience.
I know we have waited a long time, but lets stop believing in the OIC (Only in Cleveland) syndrome and not esculate every setback times 6. This team has talent, it is just going to take time. Some teams can turn it around right away, but it is pretty tough to do so considering the injuries we have sustained.
Romeo must stay, he is a proven winner, with Phil Savage and Romeo they will take this team places, but not overnight.
Hold up, I don’t care what the needs are. If Troy Smith is there when I pick, consider it a done deal. Sorry Charlie, but you can’t pass on a guy like that. Now in rounds 2-7, I would focus on linemen. Every year there are cornerbacks in free agency. Last year, we had a choice of Gary Baxter, or Ty Law. Ty Law was available this off season too. So was Charles Woodson. In the last 3 drafts, we’ve selected DB’s. So now, the Browns must focus on the trenches. Why did they get rid of Faine? Couldn’t they converted him to guard? This organization was so ready to send him packing, once they signed Bentley. They showed no interest in Kyle Turley. They passed on guys like Rodrique Wright and Mike Kudla, to pick guys like Demario Minter, Lawrence Vickers, and Babatunde Oshinowo. They showed no interest in Max Jean Giles. They could’ve used this draft to bolster up the line.
No women beatwriters….They just don’t have the understanding