Randy Lerner can’t afford to get it wrong again
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Randy Lerner should save some time and name Shaun Rogers general manager and Joshua Cribbs coach. Before his time’s done, the Browns owner will have tried every other conceivable combination to fix a franchise that looks more screwed up by the week.
Lerner embarked on his latest restructuring of the organization last week when first-year general manager George Kokinis was relieved of his duties. Lerner, for some unknown reason, believed Kokinis would develop into a commanding executive that would guide the organization.
After less than 10 months, Lerner concluded he had been mistaken. And so it begins again.
This time, Lerner seeks a strong, credible, experienced executive to run the football operations. This person would be responsible for hiring a general manager and assessing the performance of coach Eric Mangini.
Lerner’s a little late. He should’ve put this structure in place in January.
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After he fired GM Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennel at the end of last season, many people suggested Lerner find a top football man, turn over control and let him hire the GM and coach. It would’ve saved Kokinis a year of embarrassment, Lerner a lot of time and money and Browns fans another season of frustration.
Lerner is a thoughtful man who cares deeply about the Browns and wants to win desperately. He just doesn’t know how to do it.
He’s been a step behind since Butch Davis was sent packing in 2004, and each move has been reactive, not proactive.
Lerner determined, rightly so, that Davis wasn’t a good talent evaluator and had lost the trust of his players. So he went after Savage to pick the players and Crennel to re-establish trust in the locker room. They met those expectations, but fell short elsewhere.
When Savage sent a nasty e-mail to a fan and got into a war of words with Kellen Winslow over his staph infection, he was gone. Crennel’s losing ways and country-club atmosphere led to his departure.
So Lerner rushed to hire the disciplined, driven, prepared Mangini and gave him near-total control, including picking his boss, Kokinis. Eight games into the experiment, Lerner is reacting to the lack of a top football executive and no check on Mangini’s power.
Lerner is right this time. The best organizations have a strong decision-maker overseeing a talent evaluator/procurer and an authoritative coach.
But Lerner can’t put all his focus on the structure. People make successful organizations and win football games. Lerner needs to do his due diligence, then hire the right people.
Bernie Kosar doesn’t make that list.
The former Browns quarterback has taken on a consultant’s role and advised Lerner before, during and after the Kokinis dismissal. Kosar has always been a fan favorite and has a strong football mind, but he’s not qualified to run an NFL team, be a GM or have significant influence on the owner.
Not only does Kosar have no NFL front-office or scouting experience, he recently declared bankruptcy and has had some issues in his personal life. Both are red flags for an organization desperate for stability and solid decision-making.
Left tackle Joe Thomas and running back Jamal Lewis said last week that the decade of losing isn’t from a lack of stability within the organization, rather it’s a result of the losing. But if Lerner had a more solid process for hiring and used better judgment at the end of it, he would be less likely to change course at the earliest signs of trouble.
Once again, Lerner is faced with the daunting challenge of finding the right guy to rescue his franchise. With no history of making the correct move, it will take a little luck.
He should start by looking for a resume of results. Mike Holmgren, Ernie Accorsi, Rich McKay and Ron Wolf have all been mentioned as possibilities, and each has a Super Bowl pedigree.
Lerner must pick the one he feels is most committed to returning the Browns to glory, pay him a king’s ransom and then leave him alone.
It’s his only chance to stop the madness. And the losing.
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.
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