I was in town for a few minutes recently and tuned in am 850. This guy is talking about Jimmy Haslam having said he's going to "blow it up", or something.
This commentator took this to mean that the very first thing Haslam would do would be to fire everybody, including Tom Heckert.
Then, I read another comumnist who had Heckert on his way out because of "conflicting" reports about his relationship with Joe Banner, who could well be replacing Mike Holmgren.
That's how I came up with the title for this blog entry. That's about how a lot of these people think Haslam and Banner think.
Look, I really think you guys watch too many of these reality shows which have nothing to do with reality. You know, the ones in which people are constantly backstabbing eachother and having huge fights?
It's not real, guys! The participants just want to make sure they stay on the air, so they've got to act like a bunch of idiots! Real people don't act like that, except maybe in certain prisons, mental institutions, and trailer parks.
And especially not at the level of managing a football franchise! This type of person is weeded out early in his carreer, you see? If Joe Banner acted like that, he'd be working for Tom Heckert!
It is certainly possible that Banner will show Heckert the door--as insane as that sounds. But he won't do it because they had an argument one time, or Heckert once forgot to return Banner's executive restroom key or whatever! Are you kidding me?
Banner won't fire Heckert unless he sincerely believes he has somebody who will be even better than him lined up. I personally doubt this, because as many as twelve starters will be players that he drafted. Several key contributors will be low round draft picks, and maybe even undrafteds.
Demanding eight or more wins of a team this young, notably inexperienced at quarterback, in this division with this schedule is unreasonable for 2012. I don't believe the bar will be set that high.
It's true that the organization isn't big enough for both Holmgren and Banner. But Holmy has a guaranteed contract, and if he doesn't want to take a buy-out, he could stick around in some other capacity--like helping to develop the quarterbacks--coaching without all the headaches. Or not. Either way, this is a business move, because Banner is excellent.
Shurmer is certainly on the bubble, but I'm pretty sure that the new front office will keep an open mind and see how the team performs before they fire him and cause yet still more disruption, just as the young players are mastering their systems.
Haslam isn't Lerner, either. He's been in the Steelers culture, he's going for an informal seminar with Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots. He's smart, and hands-on, and won't allow any kneejerk stupid moves.
As a trucker, I know Pilot and Flying J. I witnessed that merger, and the changes that were made. Flying J used to have in-house restauraunts with buffets. Now they have Denny's franchises leasing space instead.
They still have delis at the counters with chicken wings, eggrolls, burritos, salads etc. Still have Pizza kiosks. Still have most of the good stuff that Flying J's always had, which make them unique.
Are you getting this? Haslam didn't turn Flying J into Pilot. He made minor changes here and there, but KEPT the best parts of Flying J! In other words, he's not a stupid, impulsive child. I believe Tom Heckert will stick around.
The Browns were 4-12 in a strike-shortened season with new offensive and defensive systems and a bunch of rookies. But, thanks to Heckert, they're just now, three years after he started, completing the overhaul of the whole offense, and continue to improve an already good defense.
Unlike many fans, Haslam will recognize this--and so will Banner. Beyond getting rid of the buffet, he might not do much, provided the team shows real improvement this season. As it WILL.
I even had a thought about Holmgren as Head Coach, but doubt it. I think he's done with that. But he IS under contract......
One thing I think I see that I like: McCoy is getting most of the reps after Weeden. I strongly suspect that Banner has already suggested that Wallace is much older, costs around four times as much, and has zero upside, so....
I mean that whole Wallace over McCoy thing is irrational. McCoy doesn't have the strong arm, but can move a team up and down a field. He already has more real-game experience than Wallace. Nobody would trade much for him...
I mean, I heard rumors of the Packers trading a bag of chips or something for him. It probably wasn't true, but I wouldn't doubt it. The Packers are SMART.
And there is no controversy. McCoy is a pro, and has to see that Weeden makes some throws that he can't. He's doing well in practice, but not better than the first-round draft pick. If he were, there might be an issue, but there is none. The Weeden era is a foregone conclusion, and Colt wants to stick around anyway.
So keep him. He might not be a franchise quarterback, but could be one of the best backups in the NFL.
I've recently learned more about this offense from Josh Gordon in an interview. he said that the slot reciever here needed to block more than in other schemes. I hadn't known that! No doubt they aim him at a safety or linebacker in screens and runs.
This is why Greg Little goes to the slot in 3-wides (so far). The amazing part, to me, is that Gordon continues to cement his hold on the outside--and it's often the X-slot, on the quarterback's left side! That's the number ONE slot! I'm shocked that he was able to learn enough to do this this quickly!
Of course, this offense will often use two tight ends, and sometimes two running backs. The top two wide recievers could remain MoMass and Little, for now. The formation featuring Gordon is specialized, and Gordon doesn't need the full range of reads, etc. to master it.
But then, that's really smart coaching. Let the kid focus on one package, and progress from there.
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