The Cleveland Browns’ 2015 season is lost, but we’re still talking about it because they’re the Browns. This is an email conversation between Michael Bode and me regarding the Browns and some of the “hot topics” that are currently chasing the team through the media. First up, we discuss if the Browns should fire Ray Farmer.
Craig: Ray Farmer started the year suspended because he broke the texting rules, sending communques to the Cleveland Browns sideline. That was supposed to be the punchline for the year after he had such a “smart” draft grabbing Danny Shelton, Cam Erving, Nate Orchard, and Duke Johnson. As the team fails miserably on the field, it’s served to “expose” the GM and every bad move he made, from Dwayne Bowe to waiting so long to trade Terrance West and nail down his running back starters. As we head toward the bye week I feel like the story isn’t over yet, but there’s no doubt with each extra week of losing added to the list, the talk gets louder and louder for changes in the Browns’ front office. I’m not completely on a side yet. Do you have a firm position yet, or is it still wait-and-see mode for you with regard to Ray Farmer?
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Michael: Ray Farmer is a hard case for me. Unlike Mike Pettine, he does not “win” the press conference, which is an important litmus test for me. Being able to intelligently discuss past decisions and the rationale behind them should be rather simple if they are based on sound decision-making. Explain the rationale, explain why it did not work or has not yet worked, and move on. Also, texting the sidelines during the game and the general mixed roles between Alec Scheiner, Ray Farmer, and the coaching staff leaves me uneasy. Running a NFL organization is difficult enough when people are completely focused on their individual roles.
But as you brought up, his drafts have initially been lauded, including by myself. It is difficult for me to sit and crush someone in hindsight when I wrote a pre-draft blueprint and the Browns fell well within its framework. Danny Shelton has not yet been Haloti Ngata, but he has not been the problem on defense either. Cameron Erving was an insurance pick against Alex Mack leaving. It was going to be tough for him to crack the offensive line starting unit especially when the Browns made him learn all of the positions rather than have him compete straight-up with John Greco (who has played well). The 2014 Browns draft obviously is looking pretty terrible in hindsight, but, again, I was a fan of Justin Gilbert, Johnny Manziel, and especially Joel Bitonio (hey, he is working out) coming out of that draft too. Sure, we’d all love to have Odell Beckham Jr., but he was a huge injury risk at the time.
Sorry, I ramble; it’s a tough question. I completely understand why people are upset and want Ray Farmer gone, and his press conference this week certainly did him no favors. But I also see some glimmers of hope in the process, especially if everyone just sticks to their own freaking jobs.
Craig: That’s such a big part of the equation for me. The job is to have a process — one of continuous improvement — and to try and evaluate yourself and your team and do the best you can to not repeat mistakes. The Browns seem to keep hiring inexperienced people and then fire them before they can learn from their mistakes. When they do have someone good or at least competent like I think Tom Heckert was, someone else gets out of their lane like Mike Holmgren and orchestrates a ludicrous trade-up for Trent Richardson.
That’s another part of the problem in Berea. We have no idea about their process. Just like I assume the entire Richardson/Weeden draft was Holmgren’s fault, I think Farmer deferred to Mike Pettine and Jimmy Haslam for Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel. I’ve also heard some say with legitimacy that Manziel was the only player left on their board with a first-round grade when they selected him. It’s just too easy to use hindsight to say that Bridgewater and Derek Carr were better players.
Ultimately though, all that stuff is just distractions. Jimmy Haslam has to decide if he can continue forward trusting Ray Farmer with the future of the Cleveland Browns. How much of his decision comes down to the fact that he’s already looked like the world’s most impetuous owner the way he fired Banner, Lombardi, and Chud.
Michael: To me, it is even bigger than that. What is the vision? Who is the visionary? For all of the faults of Al and Randy Lerner, they at least attempted to find football men of high regard to place their stamp on the organization. Carmen Policy, Butch Davis, and Mike Holmgren all had significant faults, but the idea from the owner was since they were not football men, they would find football men to structure the entire organization.
What do we have now? If Jimmy Haslam is the one with the vision, then he sure hasn’t spelled it out to any degree. Alec Scheiner? Hey, I have no issue with young guys and putting their stamp down. Some of the best companies in the world were started with relative young minds changing the direction of what people thought was possible. But it has to be done with full support from the owner and cleanly and, most importantly, quickly upon taking the reins. Otherwise, dissension will be there. And, I haven’t seen signs he has done so.
If you look at the best football organizations out there, you will see distinct leadership, distinct roles, and significant processes to ensure everything works together. We keep replacing the faulty sprockets when the motor is spinning out of control. How can we expect the next sprocket to do any better?
And don’t forget Haslam fired the Holmgren regime when he took over as well. And he fired Banner and Lombardi only after hiring Mike Pettine in an interview process not exactly known to be smoothly run. Not only has he looked like an impetuous owner, but he’s looked like a fool in the process (with the FBI investigation into Pilot Flying J lending an assist).
So right now, I guess I am leaning towards keeping Ray Farmer for another offseason and year, but I really don’t think it matters unless we first fix the bigger issues with the team.
Craig: Like most things with the Browns, one question leads to 100 more. Also, it’s hard for a GM to make a difference in-season. Mostly, I just think the Browns need to make an attempt at stability. Assuming Farmer has a vision for the future and it isn’t completely ridiculous you need to ride it out with him for another year.
As always I reserve the right to change my mind with additional evidence.
Now is your turn in the comments. Should the Browns fire Ray Farmer?
(In case you missed it, Craig discussed much of this on the WFNY Podcast.)
