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Cleveland Browns: Johnny Manziel, Lack of Options Help Mike Pettine’s Case

By Peter Smith

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With a week until Black Monday, the Cleveland Browns and specifically owner Jimmy Haslam are going to have to make a number of difficult decisions.

From the head coach to the general manager to the structure of the organization as a whole, Haslam has to judge himself as much as he does the team and his options may be limited by his own actions.

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At 3-12 and having lost 17 of their last 20, most believe that Mike Pettine’s fate is sealed and the Browns will fire him. And while the argument against him is an easy one to make, Pettine has a far better chance at keeping the job than most want to realize.

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The first problem for the Browns is just how unattractive the job is. 7 candidates turned down the job before Pettine took it the last time around and the situation is even worse now.

Haslam fired Rob Chudzinski after just 1 season and would be firing Pettine after 2, 4 months after saying he wouldn’t, but that is not even close to the biggest problem for Haslam.

Haslam handpicked Pettine’s quarterback for him in Johnny Manziel. Pettine, then offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and the scouting department did not want Manziel, but Haslam pressured Ray Farmer to take him and Farmer accommodated his boss.

Manziel is Haslam’s biggest problem. The apple of Haslam’s eye, Manziel threw away his rookie year due to substance abuse and while he has progressed in his second, no qualified head coaching candidate is going to bet their career on Manziel as their quarterback.

Even in the event coaches are willing to bet on Manziel’s progress (albeit limited) and his upside, the off field baggage is simply too much to bear.

After throwing away his rookie year, Manziel’s very public battle with addiction continues. With the diligence of a documentary filmmaker, seemingly every time Manziel slips up, he records video of it and it ends up on the internet, including one popping up the same day he had a historically performance on the field.

If Haslam is intent on Manziel being his quarterback, his options at head coach are virtually nonexistent. Reenter Mike Pettine, the coach who did not pick him, but appears to be Manziel’s best hope to remain a starting quarterback.

In addition to all of the bad reasons the Browns might keep Pettine, there are some good ones. For all of the defensive issues on the team, Pettine has good taste in offensive coaches.

In his first year, the Browns didn’t let Pettine pick his own offensive staff. They gave him Kyle Shanahan when he wanted John DeFillipo. Shanahan would go onto quit before he was fired while Pettine’s choice looks to have an incredibly bright future. The hope is that future is with Cleveland.

With Flip came Kevin O’Connell, the quarterbacks coach that has been Manziel’s most trusted confidant in Berea. The two had a relationship previously as O’Connell worked with Manziel in his draft prep, but some in Berea think he’s a star and not just quarterbacks.

Those two coaches are major reasons why Manziel is fighting for stability and keeping this staff in place. The past few weeks, Manziel has been among a handful of players fighting for Pettine and company to keep their jobs. He’s even gone as far as throwing himself on his sword for Pettine in regards to benching him for lying to the team.

The cynical view of this is that Manziel is aware as anyone that Pettine is his best hope for his career, whether he likes him or not. A new coach would mean Manziel would be learning his third new offense in three years and that coach may want their own quarterback. If Manziel sees this, it is difficult to imagine Haslam does not.

Dec 27, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Beyond Manziel, there is a lot of potential value in Flip now and down the road. He is still learning how to be an offensive coordinator and this is only the second year in his career calling plays. His first was in 2011 at San Jose State. The idea of making him the head coach might sound attractive but he simply not ready for it right now. Down the road, perhaps, but he’s not there yet.

Nevertheless, while the Browns may want to guide Flip’s development and hope he can eventually become ready for the job within their organization, they have to be concerned with the here and now.

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Assuming Pettine remains the head coach, the Browns do have an option to improve the situation while keeping overall structure intact. The Browns have to replace Jim O’Neil, the team’s woefully illequipped defensive coordinator, which gives them an opportunity.

The Browns can look like a team opting for stability, keeping with Haslam’s word, while making a significant change by adding a defensive coordinator that is capable of taking over at head coach in event Pettine cannot.

One good example is Jim Schwartz, who is uniquely equipped to deal with losing culture and was the right man for the job after the Detroit Lions went 0-16. Schwartz was not the man to get them to be a contender, but he got them to be an 8-8 team in short order.

Schwartz’s competence on defense, his attitude as a coach combined with his experience as a head coach might make him perfect for such a job. Much in the way they hired Ray Horton a few years ago to a substantial contract for a coordinator, they could do the same with Schwartz while telling him that if Pettine cannot do it, he is the next man up for the job.

Dec 14, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on the field before a game against the Green Bay Packers at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Schwartz is one example, but if Chuck Pagano is fired in Indianapolis, he is another one, assuming the Browns could lure him to take the job. They could have some options that could really help Pettine’s defense and give them insurance at the head coaching spot, all while giving Flip the ability to keep developing and perhaps become the man down the road.

Pettine gets to keep his job, gets more expertise, a better communicator and teacher in the building for the defense and hopefully a melding of defensive philosophies that produces better results than the Browns have gotten. The Browns then have three potential head coaching options in house while ostensibly not blowing up the regime as Haslam promised.

They can do all of this while getting a better handle on the front office. Currently, the Browns’ head coach and general manager are on even footing under owner Jimmy Haslam. Additionally, Haslam has the Vice President of Business Operations, Alec Scheiner, as his appointed lackey with the power to do just about anything he wants.

Dec 20, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) get away a pass as he is tackled Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin (51) during a game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

They either need to put the general manager over the head coach or hire another executive purely to oversee the football operations, where the general manager and head coach answer to him. Hiring someone to head football ops would require first getting Scheiner out of them or removing him from the team completely.

That executive would then be able to conduct an audit of the team, evaluating the football operation and understanding where they are now where they should be – essentially, figuring out why they are not all united in working towards winning and how they get there. That person could then evaluate the front office staff, the coaching staff and decide what changes need to be made.

All of this is in an effort after a simple goal – make the Browns a well-run organization. And from there, the type of organization that excellent candidates would want to work, so they can escape the basement of the NFL and become a contender. Haslam and Scheiner can’t, so they need someone who can.

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For the 2016 season, the Browns appear to be forced into trying to make the best of a bad situation. The hope for the Browns is that Haslam uses this combined with the last coaching search to realize he’s a huge reason for why the Browns are the disgrace they are. If he can do that, the future might be brighter. If not, at least there’s the Cavs.

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