Cleveland Browns: Mike Pettine, Ray Farmer On The Hot Seat

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam may be a liar, even if he doesn’t know it.

That statement has nothing to do with what Mr. Haslam may or may not have known about the scandal that involved his company Pilot Flying J. It does not, unlike most things that deal with the Browns these days, at all involve second-year quarterback Johnny Manziel. Haslam made headlines this past Saturday (August 1) when he told members of the local press that he would not “blow things up” within the Cleveland front office this coming winter even if the Browns were to have yet another lackluster campaign.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: Who Are The Best Running Backs Ever?

More from Cleveland Browns

Liar.

Turnover on the sidelines and in the front office, summer quarterback competitions and controversies, and lake effect snow. All three have become mainstays of living in Cleveland, and there is no reason to believe that the trend is disappearing over that massive body of water and over to Canada anytime soon. By reading in-between the lines, one could easily surmise that what Haslam was actually saying was something along the lines of: “You guys do not need to be looking for new homes, but you should also make sure your LinkedIn profiles are constantly updated.”

It is understandable that Haslam would have his doubts about the latest crop of individuals being tasked with turning a franchise that has won nothing of merit since rejoining the National Football League in 1999 into a winner. Neither Mike Pettine nor Ray Farmer have proven themselves capable of completing that task. Neither man have positively overwhelmed insiders and supposed brilliant football minds. A 7-9 overall record may be impressive as it pertains to the Browns, but better marks have gotten other head coaches and other general managers fired.

The job security of Pettine is a subject that is very much so up in the air with the team’s first preseason contest of 2015 looming ahead. A career defensive coach who is now leading a coaching room for the first time in the NFL, Pettine has won over the hearts and minds of some Browns fans with his no-nonsense attitude that he has displayed in press conferences and with his demeanor during games. That is all well and good, but it does not erase the reality that the Browns dropped the team’s final five contests en route to finishing 7-9.

Those types of poor runs get NFL head coaches fired. Browns fans saw it with the likes of Eric Mangini and Pat Shurmur. Why would Pettine be any different? Because he has picked up the name “Blunt Force Trauma” over the years? Because he is supposedly some great defensive coach who is ideal to lead a team that plays home games in northeast Ohio in November and December against fellow AFC North opponents? Because he has become a darling among some within the local media?

Please.

All would do well to remember that Pettine was not only not the first or second choice of those running the Browns back in the winter of 2014. He was never hired by the team’s current head of making such decisions. Farmer and Pettine were brought together in an arranged marriage after — and you have to appreciate the irony about the situation — Haslam blew up the front office that offseason. What Haslam says in August and what he does in February may not resemble each other depending on what takes place with the Browns between now and January 1.

Farmer’s future status with the Browns is also a question mark during the dog days of summer. The general manager has put together what has been lauded has a solid roster foundation in a pair of offseasons. Both of his draft classes received passing grades immediately after those selection processes concluded, and Farmer is widely regarded as being one of the bright up-and-coming general managers currently working for a NFL franchise. The sky is the limit for Farmer, yes?

Not exactly. Not even a little bit.

Teams that squander first-round draft picks struggle to turn things around, and nobody can say with any certainty what the Browns will get out of the first-round selections Farmer has made during his tenure with the club. Cornerback Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel both failed to meet expectations during their rookie campaigns in the NFL. The artist formerly known as Johnny Football may need to sit out another season in order to be ready to lead a pro offense, assuming that day will eventually come. Neither Danny Shelton nor Cameron Erving have played a NFL down, so they are unknowns.

Then, there is the whole “Textgate” story. Farmer sending messages to coaches via mobile devices during games is, on its own, not that big of a story. Odds are he is not the only general manager in the NFL taking part in such activities. The team’s general manager being suspended for the first one-fourth of the 2015 regular season was, however, the latest embarrassing fiasco to hover over the owner of the Browns. That list, for those of you who have been keeping track, has gotten longer and longer since Haslam completed the transaction that landed him the “Mistake By The Lake.”

Billionaires do not like to be embarrassed. Those instances are rare occurrences for such powerful men who have gotten accustomed to things more often than not going their way. Imagine a believable scenario that involves the Browns spiraling out of control this fall, Cleveland finishing dead last in the AFC North standings (big shock) and Manziel being labeled a bust who is cut by the Browns and quite possibly even out of the league when 2016 free agency opens up.

Why, in what is currently a fictional world, would Haslam choose to keep the band together for another run?

There is something to be said for any sports franchise preaching front office stability. The New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers are model clubs in part because both have preached stability. Those two franchises also happen to have others things in common: Success and Super Bowl titles. Haslam’s Browns haven’t even been worthy of watching a championship from the cheap seats since he took over in 2012. He will do whatever it takes to change that, even if doing so means Haslam pulling the pin out of a grenade earlier than originally planned.

Next: Johnny Manziel Can't Win

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Cleveland Browns