Cleveland Browns General Discussion Thread II (Offtopic)

[letsgobrownies7]

Love it

[Melo15]

Apparently there are still rumors circling about Banner bringing in Mike Lombardi

http://espncleveland.com/common/more...9&post_id=9031

If we replace Heckert with Lombardi I'll be absolutely livid.

[bmxrider9]

If the Browns beat KC.....and get a win vs. Wash/Den/or Pitt....do you think 6-10 is enough PROGRESS for Shurmur to save his job? I think if we win 3 of the next 4 there is no question he is the coach next year (not sure how I feel about that). I really do feel he is a hinderance to the offense and one of the worst in game coaches in the NFL, but there is no arguing the guys play hard for him. There is something to say about having continuity as well.

With all that said, I would like a new head coach but he needs to be told Dick Jauron is your coordinator and you are not touching the defense.

[Melo15]

I'm pretty sure that Haslam and Banner said that record would not dictate whether or not Shurmur was retained next year. I'd imagine that they have seen enough of his ineptitude this year and recognize he is not a coach that can lead us far enough in the right direction for continued success. At least that's my hope.

[ottograham14]

Mike Lombardi & high profile major college coach in... said on air during nationally syndicated show "Football Insider" on 92.3 The Fan this morning at 6am.

"Hearing from alot of sources that if Lombardi doesn't already have a deal in place, he will have one soon." (Paraphrasing)

Hub Arkush (PFW): Heckert & Shurmur Out...

This was from December 1st the other day so I guess the Lombardi rumors are not going away. Hopefully it is not in the GM position but instead in an executive role with Banner.

Also with the major college coach you would have to think it would be one of Saban, Kelly or David Shaw as there really isn't any other high profile name out there getting looks at NFL teams you would have to believe. I think if it was Lombardi being brought in then it would probably be Saban (SMFH) too since they have history together and that they even if Lombardi is the GM then Saban would have a lot of say in what happens with the personel of the team. I DO NOT WANT TO GO BACK TO THE 3 F'ING 4 DEFENSE.

[ottograham14]

No love for Lombardi from Grossi.

Political campaigns: Leaving Shurmur aside for a few games, we feel it’s time to address a rumor that was planted in August and fertilized over the weekend when CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason LaConfora floated the name of Mike Lombardi as a possible candidate for Browns GM.

To which I exclaim, "Great Caesar's Ghost!"

Apparently, the rumor is rooted in the hazy belief that Banner hired Lombardi in Philadelphia in 1997 as a “consultant” to owner Jeffrey Lurie and then “promoted” him to director of pro personnel in 1998. When Andy Reid arrived as Eagles coach and chief football executive in 1999, Lombardi exited through the back door – like other times before in his peripatetic NFL career.

Full disclosure: Lombardi and I didn’t get along in the nine years he worked for the Art Modell Browns (1987-95), the last five of which Lombardi was miscast in the role of Bill Belichick’s top player personnel assistant.

Two things about Lombardi’s experience with Belichick:

1. Belichick’s five Browns drafts, to which Lombardi contributed, were horrible – absolutely horrible.

2. While Belichick has been kind to Lombardi during Lombardi’s second career as media “insider” with NFL Network, granting him rare, private access and exclusive one-on-one interviews, Belichick has never thought highly enough of Lombardi to hire him with the Patriots. It is interesting that of all Belichick’s “slappies” depicted in the Browns ’95: A Football Life documentary, Lombardi was fairly glossed over.

Lombardi was a recruiting coordinator at Nevada-Las Vegas before entering the NFL in 1984 under Bill Walsh in San Francisco. Lombardi’s apparent claim to fame was “discovering” pass rusher Charles Haley at tiny James Madison University.

Legend has it that Lombardi put Haley through “the box” – the short, portable, agility testing device that was in vogue among NFL personnel scouts in the 1980s. The 49ers made Haley a fourth-round pick in 1986 based on Lombardi’s data. Lombardi then benefitted from Haley’s success as a sack specialist on five Super Bowl-winning teams.

After Belichick and Lombardi were fired by Modell after the 1995 season, Lombardi bounced from the Rams to the Eagles to the Raiders and to the Broncos, as an unpaid personnel consultant.

In San Francisco, Walsh had Lombardi’s office belongings packed in a cardboard box on his way out. In Oakland, Al Davis fired him after the 2007 season. That’s two big-time Hall of Famers who kicked Lombardi out the door.

Eventually, Lombardi found his true calling in the media as an “insider,” at which he truly excels. Lombardi always impressed employers initially with his encyclopedic memory and ability to recall statistics and personnel reports written by others. Perhaps this is what impressed Banner in Philadelphia.

http://espncleveland.com/common/more...7&post_id=7081

[Melo15]

Yeah, you can still he's just as pissed about these rumors as we are

[letsgobrownies7]

Lombardi and Grossi have never got along.

[Stonevision]

I'm not a fan of the guy. Just have this sick to my stomach feeling that he'll destroy the momentum that Heckert has made the last 3 years. The Browns aren't far off. We can all see the results on the field this season as the players are progressing right before our eyes.

All of the positives going on in the past 5 or 6 months with the ownership change, the emergence of the rookies, and the dominance of the defense would be all for not if they bring this weasel in to wreck everything.

[Melo15]

Completely agree. I'm praying this does not happen.

[letsgobrownies7]

I don't care what happens. Jimmy makes me feel like he will do whatever it takes to win.

[carlessyen]

Kevin Jones to the Cavs oh ya the curse ends soon as he hits the floor...

[letsgobrownies7]

[ottograham14]

@JasonPinkstonOL: Pretty big doctors apt in the am to learn more about my future ��

Hopefully everything turns out for this kid. Put a lot of work in during the offseason to have something like this happen.

[ottograham14]

Weeden needs 180 yards to reach 3000 for the year
Richardson needs 133 yards to reach 1000 for the year
Gordon needs 354 yards to reach 1000 for the year

Interesting little tidbit I thought I would share. I can see Weeds and Rich easily hitting their marks and if they do that then they would be the first rookie QB and RB to go for 3,000 and 1,000. RG3 I believe is around 400 yards away from 3,000 so he and Morris will probably do it for the Redskins as well in the same year. Also if Gordon goes nuts in the final 4 I don't think there has ever been a QB, RB and WR that are all rookies that have hit the above marks for the same team.