CEO Joe Banner and GM Michael Lombardi leave Cleveland Browns in a shocker

[bamaraider]

God I feel bad for these fans.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...-lombardi-leave-cleveland-150807295--nfl.html

The Cleveland Browns' offseason seemed to settle down with the hiring of head coach Mike Pettine. But it's the Browns, and it's never calm with them.
CEO Joe Banner will step down and general manager Mike Lombardi will leave the organization, according to published reports including the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Ray Farmer, formerly the team's assistant general manager, will be promoted to general manager. Farmer passed up Miami's general manager job last month to stay in Cleveland, but insisted to the Plain Dealer he wasn't promised a promotion to stay. That claim appears dubious given the most recent developments.
Here is part of owner Jimmy Haslam's statement, via the team's web site:
"We simply wanted to give Ray this opportunity that he’s earned," Haslam said. "We wanted to move forward under his leadership and capabilities."
Haslam also said Farmer "embraces his partnership with Mike Pettine, which is critical in helping build the right team," which seems to mean that Banner and Lombardi didn't.
Even if Farmer is deserving of the job, to be clear, losing the two top people in the front office a week before the scouting combine is not good.
The Browns, who have the fourth and 26th picks in the first round, have had little continuity in the organization since re-entering the NFL in 1999. They are headed into a huge offseason, with seven picks in the first four rounds of the draft and about $46 million in cap room. Having a massive front office shakeup now, more than a month after the season, is a shocking development. Maybe it turns out well – Banner and Lombardi weren't exactly the most popular people in Cleveland – but it's still unusual at this point in the offseason.
That this happened in Cleveland makes it sad but unfortunately less surprising. The Browns are one of the worst-run organizations in the league, and the fans deserve better. No wonder the Browns had such a tough time finding a coach who would take their job.
The group of Banner, Lombardi and owner Jimmy Haslam were mocked at a press conference as the "Three Stooges" after they fired coach Rob Chudzinski after just one season. Two of them have left the building. Goodness knows what the third one will do next.

 

[bamaraider]

You know, I say this is a bad move...I really haven't followed Cleveland's management much, but I know these two guys had some off-field troubles with the FBI and junk, so this could turn out well for them.

 

[planomateo]

Still shaking my head that they fired their HC after a season. Browns fans have to be a bit relieved that Lombardi left, still not sure why he was hired back based on his previous employment at the Browns. They've made some really bad decisions in the draft. I know several TAMU fans that don't want Manziel going there.

 

[planomateo]

Peter King just wrote about this.

56 coaches in 17 months...what a line!

In Haslam’s 17-month tenure, the team has employed 56 coaches. To call the Browns a circus would be an insult to circuses.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Jimmy Haslam to <a href="https://twitter.com/SI_PeterKing">@SI_PeterKing</a>: &quot;There's no training manual for being an NFL owner.&quot; <a href="http://t.co/uww10rykh3">http://t.co/uww10rykh3</a></p>&mdash; The MMQB (@theMMQB) <a href="https://twitter.com/theMMQB/statuses/433496699483336704">February 12, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[TerryP]

We can see the disfunction that's happening within the front offices of this franchise, right? And there were people who suggested, more than just causally, that Saban was headed there? In fact, specifically linked to Lombardi...

 

[bama alum]

Bomani Jones went off a bit yesterday on Around the Horn (no school and a bit bored, all right? ) about Ray Farmer and Miami. He said that Farmer had flown to Miami to interview for the general manager's position there, saw what was going on in Miami, and came back...to this?? Regarding the NFL, is Miami a worse place to be than Cleveland?? :crazy: