Browns may be interested in former Seahawks GM
Tony Grossi of the PD is reporting that the Browns may have interest in former Seattle GM Tim Ruskell who resigned last week after five seasons with the team. He presided over three playoff appearences with the Seahawks before injuries to Matt Hasselbeck led them to a 4-12 record last season and a poor start this year.
He previously worked with Rich McKay in Atlanta and was interviewed by Lerner for the Browns' GM position in 2005 before taking the Seattle job, which led to Lerner hiring Phil Savage. A source said that Lerner had a very high opinion of Ruskell, and that Ruskell wouldn't necessarily want to bring in a new coach if hired so Mangini might be able to keep his job.
7 months ago
Buckeye Brad
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Interesting. Sounds like it might be good news for Mangini if it were to come to fruition….
"Everybody loves progress but not a lot of people love change." - E. Mangini, 12/11/2009
by RelapsingDawgCatcher on Dec 13, 2009 11:52 PM EST reply actions
and that sounds like good news for the browns in general imo
The sporting gods hate Cleveland, they give us false hopes, then yank it out from under us like a tablecloth.
by North Coast Flea on Dec 14, 2009 12:59 AM EST up reply actions
‘Tis true. Another rumor is just that. Doesn’t hurt to kick it around a bit here though, does it?
"Everybody loves progress but not a lot of people love change." - E. Mangini, 12/11/2009
by RelapsingDawgCatcher on Dec 14, 2009 1:41 PM EST up reply actions
I dont want some flunkie from Seattle! The success he had could be attributed to Holmgren….say it aint so…
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
Actually, the Seahawks were only mildly successful when Holmgren was both GM and head coach but they improved when Ruskell was brought in as GM, including a trip to the Super Bowl. So I don’t think it’s fair to attribute all their success to Holmgren.
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 9:16 AM EST up reply actions
Agree. I just don’t want a ‘big name’ because it’s a big name. While I like Holmgren it’s not like he’s Parcells or anything. I have questions about Holmgren, and it seems his problems and descent into relative mediocrity coincided with his taking on both the coaching and GM duties. Now I’m not saying he was ever gonna do both here…but it’s something to be noted.
by johnnyphoenix on Dec 14, 2009 3:40 PM EST up reply actions
i think my problem with this is simply that we’ve been hearing all of this talk about bringing in a big name, big gun GM; this guy would be a bit of a letdown, if only initially. i’m set on someone legendary.
That’s what I mean….we need a top name…and the seahawks stink, we could beat them…and he built that.
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 14, 2009 11:01 AM EST up reply actions
We don’t need a “top name”. We need someone with experience, but we may not get a big name like everyone wants. That doesn’t mean this guy wouldn’t do a good job just because he’s not a big-time name who everyone knows. There are plenty of personnel guys in the NFL who aren’t big names but do a great job.
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 11:50 AM EST up reply actions
Also, he helped the Seahawks become a Super Bowl team. As I said above, they were bad last year because they lost their QB and many of their star players were getting old.
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 11:53 AM EST up reply actions
And what about this year? He put that together didnt he? If we get someone with a short track record then once again Lerner fails. Savage was not a top name, Koko was not a top name, what did they do?
One site gives Rustkill a c+ on his 2009 draft and adds the “lack of direction is troubling” to be fair same site gave Cle a B-.
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 14, 2009 1:14 PM EST up reply actions
Oh, a website gave his draft grade a C+. Then he can’t possibly be any good if a guy writing a website criticized his draft. Let’s hire the guy who wrote that website!
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 1:23 PM EST up reply actions
Very subtle there BB. :)
"Everybody loves progress but not a lot of people love change." - E. Mangini, 12/11/2009
by RelapsingDawgCatcher on Dec 14, 2009 1:42 PM EST up reply actions
LOL ok ok, well here it is:
http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/04/27/2009-nfl-draft-grades-final-report-card/
:D
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 14, 2009 1:42 PM EST up reply actions
and, that draft grade was given before training camps even started, which makes it more worthless than anything i can imagine.
You are reading my signature.
I can imagine alot worse :)
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 14, 2009 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
Tony Grossi’s prior to the draft?
You are reading my signature.
by rolub on Dec 14, 2009 2:29 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Haha, good one. This is the guy who wanted to pick Maulauga with the FIFTH pick!
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 2:31 PM EST up reply actions
But we might not get a big name. Plus, there is no assurance that a big-name person would do better than this guy, anyways. Guys like Cowher made their name as coaches but that doesn’t make them great personnel men — we’ve seen plenty of examples of that.
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 11:54 AM EST up reply actions
Like Ozzie Newsome?
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 14, 2009 1:14 PM EST up reply actions
yeah, don’t disagree. i’m just saying things have been so hyped toward a “big name” guy, that someone else would be a little disappointing. also agree that this guy may do a better job than a big name, or a big name may do a shitty job. i’m just saying it would FEEL disappointing.
I’ll feel disappointed if the next guy doesn’t end up helping the organization. Otherwise I’m trying to remain philosophical….
"Everybody loves progress but not a lot of people love change." - E. Mangini, 12/11/2009
by RelapsingDawgCatcher on Dec 14, 2009 1:43 PM EST up reply actions
From Wikipedia:
Tim Ruskell (born 1956) is a former executive in the National Football League.
Ruskell was born in Sagamiono, Japan where his father was stationed in the United States Army but spent his high school and college years in the Tampa Bay, Florida area and graduated with a degree in communications from the University of South Florida in 1978.
Ruskell has spent more than 20 years in professional football. He started his career as a scout for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1983, moving to the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits in 1985 before landing in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987. In 1992 he was promoted to Director of College Scouting, and in 2001 to Director of Player Personnel. While in Tampa Bay Ruskell was a protege of Rich McKay. When McKay left to become the President and General Manager of the Atlanta Falcons in 2004 Ruskell went with him as the Assistant General Manager. In 2005 Paul Allen tapped Ruskell to replace the fired Bob Whitsitt at the top of the organizational chart in Seattle.
In his first season in Seattle, Ruskell made a few roster changes that helped the Seahawks, bringing in free agents and drafting college players that played pivotal roles in the Seahawks run to Super Bowl XL and further solidifying his reputation as a master personnel executive. 2009 was the last year of his contract. Ruskell eventually resigned from his position as the Seahawks President of Football Operations on December 2, 2009. At the time, the Seahawks were 4-7 and finished with a 4-12 record the year before.1
Tim and his wife, Linda, have a daughter, Samantha, and a son, Jack.
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
Let’s see . . . he helped to build a Super Bowl team in Tampa Bay, spent a year in Atlanta under a well-respected GM, then helped to build another Super Bowl team in Seattle. What’s wrong with that?
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 11:56 AM EST up reply actions
Is there anyone available with a better resume?
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
by golanbatrac on Dec 14, 2009 12:25 PM EST up reply actions
@golanbatrac
I’m sure the answer is yes. But will one of them come and work for the Browns? Will they demand that the organization be blown up again? If the answer to the previous question is yes, then their name better be Bill Parcells or Bill Belichick.
by cleveland.brown on Dec 14, 2009 12:32 PM EST up reply actions
I can’t think of anyone who is available and who has a better track record than Ruskell.
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
by golanbatrac on Dec 14, 2009 12:48 PM EST up reply actions
Holmgren, Parcells, Polian, Newsome…
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 14, 2009 1:15 PM EST up reply actions
You must have missed the word “available”.
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 1:21 PM EST up reply actions
2 of 4 are “available” and who know what kind of out Ozzie has.
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 14, 2009 1:46 PM EST up reply actions
Well, I’m pretty sure that the last three guys on that list still have a job, and Ozzie has said multiple times that he’s staying in Baltimore until he retires.
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 2:36 PM EST up reply actions
Elin Nordegren is available now, and I don’t expect any one of us will be marrying her. Folks gotta realize that while Cleveland is a great suitor, there a lot of sexier options for the big names.
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin
by Spidey on Dec 14, 2009 3:09 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
I think when it comes down to it, we have an owner with deep pockets, a heap of picks, and salary cap space.
I think that the Cleveland job is very attractive.
by Bernie19Kosar on Dec 14, 2009 6:39 PM EST up reply actions
Sure, it is attractive. And so is Tampa, Chicago, Carolina and Miami (if Parcells leaves). How are we attracting one of the top three names? Draft picks ain’t cutting it for the big names. A few extra million and an ownership stake- that might get them interested but I’m in no position to spend Lerner’s money.
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin
by Spidey on Dec 14, 2009 8:29 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
lerner will spend as much as it takes, and those other teams don’t have the draft picks OR cap space (i don’t think)
by notthatnoise on Dec 14, 2009 8:34 PM EST up reply actions
I still don’t see why those other teams are more appealing than the Browns?
by Bernie19Kosar on Dec 14, 2009 9:38 PM EST up reply actions
Right. Chicago is bad and they gave up their first round pick next year for Cutler. Tampa is worse than the Browns this year, and Carolina just gave Delhomme a big extension and he looks done.
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 9:50 PM EST up reply actions
Carolina baffles me. The insistence and belief in Jake Delhomme has been their undoing. DeAngelo Williams gets 12-13 carries a game and 90 yards or so, and yet they never will give him north of 20 carries.
If Cowher lands there, they’re an immediate playoff caliber team. He won’t waste those backs.
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
by golanbatrac on Dec 14, 2009 11:37 PM EST up reply actions
@Buckeye Brad
I agree with you. This guy is more experienced than any GM candidate that we’ve considered since the Return, other than himself in 2005. He has shown promise, demonstrated success, and if the article is correct, he seems to be a guy who would work with our present situation where we all ready have a Head Coach in place. I like it.
by cleveland.brown on Dec 14, 2009 12:28 PM EST up reply actions
He passed up being the GM for the Browns a few years ago…has he changed his mind or are there still other teams he would rather be the GM for?
by The Brown Note on Dec 14, 2009 4:46 PM EST up reply actions
its not the same job any more though. the situation he would be coming into is totally different, and probably better.
by notthatnoise on Dec 14, 2009 6:56 PM EST up reply actions
I like this idea. is it my favorite idea floated out there? no, but bill parcells is a definite long-shot and probably just wishful thinking. I was never all that thrilled with holmgren or cowher or any of the other former coaches as team president or gm. they were coaches, not personnel guys. while his resume isn’t perfect, its still pretty good, and he’s got plenty of good experience at the position we would hire him to fill.
I’d like to know how his drafts have been. Did he have ultimate decision on draft picks at TB and Seattle and are his picks still playing? I’m in a class this week so do not have time but maybe someone will be able to check this out. His resume seems similar to that of Savage to my eye. More of the scouting-side/talent evaluation experience.
Brownsyup
He drafted Curry last year.
2007 10-6
2008 4-12
2009 5-8
Why do we want him again? :P
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 14, 2009 1:22 PM EST up reply actions
one player hardly constitutes his draft history.
even though we’ve been over this lets try again. 4-12 after losing their pro-bowl caliber qb.
5-8 with injuries, age catching up to them, and a first year head coach.
by notthatnoise on Dec 14, 2009 1:37 PM EST up reply actions
True he did grab Charlie Frye off the scrap heap for a season or two. :) Are you saying the allure of Holmgren got in the way of the re-upping his contract after the fine job he has done since 2007? did they just want holmgren so bad that they would let this guy go?
something doesnt smell right, we are gonna get someone else’s….ya know. imo :P
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 14, 2009 1:46 PM EST up reply actions
I am not all that excited about his track record. We can come up with excuses all day for most GMs about why they were let go or why the team didn’t perform up to expectations, but the bottom line is that the Seahawks took major steps back when he became the GM. They won a weak divison almost every year until he became GM, and while he may have contributed partially to the SB appearance (his first year), they have taken major steps backward since and are now not competitive in a weak division.
Thanks for being a voice of reasoning. Sometimes people can get to excited way too easily
by The Licensed Pessimist on Dec 14, 2009 4:16 PM EST up reply actions
i’m not saying he’s the savior of our franchise or anything, but he’s at least competent, and to answer RR88, yes, they just want holmgren back that bad.
by notthatnoise on Dec 14, 2009 6:59 PM EST up reply actions
Here are all five of his drafts with the Seahawks:
Here’s the draft from his one year in Atlanta (as Assistant General Manager):
Here’s the three drafts from his time as Director of Player Personnel in Tampa:
Here’s the drafts from his time as Director of College Scouting in Tampa:
Here’s the drafts from before he was Director of College Scouting in Tampa:
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
Guys, we all know we’re not going to get a ‘BIG NAME.’ It’s gonna be a secondary guy with a decent resume and a relatively low profile. We have to deal with it, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. The papers and websites all touted and speculated ‘big names’ like Holmgren and Parcells…so I guess we all got all excited. But again, look at the track record and the situation.
Be prepared to say ‘Who?’ in any case once the annoucement is made…if we don’t hire Ruskell.
by johnnyphoenix on Dec 14, 2009 3:47 PM EST up reply actions
I’m not thrilled about this, I don’t really think Ruskill is the answer. What about Shanahan? Cowher? Herm Edwards? Accorsi? Marinelli? Kiffin? I know there are reasons why a few of these guys aren’t coming to Cleveland, but my point is that there are still plenty of “big names” out there. Someone has to be willing to come here, at least Lerner is being patient and not jumping onto the next best thing like he normally does.
Shannahan would mean a complete rebuild, Cowher isn’t interested, Herm Edwards is the last person on the planet I’d want, Accorsi isn’t interested, Marinelli went 0-16, Both Kiffens are at UT and not going anywhere.
Herm Edwards? Sweet Jesus…
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
Yeah, that’s the typical fan’s answer. They want a guy whose name they recognize, irrespective of whether or not they be interested or qualified for the job. Rod Marinelli?? Really???
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 4:53 PM EST up reply actions
(who hasn’t heard of Matt Millen?)
by Roger Dorn on Dec 14, 2009 4:55 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I’m thinking maybe we could lure God Shammgod from The Portland Chinooks of the International Basketball League.
You never know.
by johnnyphoenix on Dec 14, 2009 5:00 PM EST up reply actions
whats with the utter distaste for herm edwards? he’s had five playoff appearances in a period of time where our franchise has only had one
…and that qualifies him to be a GM…how?
by johnnyphoenix on Dec 14, 2009 5:09 PM EST up reply actions
I wouldn’t hold my breath on Mangini leaving. The only way that happens is is we sign a top notch GM who makes it clear Mangustus needs to go. That is a long shot at best. The guys it seems like we are looking at look to be people to work in tandem with him.
by johnnyphoenix on Dec 14, 2009 5:16 PM EST up reply actions
Floyd Reese is a name that Terry Pluto has kicked around. He lasted 12 years as GM of the Titans and is now a senior adviser for the Patriots.
by Monsters of the Midway on Dec 14, 2009 6:30 PM EST up reply actions
i would love that, but it means he has to want to leave his current job.
by notthatnoise on Dec 14, 2009 7:01 PM EST up reply actions
I thought he mentioned before he wasn’t interested.
One baseball game, he came to the plate and heard a woman in the crowd shout to the pitcher, "I'll make you a chocolate cake if you strike out that 'so-and-so'!" Says Strong: "I hit that ball out of the park. Then I looked at her like, 'Do I get a cake now?' "
I know Ernie Accorsi definitively said he wasn’t interested but I hadn’t heard much of anything about Reese. For what it’s worth, Google turned up an article on ProFootballTalk from a few days ago about Reese being a candidate.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/12/11/floyd-reese-could-be-the-next-browns-gm/
by Monsters of the Midway on Dec 14, 2009 7:55 PM EST up reply actions
Kiffin? You think Kiffin would consider leaving the head job at tenn. for a GM job in the NFL?!? Anyways, why would we want Kiffin even if?
Marinelli. Edwards. lol No thanks.
Shanahan, Cowher, no way. Shanahan wants to coach again, anyways. Cowher, not sure what he wants to do, if anything but braodcast, but I AM sure there’s no way he wants anything to do with Cleveland. He made that clear.
alright so probably not marinelli. there are a lot of big names still out there though. also I really like zorn I think he has been pushed around by dan snyder and he’ll probably be jobless by the end of the year.
How bout Millen while were at it? Or Wayne Fontes? Or Bubby Brister?
Ali Haji-Sheikh?
by johnnyphoenix on Dec 14, 2009 4:50 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
As offensive coordinator? Heck we need Sipe as our QB coach….how can SD State get him and we can’t? Must be the beaches. :)
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 15, 2009 7:35 AM EST up reply actions
With the exception of Accorsi, every person you’ve mentioned is a coach, not a GM.
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
mangini has one win against the steelers and he’s everyones hero. the browns will have a new coach in the next two years…my post was only to say that there are plenty of ‘big names’ out there. i don’t think that a big name is the answer, but its what everyone has been talking about so i thought i would throw a few options out there. also herm edwards went to the playoffs three times as the def coach with the bucs and three times when he was head coach of the jets…not too bad of an option considering we’ve been to the playoffs once in ten years
That’s a far cry from calling him a hero. My opinion of Mangini remains unchanged. He’s the guy for the next three years.
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
i think that would be nice, but its hard to say that any new gm wouldn’t want a new head coach of his choosing.
In my opinion, any GM who demands a new head coach doesn’t get hired. Unless it’s Parcells. Maybe.
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
Randy owns the team. He can tell him to do whatever the fuck he wants him to do.
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
we need a new gm to come in and take over Randys responsibilities, he obviously doesn’t know what he’s doing. it’ll give him some time to think about his soccer team
Yeah, so he can pay more attention to his soccer team. Sure.
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
Huh?? What responsibilities of Lerner is the new GM going to take over? All Lerner has to do is sign the paychecks.
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 5:43 PM EST up reply actions
I think he meant hire a new coach I guess….
by johnnyphoenix on Dec 14, 2009 5:44 PM EST up reply actions
Randy’s responsibilities are to hire the right people and stay the hell out of the way.
He can do that for more than one organization.
For the most part he has stayed out of the way and has signed the checks…but just not the right people….he needs help in the interview process….he must get all excited from spin by the candidates.
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 15, 2009 7:37 AM EST up reply actions
i think the media here in cleveland poisoned people who don’t pay attention with the idea that the coach works for the gm. thats simply not true, they should have equal footing in a franchise.
by notthatnoise on Dec 14, 2009 7:03 PM EST up reply actions
I prefer that a GM has control.
In a perfect world the two men should be able to work in unison, but I am uncomfortable with the HC being in charge of a GM.
by Bernie19Kosar on Dec 14, 2009 7:46 PM EST up reply actions
I agree. The GM makes the final personnel decisions. Period. The coach can have his say, and the GM should obviously listen…but what he ultimately says…goes. If not, why even have a GM?
by johnnyphoenix on Dec 14, 2009 7:48 PM EST up reply actions
I think we saw a good example of the opposite with Kokinis. How’d that work out?
by johnnyphoenix on Dec 14, 2009 7:49 PM EST up reply actions
i think you misinterpreted what i said. i would NOT want the coach having final say over personnel. however, i do not want my coach to feel like he’s working for the GM. the GM’s job is to get guys that fit the coaches philosophies, you don’t let the GM make decisions like what type of offense or defense you’re going to run, just like you don’t let the coach make draft picks.
by notthatnoise on Dec 14, 2009 8:36 PM EST up reply actions
Yes, exactly.
GM has final say on the roster and roster moves, just as coach has final say on who plays and what happens on the field.
How old is Bobby Beathard? :)
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 15, 2009 7:38 AM EST up reply actions
compared to the options you offered up?
One baseball game, he came to the plate and heard a woman in the crowd shout to the pitcher, "I'll make you a chocolate cake if you strike out that 'so-and-so'!" Says Strong: "I hit that ball out of the park. Then I looked at her like, 'Do I get a cake now?' "
who has called mangini a hero? no one. and as a proponent of him sticking around next year, i want him to stay because we’re seeing improvement from the team, not because we beat the steelers once. he blew shit up and has now started to rebuild it within a single season. are we contenders yet? no. are we moving in the right direction? yes. the steelers win is just a nice little treat.
Well, he’d still be a better GM than Rod Marinelli.
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 5:19 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Are you thinking that the Browns should be checking out bingo halls looking for our new offensive coordinator?
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 15, 2009 10:32 AM EST up reply actions
Well maybe he could take on those duties for us and the relinquish them, and we’d have something close to a good offense.
I’m not high on Zorn; he seems a bit over his head. And doesn’t he run a West Coast offense? I’m not sure that’s the direction we want to go. I don’t think it would be a good system for Quinn, and I think in our division especially we’d be better served by seriously beefing up our run game.
by Western Reserve on Dec 15, 2009 12:50 PM EST up reply actions
i know last year shottenheimer shut down the idea of being a head coach here, what about gm? whats he up to now?
That ship has sailed.
Marty Schottenheimer isn’t interested in the Cleveland Browns’ general manager vacancy.
The former Browns coach made that point abundantly clear during his NFL Sirius radio show.
"I don’t even see that kind of a role for me," Schottenheimer said today. "I’m not familiar enough with what they have in terms of their front office. Let somebody else do that. It’s really a very unusual circumstance and it’s going to take some dramatic measures in my mind to be able to get the thing headed in the right direction.
"The bottom line for them right now is they don’t have a real good football team. They’re not playing even to the level that the talent is expressed and it’s going to be a very, very difficult circumstance. The important thing in my view is very simply this: You cannot lose your football team. And dashing around doing all these things that are on the periphery don’t serve any useful purpose at this point in time. You want to resolve issues like this? Let the thing play out, gather information as you go. You need to leave some sense of stability at least through this season because players that are there signed to long term contracts are thinking, ‘What in the world is going on here?’
by johnnyphoenix on Dec 14, 2009 5:08 PM EST up reply actions
with all 0 of his super bowls. the only former coach i would want back is bellichick, maybe. and thats a big maybe.
by notthatnoise on Dec 14, 2009 7:06 PM EST up reply actions
I’m not a fan of Ruskell. The drafts that we can evaluate are decent at best. He has a lot of misses in the first round (Spencer, Jennings and Jackson) with Curry being a good bet to change that.
But the thing that really scares the hell out of me with Ruskell is his decisions with contracts. Check some of these out:
Shaun Alexander: 29 YO (Years Old) RB: 62 million, 30 million paid in the first season. Maybe the worst non-rookie contract in the NFL.
Jamie Sharper: 32 YO OLB: 5 years, 18 million, retired before the next season.
Deion Branch: Gave up first rounder (24th pick overall) and then gave Branch 40 million dollar deal. A lot of money and picks for a guy who has never had 1,000 yard season. His most productive season in Seattle was 725 yards.
TJ Houshmanzadeh: 32 YO, 5 years 40 million. Housh is having his worst season since ’02, his second season in the NFL.
Nate Burelson: 25 YO, 7 years, 49 million. At least he is young, but he is still way overpaid.
Patrick Kerney: 32 YO, 5 years, 40 million. Not too bad until you factor in that Kerney was hurt the season before he signed with Seattle. Kerney has been hurt ever since.
Julian Peterson: 28 YO OLB 7 years, 54 million. He played well in Seattle, but he was then traded for Cory Redding and his massive contract (7 years, 49 Million). Redding has been invisible for the Seahawks this year.
Did I mention the fact that Ruskell was the boob who made Steve Hutchinson a transition tag FA allowing him to go to Minnesota with zero return?
Pass on Ruskell. We can do better.
by Bernie19Kosar on Dec 14, 2009 7:43 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Pass on (insert any recent Browns head coach/GM here). We can do better.
Fixed.
by johnnyphoenix on Dec 14, 2009 8:05 PM EST up reply actions
This is good data. It’s hard to have any amount of positivity about any of those moves. I think he and Phil Savage would get along when discussing contracts.
Yup.
I’d like to see how much is guaranteed, and how the contracts are constructed, though. 7 years is seldom 7 years and 40 Million is often less than 20.
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
It doesn’t look good.
http://www.macsfootballblog.com/2008/03/cost-of-cutting-shaun-alexander.html
Dawgs By Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.
Yeah that wasn’t hyperbole on my part.
I really think that was the worst non-rookie contract ever signed in the NFL. LeCharles Bentley is close, but Bentley didn’t have the red flags that Alexander did.
by Bernie19Kosar on Dec 14, 2009 9:43 PM EST up reply actions
Really good info above B19K. This is the kind of stuff that really makes a difference if you know it. When I see a guy with this much experience leave an organization I always wonder “why don’t they want him?” A team needs talent but in the salary capped world they also need value. The teams that are good for longer periods of time are good at balancing both. I hope Lerner looks hard at this kind of information and is patient in his search this time.
Brownsyup
That’s an unnecessary dig. Phil didn’t manage the cap well, but we were in an entirely different situation than than Seattle.
And, there Phil knew all of the LTBE loopholes and I am sure there are more ways of making contracts look appealing to players while not actually killing the cap.
We needed players. Seattle had a solid roster before Ruskell got there. Phil seemed threatened in terms of job security and therefore didn’t have a great long-term plan, and he didn’t work well with Romeo.
I disagree about the loopholes situation based on comments from league observers and Mangini himself. Peter King mentioned in his most recent MMQB that we were in “salary cap hell” and Mangini has referenced some of the bad contracts in his press conferences.
I’m not saying we didn’t have bad contracts, I am saying there is no way Pontbriand is getting paid as much as is listed.
I don’t trust Peter King to know.
Still, Savage made some good signings (albeit expensive ones) early on in guys like Bentley, Baxter, and Steinbach. Schaffer was even worth what we were paying him for a brief moment in time. He panicked later, springing for Stallworth. Bentley and Baxter both had freak injuries that no one could have seen coming, and the Bentley signing would have been incredibly good if he had actually seen the field.
None of them were Jamie Sharper/Shaun Alexander/Deion Branch territory, and to equate them is hyperbole.
Wow, those are some bad contracts. That would make me hesitant about hiring him.
by Buckeye Brad on Dec 14, 2009 10:19 PM EST up reply actions
My biggest concern with Ruskell and Holmgren was their handling of the Seahawks’ offensive line. Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson carried that team on their shoulders. Then when they lost Hutchinson to Minnesota (which they should have and could have prevented) and Jones began to have major injury issues, they didn’t address their terrible offensive line. Not even this past year when Eugene Monroe was on the board. We need someone better than these guys.
Ruskell did draft Chris Spencer.
Considering he has started 16 games once in his career, that wasn’t a good choice.
by Bernie19Kosar on Dec 14, 2009 9:47 PM EST up reply actions
I wonder how Mangini’s drafts vs. Ruskells would compare…I’m at work or I would look :(
http://prideofcleveland.blogspot.com/
by Red-Right-88 on Dec 15, 2009 7:42 AM EST up reply actions
Good lord, we need to bring back the “HES A WINNER!!” images for this thread.
My wish list for a GM:
1. A guy who is a complete lock to completely revamp our franchise. Give him complete control, even if that means we lose Mangini and Rob Ryan. The only guy out there that I think even potentially fits this category is Bill Parcells.
2. A guy who wants to work for the Cleveland Browns, and can work with Mangini while having legitimate control over the final roster decisions. The size of his name doesn’t matter. If he has a good track record for evaluating talent and managing a roster, that’s enough.
3. Nobody, just let Mangini run everything. We’ve already invested money and a year in him, and he hasn’t really had a chance to build this team. What’s two more years of losing? I’d rather go through two years of normal ineptitude to find out Mangini is really not the guy than hire someone else we are equally unsure about.
4. A GM who clearly wants to fire our coaching staff and isn’t a lock to do things the right way for the Browns.
My wishlist goes like this:
1. Tom Heckert: We interviewed him prior to this season. The guy has played a major role in the Eagles being a year in, year out contender. If you look at his drafts he focuses on the LOS and playmakers. Love him. Should have hired him last season.
2. Bill Parcells: I don’t think he is a great person, but the man wins. Everywhere.
3. Kevin Colbert: I wouldn’t be shocked to see him out of Pittsburgh after this season. Bringing him to Cleveland would be sweet.
4. Mike Holmgren: It seems like Seattle may not want him back. If they don’t the Browns better snap him up.
The GM choice really effects what coach I would want.
by Bernie19Kosar on Dec 15, 2009 3:21 AM EST up reply actions
In other news, Holmgren may not be out of the running yet. The ABJ is reporting that he spent Monday in Cleveland meeting with Randy Lerner and will also be there today. It’s been speculated that he would return to Seattler after the firing of Ruskell but it looks as though he’s still interested in the Browns job. We’ll see if anything else comes out of this meeting later today or tomorrow.
I think it is very positive that he was here and allowed himself to be seen. It could still be related to getting a better deal in Seattle but it must show some kind of interest in working with the Browns. I don’t think a guy like Holmgren would let it be known that he was here in such and obvoius way without a reason.
Brownsyup
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