clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

"Divorce" Could Indeed Come True for Crennel

By Chris Pokorny

Romeo Crennel, Tom Coughlin, Jon Gruden, John Fox and Jack Del Rio. What do these five men have in common? According to CBS Sportsline's Chris Judge, they are coaches on the chopping block. Heck, if that's true, then I wouldn't mind the Browns grabbing two of those guys in a heartbeat (Fox and Del Rio). Although most of those coaches have had problems with quarterback situations, I have always been a major supporter of Fox, and I believe that Del Rio can be a great motivator. At the moment though, we're stuck with Romeo, so let's take a look at what Judge had to say about him:

Yeah, I like the guy, too, and he might be a good head coach, but it's not happening here. The Browns have accomplished little since Crennel's arrival except to turn the quarterback position into a weekly audition for "Where's My Line?" I know Crennel has been beset by injuries, and, yes, it's a problem when you lose people like Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow and LeCharles Bentley. But everyone suffers injuries, and you don't have to remind Crennel. He was the defensive coordinator in New England when the Patriots went to the Super Bowl with a secondary that looked more like a casting call for the ER of Grey's Anatomy.

The point is this: Cleveland deserves a winner, and the Browns haven't won much more than high draft picks since returning to the NFL in 1999. Only once did they reach the playoffs, and that was as a wild card in 2002. Predictably, they lost their only game. Crennel was supposed to be the answer, but the Browns are 10-22 under him, with two last-place finishes. I don't care if a coach suffers a losing season here or there. But you want to see improvement. The Browns lost two more last season than they did in 2005. They scored six more points and allowed 55 more. They ranked 31st in offense and 27th in defense. And they committed a whopping 42 turnovers -- worse than anyone except the Raiders. That is not what you'd call an improvement. It's what you'd call grounds for a divorce.

The final paragraph is a very fan representation of what many Browns fans, including myself, have been feeling during Crennel's reign. If Crennel cannot improve upon those statistics significantly, then he's gone. I emphasize "significantly" because if the Browns finish with an extra win or two this season, score a couple of more touchdowns, and allow a few less points, then our whole offseason was a complete waste, and we'll remain one of the laughingstocks of the NFL.

Remember defensive lineman Antonio Garay? He was a former draft pick by the Browns that was never really given a chance in Cleveland. Now, he could be ready to step in as a major contributor with the Chicago Bears, according to the NFL's Pat Kirwan.

In another Sportsline article, the Browns are involved in a "top game to watch" during the preseason, against the Denver Broncos on August 25th. Here's why:

The education of Brady Quinn continues. This time, it's Quinn vs. the Denver secondary. Let's see, do you try Dre Bly or Champ Bailey? And can you sidestep John Lynch? Trust me, this will be one experience Quinn will never forget.
Sounds lovely.

Finally, one last article on the reason why Leigh Bodden is a top cornerback (Dayton Daily News).

Tomorrow, or the following day, I hope to have a retrospective article on the history of people who actually had "some success" with the Browns since returning to the league, only to see their careers completely plummet after leaving. Included in that article will be the reason why a guy like Dennis Northcutt could change that trend with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

More From Dawgs By Nature