Browns

Offense

ESPN reports Browns owner Randy Lerner was on the verge of firing Davis today and that he’s likely to go if he loses next week. It’s hard to feel sorry for Davis, but firing him now is a raw deal. The Browns have lost four straight, three in the closing minutes, but have been hammered by injuries. Why not wait until the end of the season?

A press conference is expected Thursday, once a contract is worked out. Savage is known for his work scouting in Baltimore and is highly regard in league circles. His first job: hire a coach.

He has worked with new GM Phil Savage before, but says he has a good thing going at Iowa.

If the Browns were smart, they’d remain patient and hire Crennel after the team’s playoff run. Cleveland will also request to speak with personnel director Scott Pioli, but Pioli is expected to deny the request.

Not a bad deal. He’ll put together his staff this week and will probably battle the Pats for defensive backs coach Eric Mangini and/LB coach Dean Pees.

If true, there’s no way Jeff Garcia is returning to Cleveland. It’s good news for Lee Suggs, who Robiskie was clearly a big fan of.

The respected former Green Bay GM never really had a role in Cleveland. Coach Butch Davis made that clear last week with disparaging remarks about Wolf’s lack of influence. Butch Davis now has more power than any NFL coach outside of Bill Belichick or Mike Shanahan. He’s done a lot less winning than those two.

DeFelippo, 35, has been the quarterbacks coach in Oakland the past two seasons. He also coached the Raiders’ quarterbacks from 2007-2008. In between, DeFelippo coached QBs with the Jets (2009) and at San Jose State (2010-2011). It would be a definite out-of-the-box hire for the Browns. We’d like to see Cleveland bring in a more experienced offensive mind, considering Mike Pettine is a first-time head coach and has a defensive background.

The Browns have since confirmed the news. NFL Network’s Albert Breer first reported Cleveland’s interest in DeFelippo late Monday night. It would be an underwhelming hire, but coach Mike Pettine and DeFelippo worked together with the Jets in 2009. Quarterbacks that DeFelippo has worked with at his various NFL stops include JaMarcus Russell, Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Terrelle Pryor, and Matt McGloin. In other words, DeFelippo doesn’t have a great history of success. We’d consider him a long shot.

Holmgren also supported Shurmur in regard to last Thursday’s Colt McCoy fiasco, insisting Shurmur was simply abiding by his medical staff’s recommendations. “He’s going to be the head coach,” said Holmgren. “I’ll elaborate on it, he’ll be the head coach.” Supposedly an offensive mind, Shurmur’s offense ranks 29th in the NFL. Shurmur’s Rams offense ranked 26th last season, so it’s not as if he necessarily had credentials for a head coaching job in the first place.