Mind Character

Would be more instability. Don't know when it will occur. With this hire along with the coaching staff, why take the risks? There's no reason gamble on it. With the Browns, anything bad that can happen will. I respect that McDaniel has taken his sobriety seriously, but a return to Cleveland at this time shouldn't be in the offing.

I'd say what I said yesterday when sdraw pointed that out to me (below)

We cannot risk hiring Mike McDaniel and having him relapse in his alcoholism as he's had issues as recent as a year ago that stretch and go back years. Pressures of being an OC in a place you use to go on benders at is not a good combination. It has to be Mike LaFleur. And if it is, the best thing that would do is solidify and guarantee that Kevin Stefanski goes the way of the Gary Kubiak outside zone, heavy play-action offense. And that would be a real win. Mike LaFleur would be a huge win as he'll be one of the top HC candidates in 2 years.

Dary Ruiter has no clue and doesn't have any sources to anything.. He follows and reads the tea leaves like everyone else. What he is good at is based on what he says tells you what other people have been saying.

Gary Kubiak has guidance/mentorship meetings with Kevin Stefanski after every offensive meeting. They talk every detail through. Gary watches Kevin teach and offers development tips. Gary Kubiak meets with Kirk Cousins and drills him mentally and meets with him to improve his mentality and approach. The outside zone and play-action heavy play-calling and play-sequencing is a Gary Kubiak installation with Stefanski's collaboration. Prior to Kubiak, the Vikings offense was the John DeFillipo offense. When Stefanski took over as the interim OC, there was no time to change playbooks at the end of the season. This has led people to question: What is Stefanski's core offensive philosophy on his own? Is he an outside zone, play-action guy or will he be something much different or with less mastery when he's out on his own. ------------------------------------- When it comes to Josh McDaniels and Kevin Stefanski, the Haslam's and co. should be considering questions and answers to some of the following questions before making the hire: Primary Points the Coaching Search Group Should be Thinking About with Kevin Stefanski: 1.) What's Stefanski's offense away from Kubiak? Is it the DeFillipo-Kubiak mix or does he have core philosophy similar to what the Vikings are doing currently (Kubiak Outside zone, Play-Action)? 2.) Can Stefanksi lead the offense and team successfully without the shepherding of an elite mentor coach and wise mind like Gary Kubiak? 3.) Can Stefanski command the locker room? 4.) Can he hold players accountable? 5.) Can he build an effective culture? Primary Points the Coaching Search Group Should be Thinking About with Josh Mcdaniels: 1.) Can he avoid his ego-mania and power tripping? 2.) Can he relate to players and get over what Mike Nolan "Josh McDaniels doesn't have a knowledge problem; he has a people problem?" 3.) Can McDaniels stay out of the way of making poor personnel decisions? 4.) Can he be a sustainable, quality leader under times of stress and adversity?

Could it be The final countdown? GM: George Paton VP of Football Operations & Strategy/Assistant GM: Andrew Berry HC: Kevin Stefanski Chief Strategy Officer: Paul DePodesta VS. GM: Dave Ziegler GM/Assistant GM: Josh McDaniels Head Coach: Josh McDaniels Chief Strategy Officer: Josh McDaniels/Dave Ziegler ------- In both scenarios Eliot Wolf floats away to that land beyond... there he'll find peace...

I was wrong. My bad. Misread that he finalized the contract with Washington. O'Connell has been connected to McDaniels via connect the dots. Given the surprising nature of Boy Blunder's previous coaching hires, his OC top choice may have been someone else anyway. We shall see.

Kevin O'Connell took the Washington job because he's going to be able to call plays as OC for Rivera. McDaniels is not giving up play-calling duties. I'm not sure why that fact has been missed in the whole "Kevin O'Connell to Washington means no McDaniels" thing. The Rams newly hired DC was also not going to serve in a DC role on McDaniels staff.

**** CONFIRMED IT'S OFFICIAL; IT'S ON THE FRONT PAGE OF SI.COM ****

Real quick and I didn't mean to interrupt but why did we not want Mike McCarthy again? ... the terror of what is yet to be announced (Greg Roman) is starting to set in ...

If not McDaniels, I wonder what the driving force was for him not coming here was: 1.) Josh McDaniels wasn't sold on the Haslam's and/or elements of the organization? 2.) The Haslam's weren't sold on Josh relative to other candidates? 3.) The Haslam's were sold on Josh, but didn't want to give over the control and acquiesce to the changes he proposed? 4.) Josh was sold on the job, but didn't get the contractual or longterm commitment he desired? 5.) Paul DePodesta's power reigns supreme now and into the future and he didn't recommend McDaniels? 6.) Josh didn't please Dee satisfactorily when the interview headed to her private interview chambers? ------------- Whatever the reason, both sides will be compelled to put out in the media that they controlled the choice and decided to go in a different direction.

I can't confirm where Pauly is currently as he hasn't answered any of my attempts to get a hold of him all day, but there was a package dropped off at FF's Browns Forum Head Quarters... ... I can't make out what the message means, but it's Pauly's favorite vest and there looked to be Lake Erie fishes inside...

With the Playoff games tomorrow and Sunday, we might not know until Monday morning...

Desmond Harrison was all athleticism, zero competitive focus, and minimal functional strength. All 3 of Wills Jr., Wirfs, and Thomas are better football players, have better functional strength, and have better football mentality than Harrison ever did. We'll have to agree to disagree on Wills Jr. He's my top OT and I think he'll excel at LT or RT, but should start off at RT. Tristan Wirfs is going to blow up the combine. It's going to be a site to see. ----------------------------------------------------- 1.) Jedrick Wills Jr., OT Alabama 2.) Andrew Thomas, LT Georgia 3.) Tristan Wirfs, OG-Phenom/OT Iowa 4.) Netane Muti, LT/OC/OG Fresno State 5.) Isaiah Wilson, RT Georgia 6.) Prince Tega-Wanogho, LT Auburn 7.) Josh Jones, RT Houston 8.) Mekhi Becton, OT Louisville 9.) Jack Driscoll, RT Auburn 10.) Terrance Steele, RT Texas Tech 11.) Austin Jackson, LT USC

Wills is the better mover and athlete I could understand thinking Wills can 't handle LT because it's a complete different technique relative to RT, but in terms of feet and athleticism he's special enough to play either at a high-level..

The last bit of the charade is pretending like they need a day to sleep on it and think things through. Announcing a decision immediately after the final interview would contradict the "thoughtful and comprehensive search" propaganda.

Wins to hope for if McDaniels is hired: 1.) Cesario over Ziegler, but that's the least likely to happen. 2.) Jerry Schuplinski or Kevin O'Connell as our QBC with OC upside or 3.) We don't want lizard man Chad O'Shea as OC in title. 4.) DON'T Hire Dave DeGuglielmo as OL coach. He's a hack, but McDaniels may feel like he owes him from his time in Indy. 5.) We Don't hire Bret Bielema as our DC or any other position on the Browns as he's one of the most political animals there is out there. 6.) McDaniels has a counterweight in the organization (i.e., Cesario with comparable power or someone else as a power limiter) 7.) With the loss of Joe Whitt to the Falcons who's a rising talent, that we retain Stump Mitchell, DeWayne Walker, or other quality minority coaches because McDaniels had a difficult time recruiting, hiring, and considering quality minority coaches during his first Head Coaching stint.

... a LB at 10 would be tough to see ... that to me is Simmons defined role... ... it's one thing to say "player x is going to be used all over the field" and another thing to see where that player plays on a majority of snaps. He's beyond the amazing athlete but nowhere close to the instinctual football and feel for the game player that would make me feel comfortable taking Simmons at 10. Not a Jamal Adams impact SS type; not a Luke Kuechly impact LB type. If the goal is to get a hybrid defensive playmaker or a quality LB or a quality SS, I just think we'd be better off looking elsewhere in the draft instead of our 1st or 2nd round picks. Simmons has the college production and he has the athleticism, but the tape is clear as day to me: He's not that next level defensive force. If Wills, Wirfs, Thomas are gone, the value and impact quality would be better if we selected Cee Dee Lamb, Jeffrey Okudah, or even Kristian Fulton. I'm nowhere near as high on Simmons as others are of him. Hope it doesn't come to that decision, but would be interesting to see what direction we'd go in. McDaniels was a terrible personnel exec and Dave Ziegler is the far less talented evaluator compared to Nick Cesario, but the New England scouting operation is heralded by fans but in the giggled at in the scouting community with scouts imagining what the Pats could do if they actually selected quality 1st through 3rd round players. It's going to be a wild ride ... If I had to bet, McDaniels/Ziegler will select Jeffrey Okudah or Kristian Fulton.

Sashi Brown first... ... Andrew Berry second ... ... Now, Paul DePodesta ... ... The End of a Chapter .... We shall remember thee ... DePo's Final Words: " Jimmy, can you get me off the hook for old times' sake? " Jimmy's Response: " Can't do it, Pauly" --------- Browns Fans Heading into Oblivion After the Head Coach is Announced:

IMO, there are clearly 7 Tier I. Elite Prospects in this Draft followed by 8 Tier II. High Quality Prospects of a lesser but still really good caliber. Tier I. 1.) Chase Young, DE Ohio State 2.) Jedrick Wills Jr., OT Alabama 3.) Tristan Wirfs, OG Iowa 4.) Andrew Thomas, LT Georgia 5.) Jeffrey Okudah, CB Ohio State 6.) Cee Dee Lamb, WR Oklahoma 7.) Netane Muti, LT/OC/OG Fresno State. Tier II. 8.) Kristian Fulton, CB LSU 9.) Jerry Jeudy, WR Alabama 10.) AJ Epenesa, DE Iowa 11.) Derrick Brown, 34NT Auburn 12.) (Healthy) Tua Tagovailoa, QB Alabama 13.) Joe Burrow, QB LSU 14.) Isaiah Simmons, LB Clemson 15.) Isaiah Wilson, RT Georgia

I'd be more likely to lose it if it's Roman or Saleh. With McDaniels, there's no doubt that it will crash and burn in an epic fashion at some point, but until that point he has skills that with this roster-talent will likely lead to winning's ignorant bliss for a period of time. How long that period lasts will likely depend on the power dynamics and structure around him. I'll just be disappointed, resigned, and apathetic if it's McDaniels and even more so depending on the structure or power dynamics around him as Jimmy is likely to put things around him that will serve as accelerent and fuel for the downfall. Roman and Saleh are just a plateau of buttcheeks. No upswing; no spiraling down... just the plane of cheeks. For me, with McDaniels based on his awareness that this would be his last Head Coaching chance and assuming we don't give him total full totalitarian control of the organization and we win, I actually think we'd have a year and half or so before things with him become completely unraveled. That all depends on the team experiencing the least amount of adversity, stress, and losing as possible. By all accounts, McDaniels was fine the first 7 games of his tenure, but it was when the losing piled up after starting 5-0 that he completely lost his sh*it. Hue was fine his 1st season, taking blame but it all came undone as the pressure and weight of losing piled up. As I've said, the speed with which the Mr. Hyde ego Josh McDaniels continually shows itself all depends on the power dynamics and structure we surround McDaniels, the GMs strength, and the adversity the team faces. If everything lines up and goes well, we could enjoy 1 and a half years or so before he evolves into his full Ego-mania final form. Once that happens "We're F*cked" as the new age hippie dippie smokey vapey millenials say.

You missed my point that we never had the stated goal of "finding a leader that can get the respect of the locker room" before" with the Haslam's tasked at identifying those traits. My point was that Jimmy may translate that goal in his mind as needing to find an outward, surface level "rah rah" guy due to the Haslam's repeated inability to assess with depth and discipline the desirable traits in a head coach. Owners often seek the opposite of what they previously had whenever hiring the next guy. If the previous coach was an offensive coach, this time they go defensive coach. If the previous guy was a defensive guru, the next guy will be an offensive traditionalist. Hue Jackson absolutely was a rah rah guy at the Bengals and Raiders; his reputation was as an offensive-mind and rah-rah players coach. Freddie didn't have effective "rah-rah" in the locker room, but Saleh is known to have that uber cornball "win forever" pete carroll positive "rah-rah" that owners like some times. Difference is Saleh doesn't have the culture/program building winning pedigree or a cornball rah-rah savant transcendent player in Russell Wilson leading the way. Here's to hoping we don't go in that direction.

Jimmy Haslam is such a Derp Derper he likely thinks Leadership is Outward Emotion & Outward Presence and will probably discount the deeper and more important aspects of leadership that translate to culture/program building beyond outward pants tingle evoking "leadership." Saleh has the outsward "rah-rah" that Derps like the Haslam's can readily identify in their paint by the numbers Derp coaching search masterpiece. He'll fall for Robert Saleh probably. Dee loves a good bald guy. If it's Saleh, it has to be Mike La Fleur coming with him. Mike McDaniels and his alcoholism issues in Cleveland are going to make for one of the all time sad and totally Browns unraveling stories. If it's Saleh, he can't call the plays. We're screwed. For goodness sake, hire Stefanski or Schwartz and call it day. The waiting for pending incompetence and disappointment is an overwhelmingly buttcheeks experience.

Never forget that Josh McDaniels was fired With Cause due to Spygate II. Steve Scarnecchia recorded walk-throughs in London. I can't remember the opposing team. If Scarnecchia comes with him from the Falcons, I can officially confirm that the long anticipated trilogy " Spygate III: The Saga Continues" will be coming to a Ohio theaters near you. Bill Belichick == The Hoodie Josh McDaniels == The Ego Bob Wylie I'm sure has some interesting information and stories on Josh McDaniels. Mike Nolan, Martindale, and Xanders as well. Scouts on staff had a particular nickname for Josh when the media called him the "The Boy Wonder." B.i.l. said guys he knows said they used riff off that media nickname and instead call him "The Boy Blunder." Lol One of the lamest nicknames of all time but I thought it was interesting. I wonder if the search committee going to give old Bob a call for some insights, especially after everything he said about Zampese and Freddie were true. I'm guessing yeah?? The coronation of Dear Leader McDaniels is Nigh... Prepare thineselves. Only question is if it's going to be a 5 year or 10 year contract.

The Haslam's have heavily invested in a particular football operations supports/approaches including the hiring of particular types of Strength/Sports Science people as well as Analytics/Data Scientist experts. To get McDaniels, they'll likely have to let Josh remake those major components of the organization in his image and vision. Jimmy has represented steadfast belief in the organization's football operations support department. If indeed McDaniels is going to recommend total sweeping changes to such parts of the organization, it will be interesting to see if ownership capitulates to such job requirements. If the Haslam's do, it would be a rebuke of a lot of the work they thought was their best. McDaniels and Chris Ballard reportedly had disagreements regarding support staffs in terms of Strength/Sports Performance and other football operations departments. If Truckstop is going to let McDaniels change everything, then he might as well give him a 7-year contract like Matt Rhule so that ownership will have to live with his decision a little longer than the 1 to 3-year hook. Then, if the plight of the Browns doesn't change during McDaniels' long-tenure, the Haslam's could then sell the team and put us all out our misery.