PFT: Savage already out
Posted December 28th, 2008 by Dan
Take this however you choose from Mike Florio and Pro Football Talk.
A league source tells us that the Browns already have parted ways with G.M. Phil Savage.
The move was widely expected. It has come faster than anyone anticipated.
Some reports suggested that Savage would be given a chance to stick around in a reduced role; it currently appears that there will be a clean break.
While this season has circled the drain, I've said Savage should come back next year. Unless the Browns already have a quiet deal done with Bill Parcells, Scott Pioli or even Bill Cowher, who exactly could they get that would be better than Savage?
Has Phil Savage made some bad moves? Yes. Has he poorly handled his role as a manager? Yes. But do the Browns have more talent now than any other time since they've been back? Absolutely, and that's how Savage should be judged.
I'd be interested to hear from people who don't want Savage in Cleveland, and what exactly that reason might be.
December 28th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
while many here in cleveland agree savage should be kept for the very reasons you have listed, his big contract extensions he gave out were unearned, and, therefore, foolish at best, dumb at worst…he made that hiring of crennel his own emblazoned banner, and he's going down with it because of that
crennel is only surpassed by nick skorich as the most ill-prepared Browns head coach ever…and he still may be the worst offensive/tactical coach in our history
that would make savage fairly limited intelligently for standing with him and giving out that huge raise for footballs bouncing off goal posts as crennel's best tactics in winning
December 28th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
My main issue with Savage is his utter arrogance. Yes, he told a fan to F-off, failed to check on his star TE who could've died in the hospital, shot off his mouth to the media ("It was staph. Everyone got that? Staph. No second condition. Staph.)…then bolted. He trashed Romeo on the radio, trashed Winslow on the radio.
But I go back to the beginning of his public arrogance: When he sat at that ridiculous press conference to announce that he'd given Derek Anderson an outrageous, undeserved contract, and talked down to everyone, saying: "Let me say it again. The. Browns. Are. Not. Trading. Derek. Anderson. Period."
What an utter moron. He's got so many public relations nightmare issues, he became a liability to keep around. It's one thing, if he'd put tip-top players on the field, but that's not the case, either.
December 29th, 2008 at 1:37 am
He only drafted one decent linebacker who fit the 3-4 scheme, and no good linemen that fit it, that I'm aware of. In retrospect it seems like it would have been a good idea to do so.