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Let The Mike Holmgren Era Officially Begin

NewEraDawg

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NewEraDawg

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BEREA, Ohio—All the hype and all the talk is over.

 

It’s time for the Big Show.

 

The Era of the Big Show starts Sunday when the Browns take on the Buccaneers in the season opener.

 

Mike Holmgren agreed to take over the reigns as the president of the Browns on December 21, 2009. The Browns played two games after Holmgren took the job, but his fingerprints were hardly on the team in those last two games. He wasn’t formally introduced as team president until after the season was over on January 5, 2010.

 

Fast forward almost nine months and the franchise has Holmgren’s fingerprints all over it and the Browns have yet to play a ‘real’ game in the Holmgren Era. Most of the moves under Holmgren’s direction would be viewed as positives. The recent flap with Jim Brown surrounding the Ring of Honor is unfortunate, but if the team on the field continues to improve, that will be soon forgotten.

 

One of Holmgren’s first moves was to retain Eric Mangini as head coach after the Browns posted four wins to close out the 2009 season.

 

Holmgren named Tom Heckert the general manager on January 11, as well as Executive Vice President of Business Operations Bryan Wiedmeier. During the course of the next month, Holmgren brought in eight key front office people, including his former offensive coordinator, Gil Haskell as Senior Advisor.

 

Holmgren and his staff decided that quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn were not the answer and he terminated Anderson’s contract and traded for his former quarterback from Seattle Seneca Wallace the following day. Less than a week later, Holmgren traded Quinn to the Broncos for Peyton Hillis and two draft choices.

 

The following day, Holmgren signed Jake Delhomme as an unrestricted free agent and traded Kamerion Wimbley to the Raiders for a third-round draft choice. A couple of weeks later, the Browns traded for Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong.

 

Earlier, Corey Williams was traded and Joshua Cribbs had his contract re-negotiated. Ben Watson, Scott Fujita and Tony Pashos were signed as unrestricted free agents.

 

Then came the draft with the Browns taking Joe Haden with the seventh pick and T.J. Ward with their second pick. A trade up to get Montario Hardesty in the second round happened as the second-round was drawing to a close. Shawn Lauvao was selected in the third round and at Holmgren’s urging the Browns drafted Colt McCoy with their second pick in the third round.

 

Most of the players Holmgren and Heckert brought in have a common theme. They are experienced and have been on playoff teams. Thus far in the preseason, the moves at quarterback look to be solid as both Delhomme and Wallace have had a steadying influence on the offense.

 

Throw in Watson as a legitimate threat in the passing game and the offense looks more efficient. Delhomme has been to the playoffs several times, including the Super Bowl. The same can be said of Wallace and Watson.

 

Defensively, it is obvious that Holmgren and Heckert saw the secondary needed to be revamped and wanted it to have more of a physical presence. Haden, Ward and Brown have all shown flashes of that physicality in the preseason. Brown adds the veteran presence to a young secondary and once again is playoff experienced.

 

The linebackers with the additions of Fujita and Gocong have the flexibility to play both inside and outside and both come from playoff teams, with Fujita coming from the Super Bowl champion Saints.

 

A team that is lacking in overall talent cannot have all of their shortcomings addressed in one season, but the Browns addressed a number of areas in free agency and in the draft that should help immediately in 2010.

 

Haden, Ward and Lauvao are all slated to either start or rotate with the first team. The same was planned for Hardesty until he suffered a season-ending injury. Lauvao was injured in practice this week and most likely won’t begin the season as the starter.

 

One area that many felt the team needed to address was at wide receiver. Veteran Bobby Engram was brought in but the decision was made to stick with the young players and see what they can do. Thus far, young receivers Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie, Chansi Stuckey and Cribbs are up for the challenge.

 

The Browns currently have16 new faces on their 53-man roster, which is close to 33 percent turnover from last year’s team.

 

Mangini seems much more relaxed and comfortable in his role as just the coach and not the GM and Player Personnel guy all rolled into one.

 

“I feel really good about this group of guys,” Mangini said. “I feel really good about the approach. I feel really good about not just the way they work, but the way they work together. You can work a group of guys because you control the schedule, but there’s a difference between that and them pushing themselves as individuals each day them pushing each other each day to get better.

 

“I don’t mean that in a negative way,” he said. “I mean that in a really positive way. When you get a bunch of good people in one place together and they challenge each other on the right issues studying, conditioning, all of those things usually good things happen. I like this group of guys a lot.”

 

He has players that believe in what he’s trying to accomplish. He has management on the same page and get this concept, a franchise that has a game plan and finally a direction in which they are heading.

 

Three time Pro Bowl left tackle and captain Joe Thomas says he can feel the renewed excitement surrounding the Browns.

 

“I’m really excited for the real season to start because you never really know what the team is going to be made of until the first real game,” Thomas said. “I’m confident in what I’ve seen in the off-season, training camp and preseason and I think we’ll think we’ll continue to improve in the regular season.”

 

Fujita said he came to the Browns because ‘at his age, he didn’t have time tobe around knuckleheads’.

 

There is a lot of optimism in Browns Town for the direction the franchise is heading in. A lot of that arrived when the Big Show agreed to come to Cleveland because Browns fans know what he has accomplished in Green Bay and Seattle.

 

That has not been the case since the team returned in 1999.

 

Get ready for the Big Show

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The Gipper Newbie

The Gipper

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Let The Mike Holmgren error Officially Begin, By Fred Greetham / FOX Sports Ohio.com

 

There. Fixed it for you.

 

 

Yea, the guy is terrible. He merely took two different franchises to the Super Bowl and He was the mentor for the only coach that took your Bucs to the Super Bowl. (and who, by some accounts could become the Browns next HC if Mangini doesn't work out) Your real question should be "Why ain't he working for us?"

Speaking of which, who DOES run the Bucs? At least we now have a guy that is respected league wide.

Your owners are much like ours: too interested in their English futbol team to pay proper attention to their NFL team.

That has hurt the Browns over the years and cause organizational instability. Have the Glazer's gotten wise like Lerner and put a football man in charge of operations? Or not?

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NewEraDawg Newbie

NewEraDawg

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Let The Mike Holmgren error Officially Begin, By Fred Greetham / FOX Sports Ohio.com

 

There. Fixed it for you.

 

 

You are a twerp

 

For your convenience I will supply you with the definition for ya since I doubt you are smart enough to know it .

 

A twerp is a guy that sits in the bathtub and farts and bites the bubbles .

 

Have at it bubble boy :rolleyes:

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slowburn Newbie

slowburn

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I think he wants to coach again. Should mangini step on his dck this season I see the walrus on the sidelines in 2011. I reallly wany to see EM succeed this year but I am afraid he is not going to have a lot of

 

wiggle room. just throwing it out there....

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jjbjeff Newbie

jjbjeff

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Yea, the guy is terrible. He merely took two different franchises to the Super Bowl and He was the mentor for the only coach that took your Bucs to the Super Bowl. He did all that as a GM? That's news to me. (and who, by some accounts could become the Browns next HC if Mangini doesn't work out) What happened to all the Mangina love? Your real question should be "Why ain't he working for us?" More like 'thank God he isn't working for us'

Speaking of which, who DOES run the Bucs? At least we now have a guy that is respected league wide. Mark Dominik is the GM. He has done an amazing job of drafting talented players in his short two years as GM. I could go down the list, but they won't become household names for a few more years.

Your owners are much like ours: too interested in their English futbol team to pay proper attention to their NFL team. No argument there.

That has hurt the Browns over the years and cause organizational instability. Have the Glazer's gotten wise like Lerner and put a football man in charge of operations? Or not?

Mark Dominik has been involved in football operations in Tampa since the mid-90's most recently as director of pro personnel.

 

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The Gipper Newbie

The Gipper

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Yea, the guy is terrible. He merely took two different franchises to the Super Bowl and He was the mentor for the only coach that took your Bucs to the Super Bowl. He did all that as a GM? That's news to me.

 

Don't play dumb. You know the facts. He took one to the SB as HC of the Packers, and the Seahawks as HC/GM. I think in NFL history only Bill Parcells has had similar accomplishments. (though, I don't think he was ever a HC/GM in either NY or NE, was he?)

 

 

(and who, by some accounts could become the Browns next HC if Mangini doesn't work out) What happened to all the Mangina love?

 

Note the word "IF" in there. IF Mangini can't coach this team to competitiveness, sure, it is possible he could be shown the door. I don't think you can find a single Browns fan that isn't cognizant of that possibility.

 

 

Your real question should be "Why ain't he working for us?" More like 'thank God he isn't working for us'

 

You mean "thank God because he might ruin our franchises loser image"?

 

Speaking of which, who DOES run the Bucs? At least we now have a guy that is respected league wide. Mark Dominik is the GM. He has done an amazing job of drafting talented players in his short two years as GM. I could go down the list, but they won't become household names for a few more years.

Your owners are much like ours: too interested in their English futbol team to pay proper attention to their NFL team. No argument there.

That has hurt the Browns over the years and cause organizational instability. Have the Glazer's gotten wise like Lerner and put a football man in charge of operations? Or not? Mark Dominik has been involved in football operations in Tampa since the mid-90's most recently as director of pro personne

 

OK, well we shall see how he does....in any way, it will take a few years.

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jjbjeff Newbie

jjbjeff

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The difference between Holmgren and Parcells is night and day. Holmgren is a one and done type guy and Parcells is known to build real teams. What has Holmgren done other than two Superbowl appearances? What great teams has he left behind? I thought both stops ended with franchises that were in need of a total rebuild when he left? And you are comparing him to Bill Parcells? I guess it makes sense. You all seem to think Jake Delhomme is the next coming of Joe Freaking Montana. LMAO.

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Kosar_For_President Newbie

Kosar_For_President

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I'd call it Brett Favre. He's the only reason Holmgren ever got to the SB in GB to begin with.

 

#1 in defense and #1 in special teams. Desmond Howard (Superbowl MVP), Reggie White (Pro Bowl), Robert Brooks, Keith Jackson (Pro Bowl), Frank Winters (Pro Bowl), LeRoy Butler (Pro Bowl), The Dotsons, Antonio Freeman, Dorsey Levens. Yea they only had Farve.

 

A 2007 panel of football experts at ESPN ranked the 1996 Packers the 6th-greatest team to ever play in the Super Bowl.

 

I can't describe how wrong you are. OWNED

 

Besides the Browns and living in Wisconsin for some time, the Pack is my secondary team.

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Kosar_For_President Newbie

Kosar_For_President

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I believe it. Holmgren should have probably won 5 or 6 Superbowls with Green Bay with all the talent the GM brought in for him to coach..

 

He won a Superbowl you f*cking idiot. Offensive architect of San Francisco's four-time Super Bowl champions. I know you are happy to move from line cook to the drive through window at McDonalds, but normally when someone performs well at their position (like being integral in 5 Superbowl wins) you learn and get promoted. Please put the headphones down and tell your wife (I mean cousin) to take her teeth out, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

 

owned_black_baby.jpg

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