Browns owner Randy Lerner ’soul-searching’ for an answer to fix 1-7 Browns

Randy Lerner, owner of the Cleveland Browns, stood near the tunnel to the visiting team locker rooms at Soldier’s Field in Chicago Sunday — and by halftime appeared frustrated, angry and disheartened as the Browns fumbled and bumbled its way to a 30-6 embarrassing drubbing.

Lerner admitted to The Plain Dealer he was “sick” about the 1-7 Browns, the team which ranks at the bottom or very close in all aspects of play, including the offense, defense and special teams. And starting quarterback Derek Anderson had a quarterback rating of 0 at halftime, improving to 10 before the final whistle.

But “sick” as Lerner was, he also said he was not ready to fire head coach Eric Mangini — at least not during this Browns bye week.

Lerner apparently is beginning to see the mistake he made as owner in hiring Mangini, shortly after he was relieved of his head coach duties for the New York Jets. That mistake was compounded by hiring Mangini before a hiring a general manager and naming a team president with football knowledge. More than one critic has said it was Mangini who hired his own immediate boss — General Manager George Kokinis, a man even more vague and distant with the media than Mangini. Kokinis has also seemed very much out of the loop.

Now, Lerner indicated to The Plain Dealer that it is time to bring in a football authority to help straighten out the mess. Ya’ think?

“The highest priority that I have is a strong, credible, serious leader within the building to guide decisions in a much more conspicuous, open, transparent way,” Lerner told The Plain Dealer. “I think my highest priority is to have a stable figure that represents the voice that explains the decisions.”

Over the last week or so, Lerner brought former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar in to serve as “another pair of eyes.” But Lerner did not respond when asked if Kosar would serve as the team’s “serious leader.”

Kosar told espn affiliate wknr AM850’s “Really Big Show” host Tony Rizzo that he was first trying to learn what everyone at Browns headquarters was supposed to do for the organization.

Kosar also said the Browns organization would be meeting and making some decisions during this bye week.

Kosar was the owner of the short-lived Cleveland arena team, taking it from near obscurity to the playoffs in one year. The arena league was dismantled, then discontinued last year.

Kosar has said he would love to get back into football at some capacity. But at the same time he has been hamstrung by four children and an ex-wife living in Florida.

In his impromptu interview at Soldier Field Sunday, Lerner also said the Browns current quarterback fiasco didn’t make sense. Mangini made it a priority to give both quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Brady Quin a fair shot during the mini-training camps and the pre-season exhibition games. Quinn started the first three games of the season, but was yanked at the half against the Baltimore Ravens.

Mangini thought Anderson could provide a spark — and he did manage to connect a few times early, but only got worse with each week. Lerner admitted the whole quarterback fiasco “doesn’t look sensible. As to why Mangini has not played Quinn. Lerner said he had no idea since he “wasn’t told about anything.”

In my opinion, Lerner should have been asking questions all along, and holding these coaches responsible.

Lerner could make the Browns right. But it will take the time to actually evaluate the abysmal parade of coaches — and players — since 1999

But taking the time could finally right this Cleveland Browns titanic before Browns fans drown in its wake.

Today Lerner is “soul searching.” Hopefully, he will be taking some action — soon.

Stay tuned.

Tags: Cleveland Browns, eric mangini, NFL, randy lerner

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