May 23, 2013

Cabot: Joe Banner Will Join Browns Ownership Group

August 3, 2012 by 12 Comments

Though the deal has yet to be voted on by the National Football League, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that former Philadelphia Eagles president Joe Banner will join  Jimmy Haslam in Cleveland once the sale is approved.

Banner, who has declined essentially all comment with regard to the pending sale, worked closely with Browns general manager Tom Heckert, coach Pat Shurmur and offensive coordinator Brad Childress during their collective time with the Eagles. This move, however, would essentially signal the end of Mike Holmgren’s run as team president, as hired by Randy Lerner following the 2009 season.

Holmgren, in the third year of a five-year deal with the Browns that compensates him $8 million a year, has expressed consdierable uncertainty regarding his future, but has told the Cleveland media that he would like to remain a part of a team which he feels is heading in the right direction.

The complete sale of the Browns will reportedly be a two-part process, starting this season, and being finalized within a four-year window.

[Related: A Mild Conspiracy Theory About the Sale of the Browns]

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  • Harv 21

    Holmgren’s fall is so sudden and dramatic it’s downright eerie. In June, the grand poobah overseeing his fiefdom, answering to nobody, the central pillar of the new, long-term stability; by July, his best case scenario is Banner bats him around for a year, like a cat does to a cornered mouse before eating him, just like Holms did to Mangini.

    As Jerry Glanville said, the NFL stands for Not For Long. That applies to the David Veikunes all the way up to The Big Show.

  • 5KMD

    I don’t think he will have trouble finding another gig, assuming he wants one. I can only imagine his cred has gone up with what he has done with the Browns in the last two years. In fact, it probably helps him that he won’t actually be held accountable to the final product.

  • AJ

    Here’s a question for ya…If this was known to be a possibility even a month ago, how much do you think it influenced Holmgren’s decision to go get Gordon in the supplemental draft? Do you think he knew he needed to try to speed up the process of winning now in order to keep his job rather than his painfully slow rebuild?

  • Harv 21

    interesting take. I don’t see that his staure as a team exec has risen at all as of today. If Richardson is good, but Weeden struggles like a typical rook QB, Shurmur coaches just marginally better and Browns go 6-10, no idea why Holms is very attractive to another team as something other than head coach.

  • SDA

    All I know is we need some stability. I hope new ownership learned something from his former partners. How it hurts to say that out loud.

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    Here comes the implosion so get ready…The Big Show – he gone, Heckert – he gone, Shurmur – life support for the season or maybe half depending on what happens…and you know what based on how pitiful the football team has been since it’s return in ’99 none of this would upset me in the least. Lets hit the reset button and do this thing right from the start. The problem I have is after all of these years I’m not afraid to admit I’m more then a little gun shy, just a bit although the promise of a new day still outweighs having to endure how this organization works for another season.

    In my dreams I see a phoenix rising from the rubble coached by none other then the Chin, Bill Cowher! Of course it’ll probably be an ex-Philly head coach and then my dream will be over. Unfortunately no matter what happens it won’t happen fast enough for me but I have time, I hope.

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    I really don’t see all that much Holmgren has done to be honest and even if you think he’s done alot based on how bad this organization has been anything he did would be an improvement. I don’t think that’s a resume highlight myself. I also don’t think there will be many NFL teams knocking down his door again. I don’t think there were many if any before it just took a completely clueless owner like Randy Lerner to come along to turn his team over to a guy and pay handsomely to do so for Holmgren. There aren’t that many more inept owners left for Holmgren unfortunately.

  • NamedMyKidPrice

    I bet he knew something was going on.

  • Tron

    I agree. I don’t see teams looking at him saying “Hey that Mike Holmgren guy went in there and made a 5-11 team a 5-11 team, and then a 4-12 team. Kudos to him!”

  • Eric G

    While I like the idea of an owner who isn’t as laissez-faire as Lerner was, I always liked that Lerner knew how to throw money at a problem. Granted, his staff didn’t always make the best choices, which certainly showed in the rankings, but he was always willing to spend money. My biggest fear with a new owner is playing the small-market card and keeping the team on a budget (read: Dolans)

  • steve-o

    If Banner wants to be the new President, then fine. If I were him, I’d at least ask if Holmgren is interested in being the HC before casting him off. That is how he can best help the organization, and short of a miracle Shurmur is gone after this season anyway. I’d also keep Heckert around and not change the system of a team that is young and close to being built.
    My fear is that we blow this up and have to suffer through another ‘five year’ rebuild plan. After 13 years of rebuiding, that would not go over well. It would be like those jerks on TV who buy million dollar mansions with plans to redo the entire kitchen because they don’t like the granite countertops.

  • TSR3000

    If we have a new coach and GM next season I will be really annoyed. I am not sold on Shurmur but we need to give him a couple years more seasons.