May 24, 2013

Fox Sports Ohio Report: Heckert Has Been Calling About a New Job Since August

October 16, 2012 by 26 Comments

It isn’t hard to understand why everyone in Berea connected with the Browns might feel like they are on the hot seat. Mike Holmgren will be packing his stuff and heading for Seattle soon (even though he will technically be employed by the Browns until the end of the season.) Pat Shurmur needs more games like Sunday in order to save his job for next season (specifically wins.)

The one whom most thought had a shot to keep his job- GM Tom Heckert, apparently doesn’t feel that way himself.

“Multiple sources told FOXSportsOhio.com that Browns general manger Tom Heckert has told people close to him that he believes he’ll lose his position with the team at the end of the season, and that Heckert was making calls to friends around the league as early as August about potentially landing on another team’s personnel staff in 2013. ” Zac Jackson/Pat McManamon

Ugh. If true, this is borderline come on into the office and brings your keys with you type of news. You just can’t have high level employees that are lame ducks like this. It generally doesn’t work out well for the organization.

[Related: Tom Heckert Not Optimistic About Ownership Change]

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  • Dee P

    As long as we don’t change from a 4-3 to a 3-4, and as long as we don’t change away from the WCO, I’m okay with this. Haslem bought the rights to do this, and we all seem to like him so far – let him do it his way….just not excited for a complete football philosophy change.

  • Ryan

    Bet he would have coughed up that extra #1 for RG3 if he knew it was a make or break season.

  • Parker

    Offense wise we could adapt to another philosophy, defense wise we need to stay 4-3, there are still 3-4 pieces there but after Haden, you’d be playing your other top guys out of position. Not saying they couldn’t thrive but I don’t wanna see sheard as an outside linebacker or Jackson playing in a 3-4 again. Here’s to hoping its not a steelers related hire, just hope to avoid a 3-4 coach

  • FearTheRoo

    I wouldn’t mind moving away from the west coast offense honestly. I just haven’t been impressed so far, and it seems like Weeden is miles better when he’s allowed to play out of the shotgun. I believe the offense sunday had really stalled until they dropped him into the shotgun. It seemed like they flipped a switch and the offense took off.

  • Harv 21

    well, at least this answers the question of how Heckert views his past relationship with Joe Banner.

    Not coincidental that among Holmgren, Heckert and Shurmur the one who’s performed best is the one who has held that job before. Please Banner, no more newbies, and no more hires that are more lifetime achievement awards than correct fits. Let’s start the new era right.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Craig Lyndall

    I agree with this wholeheartedly. The ghost of Kam Wimbley’s Browns jersey is begging the Browns to stay with a 4-3.

  • mgbode

    well, if true, then I hope we go all-in on becoming a true innovator and hire someone like Dana Holgorsen (past history with Weeden as well).

  • http://twitter.com/bbo13 B-bo

    Can he bring Geno Smith with him at least?

  • Natedawg86

    Isn’t it almost detrimental to have a lame duck GM here through the rest of the season. Wouldn’t you like to bring a new one in now to see where the players are at the rest of the season so he can evaluate the current team in preparation for next years off season activities?

  • Harv 21

    If Banner has really ruled Heckert out it might be a difficult to find the right guy in the middle of the football season. Most of the best people are certainly under contract with other teams and either on the road scouting college players or directing the reporting of those scouts. Even if the right guy happens to be there, not sure how he could trust someone else’s existing scouting system this time of year or change everything currently in place without destabilizing any progress already made.

    Just guessing that Heckert found out through his contacts that Banner has been talking to people about the GM job, and that’s what’s led him to start making his own calls. Not sure these reports mean Heckert is definitely out, Banner could be doing due diligence to see who’s available and this understandably worries the current GM.

  • JK

    “If it ain’t broke…. fix it.”

  • Natedawg86

    Agree on first point. I am just ready for some stabilization, but I don’t want to stabilize in the middle of a manure field either

  • NoVA Buckeye

    Isn’t FS Ohio mainly a Cincinnati network?

  • Jon

    Hate this. Heckert has been a freaking wizard with the draft for the last couple years. Almost all of our young talent is because of his drafting, I really think that losing him could slow down our rebuilding process immensely because he’s been getting quality players late in the draft and hitting on his early picks and we can’t be sure a new guy would do that.

  • maxfnmloans

    I was thinking about this last night, sort of. I realized the biggest concern we should have with the transition is the scouting department. We need whoever is going to do our draft scouting on board with us, like yesterday.

    I know from experience that if there’s a rumor going around the office about layoffs, then everyone huddles up and worries about that, while their jobs almost become secondary to them. I am hoping the scouts aren’t doing this now. I’m sure they already feel a little detached, since they’re out on the road and all these things are happening at the home office.

    Also, I assume that the scouting staff was put in place by H&H and they know they types of things that Heckert is looking for in players. If we are going to have a new GM trying to institute a new modus operandi in Berea, then we need scouts who see things that way pronto. If we wait until January to put a new scouting staff in place, and then try to use the information generated by the old scouts during this CFB season for the new scouts/GM to base their draft decisions, then I’m afraid things may get lost in translation. That could lead to a wasted draft. I don’t want any more of those. We have had enough of those since 1999.

    I think with word of Holmgren, they need to either fish or cut bait with Heckert sooner rather than later. At the GM level, most of the focus now is on college scouting and scouting professionals who may be free agents next year. Their work for their “53″ for this season is essentially complete. So, I think the scouting department should be the primary concern going forward

  • maxfnmloans

    while I agree with you Sir, that’s a tight little box to try and fit in. Not a newbie, but also not someone who was too successful and might be relying on their reputation rather than putting the time in anymore.

    Thats tough to find. Has coaching experience, wasn’t a complete train wreck as a HC, but hasn’t reached the mountain top yet, so is still hungry and willing to put the work in.

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    A wizard?

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    Sounds like they are headed towards a new GM new head coach path which I’d be fine with myself. Three years and the wins/losses and more importantly divisional record speaks for itself.

  • mgbode

    freaking wizard. not to be confused with a fracking wizard.

  • JK

    Think Merlin meets Harry Potter

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    Oh an imaginary world okay it all makes sense now.

  • Harv 21

    It is indeed a tight little box to try and fit in (to echo the barely fam friendly metaphor). Don’t want the football equivalent of Rollie Massimino, and scared of swinging from the heels to try and find a Tomlin or John Harbaugh only to end up with another overwhelmed Shurmur. I’d take a chance on Nick Saban despite his last NFL HC gig. Or a younger assistant who is intense and organized – those guys seem to pan out more often than the unknown very quiet types.

  • Steve

    Agree. We’re finally not inept at drafting. That doesn’t mean we’re so good that we can’t improve on it.

  • JK

    As opposed to the real wizard living amongst us?

  • maxfnmloans

    I meant no double entendre there, honest! I started using that phrase when my wife and I were looking for a house and she had a list of requirements as long as the Mississippi. I was imagining venn diagrams or the Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species arrangement from Biology in 1992

  • Stinkfist

    I just depends on who is in season and has the bigger stories. Reds in summer, Cavs and Jackets (well… maybe) in the winter, and NFL stuff whenever the Browns change coaches or a Bengal gets arrested