Browns can't run, so why is Lerner rushing?

Browns can't run, so why is Lerner rushing?
January 4 Cleveland Plain Dealer Columnist Bud Shaw

"Eric Mangini looks to be the Browns' leading candidate

That's fine. So long as there isn't a rush to judgment.

(Wait, I'm being told there is a rush for some reason)

The Browns have waited 10 years to find the right coach. You'd think they'd be able to wait two more weeks for Mike Shanahan to return from vacation with his family.

Maybe Shanahan's agent is letting teams quietly know he's leaning toward taking a year off. But that was the word on Bill Cowher, too, and Randy Lerner still went directly to Cowher to get an answer. Do the same with Shanahan.

I mean, Lerner waited for Romeo Crennel like the French waited for Charles Lindbergh. He can't wait until mid-January to meet with a coach whose Broncos teams have specialized in good quarterback play and solid running games over the years?

If Shanahan isn't demanding complete control and a stadium immediately named in his honor, Lerner should want to hear from him before making any decision, no?

Shanahan's Broncos blew a historic three-game division lead with three to go. That doesn't speak well. His work as a GM should rule him out of the dual role in his next job. I get that. But in the meantime, Mangini's Jets were 8-3 and won one of their last five.

Lerner was all about a brand-name coach before Cowher turned him down. Shanahan is a copyrighted brand.

The name on Mangini's door is Belichick.

Scott Pioli is said to have "extreme" demands

Why would Pioli be asking for so much?

Patriots ... Browns ... what's the difference?

Other than those Super Bowl trophies, all the winning seasons, that incredible 16-0 run in 2007, the organizational excellence and consistency not to mention the proven ownership, a job's a job.

I don't know who's at the top of the Pioli's list -- speculation is it's Iowa's Kirk Ferentz -- but ask yourself this question:

You feel better about Lerner picking the next coach without input from a GM, rather than Pioli or Atlanta's Rich McKay directing the interview process and then calling Lerner as it's narrowed to a top two or three?

Or any process, other than Lerner being fascinated by Mangini and hiring him before the GM.

If Lerner doesn't land Pioli and throws in with Mangini, Tony Grossi reports that Baltimore's George Kokinis could become a leading candidate for GM. So if you're keeping track, that would mean hiring an assistant to Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore as the new Browns front office leader and a former Belichick assistant as head coach.

Granted, Mangini has three years of head coaching experience.

Still, that's change you can believe in?"Link