Crennel remains on hold
Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:18 pm
Crennel remains on hold
Monday, January 31, 2005
Tony Grossi
Plain Dealer Reporter
Jacksonville, Fla.- The agent for New England Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is heading to Super Bowl XXXIX this week.
But it's not to negotiate a contract to make Crennel the next coach of the Browns.
Joe Linta, Crennel's agent, also represents five New England players. He plans to visit them here this week as the Pat riots prepare for the Phila delphia Eagles and the chance to win their third Super Bowl in four years.
Win or lose, Crennel is expected to be named Browns head coach next Monday or Tuesday.
Despite nearly daily reports that a deal between the Browns and Crennel has been done, the sides have not talked since Crennel's interview with the Browns on Jan. 7.
"Everybody seems to know what's going on except Crennel and me," Linta said. "The longer you go, obviously, it's either him or Brad Childress. If he does become the head coach there, it's the worst-kept secret in America."
Childress, Eagles offensive coordinator, is the only other Browns candidate who received an interview and whose team has not completed its season.
If the Browns were going to hire anyone else, they'd have done it by now.
But NFL rules prohibit a team from even negotiating with a coach's agent until the coach's season is over.
Those restrictive rules hurt the Browns' ability to assemble a coaching staff.
"I've had more unemployed coaches call me in the last couple weeks looking for jobs. It's unbelievable," Linta said.
"The guy [Crennel] is preparing for the Super Bowl, but he'd like to know. The league's got to take a look at this.
"Plus, the team that's looking to hire, it's not fair to them. They could have hired their coordinators by now."
In a recent interview, new Browns General Manager Phil Savage said he was unconcerned about his coach being able to assemble a staff after the Super Bowl. But Savage would like to see the NFL rule relaxed on interviewing Super Bowl-bound coaches.
"It seems a little limiting," Savage said. "I think a suggestion I would make, maybe, is if a coach you're interested in does indeed go to the Super Bowl and there is a bye week before the Super Bowl, maybe there could be another 24-hour window where people could do a re-check on the coach that they were interested in."
Both the Patriots and Eagles arrived here on Sunday after spending what amounted to a bye week at home.
Savage was not hired in time to sit in on the Browns' interview of Childress, which was conducted on Jan. 3. He did accompany Browns owner Randy Lerner and President John Collins to interview Crennel on Jan. 7 - the same day he was hired as general manager.
Immediately after the interview, national reports tabbed Crennel as the frontrunner for the Browns' job.
"The thing I got from [Crennel] after the interview was that John Collins is a very good guy and Phil is a good guy," Linta said. "Phil and Romeo are both selfless individuals who would in fact put the team first, much the same fashion as Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli do with the Patriots."
Collins did not return a telephone message on Sunday for comment.
Savage said the outcome of Super Bowl XXXIX will have no bearing on the Browns' decision. He also said there will be no need for a second interview.
"I think there's a comfort level there in terms of what we did prior to all of this," Savage said.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plainde ... 174330.xml
Monday, January 31, 2005
Tony Grossi
Plain Dealer Reporter
Jacksonville, Fla.- The agent for New England Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is heading to Super Bowl XXXIX this week.
But it's not to negotiate a contract to make Crennel the next coach of the Browns.
Joe Linta, Crennel's agent, also represents five New England players. He plans to visit them here this week as the Pat riots prepare for the Phila delphia Eagles and the chance to win their third Super Bowl in four years.
Win or lose, Crennel is expected to be named Browns head coach next Monday or Tuesday.
Despite nearly daily reports that a deal between the Browns and Crennel has been done, the sides have not talked since Crennel's interview with the Browns on Jan. 7.
"Everybody seems to know what's going on except Crennel and me," Linta said. "The longer you go, obviously, it's either him or Brad Childress. If he does become the head coach there, it's the worst-kept secret in America."
Childress, Eagles offensive coordinator, is the only other Browns candidate who received an interview and whose team has not completed its season.
If the Browns were going to hire anyone else, they'd have done it by now.
But NFL rules prohibit a team from even negotiating with a coach's agent until the coach's season is over.
Those restrictive rules hurt the Browns' ability to assemble a coaching staff.
"I've had more unemployed coaches call me in the last couple weeks looking for jobs. It's unbelievable," Linta said.
"The guy [Crennel] is preparing for the Super Bowl, but he'd like to know. The league's got to take a look at this.
"Plus, the team that's looking to hire, it's not fair to them. They could have hired their coordinators by now."
In a recent interview, new Browns General Manager Phil Savage said he was unconcerned about his coach being able to assemble a staff after the Super Bowl. But Savage would like to see the NFL rule relaxed on interviewing Super Bowl-bound coaches.
"It seems a little limiting," Savage said. "I think a suggestion I would make, maybe, is if a coach you're interested in does indeed go to the Super Bowl and there is a bye week before the Super Bowl, maybe there could be another 24-hour window where people could do a re-check on the coach that they were interested in."
Both the Patriots and Eagles arrived here on Sunday after spending what amounted to a bye week at home.
Savage was not hired in time to sit in on the Browns' interview of Childress, which was conducted on Jan. 3. He did accompany Browns owner Randy Lerner and President John Collins to interview Crennel on Jan. 7 - the same day he was hired as general manager.
Immediately after the interview, national reports tabbed Crennel as the frontrunner for the Browns' job.
"The thing I got from [Crennel] after the interview was that John Collins is a very good guy and Phil is a good guy," Linta said. "Phil and Romeo are both selfless individuals who would in fact put the team first, much the same fashion as Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli do with the Patriots."
Collins did not return a telephone message on Sunday for comment.
Savage said the outcome of Super Bowl XXXIX will have no bearing on the Browns' decision. He also said there will be no need for a second interview.
"I think there's a comfort level there in terms of what we did prior to all of this," Savage said.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plainde ... 174330.xml