Thanks for the link. I skimmed your posts there expecting to find a wealth of facts, but it just seems like so much “subjective opinion” (isn’t that redundant?) Gotta love irony.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it looks like your support for Savage consists of:
1. The only job of a GM is to identify and acquire talent (it’s deeper than that, otherwise every good scout would make for a successful GM, but I’ll concede the point.)
2. He was one of the best in the NFL at identifying and acquiring talent
3. He had a stellar 2007 draft
4. Romeo was incompetent and at fault for the Browns failures
5. Stability (6-10, 4-12, 10-6, 4-12. If you’re happy with consistently missing the playoffs every year, more power to ya, but I don’t want that kind of stability.)

If I missed any of the facts that were the basis for your opinions, please point them out to me, because I didn’t find any.

I won’t disagree with you about Crennel’s incompetence, nor about Savage’s 2007 draft and related acquisitions. But like I pointed out above, one good draft out of every four does not make for a successful team. Likewise, Savage deserves criticism for not bringing in a qualified HC after two years of Romeo’s sideline buffoonery. He was able to oust team president John Collins, yet rather than address the problem at HC, he supported and retained Crennel… so Savage shares responsibility there.

Regardless, though… when it comes to players, there is no escaping the fact that successful NFL GMs (and you refer to Savage as “one of the best”) consistently hit more than they miss. Instead of blindly supporting Savage, I suggest you look at, for example, the draft records of Super Bowl winning teams. Or how about just playoff teams? Average teams? Doesn’t matter, the Browns are near the bottom when it comes to the number of players remaining on the roster from their drafts. They’re near the bottom when you look at the numbers of starters acquired through the draft. You’ll point to 2007, which was indeed a good draft… but even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and again. Al Davis turns up his share of pro bowl players too. So does Mike Brown. I’ll leave it to you to confirm the percentages of drafted players that make the roster or winning starting jobs on teams with good management… but the results don’t support your Savage loyalty.

Nor will his results in free agency (I’m all ears, if you can explain the rationale for guaranteeing DA’s $5mil roster bonus due this month? There’s a reason teams use roster bonuses… to force teams to make a decision early in the league year. Guaranteeing a supposed “roster bonus” runs contrary to its purpose, and is one of the most boneheaded moves ever by an NFL GM, serving to demonstrate that Savage didn’t grasp the CBA or have the salary cap management skills required of someone in that position.) How about a seven-year $35 million dollar deal for a guy who couldn’t play a full season for three different teams in three years? He may have brought in an abundance of FAs, and there were some good ones among the riff-raff, but his overall record was spotty at best, with far more misses than hits. And unfortunately, even with the FAs that could be termed successes, his approach to negotiating with free agents… to throw money at a problem and grossly overpay an above-market contract, still left the team hamstrung more often than not.

One other thing you focus on in that forum… and that was Savage’s creating a “cohesive organization with a unifying philosophy.” Of course, this is something that is strictly perception, but I’m perplexed that anyone could come to that opinion of him. From what we saw publicly, the Browns organization was highly dysfunctional—the man had serious problems even getting along with people. Two high profile examples: early on, we had the John Collins power struggle, then Savage spent most of the 2008 season throwing his head coach under the bus. He refused to seriously address areas the coaching staff sought help with (secondary.) And based on things like the LeCharles Bentley fallout and the K2 health issues, the divisiveness and belligerence extended to the players, as well. And to go beyond the issues that were made public, the Browns employees that I know from having worked on the audit team would have a very different way of describing what you refer to as “cohesive” and “unifying.” Some that come to mind: lockstep, inconsistency, fear, intolerance for differing opinions. I have never gotten the impression that there was any cohesiveness or unity in Berea under Savage’s reign.

And of course, the thing that ultimately matters in the end… results. Savage’s bottom line: 40% of drafted players remaining on the roster. Zero playoff appearances. One winning season. 24-40 record. The results don’t support your opinion. If you’ve got anything factual that show Savage’s 4-yr performance in a favorable light vs even an average-performing .500 NFL team, I’d love to take a look… but it seems clear you don’t want to let the facts get in the way of your overrated opinion of him. The man is a perfect example of the Peter Principle, grossly overmatched and in way over his head. He results speak for themselves, and he was ultimately proven a disastrous failure. When he manages another organization to a Super Bowl, I’ll eat my words… but no sensible owner is going to give a guy with his poor track record another job at that level.