Will Banner Wield Cleaver in Cleveland?
BETHLEHEM -- With former Eagles president Joe Banner expected to become president of the Cleveland Browns any minute now, NFL observers seem to think he will immediately clean house at the Browns’ front office. I guess I can buy that Browns prez Mike Holmgren can start packing, because Banner is going to take that role.
Will Banner Wield Cleaver in Cleveland?
Les Bowen
BETHLEHEM -- With former Eagles president Joe Banner expected to become president of the Cleveland Browns any minute now, NFL observers seem to think he will immediately clean house at the Browns’ front office. I guess I can buy that Browns prez Mike Holmgren can start packing, because Banner is going to take that role.
But two things on the rest of the operation:
1. Nobody fires their football people en masse in August or September. That would be chaos. It would also send a really bad message to the whole organization and the fans – that you don’t give people a chance, that you rule capriciously.
2. Who, exactly, are Joe Banner’s football people, who would swoop in to replace the fired folks? I posed this question to someone who knows Banner well, and he had no answers. Most of the football guys who have left the Eagles over the years left on no better terms with Banner than with anyone else; Tom Modrak almost certainly isn’t booking any Cleveland flights. Ditto Jason Licht. Mike Lombardi was an Eagles personnel guy back in the ‘90s, and he had a good relationship with Banner, but Lombardi has been out of the league and on TV for five years now. And no organization is letting anybody under contract leave, even for a better job, in August or September.
So, I don’t think Cleveland GM Tom Heckert is going anywhere this season. Will he stay on long-term? Banner knows Heckert, who, of course, ran personnel for the Eagles. I never got the impression they were close. I think Banner will do what a smart, prudent leader does – he will use the season to assess and explore, talk to people, figure out what he has and what he needs. Change will probably be less sweeping and abrupt than some folks seem to think.
Here’s a thought, totally off the top of my head: Some of the people closest to Banner in this business are agents. (No, not Drew Rosenhaus.) It is not unheard of in the NFL for someone to change sides of the fence. I would not be shocked if Joe went that way to fill an executive post, eventually.
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I'm really glad that Banner was able to do what he said he was going to do when he exited the Eagles organization. This puts to rest all the talk about being forced out by Lurie. Now, he's in an ownership position that he never would have achieved with the Eagles. In fact, it's a job Fat Andy would kill to have. Good luck, Joe.— 1republican- Maybe Banner hires Fat Andy as GM when Andy gets fired after going 8-8 and missing the playoffs again this season. One thing is for sure....all of this stuff about Banner and the Browns will sure make the opening game of the season more interesting. If the Eagles lose to an obviously inferior Browns team headed up by Joe Banner, it will set a negative tone for their whole season. — SteveS11
- ...and Philly fans care why about Banner????— KIBecker
- ...and Philly fans care why about Banner????— KIBecker
- Maybe Holmgren is the only guy Andy would ever let GM.— johnnydomino
- Every Clevelan linebacker, receiver and safety making over league minimum is done. Nickels.— snakeplissken
- Joe Banner's football people are accountants, just like Joe. If I am a Cleveland fan I am mortified that actual football people will be replaced with accountants and various other Fordham Law graduates. Cleveland will be the new Gold Standard.— coloradoeagle
- We will be able to sign Trent Richardson in two years as Banner won't re-up that contract. 1- 2 punch of Shady and Rischardson will be nice.— dmanphilly
- Well, he is on his own now...and he can't blame Andy, Donovan, Michael or Jeffery any more....and we shall see, we shall see....If arrogance works he will work a miricle there...but unless he has changed his attitude and his people skills...(insert def of insantity here) the Browns will go nowhere and in 5 years he will be gone....and it will be true justice to see him fail there as his heavy handedness failed here....— nuggett
joe banner will have the browns in the superbowl before lurie, roseman and reid get back there- colorado, if you a browns fan, i think you accept any change. their "football people" should be trashmen judging by the results.— AbeVigoda
- good point. it is the Browns we are talking about after all. — coloradoeagle
- They have any good LB's??— Serge_Matthews
- Cleveland?????— billtfla
- nuggett- You're right. Unfortunately, now your team and it's "fans" will have to take some accountability for whatever happens this season. You've successfully thrown dam near everyone possible under the bus, so I'm eagerly waiting for the next scapegoat. Joke.— jevans
Comment removed.- Maybe he can hire Dan Leone.— drbob1
- Banner will DEFINITELY fire Holmgren and bring in his nerd "godson" Howie as Exec VP. Reid will bring Heckert back here to be his right hand man and they can hang pictures of Banner and Howie in their office to throw darts at.— HAROLD Eskin
- @1republican: I might be wrong about this but I don't believe Joe buying the browns, he is simply being named President by the guy who is buying the browns (the guy who is part owner of the steelers)...could be wrong about this though— JTR
- @JTR It has been widely reported that Banner is one of the men in a team that is buying the Browns. Banner just has a smaller stake. The man that is reported to be buying the Browns just has a majority stake on that team of owners.— ArtemusRex
- Even still, a small piece of a NFL franchise is still money in the bank. It is also something he was not in Philly. Probably part of his deal was to be able to be inserted into football operations if he so should choose, I know I would. — xlGmanlx
I have more confidence in Joe then Jeff, Andy, and Howie. But I am not positive he knows how to win a SB as he let Andy hang around way too long. I am thinking he will make changes, and they will be telling if he actually hires a coach that runs the ball, and knows what he is doing. If he hires Marty Morhinweg as his first head coach you know he will not be winning a Superbowl. Cant wait until Morhinweg is fired though, thats 10 years too long, and hopefully Andy is next, finally getting rid of that dead coaching wieght in the league, the most over-rated duo in modern caoching history. 0 superbowls without Brett Favre in 23 years combined as coaches and GM's once leaving GB. 23 years and nothing. Mediocre garbage....time is coming.- I have to agree with CG25. I can't wait til Marty's gone either.— Geno D
- I guess Bowen doesn't know that the new owner hasn't been approved by the other owners yet and won't officially have control of the team until around October. So the odds are pretty good that Banner isn't going to be hired or start cleaning house in August or September since that's not even a possibility, lol.— JimG
- I have a bigger question. Will we be constantly barraged with Banner articles all year?— ej610
- Eagles fans now are going to have the proof as to who was the one really behind the last 15 years of Eagle success. If Banner can lift the Browns from the sewer to the upper levels, then he will and no one can dispute it. I personally think that Banner was the rock and the backstop that provided the stability for the Eagles to build. Reid has been marginalizing him for years and now forced him out to fan cheers. Maybe though Banner gets the last laugh. There is no single rock in the Eagles organization that insures the lunatics don't run the asylum. I think the really interesting stories are going to be what happens to the Eagles over the next 4 years while we watch the Browns. Indeed, the situation is similar to 1997 when the NFC east was dominated by the Giants and Cowboys and the Eagles were the cellar dwellers. I think in 5 years the Eagles fans will look at the Browns and say the one that really got away was Banner.— Dutch-wayne
