Is the Team Rebuilding Yet?

As most of you know the Cleveland Browns are having a rough season to say the least. Going into their bye week the teams' record is 1-7. As if that was not enough, the team has gone through a flu crisis and none of the receivers seem to be able to catch the ball. Is there anything that the team and the owner could do to upstart this team out of a bye week and into some wins?

This past week it was reported the Browns dismissed General Manager George Kokinis. Kokinis, a friend of Coach Eric Mangini, was recommended the job by him. According to ESPN analyst Adam Schefter who has been following this story, the Browns did an investigation into Kokinis to find reasonable cause to fire him so the team would not have to pay him for the rest of his contract. Some fans are starting to think Mangini should be the next one out. When asked if Mangini would be next to get the axe Schefter said "his ship in Cleveland seas is sinking." I am not a football genius but I do think there are some ways the Browns could get back into the mix.

I would start with the quarterback position. Derek Anderson had some good games for the Browns, particularly when the Browns went to the playoffs a couple of years ago. But Anderson has been lacking zip on his passes and is immobile in the pocket of late. Not to mention last week his passer rating was a 10.5.

If you take out Anderson, then the team is left with Brady Quinn. Quinn looked to be promising during the preseason but his inexperience has caused many problems. He is having a hard time reading defenses and is never on the same page with his receivers. My suggestion is to dump Anderson, he had his time and now it is time to move on. The team needs to look for a quarterback that is not only experienced but can also mentor the young Quinn. Two QBs I see for the role are Jake Delhome and Kerry Collins.

Next priority position is Wide Receiver. Fans watched as Braylon Edwards dropped pass after pass the last couple of years. The Browns did make the right move by trading Edwards, but just like the flu, drops are contagious. Forget the long throws: none of the receivers can catch the easy dump passes for two yards. Since the team cannot invest in sticky glue to put on the players' hands the only solution is to practice harder. There are plenty of drills that test the quickness of the hands as well as accuracy.

The next situation the team has to deal with is running back. This past week Jamal Lewis stated in a press conference that he will retire at the end of the season. The teams' back-up is Jerome Harrison has some big shoes to fill. According to the Cleveland Browns Web site, Harrison has had one start in four years with 448 yards rushing yards and one touchdown. The Browns should start looking to hire someone to take the spot after this year. If the Browns cannot sign a big name running back like Edgerin James then they need to start scouting some guys in college. If the Browns continue their miserable season, they will have one of the top five picks in next year's draft.

There is not much to say about the defensive and offensive line. They are simply just inexperienced. Over time this will improve.

The real challenge is deciding what to do with the coaching staff. I say fire all of them except for Mangini. The play calling from the booth needs to go as well. The team just looks lost when they are on the field because of the coaching staff. There is no leadership there and Rob Ryan is an example of this. He was shown screaming at Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, instead of coaching and leading the team. Ryan worked under Al Davis at one point and the Raiders have been slipping for years.

Overall, there needs to be a big shake-up in the organization to maybe fire up the team. One fan went on his website urging fans to not sit in their seats for the kickoff of the Monday night game against the Baltimore Ravens. This is not because he gave up on them it is to show the owner and all the players what an empty stadium looks like and if they start winning then fans will come.

This team has not been the same since its return to the league ten years ago and fans are becoming restless.