There’s been a lot of speculation about what the impending sale of the Browns to Jimmy Haslem III will mean for team president Mike Holmgren, but he’s not the only person whose future with the organization will be impacted by new ownership.
General Manager Tom Heckert is one of those people. Heckert told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he has no idea what will happen under a new owner and doesn’t expect to have any more clarity until there’s actually a new owner.
“Until we sit down with the new owner, no one’s really sure what’s going to happen,” said Heckert. “I’ve told the guys on my staff and some of the players to just keep doing what they’re doing. From a football standpoint, there’s not a whole that can be changed at this point, so it’s got to be business as usual.”
One thing that will surely affect all these fronts is the question of whether or not former Eagles president Joe Banner is involved in the ownership group. Heckert told Cabot that he doesn’t know if his former boss with the Eagles is involved, but his previous relationship with Banner would surely come into play if Banner is in fact coming to Cleveland.
Head coach Pat Shurmur and offensive coordinator Brad Childress also worked for the Eagles while Banner was in their front office, which would at least mean they wouldn’t be dealing with someone they’ve never met before. Personal relationships are important, but the best argument any of the Browns personnel can make for remaining Browns personnel will come from better results on the field. Per Cabot, no big decisions will be made until after the 2012 season plays out so the current regime should have plenty of chances to make their case.