In a stunning announcement on Tuesday morning, the Cleveland Browns revealed that Ray Farmer is their new general manager, as CEO Joe Banner and former G.M. Mike Lombardi are leaving the team.
The news will come as a total shock in Cleveland and across the NFL, where the Browns were already viewed by many as a dysfunctional franchise following the firing of head coach Rob Chudzinski at the end of the 2013 season.
It is unclear what happened to cause the Browns to clean out their front office, but it is not a good look for owner Jimmy Haslam that he appears incapable of bringing stability to this franchise.
Now Farmer, who was previously the assistant general manager, has a huge task ahead of him in shaping a franchise that needs a complete turnaround. He and new coach Mike Pettine have an uphill battle to turn the Browns from perpetual losers into contenders.