The offseason dysfunction in Cleveland was operating on a one-week delay.
Just when it seemed that a team desperately in need of continuity would finally be getting some, the Browns officially are looking for a new offensive coordinator and a new quarterbacks coach. The Browns have announced that offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has resigned, and that quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains will not return.
“After conversations with Kyle this week we’ve determined that it would be in the best interest of the Cleveland Browns that he pursue other opportunities and we have accepted his resignation,” coach Mike Pettine said. “In Dowell’s case, it was a difficult decision but one that we felt we had to make. We wish them both well. Our focus quickly turns to finding an outstanding coach to lead our offense and I am confident we will bring in highly qualified individuals to help us develop, improve, and achieve the success we are all seeking. I look forward to working with the staff as we go through this process to bring in coaches committed to helping the Cleveland Browns lay a strong foundation to take our offense to a consistently high level in the 2015 season and beyond.”
While not characterized as a mutual parting, it appears that the Browns will not be preventing Shanahan from pursuing other work. Normally, a resignation means that the assistant coach could be blocked from accepting employment elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the release announcing Shanahan’s departure includes a confusing quote from the former coordinator.
“I appreciate the opportunity Mike Pettine, [G.M.] Ray Farmer and [owner] Jimmy Haslam gave me to lead the Browns offense in 2014,” Shanahan said. “The Browns organization is committed to improvement and winning. I regret how the inner workings of the organization were represented publicly over the last few days. Ray and Mike both have the work ethic, experience and talent to work together to turn this organization into a winner. In light of the circumstances, I have decided to resign. I’m grateful for my time with the Browns and wish them great success going forward.”
So everything is great, and they’re doing what they have to do, and all things considered, I am getting the hell out of here?
From the moment the Browns drafted Johnny Manziel (after he sent a “come get me” text to Loggains), it was clear that Shanahan and Manziel wouldn’t mix. Shanahan is a joystick coach, micromanaging the quarterback through every step, hitch, read, and throw. Manziel is the exact opposite of that, a button-mashing cluster of commands that (at the college level) somehow led to good things.
As to the “inner workings” of the organization, one specific leak regarding texts sent from upstairs to the sidelines during games about play calls has sparked a league investigation, since such communications are prohibited. The Browns would have been smart to secure a signed agreement from Shanahan and Loggains to not share any other information regarding the “inner workings” they witnessed over the past year. Otherwise, there could be a very interesting streams of reports from unnamed sources about the bizarre things that happened with Manziel in the house.
Of course, even if Shanahan and/or Loggains signed confidentiality agreements, there’s still nothing that prevents them from being anonymous sources, if they trust the reporters to keep their mouths shut.