buffalochip92
01-06-2010, 10:46 PM
BEREA, Ohio -- News, notes, rumors and reports as new team president Mike Holmgren begins to build the Browns:
-- Eric Mangini has left the building. After spending all day inside the Browns training facility and meeting with Holmgren, Mangini left hurriedly at about 5:35 p.m. and did not stop to answer questions.
Holmgren and his agent, Bob LaMonte, left the facility at 6:05.
A club source confirmed that Holmgren and Mangini met for two hours and that no decision was reached.
About 15 minutes before Mangini departed, several of his assistant coaches were seen leaving the facility.
Holmgren said on Tuesday that he would meet with Mangini at least once before making his decision. Holmgren also said he hoped to have the issue settled by the end of the week. A team source said the team would not comment on the situation until there was an announcement.
If Mangini is not retained, Holmgren's coaching search will commence immediately.
-- Fred Nance, recently hired as the Browns general counsel, arrived at the facility about 4 p.m. and was still there after Mangini left.
-- The national "insiders" are split on the validity of the John Fox-to-Cleveland rumor. Here's what I know:
1. Fox is "very interested" in the possibility, according to a league source.
2. Panthers owner Jerry Richardson would be willing to arrive at a contract settlement to get out of the $6 million owed Fox for the 2010 season.
3. Richardson, seeing a potential owners' lockout in 2011, would not replace Fox with Bill Cowher, but might promote from within.
4. Behind the scenes, most if not all of Mike Holmgren's coaching and executive "ready lists" are made up of clients of agent Bob LaMonte. Fox is in that stable.
-- Other LaMonte clients that could come into play include Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator of Minnesota; Mike Sherman, Texas A&M head coach;Marty Mornhinweg, offensive coordinator of Philadelphia; and Mike Heimerdinger, offensive coordinator of Tennessee.
-- On the GM front, a club source confirmed that Tom Heckert, general manager of Philadelphia, was interviewed by Holmgren this morning.
Heckert, also in the LaMonte stable, is highly regarded in personnel circles. The Eagles, however, have been encouraging him to seek a team that would give him real GM powers. He doesn't have that in Philadelphia and never will.
-- Other rumored GM candidates include LaMonte-clients Randy Mueller, a three-time GM now an assistant in San Diego; and Ted Sundquist, who's been out of the GM loop since leaving Denver two years ago.
-- John Schneider, co-director of football operations with Green Bay, has strong ties to Holmgren, but is not a LaMonte client.
-- Eric Mangini has left the building. After spending all day inside the Browns training facility and meeting with Holmgren, Mangini left hurriedly at about 5:35 p.m. and did not stop to answer questions.
Holmgren and his agent, Bob LaMonte, left the facility at 6:05.
A club source confirmed that Holmgren and Mangini met for two hours and that no decision was reached.
About 15 minutes before Mangini departed, several of his assistant coaches were seen leaving the facility.
Holmgren said on Tuesday that he would meet with Mangini at least once before making his decision. Holmgren also said he hoped to have the issue settled by the end of the week. A team source said the team would not comment on the situation until there was an announcement.
If Mangini is not retained, Holmgren's coaching search will commence immediately.
-- Fred Nance, recently hired as the Browns general counsel, arrived at the facility about 4 p.m. and was still there after Mangini left.
-- The national "insiders" are split on the validity of the John Fox-to-Cleveland rumor. Here's what I know:
1. Fox is "very interested" in the possibility, according to a league source.
2. Panthers owner Jerry Richardson would be willing to arrive at a contract settlement to get out of the $6 million owed Fox for the 2010 season.
3. Richardson, seeing a potential owners' lockout in 2011, would not replace Fox with Bill Cowher, but might promote from within.
4. Behind the scenes, most if not all of Mike Holmgren's coaching and executive "ready lists" are made up of clients of agent Bob LaMonte. Fox is in that stable.
-- Other LaMonte clients that could come into play include Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator of Minnesota; Mike Sherman, Texas A&M head coach;Marty Mornhinweg, offensive coordinator of Philadelphia; and Mike Heimerdinger, offensive coordinator of Tennessee.
-- On the GM front, a club source confirmed that Tom Heckert, general manager of Philadelphia, was interviewed by Holmgren this morning.
Heckert, also in the LaMonte stable, is highly regarded in personnel circles. The Eagles, however, have been encouraging him to seek a team that would give him real GM powers. He doesn't have that in Philadelphia and never will.
-- Other rumored GM candidates include LaMonte-clients Randy Mueller, a three-time GM now an assistant in San Diego; and Ted Sundquist, who's been out of the GM loop since leaving Denver two years ago.
-- John Schneider, co-director of football operations with Green Bay, has strong ties to Holmgren, but is not a LaMonte client.