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The Root Cause of Cleveland Browns Hierarchy Rift Is Obvious

By Erik Lambert

Jan 1, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam (left) talks with executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown and head coach Hue Jackson before the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam (left) talks with executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown and head coach Hue Jackson before the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nobody is all that surprised about rumors of a rift going on between the Cleveland Browns coaching staff and the front office.

Most chalk it up to the Browns continuing to be the Browns. The most dysfunctional franchise going in the NFL. One that somehow is actually having a debate on whether to take a QB over Myles Garrett. However, that argument stems from something that goes much deeper. Something that was almost inevitable the moment it was announced. A significant divide in core philosophies between the traditional people in the organization and those embracing the new “analytics” approach.

Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com hinted that others around the league believe this to be true. Just like in the actual Moneyball movie, the old scouts and coaches don’t believe the methods will ultimately succeed.

"“The buzz is that there is some discord. One exec told me he sensed it in Phoenix, and another league source told me afterward it exists. But old-school football guys aren’t necessarily rooting for Moneyball to work in the NFL. Natural tension often exists between coaching and personnel, but the Browns’ situation is unique because of their heavy emphasis on analytics.The truth is, we don’t know if it’s working yet. There’s no way you can say it’s working yet coming off a 1-15 season. We won’t really know until after this vitally important draft. That’s when we’ll have a better handle on the two entities.”"

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Now it’s hardly fair to pass any judgment on what the Browns front office is doing after one season. They inherited one of the worst dumpster fires in the NFL. It was bound to take some time for them to fix. One thing that can be said about this methodology is it can create some wild ways to acquire extra draft picks. At present Cleveland holds three 1st and six 2nd round picks between the 2017 and 2017 drafts.

That represents a huge opportunity to start infusing the roster with substantial high end talent. However, where the problems might be showing up is in how the analytics are evaluating personnel. For the longest time successful drafting in the NFL has centered around a mix of solid evaluation, gut feeling and good luck. Now they’re being asked to let math determine what makes a great football player?

Needless to say not everybody would be on board with that. Partly because it sounds ridiculous and also the fact football is not the same math-driven sport baseball is. So the truth remains. Until the Browns start winning, those within the organization who oppose “moneyball” won’t be changing their stance.

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