Frustration Overkill

Full disclosure-I didn't have a huge problem with the hiring of Eric Mangini.
This proves it.
Now I wasn't exactly fired up about the hiring either,but I wasn't infuriated like I would have been if the Browns would have hired Dennis Green or anything.
George Kokinis as GM was a different matter as I wrote here.
But in any event,I have watched seven games of Browns football and re-watched them.
I bet I have broken down as much video of those seven games as anyone not employed by a pro football team,although that would be hard to prove!
So,I feel pretty safe in typing this-the Cleveland Browns are headed down Pirate Avenue and that doesn't take you higher.

Not only has this teams talent level not risen (with a few exceptions),but you can make a really legitimate argument that it has decreased.
Of the seven games,only the Bengal game and maybe the first half of the Viking loss were anything resembling quality football and even though the win in Buffalo counts as a win,it might have been the worst football game that I have seen in years.
Let's take a look at the players that have been imported from the Jets as "Mangini guys".
A few of them start,but none are exactly setting the world on fire.
Eric Barton and David Bowens start at linebacker,but neither are even NFL average players.
Barton is passable if the talent around him is solid,which it isn't,but Bowens would be nothing more than a special teamer on an average team.
Jason Trusnik is a special teams star,but guys like him are a dime a dozen and playing him at linebacker not only is a waste of time,but shows just how out of control this team is.
Kenyon Coleman and C.J Mosley were supposed to be contributors on the defensive line,but have been no such thing,especially Mosley,who seems to have one move and that is being dropped on his back and pray the runner trips over him.
The two former Jets in the secondary are no help either.
Abram Elam starts,but for a supposed hard hitter misses a ton on tackles and frankly sucks in both coverage and pursuit.
How many times can I see players run by or shove Elam aside on big plays,although he isn't the only one that has suffered that fate.
Hank Poteat has been released by five teams before Cleveland and is so bad that even this team can see he is a huge liability in just about any role.
I could not forget to mention the supposedly sure handed Chansi Stuckey,who has literally dropped every pass thrown to him and is so bad that he hardly sees action anymore or Mangini's favorite clipboard carrier Brett Ratliff,who I am convinced will get a start before this season ends,if Mangini makes it that far!
This doesn't have mention the two free agent starters that were signed from other teams in the human revolving door John St.Clair and Robert "Hard Hands' Royal at tackle and tight end respectively.

The draft shows a bit of promise,but think about this team with Mark Sanchez and Rey Maualuga?
Or even if they made the Jets trade anyway and took Clay Matthews and Maualuga,the weak linebacking corps of this team would have been remade instantly!
And the Browns still could have landed Mohammed Massaquoi with the second pick in round two and then not have forced the seemingly ridiculous pick of David Veikune,who never plays and instead took one of two exciting rookie backs that would have been available at that pick in Pitt's LeShaun McCoy (Eagles) or Iowa's Shonn Greene (Ironically,Jets).
Hindsight is always 20/20,but lets say Mangini/Kokinis had to make the Jets trade,that it was too good to pass up,but tell me which of these two drafts would you rather have?

Mangini/Kokinis-Alex Mack,Brian Robiskie,Mohammed Massaquoi and David Veikune
ThoughtsofRS-Clay Matthews,Rey Maualuga,Mohammed Massaquoi and your choice of LeShaun McCoy or Shonn Greene.

Look at the production of all those players and from watching the games and tell me which was the better plan.
I do think that Mack is improving each week and will eventually be a solid player,but for the difference in these two drafts,I think the Browns could have staggered by for another year with Hank Fraley at center.

I have heard some claim that Mangini has a plan to rebuild by accumulating draft picks and that the Browns have 11 picks in next season's draft and that is true.
However,only one of the picks the Browns have acquired is in the first three rounds with the other three being in rounds five and six,not very likely that an impact player will be added there.
And assuming the picks are increased even more through future deals,do you really trust the personnel evaluations of these fellows?
I cannot say with any confidence that I do.
As far as free agency goes,considering the 1,500 dollar fines for three dollar bottles of water and the other silliness that has occurred since Eric Mangini has arrived in Cleveland,does anyone out there believe that top free agents are going to sign with the Browns?
I just cannot believe that will happen either.

The play calling has been simply abysmal as well.
Brian Daboll calls the same Jamal Lewis run plays constantly and has little imagination at all.
Take this scene from the Packer game.
After a nine yard gain on first down,the Browns are faced with a 2nd and one.
This to me,sets up either a play action deep pass or a short pass to the tight end/wideout.
Daboll has Derek Anderson dive over the middle for the first down.
No creativity at all,try the pass and then if unsuccessful,run on third and one with the same damn run play that you call all the time.
Rob Ryan's defense is horrible at tackling,but he at least tries something different with blitzes to rush the passer.
They don't work very often,but he at least makes an effort unlike Daboll,who seems to think he running the 1970's Nebraska offense.

Effort wise,these players don't seem to be very happy and the spirit is lacking.
With the exception of the Bengals game,this team seems to be happiest when the game is over.
Many players don't seem to want to run hard at all times and most seem to be happy to go through the motions.
Could it be that Eric Mangini has lost this team in seven weeks?
I cannot say for sure,I am not among the players,but it sure looks like that is a real possibility.

Finally,one more note.
I try to catch the Browns theme shows every week on STO and I chuckle at the Browns radio voices Jim Donovan and Doug Dieken picking the Browns to win every week without any rational reason for doing so other than they like doing the games and don't want to piss the Browns off.
The Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi doesn't have those concerns,so he is able to call it as he sees things,even if he could be wrong at times.
However,on Monday's Browns Red Zone,both Donovan and Dieken were surprisingly critical of Mangini and the team to a degree that I have never heard before.
And mentioned the invisible Kokinis,who might as well not even be around for all you hear from and about him....
When the paid employees of the team begin to be critical of the coaches and front office,things are closer to the end than the beginning.

Unless things turn around in the next nine games,the Eric Mangini era could be a short one.
I would have been surprised at the start,if someone had told me that Mangini would be one year and out,I would not be surprised now.
One last thing to remember-remember the words of Bill Cowher to Randy Lerner in their meeting when Cowher turned the Browns job down-"Can't you wait just one more year"?
I would wager that Randy Lerner is remembering that statement right now.....

Photo Credit
Mangini:Tony Dejak-AP Photo