Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini has been working real hard since accepting the job in early January.

Why, he’s redecorated the offices in Berea. Hung a few new pictures here, taken a few down there, made a few trips to Bed Bath & Beyond to pick a few things. You know, making it feel homey.

All jokes aside, Mangini and new Browns GM George Kokinis have quite a few decisions to make between now and the start of training camp. There are even a few that need to be made within the next few days, internally at least.

With the Combine one week away, and the NFL Draft looming, here is a list of the top five most pressing issues the Browns need to decide on in order for the team to hit the ground running this season.

Pick a quarterback, trade the other

Although Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson both claim that they can coexist together another year, the fans and the organization can’t as long as both are on the active roster. Mangini and Kokinis’ first bold move will be picking between the fan favorite Quinn and the gunslinger Anderson.

Quinn is loved by the organization, and its fans, and has served as the poster boy for the team since being drafted 22nd overall in 2007. But in his two years with the Browns, Quinn has yet to be given the chance to prove he is capable of being a franchise-caliber quarterback.

He was foolishly inserted and then pulled from the starting spot last season by a desperate coach on the hot seat and suffered a broken finger in the process. With virtually no NFL tape on him, Mangini and Kokinis must evaluate Quinn from his college career, from listening to the opinions of those with the team and from meeting with him.

Anderson does have close to two years of NFL tape to watch. But it’s not all pretty. Anderson is also reviled by the fans, and for good reason. His Pro Bowl play of 2007 energized the tired fan base, and when he could not sustain that level (by no fault of his own—teams had gathered enough on him to properly anticipate him on defense), they blamed him for the team’s struggles.

His on the field mannerisms and “Ah shucks!” personality did him no favors either. But despite all this, he isn’t unknown like Quinn, and Mangini and Kokinis can build around his strengths and weaknesses if they choose so.

No matter who Mangini and Kokinis decide on, they can’t make the same mistake the previous regime made. They have to be decisive, pick one and trade the other. The fan base and most importantly the team can’t be divided any longer.

Remove the cancers from within the locker room

I can look back and pinpoint the exact moment when former Browns coach Romeo Crennel lost control of the team. It was during their bumpy 1-3 start. Sure, the team rallied to then win two in a row, and later gave up the season after the loss to the Houston Texans, but it was in the team’s 1-3 start that exposed the egos and dissention in the locker room.

With players pointing fingers at each other during that span and the locker room dividing, Crennel was never able to pull his team back together. And it showed (Braylon Edwards and Anderson arguing on the sidelines, Lawrence Vickers shoving Anderson while on the field, the Winslow saga, the Quinn-Shaun Smith altercation, and so on and so forth).

The problems could have been sidestepped early on, if the organization had tightened the reins on the problem childs in the locker room. Mangini and Kokinis must not allow themselves to go into next season without first removing the confrontational personalities that ignited and divided the team.

Prepare for the draft and pick carefully

The Browns can’t dare waste this year’s draft selections like they’ve done in previous years. There are far too many holes on this roster, especially on the defensive side of the football.

Former Browns GM Phil Savage’s greatest strength was the draft and I have a gut feeling it’ll be sorely missed with this new regime.

Mangini and Kokinis must make a statement their first year in with a solid, if not spectacular showing on draft day.

Find a better way to incorporate playmakers

Crennel’s most glaring hole in his coaching repertoire (besides his clock managing) was his managing of playmakers Joshua Cribbs and Jerome Harrison. Both players are bona fide game changers, who were rarely used or given the chance to help the team. With Crennel showing biasness towards one of his “favorites” Jason Wright, Harrison remained buried on the bench despite a strong yard per carry average.

And after two years of experimenting, it’s become apparent that Cribbs is not cut out to be a wide receiver. But with his explosiveness and elusiveness, perhaps a position change to running back would capitalize on his untapped potential.

Mangini must be able to find a way to take advance of having two unique talents on his roster. Crennel couldn’t.

Bring hope back to the hopeless fan base

Since returning in 1999, the Cleveland Browns have done nothing but tease and torture their loving fan base. Fans have become accustomed to losing and expect the worse. This culture must be changed, and fast.

By being decisive and confident about their choices this off season, Mangini and Kokinis can help the fans begin healing from past wounds. From their own confidence, they can instill some back into the fan base.

The fans are too proud of this team, of its history, good and bad, to be subjected to more broken promises and bad management. I’m not sure the fans could survive another team blowup.

Frankly, they deserve better, and so do I.

This column was originally published at Sportszona.com. I'm David, and I welcome your feedback.

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