Jimmy Haslam Makes Browns a Crazy Wild Card in 2015 Offseason

Of all the questions that surround the Cleveland Browns this offseason, one is scarier than all the rest: What will owner Jimmy Haslam do? The 60-year-old billionaire has a flare for the dramatic and an itchy trigger finger, which leads to some unexpected decisions and constant change.

Consider the fact that the sale of the Browns was finalized just 26 months ago and Haslam has already torn through two head coaches, a team president, a team CEO, two general managers and numerous quarterbacks. Everything that has happened on and off the field over the last few seasons is not exclusively Haslam’s fault, but each and every move has his fingerprint on it.

General manager Ray Farmer has maintained that Haslam had no part in drafting quarterback Johnny Manziel. Back in May he said, “at no point” did Haslam demand the pick and then reiterated that point at his end-of-season press conference.

"He didn't. He did not," Farmer said.

Even with those statements, it is still widely believed that Haslam was the biggest fan of Johnny coming to Cleveland. Mary Kay Cabot of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported less than two weeks ago that the coaching staff felt pressure from the front office to play Manziel this past season. This led to the mutual split between offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and the Browns.

Also in that report was the nugget that members of the front office sent text messages during games criticizing offensive play calls. Was it Haslam who sent the texts? No one really knows, but would it truly surprise anyone if it were?

This is what you get with an owner who seems to love the spotlight. This past season, he has faded into the background and been in front of the media much less, but he still has a lot more Jerry Jones to him than most. If he does not like something that is happening, he has proven he will change it.

So if I am wide receiver Josh Gordon, quarterback Johnny Manziel or cornerback Justin Gilbert, I would be nervous. Someone who runs player personnel could make a case to keep any of those players, but an owner who does not like bad press could make a much stronger counter-case.

Then again, if the front office feels like any or all of those players are too much of a headache and not worth the trouble, then they might want to move on. If Haslam feels differently, then there is no reason to think any further about the issue because nothing will happen.

Remember, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, it was just last offseason that Haslam pulled the plug on a trade that would have sent Gordon to the San Francisco 49ers for a second-round pick. Now that looks like it would have been a no-brainer.

What about the coaching staff? Mike Pettine had a great rookie campaign and obviously will be around for one more season, but that does not assure him any job security. Haslam canned his own choice, Rob Chudzinski, after one season in which the front office gave him essentially nothing to work with on offense. We must also remember that Pettine was not Farmer’s hire. He wasn’t event there when Pettine was interviewed.

It is tough for a coaching staff to instill a culture of winning and confidence when the players don’t even know how long they will remain in place. Until Haslam proves he won’t clean house at the first sign of trouble, that will always be a worry.

David Richard/Associated Press

Change is the name of the game under this ownership. Sure, some of it has been very positive. FirstEnergy Stadium is light years better than it was before Haslam got to town, and phase two of the renovations are currently taking place.

Haslam and company are also revamping the Browns uniforms, which will help attract younger fans and bring the team into the 21^st century. But what other changes could be coming down the pipe?

The team currently holds two first-round draft picks and 10 overall. If the opportunity is there, could Haslam send down the edict to move up and select Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston or Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota? If the team does that, the rookie cycle starts all over again.

That cycle could end up positively and finally stop the revolving door at quarterback but then again, the track record in that department has not been that good. The issue here is that no one really knows what will happen as long as Haslam is in charge.

We do know he is not afraid to spend money, and that makes the Browns dangerous every year when free agency rolls around. NDamukong Suh might command the largest contract for a defensive player in the NFL, but that will not phase Haslam. Money is not an issue; winning is.

You can never accuse this owner of not caring. And maybe it isn’t possible to care too much, but Haslam seems to be pushing the limits of that theory. The less he meddles and the more he lets the guys he hired to win do their job, the better off he will be. It is just tough to sit back and watch as your billion-dollar investment continues to struggle.

Hopefully Haslam is able to maintain his trend of sitting on his hands and biting his tongue, and allows Farmer, Pettine and the rest of the organization to do what they need to do. Haslam needs to learn that the fact that he is looming and the threat of action can be much more effective than exercising that power on a consistent basis.