La Canfora Reports Jimmy Haslam Perpetuating Turmoil in Browns Organization

This time was supposed to be different.

When Jimmy Haslam bought the Cleveland Browns back in 2012, he told reporters and fans, via the team's website, that he would "devote whatever time necessary it takes to get things right here in Cleveland."

Apparently Haslam has a different definition of "right," because in two-plus years, all he's done is turn the Browns right back into a punchline.

The Mistake on the Lake is back, and this time it looks to be Haslam steering the ship into the rocks.

You name it, and it's happened to the Browns in an offseason that's barely a month old.

The team is under investigation for illegally texting coaches during games, which could result in a fine, the loss of draft pick(s) and/or a suspension for general manager Ray Farmer.

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan jumped ship after one season in Cleveland. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, tight end Jordan Cameron wants out of northern Ohio as well.

Quarterback Johnny Manziel checked into rehab after a disastrous rookie season. Wide receiver Josh Gordon received another year-long suspension after another violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Mind you, all this happened in a month.

And according to La Canfora, the general feeling around Browns headquarters is that the team hasn't come close to bottoming out yet:

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The culture in the Browns building is toxic, I'm told. Morale is beyond low. If you can flee, you are fleeing. There is no shortage of individuals throughout that organization who would, like former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, get the hell out of there if at all possible. There's an overwhelming sense of dread about the future and a fear that, come the end of the 2015 season, Haslam will do the one thing he has managed to do with any consistency during his three-season reign -- that is, blow up his entire building once again and fire everyone, in essence blaming all but himself for his sweeping failure.

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Of course, there are those who would say that this has just been a rough month for the organization, that one man isn't solely responsible for all these issues.

And yet, it doesn't take much digging to uncover a common thread to all these missteps.

Jimmy Haslam appears to be knee-deep in all of them.

Per La Canfora, there's the brouhaha arising from the investigation surrounding Farmer's texting coaches during games:

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General manager Ray Farmer, looking over his shoulder since he was promoted to that role a year ago and someone who numerous team sources say is a path of least resistance for the owner on personnel matters, is facing an inquiry for illegally contacting coaches during game day. And, sources tell me, that it was not unusual for him to call and/or text former Browns quarterback coach Dowell Loggains in the coaches box during game days and that the NFL's investigation into the matter would certainly reveal as much.

The tension between the front office and coaching staff is palpable around the team facility, sources said, with friction growing between Farmer and rookie head coach Mike Pettine throughout the 2014 season. It became clear that the front office wanted Manziel -- the owner's boy -- playing sooner and put pressure on the staff to make the change from Brian Hoyer.

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If that sounds stupid, it's because it is. But, as Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group pointed out, the penalties involved are no joke:

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The NFL investigated the improper texts, and are prepared to announce sanctions within the next couple of weeks. A resolution could come as early as this week, but probably no later than three weeks.

Farmer is facing a multigame suspension -- as many as three or four games -- and the Browns are facing the loss of a draft pick if the probe, conducted by in-house NFL executives, shows that Farmer acted improperly. The draft pick will likely be a middle-rounder.

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At the very least, there seems to be an alarming lack of structure at the top of the Browns organization. Not only is it against NFL regulations for the general manager to text the coaching staff on game days, but a general manager inserting himself into the play-calling like Farmer reportedly did is a recipe for disaster.

You don't see Seahawks general manager John Schneider hopping on his smartphone and banging out the message "run it with Marshawn" before sending it to Pete Carroll.

Although...

At worst, Farmer was playing coach at the behest of his boss, in which case Haslam's a meddler of historic proportions and Farmer is essentially a highly compensated puppet.

Neither is a good look for Haslam, Farmer or the Browns.

It's that reported friction with the front office that apparently led Shanahan to ask to be released from his contract—via a 32-point presentation, as La Canfora wrote.

Thirty-two reasons for leaving—after one year. That would mean that every 11 days or so, something happened that gave Shanahan pause.

OK, that's not exactly what it would mean. But 32 reasons. Thirty-two.

Manziel's disastrous season? Well guess who La Canfora says Cleveland fans can thank for that?

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Manziel's presence in Cleveland is born of Haslam, sources said. The owner wanted to make a splash, add some pop to his franchise, sell some tickets and jerseys. 'That was a business decision,' said one source with direct knowledge of the situation. 'That's on the owner.' ...

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Yeah, that worked out much better than say drafting Teddy Bridgewater (whom La Canfora reports Farmer was higher on).

Building a football team based on jersey sales isn't likely to turn much around in Cleveland. Meanwhile, once again Farmer is cast as little more than a yes-man who kowtowed to Haslam rather than dig in in support of the player he really wanted.

If true, it makes one wonder what exactly Farmer does, other than break NFL rules. After all, it certainly appears that Haslam is the team's de facto general manager.

OK, but surely it isn't Haslam's fault that Josh Gordon can't stay out of trouble, right?

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Well, yes. But it also seems to be Haslam's fault that the Browns are still dealing with the headaches because he seemingly can't, per La Canfora:

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During his breakout 2013 season – thriving on Sundays despite being a constant headache to the staff and needing constant baby-sitting and being on the verge of another year-long suspension – Lombardi and Banner had an offer of a second-round pick, at least, from San Francisco for Gordon before the October trade deadline. He was a constant risk off field, a bad influence to younger players (something echoed loudly, in private, by Browns coaches this season). Haslam vetoed the trade.

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Once again, how's that working out?

And that's the problem. According to what sources told La Canfora, Haslam steadfastly refuses to stay out of things he knows nothing about, as if having a team magically instills its owner with football acumen:

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'Jimmy is way too hands on,' said one team source. 'He's like Jerry Jones, only without the football knowledge. There's tension between (team president) Alec Sheiner and Pettine. Everybody sees that. Alec is involved in everything; it's too much for him. There are no divisions. The guys on the business side want to run football operations. The GM wants to coach the team and have input on play calling. Jimmy calls the shots, and everyone is afraid of him with that quick trigger finger. If you stand up to Jimmy, he's done with you. Jimmy's own worst enemy is Jimmy.'

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That first sentence is abjectly terrifying. An owner who, in the words of Deadspin's Tom Ley, is the "dented-can store Jerry Jones."

Want to know the bright side? So do I. There doesn't seem to be one. The history of the NFL has seen more than a few team owners who thought they knew a lot more about the game than they actually did. And whether it's Dan Snyder or Woody Johnson, it almost always ends badly.

Even Jones won his Super Bowls early in his tenure in Dallas, before his ego and inability to leave well enough alone drove Jimmy Johnson out of Dallas and started the Cowboys on a slow slide into mediocrity.

There isn't a deeper, more difficult hole for an NFL team to dig out of than the chasm created by an incompetent owner. Throw in a meddlesome one at that, and the hole gets that much deeper.

When Haslam bought the Browns a few years ago, fans hoped that he would be the next Robert Kraft, the man who would help guide the long-suffering franchise out of the darkness and into the light.

Turns out that light was from an oncoming semi—one with a Pilot Flying J logo on the side and Haslam behind the wheel.

And so far, the franchise looks a lot like the aftermath of a high-speed collision.

Gary Davenport is an NFL Analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter @IDPManor.