Drama from Browns' Organizational Power Struggle Can Be Cured by Simply Winning

Earlier in the week, ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi took the departure of Cleveland Browns director of player engagement Dr. Jamil Northcutt as a sign that a "tug of war" between general manager Ray Farmer and Mike Pettine's coaching staff is ongoing. He noted that Northcutt was "a confidant" of Farmer's and "a thorn in the side" of the coaches.

Grossi cites sources who said that Northcutt was one of the recipients of Farmer's in-game sideline texting, an offense that has led to the general manager being suspended for the first four games of the season. He also added that Northcutt confronted defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil about the defense's struggles against the run and spoke with offensive line coach Andy Moeller about the depth behind Alex Mack when the center broke his leg last year.

He also noted that this isn't the beginning of the problems between Farmer and Pettine, but it's yet another sign that the tension between them that was fostered last year is an ongoing issue. He wrote:

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I'm not saying that Northcutt's departure represents a turning point in the relationship between Farmer and Pettine. Actually, that occurred when Farmer texted coaches in the booth during games, which was counter-productive to the team's ability to win and compromised Farmer's credibility with the coaches and, to a degree, the players.

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In response, Scout.com Browns insider Lane Adkins wrote on Wednesday that, "the issue of trust continues to be a work-in-progress within the Browns organization, namely the front office and the coaching staff," but that, "Farmer and Pettine have been working to improve a relationship which was seriously strained throughout the course of the 2014 season." He also added that, "the climate within the Browns organization isn’t volatile, as parameters of responsibility, expectation and a common ground are being respected."

Adkins used the example of the 2015 offseason as a sign that things are somewhat improved between the two sides—both Pettine and Farmer seemed to be on the same page when it came to both free-agent signings as well as the draft. But he did acknowledge that Northcutt was indeed a "Farmer guy," and that Northcutt leaving is fallout from the texting scandal from last season.

And with the revelation from Grossi emerged a familiar chorus: "The Browns are dysfunctional. The Browns have always been and will always remain dysfunctional. They are destined to always fail."

But, to make it clear, this is nothing new—Northcutt leaving is related to the tension that permeated the relationship between Pettine and Farmer last year. And Pettine and Farmer are working to repair that relationship, if for nothing more than the benefit of the franchise. And there's one way to make all of this negative chatter go away: The Browns need to win games.

Winning takes the stink off of a lot of negativity. Look at what is happening with the New England Patriots and the deflated football situation. If the Patriots had won just three games last year (or even seven, like the Browns), the myriad versions of outrage expressed about the entire situation would have also included some layer of "But are the Patriots dysfunctional? Is there a rift between someone and someone else that would have directly led to Tom Brady allegedly taking it upon himself to order the deflation of footballs?"

But the Patriots are Super Bowl champions. They aren't in a cycle of seemingly perpetual sub-.500 seasons like the Browns have been. Thus, we can frame the allegations against the Patriots in the context of cheating rather than organizational dysfunction—even though the NFL also considers Farmer's texting "cheating," per the rule book.

But yet, Farmer's scandal gets placed under the umbrella of "dysfunction," because that's a dominant narrative surrounding a team like the Browns that hasn't had a winning season since 2007. Never mind that the Browns, as an organization, are taking steps to move on from what happened last year. 

This also assumes that all NFL teams have general managers and head coaches that are in lockstep with one another or that they all trust each other. Given the personalities that populate this sport—and the egos required to do things like coach a football team or run the war room during the draft—there are bound to be clashes.

There are numerous head coach-general manager tandems that likely have different visions for what it takes to build a winning football team. But since few others are employed by a team like the Browns that has become a national punch line for reasons both warranted and not, the Browns get to be the laughingstock once again. 

But will any of this matter if the Browns win nine, 10, 11 games this year? Not a bit, because Farmer, Pettine and the rest of the Browns coaching and front-office staff will be praised for their prowess in building and coaching a winning team. That will be the focus, and last year's so-called power struggle and the texting scandal will be faded memories, a sign of the past and not a harbinger of doom to come in the future like it's being treated now.

Winning cures all ailments and hides all sins. So, the only way we are going to free ourselves from the perpetual cycle of negative news about the relationship between Farmer and Pettine is if the Browns can start winning games this season.