Ray Farmer - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Browns’ Ray Farmer, Mike Pettine

December 28th, 2015 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this month, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggested that it’s not realistic to expect Browns general manager Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine to both return to Cleveland next year. According to Rapoport’s report, the deteriorating relationship between the coaching staff and the front office made it “unfathomable” that the Browns would want to have Farmer and Pettine continue working together in 2016.

Today, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) explores that same line of thinking. Citing sources within the Browns organization, Cole reports that Farmer’s seat appears hotter than Pettine’s, with the head coach considered the more likely candidate to keep his job. Cole’s sources indicate that Farmer’s draft selections and roster decisions are more to blame for Cleveland’s struggles this season than the job Pettine has done with the talent – or lack thereof – he has been given.

While Cole doesn’t go so far as to say that the Browns will fire Farmer in January, it sounds like that’s a realistic possibility. If owner Jimmy Haslam does decide to replace Farmer, Cole expects Chris Ballard (Chiefs), George Paton (Vikings), and Duke Tobin (Bengals) to receive consideration for the job, since those executives are viewed by the NFL as some of the top general manager candidates around the league.

With one week until the NFL’s Black Monday, I’d imagine there are several scenarios still in play in Cleveland, but it sounds like any outcome that involves both Pettine and Farmer staying in their current roles is extremely unlikely.

North Notes: Browns, Austin, Wolf

December 13th, 2015 at 9:43am CST by Rory Parks

Browns head coach Mike Pettine and GM Ray Farmer will not both be back with the team next season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com). Pettine had hinted at some discord between the Cleveland front office and coaching staff last week, but apparently the situation is more toxic than originally believed.

According to Rapoport, the coaching staff believes the scouting department does not provide the team enough information to effectively execute the game plan, and the scouting department believes the coaching staff does not effectively utilize its personnel. Neither the front office nor the coaches, of course, are without fault. Farmer has blown two consecutive drafts, which has hamstrung Pettine’s efforts quite a bit, but Pettine has not been an especially savvy in-game strategist and has failed to establish the hard-nosed, defensive-minded mentality he promised when he was hired. If owner Jimmy Haslam chooses to keep one of the Pettine/Farmer duo, the smart money may be on Pettine, but it seems clear that at least one of those men will be out of a job at the end of the season, and perhaps both will be looking for a new position.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the league’s north divisions:

Although Kyle Meinke of MLive.com believes Lions head coach Jim Caldwell‘s fate is sealed–no one believes he will return to Detroit next season–the futures of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter are more uncertain. Austin, for the second season in a row, has done an excellent job leading the Lions’ defense, and although Cooter has less of a track record, he has successfully turned around an offense that crashed and burned under Joe Lombardi. If Austin does not get a head coaching position this offseason–he could even wind up as the Lions’ head coach–he is certainly a viable candidate to return as DC, and Meinke believes Cooter is deserving of an extended look as OC.
Though Austin will be a candidate for the Lions‘ head coaching position, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that current Bears OC Adam Gase will be a “top target” for the club.
Packers pro personnel director Eliot Wolf is a hot name among teams searching for a GM this offseason, but per La Canfora, it is highly unlikely Wolf will be leaving Green Bay. Wolf, who has steadily risen through the ranks of the Packers organization, is seen as the heir apparent to current GM Ted Thompson, and he would be exceedingly selective if he were to consider any position outside of Green Bay. La Canfora’s report does not come as much of a surprise, as Wolf has been a popular GM candidate for several years now.
Although Steelers tackle Mike Adams is technically in the final year of his rookie contract, he will remain under club control in 2016, according to Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Adams was placed on the PUP list before the start of training camp, he never returned to the active roster, and he was not removed from the PUP list, which means that his contract will be tolled and he will be back with Pittsburgh in 2016 at the same salary he earned in 2015 (roughly $873K). Adams could still hit the open market if the Steelers choose to cut him, of course, but given the team’s lack of depth at tackle, Kaboly does not see that as a real option.

Browns Rumors: Benjamin, Barnidge, Roper

December 10th, 2015 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns signed tight end Gary Barnidge to a contract extension today, and while the salary numbers on the deal aren’t yet known, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that he believes Barnidge’s camp was targeting $4MM per year.

That would be a team-friendly price for a player who ranks among the NFL’s best tight ends in terms of catches, yards, and touchdowns this season. As I noted in our story on Barnidge’s extension, Lance Kendricks signed a four-year deal worth $4.625MM annually with the Rams in March, and he has never had a season nearly as productive as Barnidge’s 2015. On the other hand, the Browns tight end is 30 years old, and had only caught 44 balls in 92 career games coming into the season.

As we wait on the figures for Barnidge’s new contract, let’s round up a few more news items and notes from out of Cleveland….

Another Browns pass catcher, wide receiver Travis Benjamin, indicated earlier in the season that he’d like to remain in Cleveland beyond this year, and the team has since engaged him in extension discussions. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter links), Benjamin said today that he thinks he’s about 75% or 80% of the way to reaching a new deal with the Browns.
Discussing his extension, Barnidge explained today that he decided not to test the open market because he wanted to repay the Browns for giving him a shot (Twitter link via Cabot). “I want to be part of the turnaround,” Barnidge said.
According to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has conducted at least one meeting to discuss “how to pick up the broken shards left from the 2015 season.” Team president Alec Scheiner and general manager Ray Farmer were present at that meeting, says Grossi, within a piece examining Farmer’s track record as Browns GM.
Browns senior offensive assistant Kurt Roper will finish the season with the team, but he’s on track to become South Carolina’s new offensive coordinator, Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine confirmed today (Twitter link via Ulrich).
With the 49ers on the schedule for Cleveland this week, ex-Niners punter Andy Lee reflected on his time in San Francisco, praising the franchise for how it handled his traded to the Browns. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com has the story, along with Lee’s quotes.

Extra Points: Martin, Manziel, Kelly, Coaches

November 26th, 2015 at 5:51pm CST by Zachary Links

As we progress into Thanksgiving night, here’s some news from around the league, beginning in Tampa Bay.

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin is set to hit the open market after this season, but it sounds like he wants to stay put. “I love Tampa. I built a house here,” Martin said, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter). When asked if Tampa is his No. 1 priority, the tailback responded in the affirmative. On Tuesday, coach Lovie Smith called the fourth-year back a “priority” for the team in the offseason.
Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears that the decision by Browns coach Mike Pettine to bench Johnny Manziel is part of an overall power struggle between Pettine and GM Ray Farmer. Farmer and others within the organization would like to see Manziel continue on as the starter in 2015, but Pettine doesn’t believe that Manziel has made any strides towards getting his act together. Cole speculates that Pettine could move to trade or cut Manziel in the offseason and that could lead to a showdown between the coach and GM.
Black coaches around the league are concerned with the lack of black offensive coordinators or quarterback coaches, Cole hears (video link). There are only three black OCs — Hue Jackson (Bengals), Edgar Bennett (Packers) and Harold Goodwin (Cardinals) — and only Jackson calls plays for his team. Cole goes on to mention how there are no black quarterback coaches and how the coaches that spoke to him are observing a key avenue for potential promotions being largely cut off for black coaches.
Months after a Chip Kelly–Marcus Mariota reunion didn’t end up transpiring in the draft, the embattled Eagles coach could end up instructing him again, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Should Kelly be interested in coaching the Titans, whose placement of Mike Mularkey as head coach Florio views as a temporary status considering his past, the teams could work out a trade if Jeffrey Lurie is willing to part with Kelly after what’s looking like a disappointing season concludes. A trade or Kelly forcing his way out of Philadelphia could be in play, Florio offers.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report

Breer’s Latest: P. Manning, Browns, L.A.

November 13th, 2015 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s a widely-held assumption in NFL circles that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will call it a career after the 2015 season and will subsequently find work as an NFL executive, says Albert Breer of the NFL Network in his latest column. According to Breer, Cleveland and Tennessee are frequently mentioned as potential landing spots for the future Hall-of-Famer, with Indianapolis and New Orleans “not to be completely discounted” either.

It’s not clear whether or not Manning would be immediately effective if he were to transition into a decision-making role in a team’s front office so soon after his playing career ended. Still, as Breer observes, “it’s easy to figure someone with Manning’s football acumen would be able to figure things out on the fly, so long as the right structure existed around him.”

Here are a few more items of interest from Breer’s column:

While the Browns made clear to other teams that they were open for business prior to the deadline, some of their potential trade chips – such as Joe Thomas and Paul Kruger – drew interest, while others – like Barkevious Mingo – didn’t. According to Breer, some potential trade partners had trouble determining “who was carrying the hammer” in Cleveland, since GM Ray Farmer said he’d have to check with other members of the organization before engaging in serious discussions.
Continuing to address the Browns, Breer notes that, internally, the team doesn’t see chain of command as having been an issue this year, including at the deadline. Other clubs viewed Cleveland as being indecisive “when the heat was turned up” though.
There continues to be steady progress on getting the NFL back to Los Angeles, according to Breer, who provides an update from this week’s relocation committee meetings. As Breer details, some owners are concerned about allowing a team to bend relocation guidelines in order to move, so that club must provide a strong case that its existing market has failed.
While there’s no guarantee the Seahawks make a second-half run – as they did last season – the team is confident it still has an impressive core in place. “The guys here feel like once they play for each other the way they know they can, there’s something really strong here,” one Seahawks source tells Breer.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Farmer, Ravens

November 3rd, 2015 at 8:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the AFC North:

When asked about deadline day, Browns GM Ray Farmer admitted that there was some activity, as Pat McManamon of ESPN.com tweets. “We didn’t actively try to go out and move anybody. There was no shopping from my perspective. But I … listened,” Farmer said.
Farmer says that he does not believe his job security is any more tenuous than it was upon his hire in February 2014, Pat McManamon of ESPN.com writes. “The reality is that my seat’s no warmer than it was the day I got it,” Farmer said. “That’s a perception that everybody has for me and not a perception I have of myself.” The Browns are off to a 2-6 start in 2015.
Don’t expect a reunion between the Ravens and the recently released Jacoby Jones, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. Jones was a Super Bowl hero for Baltimore not long ago, but he hasn’t been the same player in the last two seasons. As banged up as the Ravens’ group of wide receivers is, Jones wouldn’t be a real improvement for the team, Hensley argues.

Extra Points: Jets-Pats, Browns, Hardy, Winston

October 31st, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

It was reported Friday that NFL officials swept the Jets’ locker room and questioned three Patriots employees during their matchup last Sunday at Gillette Stadium. The report stated that the sweep came via request by the Jets, who were concerned that the stadium’s operations and radio frequencies weren’t up to par. Though the Jets subsequently denied having any involvement, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the league informed the Pats that “a team” did ask for it to happen. New England believes the Jets are that team, Florio reports, which should add to an already heated rivalry.

Here’s more from around the league:

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam stressed patience over the summer regarding his club’s rebuild, but the team is 2-5 and matters could worsen with several playoff-caliber opponents on the schedule over the final nine games of the season. A marked regression from last year’s 7-9 finish might force Haslam to consider making changes, writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Those changes could begin in the front office and cost second-year general manager Ray Farmer his job.
While the Cowboys have expressed a desire to give defensive end Greg Hardy a contract extension, the Dallas Morning News’ Tim Cowlishaw doesn’t think a new deal would make sense for either side right now. The Cowboys would be taking a substantial risk in signing Hardy just two games into his career with them, as they aren’t yet aware of whether he’s capable of staying out of trouble off the field. In Hardy’s case, he’ll have plenty of offseason suitors if he can behave himself until then. That would obviously up the 27-year-old’s asking price.
Since playing arguably the worst game of his young career in an Oct. 4 loss to Carolina, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has turned in back-to-back terrific performances, connecting on 34 of 48 passes for 500-plus yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is impressed with the progression of Winston, the No. 1 pick in last spring’s draft, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “Jameis is growing fast,” Koetter said.

Gates, Hardy, Others Return From Suspensions

October 5th, 2015 at 8:45am CST by Luke Adams

With four weeks of the NFL season now in the books, several players – and one general manager – are eligible to return from their four-game suspensions, as Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link) notes. While Yates’ list isn’t exhaustive, he includes the most notable names who will be eligible to suit up for their teams’ next games:

Martavis Bryant, WR (Steelers)
Antonio Gates, TE (Chargers)
Greg Hardy, DE (Cowboys)
Rolando McClain, LB (Cowboys)
Sheldon Richardson, DL (Jets)
Derek Wolfe, DE (Broncos)
Ray Farmer, general manager (Browns)

In most cases, teams will be given a roster exemption for their returning players, so they won’t have to immediately make room for them on the 53-man roster today. However, teams will have to create an opening on their rosters by Thursday if they intend to activate these players, and there aren’t any players on this list that look like release candidates.

The Cowboys could get the biggest boost this week, with two of their best defensive players – Hardy and McClain – set to return. McClain’s career production has been somewhat up and down, and Hardy hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2014 season, so it’ll be interesting to see if either player is able to make an immediate impact for Dallas.

Richardson, meanwhile, could be a candidate for additional discipline — he’ll have his pre-trial hearing on street-racing charges today, but the legal process is expected to continue for about a month, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). The NFL could step in and hand out another suspension for Richardson before his trial, but it’s more likely that the league will simply wait until after it concludes to make a decision.

As for Farmer, the Browns GM, who was suspended for texting coaches on the sideline during games last season, will be able to resume making roster decisions today, though Cleveland wasn’t exactly closed for business over the last four weeks — with interim GM Bill Kuharich at the helm, the team locked up quarterback Austin Davis to a two-year extension last week.

AFC Notes: McCoy, Mathis, Browns

September 4th, 2015 at 4:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After releasing longtime backfield weapon Fred Jackson earlier this week, the Bills could find themselves without his replacement, LeSean McCoy, for their Week 1 matchup with Indianapolis on Sept. 13. McCoy, the Bills’ big-ticket offseason acquisition, has been dealing with a hamstring injury since last month and was noncommittal about his status for the opener when asked by reporters Friday.

“We’ll wait and see,” he said, according to ESPN.com. “Only thing I can do is control what I can control, and that’s just working hard and getting treatment and getting ready to go get out there.”

Bills head coach Rex Ryan stated he’s “optimistic” McCoy will be ready for Week 1. If McCoy can’t go, Ryan isn’t ready to name a starter for the Indy game.

“I’m not gonna get into those type of scenarios, the what-ifs and all that type of stuff. I know one thing: This football team will be ready. Period,” he said.

Browns Links: Haslam, Manziel, Thomas, Pryor

August 1st, 2015 at 4:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

A recent history of abandoning fledgling operations, the Browns may be ready to ride this one out in hopes of it completing a long-sought-after franchise rejuvenation. Owner Jimmy Haslam threw his support behind GM Ray Farmer and second-year coach Mike Pettine, vowing to not “blow things up” if the team sputters this season, according to Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com.

“I think we’re on the right track, so we’re not going to blow things up,” said Haslam, who axed the Browns’ previous power structure of Joe Banner, Mike Lombardi and Rob Chudzinski, along with the decision-making troika before that (Mike Holmgren/Tom Heckert/Pat Shurmur. “I understand why people might ask that after a couple of bumps in the road the first couple of years, but we’re not going to do that. I think we’re putting in place a good foundation.

“… (Farmer and Pettine are) quality people; they’re smart; they work hard; they’ve been around football all their life,” Haslam said. “Listen, if I would’ve said this time last year we were going to be 7-9, you all would’ve probably said that was pretty good, right?”

Instances like Textgate, a reported riff between Pettine and Farmer, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan fleeing Cleveland with two years remaining on his deal, and Johnny Manziel‘s disastrous rookie year have the organization in a rough spot.

Speaking of Manziel, here’s some news surrounding the Browns’ mercurial backup quarterback and from the rest of the team.

Haslam does not intend to give up on Manziel, contrary to some of the rumblings from anonymous sources around the league, and that the 2012 Heisman Trophy recipient doesn’t have to show he’s capable of succeeding in the league this year to receive another shot. “I think it’s important — everybody forgets he’s barely 22 years old,” said Haslam, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “He’s still young, so I think over the next couple of years we’ve got to see if Johnny can be a legitimate quarterback or not. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him or our coaches to say it has to happen this year.” Manziel seems to be entrenched as a backup behind journeyman Josh McCown.
A hallmark of consistency but not much of an offseason buzz-generator considering his sturdy status, Joe Thomas said he’s not looking to find a way out of Cleveland despite the Browns’ struggles throughout the All-Pro left tackle’s tenure, reports Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. “It’s more important for me to take this Cleveland Browns team to the playoffs, for only the second time since they’ve come back, turn this team back into a contender year in and year out, than it is to go somewhere and latch on with an all-star team and go to the playoffs or win the Super Bowl. Because I don’t think it means as much,” Thomas told Grossi.
Grossi is 50-50 on Terrelle Pryor making the 53-man roster and advocates the team use him in short-yardage or two-point conversion scenarios, but the coaching staff is set on using him only at receiver. The former Raiders signal-caller has stood out early in camp but still an uphill battle with the likes of Travis Benjamin, Taylor Gabriel and 2015 draft choice Vince Mayle hovering as the Browns’ potential backups.
The ESPNCleveland scribe said the team doesn’t want to use versatile first-rounder Cameron Erving at right tackle in order to keep starter Mitchell Schwartz in the lineup and view what Michael Bowie can do with reserve reps.