Jan 1st 2009 10:45AM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Browns, Patriots, AFC East, AFC North, NFL Fans, NFL Coaching, NFL RumorsA year ago, the Browns, having just missed the playoffs with a 10-win season, headed into the new year with high hopes for the future. They had young, emerging stars at quarterback, wide receiver and tight end, and head coach Romeo Crennel was about to sign a contract extension for his role in the organization’s turnaround.

Apparently, six months of unwatchable football is all it took to undo all that. Last Sunday, general manager Phil Savage had to turn in his Blackberry, and a day later, Crennel was kindly asked to do the same.

Now, the team has two front-office vacancies, and owner Randy Lerner wasted very little time interviewing Patriots vice president Scott Pioli to replace Savage. The two met yesterday and according to the , Pioli must decide today if he’s going to take the job. The issue: Pioli’s demands are so ridiculously high that the Browns aren’t sure he’s serious about leaving the Patriots.Continue Reading