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Browns express trust in Crennel

Coach's two-year extension helps build continuity

By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Wednesday, Jan 30, 2008

BEREA: After years of upheaval in the franchise, Browns owner Randy Lerner struck a blow for continuity Tuesday when he signed coach Romeo Crennel to a two-year contract extension that will take Crennel through the 2011 season.

Crennel's players probably would consider it more of an affirmation of truth.

That's the trait they most respect in their 60-year-old coach, who guided the Browns to a 10-6 record in 2007 after going 6-10 and 4-12 his first two years.

''He's straightforward; he tells the truth,'' defensive lineman Shaun Smith said. ''No sugar coating. If you ask him something and he can't answer it, he'll find an answer for you within an hour.

''There were times during the game I'd go up to him and say, 'Why are we doing this?' and he'd explain. When you can go to a coach about anything and he can understand you and give you feedback, you love that. That's what a player wants, to be able to trust him at all times.''

Rookie left tackle Joe Thomas thinks the same of Crennel.

''He's very approachable,'' Thomas said. ''Anybody can go up and talk to him and he'll share his thoughts with you and he'll be honest with you. Those are the most important things about being a coach at any level.''

Even during his days as an assistant with the New York Giants and New England Patriots, his players talked about how Crennel related to them. Asked his secret, Crennel said, ''I try to be honest and truthful with them. They feel like I care about them, which I do. I've told them, 'When you guys do bad, I do
bad. I'm in it with you.' Sometimes in football it's coaches vs. players. We all have to pull in the same direction if we want to be successful.''

They'll be pulling together for the foreseeable future. Crennel received a contract that will pay him around $4 million per year, up from about $2.1 million under his old contract, which had two years remaining.

''We feel Romeo is the man who can lead the team to where we want to go,'' General Manager Phil Savage said. ''He has the respect of the players; he has a great relationship with the people in this building. I feel like the Browns have come quite a ways since he and I sat here three years ago.''

Crennel was on the hot seat at the start of the season, and a 34-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opener made matters worse. Savage then traded starting quarterback Charlie Frye to the Seattle Seahawks, and Crennel turned the team over to quarterback Derek Anderson, who led an offensive resurgence.

Among the people Crennel thanked, the first was Lerner.

''Over the last couple years he probably had some doubts whether he made the right choice or not,'' Crennel said. ''But I had no doubts that the program that I was implementing, along with Phil's help, could be a winning program. The progress that was made the first two years, even though it didn't show up in the win-loss column, is beginning to show up now.''

Asked if he has answered his critics, Crennel said, ''I might have answered them for a game or maybe for a season. Every year is a new year in the NFL. There are no guarantees about anything.

''I really haven't proved much, other than I can win 10 games and can't make the playoffs. If we can win a Super Bowl, that will be rewarding.''

It doesn't seem to bother Crennel that, since the retirement of Joe Gibbs from the Washington Redskins, he is the oldest coach in the NFL.

''I'm not the oldest coach in the NFL. I think I might be the oldest active head coach in the NFL,'' he said, chuckling. ''The elder statesman. I feel good about where I'm sitting.''

Medical update

Crennel said that defensive lineman Ethan Kelley underwent microfracture surgery on his knee after the season, linebacker David McMillan had arthroscopic knee surgery and offensive lineman Isaac Sowells needed his rotator cuff repaired.

As for center LeCharles Bentley, who has had four surgeries after tearing his left patellar tendon in July 2006, Crennel said he expects Bentley to participate in the offseason program, which begins in March.

 

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.

 

BEREA: After years of upheaval in the franchise, Browns owner Randy Lerner struck a blow for continuity Tuesday when he signed coach Romeo Crennel to a two-year contract extension that will take Crennel through the 2011 season.

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