INDIANAPOLIS – The Cleveland Browns are in a bad place.
Teams miss on draft picks all the time, or go through multiple losing seasons, but nothing screams to the Browns’ apparent dysfunction more than the general manager apologizing at the NFL scouting combine for sending texts to the sideline during games.
Browns general manager Ray Farmer said it was his mistake to send texts from the press box to the sideline during games last season. That’s against NFL rules. The texts reportedly questioned play calling and personnel decisions. That’s against common football decorum.
Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan left for the Atlanta Falcons after the season, and it has been widely speculated that the texts played a part in that. Quarterback Brian Hoyer, who is a free agent, said the controversy might affect his decision whether or not to return to the Browns.
The NFL is investigating what happened. Farmer said he has apologized. Only in Cleveland.
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“It was me," Farmer said. "To that degree, I have apologized to the people in the building, coach (Mike) Pettine, (Browns owner) Jimmy Haslam, the rest of the football staff.
“I take full responsibility for myself and my actions.”
It’s fairly amazing that any number of Browns stories that would usually be a big topic of conversation at the scouting combine – Josh Gordon’s year-long suspension, Johnny Manziel entering a treatment facility, the Browns’ lack of an obvious option to start at quarterback, 2014 first-round pick Justin Gilbert’s immense struggles as a rookie – were not even the main topic with the general manager. The NFL might end up fining the Browns or even taking away a draft pick over the rule violation.
“It’s not an excuse, but sometimes your emotions get the best of you,” Farmer said.
The Browns supported Farmer through the texting controversy. On Wednesday, coach Mike Pettine said he was upset with Farmer initially but they have worked it out. Farmer said he and Pettine have and will work well together.
“No relationship mending (is needed),” Farmer said. “Coach Pettine and I work very well together. We’ve had our conversations, we’ve gone through what that was.”
There were football questions around him discussing text messages. He was asked in multiple ways if Manziel could be the team’s starting quarterback in 2015, and he refused to give that vote of confidence, speaking only in platitudes about everyone on the roster competing for spots. Farmer said the team does have a plan at quarterback, although he wouldn’t divulge it.
Browns fans deserve better than seeing their team become a laughingstock. There’s a lot of corrections that need to be made with the Browns, and it was summed up by the general manager standing at a podium trying to explain himself and why he was undermining the coaching staff with text messages to the sideline during games.
“Anytime you make mistakes, it is humbling,” Farmer said.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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