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GM resists taking drastic measures
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
BEREA — Browns general manager Phil Savage could have taken the easy way out and done something radical after Cleveland's disappointing 0-3 start.
He could have fired coach Romeo Crennel and/or dismissed the rest of Cleveland's staff. He could have traded embattled starting quarterback Derek Anderson. He could have quit.
Instead, while others were clamoring for major changes, Savage decided to dig in.
"I've talked to people around the league, people who have been in this business for a long time, coaches, front-office types, and you don't go blowing things up after a couple games," Savage said Monday, Sept. 29. "We've had a dry spell for those first couple weeks, you're not going to be successful in this league doing that."
One day after the Browns (1-3) finally got their first win, 20-12 over the short-handed and equally inept Cincinnati Bengals, Savage discussed the state of his struggling team.
Savage didn't offer excuses for the Browns, who have been ravaged by injuries since training camp. And although Crennel indicated that the club contemplated benching Anderson for Brady Quinn — last week and again on Sunday — Savage said the team has confidence Anderson, a Pro Bowler last season, will work his way through an early season slump.
"We feel like we have enough good players, enough people around him and that he's a good enough talent with his ability that we're going to pull out of this and have our best football out in front of us here with him as the quarterback," Savage said.
Savage's comments seemed at odds with what Crennel said a week ago. Following Anderson's three-interception performance in a loss at Baltimore, Crennel said the club would evaluate every position, including quarterback, and that Quinn would get more repetitions with the starting offense.
When Crennel announced he was sticking with Anderson, he refused to give specific reasons for his decision.
Savage met with Crennel several times but never got the impression the coach would turn the offense over to Quinn.
