He has said it before and he will say it again. To Randy
Lerner, owning the Browns is a privilege.
Randy took ownership of the Browns in 2002 when his father, Al, passed away. He
is not a meddlesome owner, but he has made changes. Most notably, he hired Phil
Savage as general manager, Romeo Crennel as head coach and parted with former
team presidents Carmen Policy and John Collins.
"I'm learning," Lerner said before practice Saturday evening. "I'm starting to
feel that the organization makes sense as an organization. We speak with a
single voice. We have divided the roles appropriately.
"I think we understand our business better in some ways than we have in the
past. So, that makes it a much more enjoyable experience for me. It's
fundamentally, and will always be in the end, a privilege. Let's face it, it's
the Browns."
Lerner said losing LeCharles Bentley for the season because of a torn patellar
tendon was "heartbreaking," but he is convinced the Browns will still have a
good season in 2006.
"The good news there - first of all, we have another Clevelander (Bob Hallen) to
back him up," Lerner said. "That's the first good news. The second good news is
that unlike previous seasons, we have a wealth of players around here. They hold
our interest and are difference makers that we recruited. Some of whom are from
Cleveland like (WR) Joe Jurevicius, some of whom are promising rookies.
"We have free agency from last year coming back. We have free agency from this
season that is pretty exciting. We have draft picks that seem to be in good
health and they are showing up. I think it mitigates the impact of losing
LeCharles. It hurts. It's very frustrating. I think there has been a lot of
poise on the part of the GM and definitely on the part of the Head Coach. I
think we are going to be okay."
Lerner is very excited about the prospect of Charlie Frye playing well.
"I think he's an inspired athlete," Lerner said. "I think it would be amazing if
it plays out well. He's a great person to be around. He s the total package. I
hope he goes out and wins games. I hope it comes true for him. I get the sense
he's more relaxed. He knows it's his team. His leadership instincts are coming
out."
One thing Lerner would not do is name a record he thinks the Browns should
finish with. Despite the enthusiasm shared by fans, most national writers
believe the Browns will finish under .500 again. Asked about finishing 8-8,
Lerner said:
"It's better than 6-10. I just don't think it's respectful to the head coach or
to Phil. I think that there is a point where I receded back into having the same
standing as the guy going to the game.
"If I sit around and start talking about numbers, it creates an odd dynamic. I
just don't think it's appropriate or right."