Bernie Kosar has been hired as a consultant and will report directly to Randy Lerner. (Photo from Zuma Press)
On Saturday it was reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer that beloved quarterback Bernie Kosar will join the Browns as a consultant. Specific roles and duties have yet to be outlined, but all indications are that Kosar will report directly to owner Randy Lerner, bypassing the GM and Head Coach altogether.
Bernie won’t be riding in on any chariots to save the beleaguered franchise, but his hiring is finally a sign of life from an owner who consistently gets it wrong when it comes to his American football team. It seems unlikely that Kosar is here to help Lerner with any financial decisions; his bankruptcy issues have been well documented. Rather, Kosar will serve as another football brain for Lerner to pick at.
No player did more with less than Bernie. He was never the most physically gifted athlete, but his soaring football IQ allowed him to excel for several years at the highest level. That football IQ is evident hearing him call preseason games for the Browns. Sometimes the words don’t come out exactly right --- anyone’s brain would be a little scrambled after all the hits he took --- but his ability to read a defense and recognize talent is evident.
Kosar recognized a superior head coach when he saw one. When the Browns were returning to the NFL in 1999, Kosar actually advocated re-hiring Bill Belichick as the head coach according to this article. By then Belichick had returned to the Bill Parcels fold as an assistant after his turbulent time in Cleveland. While Clevelanders would have scoffed at the idea of another go with Mr. Grumpy in 1999, Kosar knew the Browns had a solid head coach who was still honing his craft. I have to wonder if Lerner would have rushed to hire Eric Mangini with Kosar offering advice.
This guy pretty much says it all.
With a head-coach and GM in place for the foreseeable future, the way Kosar can make the greatest impact on this team is with his talent evaluation. If there’s one position the Browns have struck out on over and over again, it’s the quarterback. And Bernie knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a successful QB in the NFL
The current season is circling the drain and it feels pretty certain that neither Derek Anderson nor Brady Quinn is suited to be the Browns QB of the future. You can make a case that Lerner hired Bernie with one specific goal in mind --- to find the Browns a franchise quarterback. He can look to the draft, i.e. Troy Aikman or Peyton Manning or could sign a free agent, i.e. Drew Brees or Brett Favre. Clevelanders don’t care how it’s done, as long as it gets done.
Fans are sick of quarterback controversies and QB ratings south of 50.0. It will soon be time for the Browns to go QB shopping yet again. This time with Kosar the Consultant advising the team, hopefully they finally get it right.
Comments
If the Browns some how acquired the 60yr old Favre I will not watch another game. He is a greed SOB and not good to his word. Retire already and quit jerking everybody around. How many years could Brees give us. Besides that Johnny Unitas couldn't be successful in Cleveland with our recieving corp. We need way more than a QB. How about a running back along with recievers that can catch the ball. Linebackers and a secondary would be another nice touch. We have the most exciting player in the NFL with Cribbs but he too could soon be gone. Whatever input Bernie has will be a positive in a negative franchise. Regardless of what Bernie does it will take years for this sorry francise to be turned around. I now watch the games to see how badly they can lose and how embarrassed I can be for them when talking to my many relatives in STILLERS country.
But John, both the Vikings (Favre) and the Saints (Brees) are undefeated right now. I wasn't advocating that the Browns go out and sign Favre, only that signing a free agent LIKE Favre could benifit the team. But I'd prefer that they FINALLY draft and develop a QB that's actually worth something.
I strongly believe the root of the Browns trouble these last 10 years has been the lack of leadership at the most important position in all of sports, the quarterback. The Cowboys were 1-15 the year after they drafted Aikman but they built a Super Bowl team around him. Same with Peyton. Find the right man to lead the team on the field and build around him. That's why Bernie is here, to help find that man.
The Favre thing is a personal thing. There is no loyalty in sports anymore and it drives me crazy. Sports are all about salaries and revenues,which I realize is what it should be in this day and age.Favre typify's that. Curt Flood changed all that and I realize that if it wasn't him it would have been someone else. Back too Bernie. I always liked the guy and hope he can help our presently sorrowfull franchise. I have wanted him involved since 1999. He has a great mind. Anyway we agree on Bernie. I know Favre isn't coming here and if he did he might go to Pittsburgh after a year.
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