Does this sound familiar?

[ERA]

Does any of this sound familiar? Take note, this happens quite often in this league. Fisher has found himself in the exact same set of circumstances this year. The draft can work against you as it can for you depending what agenda the coach has at the time, if he's the sole person responsible for the pick.

 

Why Butch Davis let Ben Roethlisberger slip to Pittsburgh

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

 

AP David Zalubowski

 

 

Between the time in 2004 when Butch Davis was running everything, then nothing, he let the enemy steal Ben Roethlisberger.

 

Now, with Roethlisberger taking a 25-4 record as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback into Super Bowl XL, the Browns have digested a few painful lessons:

Don’t give one man too much power.

 

Don’t let a season’s worth of decisions get dragged around by a guy trying to save his job.

 

Don’t overvalue a player with whom you are personally connected.

 

Davis came to the Browns in 2001 billed as a master talent evaluator and developer. It’s not as if he ignored Roethlisberger.

 

In his predraft travels, Davis was unconvinced receivers used in a Roethlisberger workout provided an NFL-type look. Davis had two of his Cleveland wideouts, Andre King and Frisman Jackson, catch passes from the Miami (Ohio) quarterback.

 

Closer to draft day, Davis flew to Oxford on a Roethlisberger-related mission. It was a smokescreen, perhaps, intended to drum up a trade offer. The smoke-screening seemed to get elaborate.

 

Davis even had a colorful way of saying the Browns would consider drafting a quarterback.

 

“We would all be kicking ourselves in the behind,” he said, “if we passed on a guy who wound up winning four Super Bowls.”

 

Davis, though, was under the gun, having coached the Browns to a 5-11 finish in 2003. He sensed a “fix it soon” tone from owner Randy Lerner.

 

He targeted two help-now players with the No. 7 pick. Safety Sean Taylor and tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. both had played at Miami (Fla.), where Davis was head coach before joining the Browns.

 

GAMBLING ON GARCIA

 

Analyst Mel Kiper rated Roethlisberger as the fifth-best player in the draft, two spots ahead of Winslow. Davis, though, was influenced by copious evidence that rookie quarterbacks hardly ever win, and perhaps by a conviction that Roethlisberger came from the wrong Miami.

 

Frustrated with Tim Couch and unfulfilled by Kelly Holcomb, Davis got his new quarterback 46 days before the draft — old Jeff Garcia.

 

On the day Garcia was introduced in Berea, President Carmen Policy did a hard sell.

 

“When Jeff and I sat in my office,” Policy said, “I came away with a very distinct impression that this was a man on a mission. He believes there is work undone, and he is going to get it done. I went down the hall and told the coach that. The coach said he came up with the same conclusion.”

 

Quite sold on himself, Garcia said, “I really do believe I have four or five strong years left in me. I think I’m a 34-year-old going on 25.”

 

Davis gushed about “the passion, the athleticism, the way (Garcia) drove teams, his charisma.”

 

On April 7, Policy made his final public appearance in Berea, announcing he was out and John Collins was in. On April 24, Davis got Garcia a target in Winslow, passing on Roethlisberger.

 

FALLING TO PITTSBURGH

 

Drafting Winslow was expensive. Davis became convinced the Lions would pick Winslow at No. 6, one spot before the Browns. He agreed to give Detroit his second-round pick in exchange for trading places.

 

Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney liked Roethlisberger better than Eli Manning or Phillip Rivers, both taken early on in the first round. This was his lucky day.

 

The Lions, staying committed to Joey Harrington, chose wideout Roy Williams at No. 7.

 

The Falcons, who had Michael Vick, picked cornerback DeAngelo Hall at No. 8.

 

The Jaguars, happy with Byron Leftwich, chose wideout Reggie Williams at No. 9.

 

The Texans, banking on David Carr, picked cornerback Dunta Robinson at No. 10.

 

The Steelers, coming off a 6-10 year with Tommy Maddox, pounced on Roethlisberger at No. 11.

 

Within 20 minutes of drafting Winslow, Davis appeared in the Browns’ media room. He hinted that a few players the Browns didn’t draft, presumably including Roethlisberger, might be right for other teams.

 

“But maybe not for us,” Davis said, “because of the nature of who we have on our team. There are some guys still on the board (as of Pick 8) who are going to be dynamite players, but they don’t fit for us from the standpoint that we already have one or two guys at that position that are at least or close to as good.”

 

Haunting words.

 

ENTER CHARLIE FRYE

 

Garcia started 10 games, lost seven, then disappeared. Holcomb’s body was broken in a 58-48 loss at Cincinnati, after which Davis quit. Rookie Luke McCown went 0-4 before a healed Holcomb beat Houston, then bolted to Buffalo.

 

Roethlisberger went 14-1 as a rookie starter in Pittsburgh, including 1-1 in the playoffs.

 

Roethlisberger may have been dogged by supporting-cast issues had he gone to the Browns. Given Garcia’s demise and the expiration of Holcomb’s contract, he almost surely would have been the Cleveland starter in ’05.

 

In Pittsburgh, behind one of the league’s best lines, Roethlisberger has been sensational. In fact, this week’s hot media topic in New York is whether the Giants blew it in preferring Eli Manning, the No. 1 pick of the ’04 draft, to Roethlisberger.

 

The Browns are left to hope that another Mid-American Conference product, 2005 Round 3 pick Charlie Frye, can rise to Roethlisberger’s level.

 

It’s more complicated than this, but ... when the MAC rivals met on Christmas Eve, Roethlisberger’s team won 41-0.

 

The last time the Browns were consistently good, they lost three AFC title games to Denver’s John Elway. Here’s another haunting item lingering from Butch Davis’ draft pass: Roethlisberger wears No. 7 in honor of Elway.

 

Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

[fromthetop2]

Are you suggesting that Fisher is the sole person in the Titan's organization responsible for picking draft choices?

[ERA]

Are you suggesting that Fisher is the sole person in the Titan's organization responsible for picking draft choices?

By no means, but I am suggesting that the ones involved could have the same agenda. The tail could literally wag the dog here. I suspect it won't happen but it's high stakes poker. If any pick is made that falls short of the best interest of the Titan's future, we may find ourselves in the same boat. I thought this story depicted just how easily agenda's can derail the team's future.

[fromthetop2]

In Butch Davis' case, as well as other failed experiments of GM/Head Coach, the politics get escalated- power vs. control. Clearly anyone who has an agenda that plays to their gaining or restoring either power or control, will derail the Titans or any other team.

 

The Rams are the most recent example of dysfunction caused by this. Ultimately, Mike Martz lost.

 

The one thing, IMO, that has hurt the Titans is the politics that resulted in Jeff Diamond losing his job.

 

Interesting read about the "innerworkings." Although, I believe with as sorry an offensive line the Browns have had (and few other weapons-particularly running back), Big Ben would be watching the Super Bowl like the rest of us if Cleveland had picked him.

[Guest catfish-hunter]

I'll tell you right now ERA that Charlie Frye is going to be a good one. He played well down the stretch for the Browns this past year and I think he has the tools around him to be awfully good. Ruben Droughns in the backfield is a 1,000+ yard back. Winslow is a cancer yes but when healthy he can flat out play. Braylon Edwards and Antonio Bryant are a solid tandom at receiver. I think that the Browns could be a playoff team this next year in the AFC. The Steelers are going to be good as usual yes but the Bengals did not really play well down the stretch and the Ravens have big time problems like aging on defense and a quarterback that is inconsistent at best. I did not even mention that Heap is a free agent and that Jamal Lewis started the ole "career watching" by running the ball soft. Didn't he do that in his last year at Tennessee when Henry was consistently outplaying him?????