Let’s see if the Browns are consistent.
We expect they will be.
It’s clear the Browns didn’t sign free-agent running back Ray Rice because they didn’t want that – someone who had physically abused his then girlfriend – in their locker room.
While we don’t agree with that decision for any number of reasons that have been exposed any number of times in this space over the last month, we can certainly understand why the Browns did what they did. After all, head coach Mike Pettine has two daughters.
The Browns didn’t want running back Terrance West’s laziness, lack of commitment and unprofessionalism in their locker room, so they dumped him off in a trade to the Tennessee Titans for next to nothing. We agree with that move.
So with that being the standard – keeping bad apples out of the bunch in the locker room – then the Browns have to follow suit in their line of thinking and get rid of offensive line coach Andy Moeller. Now, this instant, this moment, ASAP.
The son of former Michigan head coach Gary Moeller, who had some behavioral issues of his own, Moeller has been suspended for allegedly assaulting his fiancee. Moeller came to the Browns with well-documented transgressions with alcohol.
Someone with that kind of resume is a cancer in the locker room, just as West was, and just as the Browns perceived Rice would be.
While it’s certainly not an excuse, West and Rice are young men who are still maturing. Young men need to do that.
But Moeller is a grown man. He’s 51 years old. He should know better. As such, there is no excuse for what he allegedly did, especially with the fact he already has a history of misbehavior.
The longer Moeller remains with the organization, the worse it looks for the Browns. Is he getting a break – at least for a while – because he is a coach? Let’s hope not.
The Browns already have enough problems. For goodness sakes, their general manager, Ray Farmer, has been suspended by the NFL for the first four games because he doesn’t know right from wrong.
They don’t need any more knuckleheads.
By Steve King
