Cleaning house: Front office upheaval continues

The team is silent on why they fired their media relations director.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns have fired the team's lead spokesman, the latest personnel move in months of front-office upheaval that began when team president Carmen Policy unexpectedly announced his resignation in April.
Just a week before training camp, the team on Monday fired Todd Stewart, executive director of communications and media relations.
Stewart, a native of Cincinnati, had been with the Browns since their rebirth as an expansion franchise in 1999. Before the Browns, Stewart worked nine years with the Indianapolis Colts.
He is the fourth major executive to leave the Browns after Policy announced his resignation as president and chief executive officer.
The Browns did not comment Tuesday.
John Collins, the Browns' new president and CEO, said he would elaborate later.
The team replaced Stewart on Tuesday with Julia Payne, who was vice president of communications for the Washington Redskins last season.
Other moves
In May, Lal Heneghan, the team's chief contract negotiator, was fired. His departure was significant because he was the club's most seasoned negotiator for player contracts.
Policy's decision to leave also was followed by the resignations of personnel specialist Ron Wolf and chief administrator Kofi Bonner.
Coach Butch Davis has said the departures are merely part of team owner Randy Lerner's reorganization plan. Lerner assumed ownership in 2002 following the death of his father, Al.
Before joining the Redskins, Payne, 36, worked in the White House public relations office during the Clinton administration. When Clinton opened an office in New York City after his presidency, Payne rejoined him as his official spokeswoman.
The Browns also announced the hiring Tuesday of former Akron Beacon Journal football writer Pat McManamon as lead writer for the team's Web site.
Reynolds signed
The Browns have signed defensive end Jamal Reynolds to a two-year contract.
Reynolds, a first-round pick by Green Bay in 2001 who was bothered by a knee injury his first two seasons, was ineffective even when healthy last year and he was deactivated for 11 games. He recorded just 17 tackles and three sacks in 18 games over three seasons.
Green Bay waived Reynolds last week after he failed a physical, which voided a trade to the Indianapolis Colts. By the Browns claiming Reynolds, the Packers will take a salary-cap hit of $633,750 this year and nothing in 2005.
Davis said the team was intrigued by Reynolds.
"Jamal is a young player with potential and we felt that it would be in the best interest of the Cleveland Browns to give him an opportunity to earn a spot in training camp," Davis said.
The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Reynolds played in college at Florida State, where he ranked fourth in career sacks with 231/2.
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