Business as usual for Browns, Holmgren

By Tony Grossi

The Cleveland Plain Dealer

BEREA

Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren pledged a ‘business as usual’ approach as the NFL’s work stoppage kicked off for the first full week.

But it’s not exactly business as usual.

The Browns’ offseason conditioning program was supposed to start on Monday, but players are locked out of the team facility. Because of that, food service workers ordinarily on hand to serve meals did not report for work. They’re the first victims, financially, of the labor dispute.

Players rehabilitating from surgeries or season-ending injuries — such as running back Montario Hardesty, offensive tackle Tony Pashos and linebacker D’Qwell Jackson — now have to undergo treatment at other facilities and under the auspices of an independent supervisor.

All communications between the Browns and players — and their agents — have been stopped cold. Holmgren said that quarterback Colt McCoy was given new coach Pat Shurmur’s playbook prior to the shutdown.

All transactions involving veteran players have ceased. The Browns won’t even disclose which of their potential restricted free agents were tendered qualifying offers. Sources have confirmed only that cornerback Eric Wright and tight end Evan Moore received second-round tenders.

The only business going on as usual is research for the draft on April 28-30 and club requests for season-ticket renewals. Toward the latter, Holmgren delivered a positive message to fans in his first comments since labor negotiations came to a halt on Friday, sending the dispute into the hands of lawyers and judges.

“It is our feeling and hope that we will play football games [this season],” Holmgren said. “We’ve worked very, very hard to begin to establish a program that will win and we are proceeding along those lines.

“I just want to encourage our fans to hang in there. They’ve been so good so far in the year-plus that I’ve been here. They’re a sense of encouragement to me. I appreciate that. This will have a good ending, as well. We’ll get back to playing football like we all want.”

Holmgren said that the club plans no employee furloughs or layoffs during the work stoppage and no coaches will be asked to take a paycut. Some teams have instituted those cost-saving measures.

“If the time comes where financially we get struck down, it probably starts with me. I’ve got to contribute to the pot,” said Holmgren, whose five-year contract has been reported to be worth $40 million to $50 million. He added, in jest, “Although I’m going on record — I am not working for $1 a year.”

Holmgren said the Browns will refund any ticket sold in Cleveland Browns stadium — “plus interest” — for any games canceled.