Cleveland Browns GM Tom Heckert hopeful to win extension from Jimmy Haslam – NFL News
Cleveland Browns general manager Tom Heckert has refused to concede defeat as far as his prospects with the Browns are concerned given at end of the season he is due to be replaced by new owner Jimmy Haslam and chief executive officer (CEO) Joe Banner.
Heckert has been credited with rebuilding the Browns with bringing in fresh talent and giving them vigour and hope for win, and he said he at the moment he will not budge to any pressure with respect to leaving Cleveland at end of the season.
He said:
"You know, it's going to be disappointing. But I do get it. It's just one of those things. There's a variety of reasons why that could happen, but I'm OK with that. I don't know how else to react. If it doesn't work out, I can't just sit around and pout
about it, I've got to go try to do it somewhere else. We'll see what happens."
An important point here is that he alone is not hoping to extend his stay in the town, some of the players have thrown their support behind him to stay as an executive of the team in the longer run.
Tackle Joe Thomas said in the GM’s support:
"It would be really upsetting. You just look at the track record he had in Philadelphia and he's been such a big part of this upswing that we're on now with all the young talent on this roster."
Although the Browns still hold on to a remote playoff possibility, the season is also over for them. With the season coming to its end pretty soon, a phase of rebuilding leading to some hiring firing by the new owner is expected to be launched formally.
With president Mike Holmgren, the person who had hired the GM and coach Pat Shurmur, already gone, both officials are at risk of losing their jobs, although new CEO Banner who arrived in Cleveland a month earlier has not given any sort of indication if Shurmur
and Heckert are to go straight after Holmgren.
The situation is going to be clearer at end of the season but both officials have shown determination to portray bold faces, respectively, despite media’s repeated questioning about their futures.
Tags: