If There is a Culture Problem within the Browns, Shoes are not the Root

Shoes and the player that wore them have been at the center of discussion when it comes to the Cleveland Browns and their culture and while the topic of culture is a worthwhile one to have with the team at 2-6, shoes have little to do with it. If there's a problem, it's likely due to choices made by General Manager John Dorsey.

When the Cleveland Browns traded for Jarvis Landry, I was critical of the move and the lucrative contraction extension he signed as most anyone remotely familiar with me knows. Landry even knows. Then after he had a mediocre first season with the Browns, which he said of himself, the push-back defending the contract often included an argument in how he benefited the Browns in terms of culture and leadership, suggesting those were critical in the team's turnaround at the end of last season.

Now, as the Browns are 2-6, some are arguing that Landry and Odell Beckham are part of a losing culture. Specifically citing their individuality on the basis of their footwear, their unwillingness to conform signals problems within the ranks and their level of investment and respect for Freddie Kitchens and his coaching staff.

I'm well versed in the arguments on this issue and can see both sides of it.

There are those that will say that if everyone is wearing the same thing, it's more indicative of a team focused on being a team, acting as a team; that conformity is positive. The counterargument is they are shoes and these are adults; that whatever shoes players choose to wear at least in terms of aesthetics, it won't impact the outcome of the game.

And a lot of players wear individual shoes. The same day Landry and Beckham were ordered by the NFL to change their shoes, Stephon Diggs of the Minnesota Vikings wore shoes that advertised Popeye's new chicken sandwich. Incidentally, the NFL did not make him take off his shoes.

The bottom line for me on this is I always felt Landry's alleged contributions, while important and worthwhile, were overstated last year; an exaggeration of the truth. And now, I think using their choice of footwear as a talking point about culture is a stretch.

But the question about culture and leadership this season is worth considering. Given the changes from last season to this season, there's reason to believe that the changes, taken in total, may have had a negative impact on the team's culture and leadership.

Out went players like Jabrill Peppers, Kevin Zeitler, Duke Johnson and Emmanuel Ogbah. In came players like Beckham, Jermaine Whitehead, and Olivier Vernon.

The one that stands out is Duke Johnson, who is now a valued part of the Houston Texans. When he was here, Duke was a man of few but impactful words. In many ways, it felt like he was the barometer for the locker room. Highly respected and regarded, the organization, at least from his standpoint, crossed a line with him and he demanded a trade, which he ultimately got. This team may be missing him more than anyone anticipated.

Vernon seems to have been a good addition to the locker room. Beckham, it really depends on who is asked. Personally, I don't think he's a problem, though it's probably not unfair to question things like the watch he wore in a game. It was worn with the intent of getting paid, which he did as a deal was struck for Beckham's endorsement of the watch company.

Wearing the watch didn't make Beckham play worse and it doesn't make him a bad guy to get paid for the endorsement. It is fair to raise the question if he was more focused on getting paid than winning a football game that particular day, but it doesn't make him a negative in terms of leadership or culture as it seems unlikely anyone else on the team thought twice about it.

Regardless, both Vernon and Beckham are new this year as Landry was last year. It's difficult to have a huge positive impact in those areas that soon. They are still feeling out the group dynamic and where they fit. Sweat equity is required.

Whitehead, on the other hand, was signed after being released by the Green Bay Packers for a personal foul that cost the team a game, slapping an opponent. John Dorsey signed him, which isn't the end of the world, but then Browns coaches, specifically Steve Wilks decided to keep talking about intelligence and leadership during OTA's, pointing to him as a breakthrough player.

That intelligent leader was just released by the Browns for a combination of his poor play and threatening media and fans on social media. If the team really viewed him as a leader and smart, that begs the question what they think of everyone else in there as well as how they define either of those two descriptors.

Damarious Randall was somewhat of a spiritual leader last year for the Browns along with Jabrill Peppers, now a New York Giant. The two really combined to internalized and echo the notion pushed by Gregg Williams of fighting for respect. This year, Randall has missed a number of games and been largely invisible when he has played. Peppers, a benefit in the locker room, is gone, while Randall has seemingly disappeared in that capacity.

And Randall was a player the team had targeted for a contract extension this past offseason. It didn't get done as Randall wanted top safety money and the Browns weren't willing to move off of their number. While a deal between the two is no longer likely, it's at least interesting that Randall, now contributing next to nothing in terms of culture and leadership, was targeted for an extension while players like Joe Schobert and J.C. Tretter, who are both highly regarded in both areas in addition to being high level performers on the field, have not been to this point; at least not publicly.

For a team as young as the Browns, it appears that part of what has contributed to the turnaround at the end of last year, was let go or traded for this season. Some of the players that have been added to this roster, have either been a negative influence or at least aren't a positive one. Chad Thomas has had his issues with work ethic fans and was seen on Twitter egging on Whitehead during the rant that ultimately cost him his roster spot. Antonio Callaway is unreliable at best and don't forget Kareem Hunt.

Dorsey will be the first one to say he loves finding and adding talent. But has his thirst for talent come at the cost of building a team in terms of leadership and culture? And if it has, does he realize it and plan to change his approach building this team? History would say no, but for the sake of the Browns, it's time for a meaningful change in terms of what this team truly needs. A football team, like anything else, is about people. The Browns need to focus on adding good football players and better people.