John Niyo: NFL insider

Browns' ills have only just begun

His hand-picked general manager just got ushered out of the building. His personal assistant was cut loose last week. And his team is floundering at 1-7, right where it was 10 years ago in its first season as an expansion franchise.

It's hard to imagine a more awkward start for Eric Mangini as coach of the Browns. And this week's firing of GM George Kokinis after nine months only adds to the uncertainty about Mangini's future.

But if you're a Lions fan, take heart: Some first-year rebuilding projects already are falling behind the one underway here. In fact, the Browns are doing a pretty good impersonation of the 2008 Lions, with one small misstep -- a 6-3 victory over the Bills.

They're ranked 31st in the NFL in total offense and 32nd in total defense. In eight games, the Browns offense has scored five touchdowns, or one fewer than the Saints defense.

The star wide receiver, Braylon Edwards, finally got his wish in a contract year and was shipped to New York before the trade deadline, a la Roy Williams.

The would-be quarterback of the future, Brady Quinn, was benched in favor of a veteran who is completing 42.9 percent of his passes and on pace for a record-setting NFL-worst passer rating. Neither figures into the team's future, and don't forget: the Browns traded the No. 5 overall pick the Jets used to select Mark Sanchez.

The starting running back, Jamal Lewis, says he'll retire after the season.

And the Pro Bowl defensive tackle, former Lion Shaun Rogers, would rather be playing elsewhere, too.

In short, they've probably yet to reach rock bottom.

Roy-ally frustrated

Williams certainly has had enough time -- a full 16-game season dating his traded from the Lions last October -- to get on the same page with quarterback Tony Romo . But clearly, that hasn't happened.

Williams has caught only 14 of 37 passes thrown his way this season, while Miles Austin has emerged as the Cowboys primary receiving threat.

"He gets the ball thrown correctly his way," Williams told ESPNDallas.com. "I'm stretching and falling and doing everything. ... I'm the No. 1 receiver. But things are just going No. 2's way."

Another Snyder critic

Redskins owner Daniel Snyder made a public apology to fans for his team's 2-5 start. Mike Holmgren thinks Snyder's coach deserves one, too.

Jim Zorn was Holmgren's quarterbacks coach in Seattle for seven years, and Holmgren ripped Washington management for stripping Zorn of his play-calling duties last month.

"You can be upset with me as a play-caller or how the team's going, (then) fire me," Holmgren told ESPN Radio. "Don't pull the rug out from under me, tie my hands, make me look foolish. ... That bothered me a lot."

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