Thursday, Nov. 29, 2001

Bye, bye

Browns made the right choice when they dismissed Mike Sellers

By Keith Schleiden, Managing editor

Butch Davis cut Sellers on Tuesday after learning more about the H-back’s troubles. The coach did not go into specifics about what he had learned. What we do know, though, is that Sellers was suspended for one game after he was arrested Nov. 19 and charged with one felony count of cocaine possession and numerous misdemeanors, including driving under the influence.

"It was a combination of things that maybe changed the circumstances," Davis said. "As time goes by, you become a little more educated, a little bit more informed and find out more details. It necessitated that we needed to make a change. … We had a discussion, and most of the things are obviously between he (Sellers) and I. It was clearly conduct detrimental to the focus, the foundation and the direction of the football team."

Davis needed to set an example. I don’t know if making an example of Sellers was part of his plan, but it certainly shows the rest of this young Browns team that illegal behavior will not be tolerated.

When three Browns players were arrested within four hours 10 days ago, comparisons were made between Davis’ new program in Cleveland and the old Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes he used to coach. There was a sense of lawlessness down at the University of Miami, and some wondered whether that aspect of the program had migrated north to Cleveland.

Davis’ cutting of Sellers clearly stamps out that notion.

Furthermore, Sellers wasn’t exactly living up to expectations on the field. While Davis said that Sellers’ game-day performances didn’t have anything to do with his release, his lack of productivity must have made this decision much easier.

Sellers signed a three-year deal worth $2.4 million last spring. The contract included a signing bonus of $800,000.

Through Week 10 — the last game in which Sellers played — he had caught only seven passes for 76 yards and one touchdown. He never caught more than one pass in a game. That shows he wasn’t exactly the backbone of the offense.

Had it been a more productive starter who found himself in trouble, I assume it would have been more difficult for Davis to make such a decision.

But this time, with Sellers, the coach got it right.

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2001 - 2002 Season