Word on the Street: Romeo Crennel, Phil Savage Could Be Fired Monday

Yesterday I mentioned that Romeo Crennel had finagled an end-of-year meeting with Browns owner Randy Lerner, which guaranteed (in theory, anyway) that he wouldn't be fired immediately following today's Steelers game. It sounded like Crennel would use the opportunity to plead his case for keeping his job.

At 4-11, that's gotta be a tough sell. And while the win over the Giants was nice, it's not enough to overlook the rest of the debaclement that was the '08 season.

But, hey, I give the big guy credit for trying. One problem, though: the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot reports that Crennel and general managerPhil Savage could be fired as soon as tomorrow.

Sources close to the situation have said both men will probably be asked to step down from their current positions, as early as Monday. The only way anything would happen tonight is if one of them forced the issue, a source said.

The Browns don't expect to hear anything from Crennel until he meets with Browns owner Randy Lerner, possibly on Monday. They are not certain if Savage will wait for a sit-down with Lerner to learn of his fate.

Interestingly, Cabot writes that while Savage will get the complimentary security escort out of the building, Crennel might just move offices. You see, the Browns don't want him as head coach, but might keep him around.

According to the sources, Crennel will most likely be fired as head coach, but could be asked to stay with the team in some capacity. Over the past two months, the Browns have appreciated how Crennel handled the adversity of his situation. What's more, they've received plenty of positive feedback about him from those in and out of the organization.

Crennel does have a sunny disposition, which is noteworthy given his current situation (some of it his own doing, by the way). Not sure how that'll impact the on-field performance, but at least everybody will handle adversity well.