Banner Out In Cleveland

Sixteen months after taking over as the CEO of the Cleveland Browns, former Eagles president Joe Banner is stepping down, the team announced.

Michael Lombardi is out as GM and will be replaced by Ray Farmer.

Banner was with the Eagles from 1994 to 2012. He tried to hire Chip Kelly last offseason, but was turned down. Banner later said he felt Kelly was too much of a gamble. Jeffrey Lurie and Banner traded jabs after the Eagles’ owner accused Banner of leaking negative stories about Howie Roseman.

Banner and the Browns ended up hiring Rob Chudzinski, who was fired after one 4-12 season. They eventually hired Mike Pettine to replace him.

Lombardi, meanwhile, was the Eagles’ director of pro personnel back in 1998. And Farmer played three seasons for the Eagles from 1996 to 1998.

Back in 2010, Robert Huber of Philadelphia Magazine wrote an in-depth profile of Banner.