Cleveland Browns fire GM Ray Farmer

The Cleveland Browns have fired general manager Ray Farmer.

The Cleveland Browns have fired general manager Ray Farmer, the team announced on Sunday evening. Head coach Mike Pettine was also let go.

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport first reported the news earlier Sunday.

“We are all disappointed with where we are and clearly understand your frustrations,” owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a letter posted on the team’s website. “We take full responsibility and understand you expect better from us. Your support and loyalty to the Browns is beyond compare, and as the stewards of this franchise, we take the task of creating success to heart.

“We are confident we will build a winning football organization. Our focus as we move forward is on finding strong, smart leaders with high character who are relentlessly driven to improve our football team, willing to look at every resource possible to improve, and who embrace collaboration to ultimately make the best decisions for the Cleveland Browns.”

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Cleveland’s new coach will be a part of the search for the new general manager, Jimmy Haslam told reporters Sunday night.

Haslam also took responsibility for the team’s failings.

Haslam says "it's my fault" franchise hasn't been better. Calls NFL ownership "humbling" and says he came to it "naive"

— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) January 4, 2016

Cleveland finished up its eighth straight losing season on Sunday with a loss to the Steelers.

Farmer joined the Browns in 2013 as assistant general manager before he was promoted following the season. In his two seasons, the Browns went a combined 10–21.

Before he took over the general manager position for Michael Lombardi, the team had hired Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as their next head coach.

In addition to never hiring a coach, Farmer also had two draft choices forced on him:

#Browns GM Ray Farmer may be fired without ever hiring a coach. Had 2 top picks forced on him: Manziel (Haslam's call), Gilbert (Pettine's)

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 3, 2016

In Feb. 2015, the league investigated Farmer for sending texts to his staff during games relating to play calls. In March, he was suspended for the first four games of the season, and the team was fined $250,000.

CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported this week that Packers director of player personnel Eliot Wolf could be a possible replacement for Farmer.

- Kenny Ducey