Newsome is the unadopted godson of Art Modell. Newsome is a Hall of Famer. Newsome loves watching film, working with the salary cap and talking with scouts about players. Newsome doesn’t like talking much about himself or his team with the media or even other front office types.
“Ozzie Newsome is egoless,” Billick said.
When Billick took the head coaching position he talked with Newsome about never having a consensus, never compromising.
“I have to convince you I’m right or you have to convince me you’re right,” Billick would say. “There’s no halfway, no giving in. At first, that scared him. But then he understood what I meant. If we have a consensus then there’s no accountability.”
And inevitably, neither man would get what he wants.
“We can’t just run down the hallway and have the Modells settle it every time we disagree,” Billick said.
Before Billick took the job he did all of his homework on all parties involved. Only one thing scared him, and it was minimal: the Modells’ financial situation and their ability to sign big-name players with limited resources. The one thing Billick was completely sure of was Ozzie Newsome and his ability to work with him and win with him.
“Denny Green knows both of us,” Billick said. “He knew we could work together. I have so much respect for Ozzie.
“We may not be together forever because that’s the state of the NFL today, with money and such, but I will never leave this job because of control. There will never be a power struggle between Ozzie Newsome and me.”
