Browns GM Ray Farmer Faces Possible Suspension, Team Could Lose Draft Pick

The Cleveland Browns general manager Ray Farmer could potentially be suspended for multiple games for texting during a regular season game. The use of a phone to text others during a game is a violation of the NFL's electronic use policy.

"I can't comment on that. The league is investigating," Farmer replied when asked about the texting scandal during the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL on Jan. 21.

The league is currently finishing up an "integrity of the game" probe of the team, Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group stated. The NFL is looking into the text messages. If the NFL determines that the integrity of the game was jeopardized, the Browns could lose a draft pick and face a fine.

The incident was first reported last month by the NE Ohio Media Group, which stated that a "high-ranking personnel member," who Cabot confirmed was Farmer, was texting during a regular season game. The content of the texts were reportedly related to play-calling and had been relayed to the coaches.

"I know that Ray and Pett [Mike Pettine] and Sashi Brown, our general counselor, are cooperating fully with the NFL, and if we did anything wrong I'm sure we'll correct it and make whatever amends,'' Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said. "I know we've cooperated fully with the NFL."

In last week's press conference, NFL Commission Roger Goodell discussed the importance of maintaining the integrity of the game in relation to "Deflategate," another scandal that the league is currently investigating.

He said, "This is my job. This is my responsibility to protect the integrity of the game. I represent 32 teams. All of us want to make sure that the rules are being followed. And if we have any information where the potential is that those rules were violated, I have to pursue that. And I have to pursue that aggressively."

The NFL is also looking into a third scandal involving the Atlanta Falcons. The team has allegedly been pumping artificial crowd noise into their stadium over the past two seasons. Falcons' owner Arthur Blank did admit to this on Tuesday.

The investigations are expected to be finished within the next couple of weeks.