CLEVELAND — Phil Savage is out as general manager of the Cleveland Browns after four seasons, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press tonight.

Savage, who joined the Browns in 2005, will no longer be with the team after the organization decided to go in another direction, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because there were still details of the move to work out. Savage had four years left on a contract extension he signed in May.

It is unclear whether Savage resigned or was fired by owner Randy Lerner.

Browns coach Romeo Crennel is expected to be dismissed on Monday. Crennel, who was hired a few weeks after Savage, is 24-40 in four seasons in Cleveland. He dropped to 0-8 against Pittsburgh after the Browns were blanked 31-0 by the archrival Steelers in their season finale.

Savage's ouster is the first move in what promises to be a busy offseason for Lerner.

Lerner was not happy with Savage's overall management this season, which began with the Browns expecting to make the playoffs after going 10-6 in 2007. While Savage was able to significantly upgrade Cleveland's talent during his tenure — the Browns had six Pro Bowlers last season after having none since 2002 — he seemed to mishandle several situations.

First, he put added pressure on Cleveland's coaching staff by declaring the team's Week 2 matchup with the Steelers as "a critical game" and "the biggest in my time here." He also got into an ugly exchange with tight end Kellen Winslow over the player's hospitalization for a staph infection and later embarrassed the Browns by sending a profane e-mail to a fan following a win over Buffalo.

The e-mail may have been the final straw for Lerner, who is expected to make a strong push for former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher. Although Cowher has given no indications he's ready to return to coaching, Lerner may be able to sweeten the pot by offering him full control of Cleveland's football operations now that Savage is gone.

Lerner, too, may try to bring in New England vice president Scott Pioli to run his football operation.

Crennel will meet with Lerner on Monday, heightening the likelihood he will follow Savage out the door.

Lerner wanted to wait until after the season out of respect for the popular Crennel, who came to the Browns after winning five Super Bowl rings as a defensive coordinator. Crennel's inability to beat the Steelers and a 5-19 record in the division has made it virtually impossible for Lerner to bring him back.

The Browns (4-12) were given a solid chance to unseat the Steelers in the AFC North but a slew of injuries, including ones to quarterbacks Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, contributed to Cleveland's alarming slide. The Browns didn't score an offensive touchdown in their last six games and were forced to start recently signed Bruce Gradkowsi — their fourth starting QB of 2008 — against the NFL's top-rated defense on Sunday.

Cleveland was shut out in its last two games, the first time in club history the team failed to score in consecutive games. The Browns also set an NFL record by failing to score an offensive touchdown in 24 consecutive quarters, breaking a mark of 22 held by the 1974 Chicago Bears.

In January, Lerner gave Crennel an extension through the 2011 season, a deal worth nearly $12 million.

The team said in an e-mail that Crennel will be available to the media at noon Monday, following a team meeting.

Lerner would prefer his next hire to be an experienced coach. He will make a run at Cowher, who resigned after the 2006 season and is working as a studio analyst for CBS. Cowher played linebacker for the Browns in the early 1980s and served as an assistant coach with Cleveland from 1985-88.

If Cowher doesn't come to Cleveland — and there's no current indications he's ready to get back into coaching — the Browns may interview some of the league's top coordinators, including Steve Spagnuolo of the New York Giants, Tennessee's Jim Schwartz, Baltimore's Rex Ryan and New England's Josh McDaniels.