BEREA, Ohio - Ray Farmer believes it's natural for friction to exist within organizations and "really, really, good teams ... work through" it.

He made the comment in January and was speaking specifically of disagreements between a front office and coaching staff.

A different kind of discord enveloped the Browns' running back room early last year and assistant Wilbert Montgomery made it sound as though it were anything but healthy.

While addressing the harmony that permeates his unit this off-season, Montgomery discussed the tensions that surrounded it a year ago as former Browns veteran Ben Tate clashed with rookies, particularly Terrance West. It was no secret that Tate, waived at midseason, and West weren't close teammates, and the Browns assistant shed more light on the strained relations Thursday.

"(Tate) came in early and they paid him (free-agent) money to come here so he felt he was 'the guy' and the other guys were in his way," Montgomery said. "It created friction and this year there's no friction at all. Everybody is out relaxing and playing."

Tate, who played in the shadows of Arian Foster in Houston, expected to be the feature back in Cleveland, saying last spring that "no one can touch me," on the depth chart. But after he was injured in Browns' opener, Tate bristled at youngsters West and Isaiah Crowell getting the bulk of the carries. He made it known he didn't like the halfback-by-committee approach.

The club released Tate, which it had signed to a two-year, $6.2 million deal, on Nov. 18.

"It was bad," Montgomery said. "You would see West tweet something out there on social media and then Ben would tweet and they would go back and forth all the time talking about they had no competition."

The coach said the problems didn't end on Twitter.

"They would get into it, you know, in the locker room, just having words, and in the meeting room, and it takes away from what you are doing out on the field. It becomes a distraction. It's a serious thing, it's a hard thing, but then you have to move on like we did and let these young guys grow."

Tate joined the Vikings before finishing the 2014 season with the Steelers. The free agent reportedly visited the Lions earlier this week. West led the Browns with 673 yards rushing, while making several stops in Mike Pettine's doghouse because of maturity issues. Crowell contributed 607 yards and a team-leading eight touchdowns.

Montgomery said the decision to cut Tate was made simply to give West and Crowell more opportunities.

The Browns drafted running back Duke Johnson from the University of Miami in the third round. The club might be in a situation where all three guys are getting carries this season, but Montgomery doesn't anticipate any trouble.

"We have no personality problems," the coach said.