BEREA, Ohio – Browns owner Jimmy Haslam took a moment during Monday’s news conference to speak not from the heart, but the checkbook.

In defending his decision to fire coach Rob Chudzinski one season into a four-year contact, Haslam went bottom line on his audience.

“I’ll say one other thing: These are expensive moves,” the owner said. “We’re not only just saying it; we’re talking with our pocketbook. These are not cheap moves to make. I’m not saying that should be the guiding factor, but we are doing everything we can to get this right.”

In what has become an almost annual tradition, the Browns will pay a head coach not to work for them next season. In fact, they will pay two of them, as Pat Shurmur still had two years remaining on his deal when he was sacked at the end of the last season.

The Sopranos might have glamorized no-work jobs, but few retain more than the Browns. Compiling figures from various media reports, the franchise has been scheduled to pay six fired head coaches approximately $49 million not to show up in Berea.

Coach Yrs. after fired Sum owed Chris Palmer 3 years $3 million Butch Davis 3 years $12 million Romeo Crennel 3 years Approx. $10 million Eric Mangini 2 years $7.8 million Pat Shurmur 2 years left About $5.6 million Rob Chudzinski 3 years left $10.5 million Source: Various media reports

Put another way, the sum could cover the city’s cost for FirstEnergy Stadium renovations -- $30 million over the next 15 years – with plenty left over for down payments on Browns' All-Pro free agents Alex Mack and T.J. Ward.

Most settlements are not made public, so some figures could vary. Often, however, they get leaked to the media. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Monday the Browns owed Chudzinski about $10.5 million over the next three years. Shurmur was due roughly $5.6 million at the time of his dismissal.

Since 2001, the Browns have gone through only one season (2008) without compensating a former head coach not to blow a whistle or design a game plan. By the end of 2016, they will have paid for 16 years of non-service from the pink-slipped six.

In contrast, the rest of the AFC North has fired just two coaches -- Dick LeBeau (Cincinnati), Brian Billick (Baltimore) -- since 2001.

The most expensive Browns' buyout: Butch Davis, who Randy Lerner still owed $12 million at the time of his 2004 firing. The cheapest buyout: Chris Palmer, who the late Al Lerner owed $3 million over three years beginning in 2001. Remember, these figures don't include monies paid to coordinators and assistant coaches.

Since their 1999 return, the Browns have two winning seasons, one playoff appearance and no post-season victories to show for their investment.

Now, imagine the cost to season-ticket holders in this 15-year stretch. To paraphrase Haslam, they too are talking with their pocketbooks.