Browns Training Camp: Defense wins first day in pads
August 2, 2015Delly scuffles with Domantas Sabonis in Australia-Lithuania friendly
August 2, 2015As the Cleveland Browns continue their decade-long search for a quarterback to lead them deep into the NFL postseason, team majority owner Jimmy Haslam III used Saturday morning to provide his general manager and head coach with a slew of support. Addressing the local media for the first time since the start of training camp, Haslam referred to all reports of any discord in Berea as “inaccurate” and that his team, coming off of a 7-9 season littered with a bevy of distractions and years of front office turnover, is “on the right track.”
“We’re not going to blow things up,” said Haslam of his franchise. “I think we’re on the right track so we’re not going to blow things up. I understand why people might ask that after a couple of bumps in the first couple of years, but we are not going to do that. I think we’re putting a good foundation in place.”
Since Haslam’s arrival in 2012, the team has had three team presidents, three general managers and two head coaches. The head coaching search that led to the hiring of Mike Pettine was largely criticized nationally as the process lasted well through the winter and featured reports of several individuals turning down potential offers. Joe Banner lasted just one season as the team’s CEO and left the team with little but additional draft picks to show for his work1 as he and general manager Mike Lombardi were dismissed just after the 2013 season.
The 2014 season saw its own challenges after first-round picks, Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel, failed to live up to expectations and the team won just one of their final seven games. First-year offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan effectively resigned, leading to the team being involved in a scandal with the league regarding text messages from Ray Farmer to the Browns sidelines during games. Farmer, in turn was handed a four-game suspension and subsequent rumors of consternation between he and his coaching staff.
“The first year we were here, the draft was not what we wanted,” said Haslam of the infamous Banner-led year where the team largely punted for future picks. “I think the second year was better, and a lot depends on how the two first rounder’s do, right? If they turn out to be really good players, then we had a tremendous draft last year or two years ago. If one of them makes it, we had a good draft; if neither of them make it; it’s ok or just so-so. I think this past year we had a really good draft. We added 12 players, two of them might be redshirts, and we have 11 picks this coming year. If you have that many picks and you pick good talent and can coach them, over a period of time we’re going to be successful.”
By all reports, Gilbert and Manziel have showed up to Berea with an improved mindset and reestablished priorities. The team will roll on with Josh McCown at quarterback to start the season, and Gilbert will be a part of a defensive backfield that features several Pro Bowlers. Their success will largely be determined by the offense’s ability to score points, however, so Haslam understands that his team has some work to do if it’s going to be grouped in with the rest of the AFC North, a division that has had all three of the non-Cleveland teams make the postseason one year ago.
“I think [Mike Pettine] says it best,” said Haslam. “‘In this game, you are judged by wins and losses,’ and as he says, it is a pass/fail league. I think we came in with three goals. We will save the wins for last. Be a good participant in Northeastern Ohio. With (Owner/President of the Cleveland Browns Foundation) Dee (Haslam) leading the charge, we have done a nice job there. I think we said we wanted to provide our fans with a great experience. We spent $120 million on the stadium and we are changing uniforms, playing in Columbus and playing in Akron last year. We are doing a lot of things like that. The ultimate goal is wining, and until we consistently win in our division, which everyone knows is a challenge, none of us, including me, are going to be happy. We understand that we have a long way to go there.”
- This, of course, includes the trade of running back Trent Richardson to Indianapolis for what was a steal of a first-round pick [↩]
4 Comments
We’ll see if he still says that in January.
I know it fits the narrative and it is technically true, but I am always annoyed when it is said that the browns have had three team presidents/GMs. The Holmgren-era people don’t count. Everyone knew they were gone when the team sold. They should count as freebies, as the exact same thing would happen on any team in the situation.
Banner/Lombardi are totally on Haslam though.
Normally, I don’t care at all about what owners say, and I roll my eyes when fans grumble over that. But I must say it was refreshing to hear Haslam talk football.
Yeah, all of that is technically true, and it’s easy to say Jimmy has quite the trigger finger. Then again, does that mean he made the wrong moves? Does anyone wish that Banner/Lombardi/Heckert/Holms/Shurm/Chud was still here?
The quick axes were embarrassing at first, but in the end we have Pettine and Farmer. I like where the Browns ended up. Now let’s see how that trigger finger goes now.