Cleveland Browns: 4 takeaways from Hue Jackson’s introduction

Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson held his first press conference on Wednesday. Here are four takeaways from his talk.

The Cleveland Browns introduced Hue Jackson as the franchise’s 16th full-time head coach on Wednesday evening and it is safe to say that Jackson won his introductory press conference.

“You will see it when you are around him, he is very competitive,” owner Jimmy Haslam said at the press conference. “He understands the AFC North and I think he is going to be a great head coach for the Cleveland Browns.”

Jackson hit all the right notes, came off as personable, confident and open to the challenge of working to turn around a franchise that has only one winning season since 2002, has not won a playoff game since 1994, nor a championship since 1964.

“This is about people,” Jackson said. “You have to feel comfortable where you have the proper support to have a chance to have success. I am more than comfortable with our structure. I am more than comfortable with the people that I’m sitting up here before.

“We expect to win every game we play. I came here to win.” – Browns head coach Hue Jackson

“At the end of the day, I do understand that this is a performance business. I know that this is about wins and losses. That’s how I get judged, and I respect that. I know what I signed up for.”

Jackson also passed the “he gets us” criteria by saying he would love the opportunity to jump into the Dawg Pound.

What’s that? You want more? OK, here are five takeaways from Jackson’s introductory press conference.

Jackson says he’s on board with the new analytical approach

“I am going to have the opportunity to work with some of the smartest men in football (in Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta),” Jackson said. “I’ve been in a lot of different buildings, but I have never had an opportunity in two settings to sit down with two of the brightest minds in football in doing what they do.

“I like being cutting edge. I try to be innovative and cutting edge on offense. We wanted to be innovative and cutting edge on everything we do in this building because, eventually, everybody’s going to be doing what we’re doing.’

Everyone is going to be doing what the Browns are doing is something that no one in the NFL has said since Paul Brown was walking the sidelines at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

Jackson says he is looking at the roster with an open mind

One of the biggest fears is that the Browns could potentially lose 60 percent of their starting offensive line if Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz leave in free agency and Joe Thomas request a trade.

Jackson said he is hopeful that he can sell the players, especially Thomas, that this time the Browns are going to get it right.

“He has been one of the cornerstones of this organization and this football team,” Jackson said. “I can’t wait to have the opportunity to talk to him and give him our plan and hopefully, I believe in my heart, that he is going to get excited about what we are trying to accomplish.”

And how about quarterback Johnny Manziel, who Jackson reportedly wants no part of?

“I need to get in this building and have an opportunity to watch tape,” Jackson said in a diplomatic answer. “I don’t know Johnny personally, I know who he is, but at the same time I think I have to give everybody on our football team a fair opportunity to see who they are, learn who they are, then make decisions from there.”

Jackson is familiar with the AFC North

One of the biggest issues the Browns have had over the years is competing within the AFC North Division. It’s extremely difficult to post a winning record when you go 2-4 every year within your own division.

“I’ve been in the AFC North. I kind of know the lay of the land and I know where we and where we’re trying to go,” Jackson said. “I understand that Cincinnati is one of the top teams in this league. Pittsburgh is still playing and obviously when you look at Baltimore, they had a down year and we understand where the Cleveland Browns are.”

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Previous head coaches have talked about understanding the challenge, but after spending the past four years with the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson has lived the challenge and truly knows what he and the team are up against.

Jackson didn’t reveal names, but is working on his staff

Jackson said he is undecided on whether or not he will continue to call the plays on offensive, and did not say if he will keep any of the current coaches, but he is eager to get going on assembling his coaching staff.

“I am going to attract some good coaches and some great coaches, but to me we have to find the right fit for us,” Jackson said. “How fast that process is going to go? I don’t know, but I do need to get on that phone and start returning some of those text messages.”

Jackson easily won the day at the press conference, which should be fairly easy to do as the first day is always the best one for a Browns head coach, but the real work starts now.

But from what everyone saw today, Browns fans should be excited about what comes next.