Cleveland Browns: New motivation will help in 2016
Several new motivating factors will help the Cleveland Browns improve upon a 3-13 season in 2015.
The recent news surrounding the Cleveland Browns has been focused on the fallout from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA championship and how it is serving to motivate the players.
Some may see this as just another talking point without on-field effects, but being given a new source of motivation can help players to get a new sense of purpose as the franchise tries to secure its first winning season since 2007.
Joe Haden was the first player to come out and say the title has given him a fresh focus on winning a title with the Browns, and he was joined by other players who later came out and said the same.
This brings up the question of why this focus was not there in the past. Every team should have the goal of winning a championship as the main priority, even if it is not realistic given the talent on the roster. But if that goal is not present, the season is lost before it even begins.
One reason for the lack of a championship mindset was explained by Karlos Dansby, now a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, who described how toxic the situation was in Cleveland last year:
"“The coaches and the front office, there was just a lot of mess going on, a lot of things going on, a lot of distractions,” Dansby, now a member of the Bengals, told SiriusXM NFL Radio this week. “Because at a certain point, guys had just shut down.” “Guys shut down, the organization just wasn’t clicking. The coaches and the front office, there was just a lot of mess going on, a lot of things going on, a lot of distractions.”"
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Head Coach Mike Pettine clearly wasn’t working out in Cleveland, which ultimately led to his firing and many new pieces being brought in all throughout the organization.
The most important addition is that of Hue Jackson, whose own style of motivation has his players excited about what can happen in 2016 and beyond.
Bringing in Jackson may be the greatest thing the franchise has done since 1999, and he actually has his players believing they can be great. He has the advantage of not yet coaching a game with the team, so he is not looking to motivate his team after five straight losses, but his positive attitude can help avoid long losing streaks that fans are accustomed to seeing.
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The Cavaliers’ title only adds to the possible motivating factors Jackson can use throughout training camp and the preseason, making his players confident in their abilities before the opening game in Philadelphia.