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Cleveland Browns: The offseason is (finally) off to a quiet start

By Steven Kubitza

Jan 1, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam (left) talks with executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown and head coach Hue Jackson before the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam (left) talks with executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown and head coach Hue Jackson before the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns will not be making any drastic changes this offseason, which is a nice change after so much turnover since 1999.

It was only one year ago when the Cleveland Browns decided to part ways with Mike Pettine after a 3-13 season. It was only his second season with the team, continuing the carousel of coaches in Cleveland.

Last year also saw an overhaul of the front office, as Ray Farmer was relieved of his general manager duties after some questionable draft choices.

Another new group was brought in, providing fans with some hope that things would change. Well, 2016 wasn’t much better.

A 1-15 season was the final result in a season when 0-16 seemed like a certainty until a Week 16 win over the San Diego Chargers. In the past, this may be enough to start over once again, but things are different, at least this year.

Jimmy Haslam made it clear he was not going to make any drastic moves, and he kept his word. It was clear heading into the season that things were going to be tough, as the beginning of a rebuild usually means many more losses than wins. Making any changes after just one year would show that Haslam didn’t understand the process he signed up for, so it is good to see he has decided to stick with this group for the future.

Sticking with a group solely for the sake of continuity is not a smart move, but that is not the case with this group in charge. 2016 was the beginning of a multi-year process that will hopefully result in a playoff berth in two or three years. This is an optimistic outlook, but it is the goal in place and the only way to potentially achieve it is to let things play out.

One way to achieve that goal is to draft well, with the 2017 NFL Draft being the second stage of this rebuilding process. Having the No. 1 overall pick should help the team improve, with the 2017 season being the next step in the continuing process.

Hue Jackson and Sashi Brown were not expected to face any job security questions, but this is the Browns so it is always something that could come out of nowhere. Luckily, fans can rest easy knowing that another bad season won’t result in a complete restart.

Next: Browns 2-round mock draft

The consistency allows the entire organization to focus on the upcoming NFL Draft, which may be the franchise’s most important event since making the playoffs in 2002.

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