Hue Jackson‘s Cleveland Browns are currently 0-14 after a 33-13 beating at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. If that isn’t worrying enough, the majority of young Browns players haven’t shown much progress in their own play as rookies. But before Browns management calls for yet another coach’s head, it must realize that any coach needs time, and Jackson is no different. Barring something historically bad, Coach Hue’s tenure with the Browns should last about three more years before his next evaluation.
In Defense of Hue Jackson
As an NFL head coach, Jackson has compiled an 8-22 record. Those eight wins came as coach of the 2011 Raiders, where Carson Palmer quarterbacked Oakland’s offense. After partially resurrecting Palmer’s career, Hue has gained the reputation of a quarterback guru. In 2012, Jackson became a secondary assistant and special teams coach for the Bengals. By 2014, he moved up to the offensive coordinator job. As Cincinnati’s OC, Jackson accumulated a 22-9-1 record, and left the Bengals’ coaching staff after the 2015 season. The Browns hired Hue Jackson as head coach on January 13th, and he has not won a game since January 3rd. However, many Browns fans have begun to realize that the problem lies in front office inconsistency, not coaches or players.
Cleveland’s Management Carousel
Since 1999, the Browns have had seven general managers, one Executive VP of Football Operations, and three owners. In addition to nine different head coaches, Browns management has been nothing if not consistently inconsistent. Clashing coaching agendas only add to the fray, as different coaches nearly always want different players. But by the time the first coach gets some of his players in, the management fires him and the GM. This becomes a vicious cycle of never having the right players. Therefore, Jackson and Executive VP of Football Operations, Sashi Brown, need time to get their “guys” in without being replaced. To be frank, Hue Jackson is the Browns’ last shot at a reputable coach. If he is fired, Cleveland’s inconsistency will likely strike too much distrust in any other “big name” coach.
Four is the Magic Number
If the Browns want Hue and his crew to succeed, he’ll be in Cleveland until the 2019-2020 season. By that time, Hue Jackson and Sashi Brown will have had full personnel control for four full years. Hue Jackson’s will have time to ingrain his play book into veterans, and will be in complete control of his staff. This yields a fair evaluation by the end of the season. Though most fans have come to expect the worst from the Browns, Jackson would likely need a record over .500 by 2020 to be able to stay around. Management and most fans alike would consider anything less than a complete turnaround a failure after nearly half a decade. Let’s take a look at how Hue Jackson could achieve a record like that.
The Perfect Storm
When searching for the blueprint of a perfect rebuild, many fans look again to the current Oakland Raiders. After over a decade in football oblivion, the Raiders decided to build smartly through the draft starting in 2014. Locking up a playoff spot this Sunday after a clutch win against the Chargers, Oakland’s plan has yielded nothing but good results for the Raiders. The one striking component of the Raiders’ execution so far is their consistency. They’ve stuck with the plan of building around rising superstars Khalil Mack and Derek Carr, with coach Jack Del Rio at the helm. Phase two of the plan has seen the bringing in of complementary free agents such as wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who has more than enjoyed his time in Oakland.
The Browns have the most cap space in the league by a landslide, and could use the same plan. As for stars to build around, Browns fans often turn to linebacker Jamie Collins on defense and receiver Terrelle Pryor on the offensive side. If the Browns re-sign these players at season’s end and draft well come 2017, a successful rebuild is in sight. Hue Jackson could be the guy to dig the franchise out from the ashes, and be around for the foreseeable future.
