Even with Hue Jackson in tow, the Browns are hellbent on being a run-oriented football team.
"I think when you look at Coach Jackson's background, he is a 'quarterback guru.' He has done a tremendous job over the years with that, but if you look at his record, in terms of running the football and the amount that he runs it, you're going to find out that he really, truly does enjoy running the football," Browns run-game coordinator Kirby Wilson told reporters this week, via the team's official site.
"We are going to be a run-oriented football team. Everything starts with the run game, our offensive line and our backs. As coach told us, we are going to be a physically dominant, running football team."
Though it sounds ridiculous for a team that drafted five wide receivers, including one in the first round, Wilson is preparing us for the obvious. The Bengals succeeded due in large part to the smash-mouth combination of Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard. If Cleveland plans on starting Robert Griffin III, much of the team's success will be predicated on the fact that the Browns have a viable run-fake option off the snap.
It would be amusing to see the Browns' success come down to the most unheralded position group on the roster after a summer breathlessly analyzing the wideouts, quarterbacks, offensive line and defense.
The team has a stable of young, unproven backs with 2015 draft pick Duke Johnson set to be the breakout star if in fact there is one in Cleveland.
"It's a work in progress right now, we are going through the fundamentals, the technique that is involved with each fundamental," Wilson said, adding, "they'll be (ready) by the time the season starts."
