This time around, Jimmy Haslam is staying the course.
The owner of the Cleveland Browns gathered with reporters after Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Steelers to emphasize that coach Hue Jackson has his approval on the heels of a 1-15 campaign.
"I think we have the right people in place," Haslam said, per The Plain Dealer. "I could not be more pleased with the job that Hue and his staff are doing. You wouldn't think this was a team that was 1-14 that was out there battling. What did we play today? 70-plus minutes of football? So really pleased with Hue and really pleased with our personnel group."
That personnel group, led by executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown, was the subject of Sunday whispers suggesting the team would add another experienced talent evaluator to the mix alongside Brown, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta and VP of player personnel Andrew Berry.
"We do not (plan to add anyone)," Haslam said. "If we do, it will be Sashi and Paul and AB's call, but we feel good about the people we've got in place."
Asked after the game if he feels the same way, Jackson told reporters he was in "lockstep" with Brown in "trying to get this football team to be the best it is."
"We're going to get there. That's all I can tell you," Jackson said. "We're together. We know what we're doing. We have work to do. We have to get better at what we're doing and we all understand that. This is hurtful for the whole organization, not just me."
Haslam, though, believes the Browns have the leadership in place to turn this team -- which hasn't won a division title since 1989 -- into a winner.
"It's intuitive," Haslam said. "I'll just say I feel very strongly we've got the right group together and I think they're working exceptionally well together."
Still, it wouldn't be surprising to see some tweaks and adjustments in Cleveland. Whether that means beefing up the club's collection of football evaluators or simply adding an experienced mind to the mix, Jackson will have a voice if he desires extra help.
On the bright side, this 1-15 season came and went without the in-fighting that has plagued so many previous Browns regimes. Jackson also had his team playing hard until the end. The next step comes in acquiring the right talent to compete with the league's flock of superpowers.
That won't happen overnight, so continued patience will be needed.
