The Cleveland Browns are just starting on their latest rebuild. They compiled 14 picks for the 2016 NFL draft, and all 14 players made the roster. There's a long way to go, but for the first time in years, the Browns at least have a direction.
But, that doesn't mean they're anywhere close to competing yet. In their first game, Cleveland was crushed by rookie quarterback Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles. In the process, they lost Robert Griffin III for at least eight weeks, and possibly the season.
Despite their woes, head coach Hue Jackson still has his eyes on the prize. That's right, he's not talking about a winning record, or even a playoff spot; he's talking about the Super Bowl.
Really.
Here are Jackson's remarks, from Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com:
Jackson vowed to keep chasing greatness until he hoists the Lombardi Trophy here for the first time.
“That's what it's all about,” he said. “It's not about anything else. That's what I came here for. I didn't come here to be average and just win a few games and go about my business. I came here to help this organization win a championship.
“How fast that's going to happen I don't know. I don't know if there's going to be a ton of struggle before there's a ton of great times, but I don't worry about people not being happy right now.
“I'm going to do the best job I can with our staff and these players and we're going to keep working at it. My point is eventually they will love me because we're going to win. We're going to win a championship here for the Cleveland Browns.”
Okay, so Jackson isn't saying that the Browns are going to win the big one this year.
Obviously, winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal of every franchise, but right now, the Browns aren't even close to being in the conversation.
Just don't tell Hue to take his eyes off the prize.
Jackson, who coached the Oakland Raiders to an 8-8 record in 2011 before becoming an assistant in Cincinnati, knows his reputation with the fanbase isn't great. But, he's confident that he'll turn the Dawg Pound around in time:
“The fans might not like me for a while, but they're going to love me here pretty soon,” he said. “That's OK. Eventually they will love me, I promise you that. Because I do plan on winning here and I do get it. I know with every loss there's another dagger that drags you down another few feet deeper.
“That's OK, I've been there before. I'm a fighter. We're going to get back up and we're going to keep swinging. We're going to be fine.”
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