BEREA, Ohio -- Day one of training camp is in the books for the Cleveland Browns, and all things considered, Coach Hue Jackson was happy with the effort given as the preparations for the 2018 season got underway in earnest Thursday.
Knowing there is plenty of work yet to be done, Jackson was pleased with the fast start from a “good first day” of work at the team’s Berea headquarters.
“Our guys did some good things, but it was the first day,” Jackson said after practice. “We have got a lot of work to do, keep moving forward and keep working hard. We have got to continue to learn how to finish on both sides of the ball and keep making plays, finishing in the fourth quarter.
“Like we did in that last part of practice, I started it over because I expect more from this group. They get it. We will just keep pushing and get to where we need to be.”
PHOTOS: Cleveland Browns open Training Camp for 2018 season
Although Jackson restarted the drill toward the end of practice because the results were not up to his liking, he was pleased with the way the players responded to that challenge and worked through some fatigue in a hot and humid day in Berea.
“They have not been pushed like this,” Jackson said. “This is pro football. You have to work through those things. For the most part, I think that our guys did some good things. I have a standard that I want these guys to attain each and every day. We just have to keep working towards it.”
With their New Year’s Eve loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns went winless in a 16-game season for the first time in franchise history, and their 17th consecutive loss overall dropped the organization to a league-worst 1-31 since the opening game of 2016.
Additionally, last season, the Browns set the record for the worst 28-game stretch in NFL history, as they “bested” the previous mark of 2-26 set by the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 1976-1977 seasons with a 1-27 mark that got four losses worse after Week 13.
But all of that history is in the rearview mirror for Jackson.
“This is not the same team,” Jackson said. “I have said it before. That was 0-16. This is a whole different team. I do not think that I should take them back through that. I think the thing that I stress is how we practice.
“We need to go out and execute, offense, defense and special teams, and just every day, get a little bit better. Every day, come out here with the mindset to get better. I think that we will do that. We just have to continue to do that on a play-by-play basis every day. If we do that, then good things are going to happen.”
ADJUSTING TO NEW ROLE
Jackson loves calling plays.
In fact, Jackson loves calling plays so much so that over his first two seasons with the Browns, he retained that duty along with holding the myriad of other responsibilities that come with being a head coach in the National Football League.
But with the Browns struggling to a 1-31 record over the last two seasons, Jackson gave up play-calling duties when offensive coordinator Todd Haley was added to the coaching staff in the offseason.
“I did some defensive football coaching, too,” Jackson said with a laugh. “It is different. I told you guys that it would be different. It is still a work in progress for me, but I still feel good about the things that I saw and the help that I could give and the input I could give and different things.
“I have been in every meeting -- special teams, offense, defense -- all of it. It has been good, but I have work to do and our team has work to do.”
RUMOR MILL IS TURNING
As training camp got underway Thursday, rumors began to surface that veteran defensive back Adam Jones would be heading to Berea for a workout on Friday.
Jackson has a history with Jones as the two were together with the Cincinnati Bengals for several seasons.
“(GM) John (Dorsey) and the personnel group are always trying to uncover talent and uncover guys that can play,” Jackson said. “Obviously, there is an opportunity to continue to look at guys, so I am sure we will bring them in and take a peek at him.”
HARD KNOCKS
A 30-person NFL Films crew is embedded with the Browns in Berea and have unlimited access to players’ and coaches’ meeting rooms, training rooms, the team hotel and practice fields, where they will gather more than 2,000 hours of footage for the “Hard Knocks” mini-series, which debuts on HBO August 7.
“Hard Knocks” debuted in 2001, and has since won 16 Sports Emmy® Awards.
“They do their job, but we have a job to do,” Jackson said. “We are not going to let this be a distraction to our football team.”
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