The new Cleveland coach has better buzz words. Hue Jackson and the Browns brass hammered words like “alignment” and “comfort” at their introductory press conference, underscoring a theme of stability for this administration.
At least the Browns are using better buzz words
The Browns talked an awful lot about stability when they introduced Hue Jackson as the new head coach on Wednesday night. At least they’re talking about it, right?
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
That sounds nice, but the Browns have been anything but stable since Jimmy Haslam bought the team in 2012. Under Haslam, there’s been a recurring pattern of turf wars inside the leadership structure. The key to this hire is whether or not Jackson can work with recently hired vice president of football operations Sashi Brown and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, the analytics gurus, and whether or not the owner can keep them all focused on the same goal.
APPROVAL: Jackson is already popular in Cleveland.
BYE JOHNNY: Is this the end for Johnny Manziel in Cleveland? Early reports said that Jackson wants the Browns to move on from Manziel, which would mean trading him or releasing him (a move that would leave $4.3 million in dead cap space). Jackson might be just the guy for Josh Gordon.
DON’T GO: Bengals begged him to stay. Marvin Lewis went to Jackson to try and convince him to stay in Cincy, even offering a succession plan that would eventually make him head coach. But Jackson was ready for another shot at running his own team.
GIANTS HIRE MCADOO: Giants are expected to hire Ben McAdoo as head coach. The Giants are promoting from within. McAdoo looks set to become the successor to Tom Coughlin in New York.
THE RIGHT MOVE: McAdoo just makes sense. Not only does it make for a smooth transition, it keeps Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr., who the Giants are pretty heavily invested in, in a system where they've thrived. And at 38, he could be around for a long time, leading an organization that's been synonymous with stability.
GIANTS BRINGING IN PHILBIN TOO: Joe Philbin will reportedly become Giants new OC. Overmatched as a head coach, Philbin’s best work in the NFL came as an offensive coordinator with the Packers, where he worked with McAdoo. Steve Spagnuolo will remain the defensive coordinator, and hopefully for the Giants, they can find him some more help on the roster this season.
EVEN MORE COACHING NEWS
BUCCANEERS: Dirk Koetter lining up staff for potential head coaching job. The Buccaneers could actually hire Koetter as their next head coach on Thursday.
49ERS AND SHANAHAN: Mike Shanahan back in the mix for 49ers job. It sounds like the 49ers have zeroed in on Shanny, unless this is someone from Shanahan's camp trying to stir up interest. However, if reports that GM Trent Baalke wants a coach who won't "threaten" his power are true, Shanahan is definitely the wrong pick.
BILLS HIRE REED: Ed Reed added to Buffalo Bills coaching staff. The future Hall of Fame safety was once a member of Ryan's Baltimore Ravens defensive unit, and now he's joining the Bills to coach the defensive backs.
EVEN MORE NEWS
FOSTER OUT: Texans likely to release Arian Foster. It’s probably time, but they’ll have a hard time replacing everything he did on offense when he was healthy (which wasn’t very often lately).
IS BROWN IN OR OUT? The Steelers still don’t know if they’ll have Antonio Brown this week, and that’s putting a kink in their game plan.
A NEW PATRIOTS DISTRACTION: Chandler Jones hospitalized for bad reaction to synthetic marijuana. Now we know what happened to the Patriots pass rusher. Worth noting, the NFL tests for marijuana, but not the synthetic stuff that’s waaaaaaay worse.
RUN ALEX RUN: Will Chiefs’ Alex Smith be able to burn the Patriots with his legs? The Patriots defense won’t make it easy.
NEW LOOK RAMS: New city, new uniforms. The Rams can't go to Los Angeles looking like that.
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE: Matt Leinart wants out of the hot tub and Into the huddle. The best work of his career came in the Los Angeles Coliseum.
BRONCOS FOCUSED: Chris Harris Jr. says the Broncos are more focused this postseason. That seems like a good thing.
BEST THING YOU’LL READ THIS WEEK: The Dark Knight unmasked. Like the Panthers, Josh Norman is under-appreciated. But people are starting to take notice.
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