It was a busy day under the canopy at Browns HQ, as three players, owner Jimmy Haslam and coach Hue Jackson all met with reporters.
Here were the highlights.
Hue Jackson
On Jimmy Haslam's support
"He has been an outstanding support system for me, even in times last year when they were tough. He was somebody I could always turn to and talk to. I think he knows that we are trying to do everything that we can on our side, and I know he is doing everything he can on his side. Along with our executive team, led by (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Sashi (Brown). It has been a great relationship. We just have to keep growing. Like him, the only thing that I am interested in is trying to get this organization back to winning and giving us the best opportunity to win."
Jimmy Haslam
"I would be remiss if I didn't say that I understand that we have only won four games in the last two years and only won one last year so we are very realistic about where we are. At the same time, we are going to be patient. We are going to do it right. We are going to build through the draft, selectively use free agency, not take shortcuts and try to produce a team that will consistently win games and as we have said many times – have not done yet but said many times – provide the fans of Northeast Ohio the kind of team they deserve in the Cleveland Browns."
On lessons from going 1-15 last season:
"It might be more appropriate to go back and say, 'What lessons do you take from the beginning?' The most important thing you have to do as the leader of any organization is get the right people in place, and I think that is why we feel good now because we think we have the right people in place with the individuals we mentioned."
On measuring success for the 2017 season:
"I think we will all know. If I were you, I would ask the same question: wins and losses or what will you know. Listen, wins and losses are a part of it – there is no doubt about that – but I think it is how our team performs, how do we come back and do we win close games? Do we come from behind and win a game? Do we beat a good team? Do we win a game on the road? Are our younger players getting better? Both Hue and Paul talk about small wins. Individual players, I know they are setting goals for the individual players with small wins for them individually. It is a collection of all of those types of things."
On traits that show Jackson could be a successful long-term head coach:
"Being a head NFL coach is a really difficult job. Hue does a lot of things really well, but leading men, he is exceptional at. There is not a lot of positive to say about a 1-15 season, but I do not think you could say that our guys were not motivated and did not play hard all the way up until the end. You all are around here every day. That is exceptionally hard to do. I just think he is really good at relating to and leading men."
Danny Shelton
On defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' impact on practices:
"Coach Williams did a great job of getting into our minds and changing our mentality, making us think aggressive, think gritty, think nasty and just thinking like a dominant defense. That is what really helped me out as a player, and I can see it in the rest of the D line as far as our effort and as far as how we are working and competing against each other."
Jason McCourty
On the younger players in the Browns secondary:
"It has been exciting to watch them. When you are young, everything is kind of a new experience. Seeing them now in camp, today will be a different experience for them now with pads on. Just seeing how much they are picking up from the spring until now, not making the same mistakes, asking a ton of questions in the meeting room or in our downtime. it is always fun to watch the young guys come along."
David Njoku
On Head Coach Hue Jackson's comments yesterday about needing to hold onto the football:
"He is right. Obviously, they chose me in the first round for a reason. It was to make plays. I just have to work that much harder in this practice this afternoon. I have to hang onto it after every catch."
On if coaches may be on him more because he was a first-round pick:
"I don't really know. I don't really think about that. I just think about what I have to do to be a better player every day. Obviously, yesterday wasn't my best performance. That is why today I am trying to work harder on bettering myself."
