Playoffs or bust? Browns owner Jimmy Haslam won’t go there
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WVA
Takeaways from Browns training camp Day 3 …
Positivity has ruled the Browns since putting the 2022 losing season in the rear-view mirror. As a sign of growth as a team owner, Jimmy Haslam is careful not to create distractions by issuing ultimatums about the 2023 season.
Haslam declined to be baited into a playoffs-or-bust narrative regarding GM Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski. He cited the incredibly competitive AFC North division and the nuances of injuries as legitimate reasons for falling short of everyone’s high expectations.
I asked what’s the dividing line between an acceptable record this year v. an unacceptable record.
“I’m not saying the expectations aren’t high,” Haslam said. “I’m just not going to draw a line for you. That’s what they are. They’re high. All of us have high expectations. Everybody that works for the Browns that’s here has high expectations today. Okay?”
Berry and Stefanski are the first GM-coach partnership to reach a fourth season in 11 years of the Haslam ownership. Now that they have created some continuity, Haslam isn't in the mood to hit the blow-up button again.
“The record will come into play at some point in time,” Haslam said. “How much you weigh it, I wouldn’t want to say. Are we playing well at the end of the year? Did we have injuries? How do we feel about our momentum? I was sitting here thinking the other day, it’s … six-and-a-half weeks till our first game, and our last game is something like January 10 – our last regular season game. We hope to play after that. It’s a long, long season, okay. Long, long season."
One thing Haslam does not deny: A winning season and advancement in the AFC playoffs would further the cause for a renovated or new Browns Stadium.
Dee and Jimmy Haslam continue to favor a renovated stadium as part of lakefront redevelopment. (TheLandOnDemand)
Stadium update
The Haslams have consistently said they favor a massive renovation of Browns Stadium as a catalyst to a larger development of the lakefront. But they surely wouldn’t oppose a newly built stadium if the City of Cleveland’s yet-to-be unveiled redevelopment plan calls for one.
“The only thing Dee and I would say for sure is we’re not leaving northeastern Ohio, OK? That’s for sure,” Haslam said. “Our preference is to be on the lakefront, but you have to see how things play out and it will be fluid and there will be bumps on the road and it may be different in three months than it is now.”
The Haslams believe the key to any lakefront development is a land bridge over Route 2 to take pedestrians to the lakefront without congesting traffic and forcing rampant street-closings surrounding the current stadium location. But when $62 million initially earmarked for the land bridge was stricken from the state budget, it complicated the whole process.
“These are big, complex projects and they’re going to be a public-private partnership and getting that right is not easy,” Haslam said. “These things take time.”
The good news is the Haslams and the city and county and state are continuing a healthy dialogue.
“We’re working through it,” Dee Haslam said. “I mean, it’s really complex, really hard, a lot of details, and we look forward to continuing our conversations with the city on how we develop the lakefront. We think we’re an integral part of the lakefront -- really important part -- and we want to be part of the process.”
JOK wants a healthy year
When Stefanski was asked about what he hopes to see from linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in the new Jim Schwartz defense, the first thing he said was “health.”
“He’s come back in really good shape, he looks strong,” Stefanski said. “So, I think being able to stay on the field, availability is the key. He’s been a little unlucky in that realm, so really taking care of his body.”
To which JOK responded, “I agree 100 percent with coach. The best ability is availability. When you have a healthy year, you’re going to have a successful year.”
Owusu-Koramoah missed two games last year with a knee sprain and the last four with a mid-foot sprain that could be classified as a Lisfranc injury. It didn’t require surgery. In 2021, he missed three games with a high ankle sprain and some time in training camp with a freak accident in the weight room.
JOK said he has improved his muscle mass, but his weight will still fluctuate between 216 and 225 pounds. He said the challenge is to keep the weight on during the season by maintaining proper eating habits. He’s not necessarily trying to be stronger, just more durable.
“I told [Anthony Walker] the other day, he was joking on me on the weight situation. I'm like, 'Well, if you find 10 plays through my years that I've been here where somebody has bullied me, let me know,'” he said. “It's more so of durability. Like Coach Stefanski said, it's about health, so that's what I'm gaining weight for and so that's why I want to get more mass -- to be able to be more durable, take more shots, and to give more shots.”
Brownie bits
Each practice has been progressively longer through three days. The latest phase of the slow ramp-up was a team period of two-minute situational football. New units on offense and defense raced on the field every two plays. It looked like an exercise and getting on and off the field fast in warranted situations. Also, the first live kicking of the full field-goal team took place. Cade York’s final make was from 53 yards …
Right tackle Dawand Jones missed a second day in a row because of an illness. Not a good start to his rookie training camp. In Jones’ absence, James Hudson moved to right tackle on the No. 2 line and Tyrone Wheatley Jr. manned left tackle. Wheatley, 26, was on the Browns’ practice squad last year and has been with the Raiders and Bears. By the way, Nick Harris is holding down the backup center spot for now …
Receiver Amari Cooper also missed his second practice with a minor “tweak” of something. “No long-term concern,” Stefanski said ...
Linebacker Anthony Walker and linebacker Sione Takitaki are getting closer to joining teammates in practice reps. They’re on separate tracks from offseason surgeries. Walker’s (torn quad tendon) was in September, Takitaki’s (torn ACL) in December. Takitaki seems to be ahead of the normal recovery time for ACL surgery. “It [used to take] a year. It took me two years,” Stefanski said. “He's coming along. It’s certainly a testament to the work that he's put in that he's put himself in this position." The coach wouldn’t speculate if either – plus return specialist/receiver Jakeem Grant – would be ready to participate in the first practice with pads on Friday.
