Cleveland Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam Expresses Confidence in Front Office, Coaches

CLEVELAND, OH - After a 1-15 season, some Cleveland Browns' fans were clamoring for any type of change, particularly with the front office. In a letter sent to season ticket holders sent, Browns' owner Jimmy Haslam says he has confidence in the team's coaches and front office leadership.

Besides a miserable season that saw the team sitting at 0-14 after 15 weeks of play, there was also a mountain of publicity for a mocking "Perfect Season 0-16" parade that gained steam until the team's first win of the season. The team also suffered a variety of injuries, including two concussion to the team's starting quarterback Robert Griffin III.

In an effort to express empathy with fans, Haslam acknowledges the widespread disappointment over the performance of the team. "You deserve the best, and you certainly deserve better than a 1-15 team," he writes. "We are sorry that our results have not been better."

Then Haslam expresses his confidence in the team's current leadership.

"We continue to feel very good about the current leaders we have in place - Coach Hue Jackson, Sashi Brown, and Paul DePodesta - and how they approached their individual roles, while working extremely well together, all with the sole interest of creating a consistent winning football team for you, the fans," he writes.

In recent months, there have been reports that Jackson has been in conflict with the analytics-driven front office of DePodesta and Brown. Some outlets have even suggested that members of the front office were lobbying for Jackson to be replaced. This letter to ticket holders would appear to quell any rumors of discontent, at least for the time being.

The team will pick first in the upcoming draft and is allegedly targeting either Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett or North Carolina quarterback (and Mentor High School alum) Mitch Trubisky. A lot of the team's strategy for the future appears to hinge on the outcome of this offseason and the team knows it.

"We understand the critical nature of this upcoming offseason as we continue to improve our roster," Haslam writes, while noting that he feels the front office has positioned the team well for the future.

Fans will have to wait and see if the vote of confidence in the leadership will play out.

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch