'Hard Knocks' Will Feature Cleveland Browns

CLEVELAND, OH — It's official. HBO's documentary series "Hard Knocks" will feature the Cleveland Browns. The show goes inside a team's training camp, offering unparalleled insight into what's happening in the weeks leading up to the season.

The Browns have been rumored to be the next team to star on "Hard Knocks" since before the draft. It's a smart selection by HBO.

Cleveland is undergoing a massive personnel shift, both on the field and in the front office. The team picked Baker Mayfield, a charismatic quarterback from Oklahoma, with the No. 1 overall pick. His growth and presence on the field would make for an arresting narrative by itself. But the Browns have five players coming in from the first two rounds of the draft, a new veteran quarterback in Tyrod Taylor and were winless last season.

New General Manager was reticent to let his young team be featured on the show though.

“Like many, I was reluctant about being the featured team on Hard Knocks but once we sat down and talked about it as an organization, I feel a lot better and understand why the time is right,” said general manager John Dorsey. “Hue and I both feel like this team is in a good place and that we are in the process of building something that will lead to success. Being a part of Hard Knocks will give our fans the opportunity to see how passionate the people in our building are about winning and how excited we are about getting to work and preparing for the 2018 season.”

The show will air at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays. The show will premiere August 7. There will only be five episodes this season, and each will last about one hour. The season finale is Sept. 4.

“The storylines in Cleveland are compelling, which make the Browns an ideal partner on Hard Knocks,” said NFL Films senior executive Ross Ketover in a press release. “We’re looking forward to showing NFL fans around the world what the Haslams, John Dorsey, Hue Jackson and the coaching staff are doing to rebuild the team and reboot one of the most iconic franchises in sports.”

Camera crews will spend time in Berea and in Cleveland, covering training camp and doing interviews with players and front office personnel.

The Browns have never been featured on a season of "Hard Knocks" but southern rivals the Cincinnati Bengals have been (in 2013). Due to a set of rules on who the show can cover, the Browns were one of only six teams that were eligible for this season's "Hard Knocks".

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch