Brown quarterback Josh McCown arrived in 2015, giving him an ideal perspective for comparing the old regime to the new one. And the difference is clear.
“I think the number one thing is just the cohesion of everybody,” McCown said on Tuesday’s PFT Live on NBC Sports Radio and NBCSN. “It seems like this group is on the same page from Sashi [Brown] to Andrew [Berry] to coach Hue Jackson to Paul DePodesta. They’re all together and so for us as players -- I’ve always said the building -- it’s like a home and it’s like a marriage. If the marriage is not going well no matter how much it’s hidden or handled behind closed doors, I think the kids feel it. And it’s the same thing in an organization. If up top is not going well and it’s not connected the players feel it, and they know. They may not see any fights but they know it’s disconnected.
“And so right now for us I believe our building is on the same page and it’s connected and that’s a healthy environment for the players. When you create a healthy environment for players you give yourself the best chance to go out and compete every Sunday and win football games. So we’ve done that, and it’s a credit to Mr. Haslam and Sashi and everybody putting it together. We’ll see how it bears out over time but so far it’s been refreshing to be in a building where you feel like everybody’s unified and working towards the same goals.”
That won’t necessarily deliver the championship Hue Jackson has predicted, but it will make it easier for the players to buy in completely, without any confusion or mixed signals coming from infighting or conflicting agendas. If/when the Browns collect enough players who can play at a higher level, the atmosphere currently in the building will be conducive to success.