Jimmy Haslam Comments on Hue Jackson, Browns QB Situation

Despite a glaring need at quarterback and a potential Carson Wentz marriage staring them in the face, the Cleveland Browns traded out of the No. 2 pick in April. Then they traded back again to No. 15—a spot where few would have batted an eye if they had selected Paxton Lynch.

Then they passed. In the second round, they ignored the position again. And then again for their first two selections of the third round before landing USC's Cody Kessler with the No. 93 overall selection. While owner Jimmy Haslam has been hands-on since purchasing the franchise in 2012, he said he took a hands-off approach in deference to head coach Hue Jackson.

"His track record's been pretty good,'' Haslam said of Jackson, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "You all understand as well as we do the importance of that position. You just look at the teams that are really good in the NFL, and for the most part, they're really good at that position."

Jackson, 50, accepted the Browns coaching job in January after spending the last two years as the Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator. He's been an NFL assistant since 2001, save for a one-season stop as Oakland Raiders head coach in 2011, and developed a reputation for maximizing young talent.

Kessler was a three-year starter at USC, where he threw 88 touchdowns against 19 interceptions and completed 67.5 percent of his passes. Still, many didn't consider him much of a pro prospect coming into the draft. CBS Sports had him listed as a seventh-rounder/undrafted free agent, 244 ranking spots behind Michigan State's Connor Cook, on whom the Browns passed to select Kessler.

For his part, Jackson said to "trust me on this one." Haslem's doing just that, and the organization appears to be buying into the analytics-based approach of general manager Sashi Brown.

"The most important thing, and we had several more members of our broader family here, is that we all noted just how well everybody worked together," Haslam said. "The chemistry was good. There was lots of debate, vigorous healthy debate, but the group worked together extremely well; that's what made us feel best."

For now, Robert Griffin III should enter camp with the best chance at winning the starting quarterback job. Griffin signed a two-year deal this offseason that essentially acts as a prove-it contract. The team can release the former Rookie of the Year without incurring much of a cap penalty next offseason, and his $9.25 million cap figure, according to Spotrac, is manageable even if he performs well.

As it stands, the Browns have either a short-term guinea pig on a wildly overhauled roster or a still-young quarterback who once carried an equally mediocre team to the playoffs a few years ago. Sitting on their hands here and replenishing the rest of the roster is a win-win.

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