Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis attempted to convince good friend Hue Jackson from becoming the new Cleveland Browns head coach, according to ESPN Insider.
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Hue Jackson has experience as a head coach, knows the AFC North and has fixed quarterbacks – just what the Cleveland Browns were looking for.
He spent the last four years with the Cincinnati Bengals, holding several positions including offensive coordinator.
The Cleveland Browns finalized a contract to hire Hue Jackson as head coach. They’re saying ‘Hue, will you help me get to the Cleveland Browns.
Jackson had also interviewed with San Francisco on Sunday, but media reports on Tuesday said that 49ers were out of the running after Cleveland had a second meeting with Jackson, also on Tuesday.
The team will introduce Jackson at an evening news conference at their facility in Berea, Ohio. A former college quarterback at Pacific, Jackson pushed Dalton to his best statistical season in 2015 and was known for his creative flair with unbalanced lines and unorthodox formations.
Jackson joins the team amid other changes at the top.
Jackson took over as the Oakland Raiders’ head coach in 2011 and went 8-8 in his lone season before being fired at the end of the year.
“They made me feel comfortable”, Jackson told him. The Jackson hiring is a big one for the Browns and not just because they’re getting a very highly-regarded offensive coordinator. We’ve got to walk in this building every day ready to work and compete to be the best we can be, and that’s what I’m going to sell this football team on.
“I’m going to know them pretty well, pretty soon”, he said. Cable was sacked after an eight-win season-three more victories than the Raiders had posted in any of the previous seven years-and in his place Jackson countered the overbearing presence of Al Davis with expressive affection for the Raiders’ renegade owner and an abrasive confidence that the team’s fans connected with.
Jackson also passed the “he gets us” criteria by saying he would love the opportunity to jump into the Dawg Pound.
NFL.com additionally reported that Steve Spagnuolo – a former Rams head coach – is expected to remain the Giants’ defensive coordinator.
That’s about all I can say right now. They hold the No. 2 pick in the draft, along with No. 32, and should have their choice of quarterbacks, including California’s Jared Goff and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch. “We shared a vision for the organization and what we want to accomplish”, Jackson said.
It’s possible that those who will lead the Browns from dysfunction to relevance are Jackson, DePodesta, Brown and Haslam.
Although Haslam is very excited for Jackson to merge with the Browns, it is uncertain whether everyone will share that excitement.
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Even if Jackson sees some potential in Manziel, it’s unlikely he’s going to want to hang on to a player that the Browns haven’t been able to trust.
