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Well, if it works, everyone looks like a genius.
http://www.wkyc.com/story/sports/nfl/browns/2016/01/14/hue-jackson-embraces-cleveland-browns-use-analytics/78778134/
Hue Jackson embraces Cleveland Browns' use of analytics Matthew Florjancic, WKYC 10:03 a.m. EST January 14, 2016
BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns have tried a lot of different methods to turn around the fortunes of their franchise during the 17 years since they returned to the National Football League for the 1999 season after the original team moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens.
But after another failed pairing of a coach and general manager resulted in 18 losses in the last 21 games and a 10-22 record in two years, the Browns have embraced a new approach, the use of analytics in the decision-making process. And new Browns coach Hue Jackson believes the use of analytics can help the organization improve the talent on the roster.
“These guys are tremendous,” Jackson said. “I know everybody is talking about analytics and all those things. Please trust me. I am going to have an opportunity to work with some of the smartest men in football. I've been in a lot of different buildings, but I have never had an opportunity to sit down with two of the brightest minds in football in doing what they do.”
Jackson believes that if the Browns use analytics run by Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta and Sashi Brown, the Executive Vice President of Football Operations, in the right way and find success on Sundays, they could be trendsetters in a copycat league.
“I think that’s the beautiful part,” Jackson said. “I think there are all kinds of ways to make things happen. There is more than one way to do things. My conversations with Sashi and Paul, we’re on point. We know exactly what it’s going to take to put this roster together to give us the best opportunity to be successful. Analytics is just a part of it. It’s not the whole thing, but it’s a piece of it. If we can find another way of doing things well to give us an opportunity to have success, we all would do that.
“I like being cutting edge. I try being innovative and cutting edge on offense. We want to be innovative and cutting edge on everything we do in this building. Eventually, everybody is going to be doing what we’re doing, and that’s the fun part.”
By hiring a head coach ahead of a general manager and giving final say over the 53-man roster to a non-football personnel man in Brown, the Browns are going against the normal front-office structure that most other teams have used to win Super Bowl championships.
But Jackson and Brown are committed to doing whatever is necessary to win, even if that means thinking outside of the proverbial box.
“I'm going to do whatever's asked of me,” Jackson said. “This organization, I am so comfortable that we're going to make decisions, whether Hue Jackson's involved or whether Hue Jackson's not, that is best for our organization.
“What I want to do is get the people to help us win, regardless of who it is. But you ask the question, will I be involved? I think I'm involved in all of those things, but am I going to make those decisions? I don't think I need to make those decisions. I just need to know who it is.”
Brown added, “(With) Hue, the first thing you realize is he's smart and tremendously competitive. He understands, just like Paul, Jimmy, Dee and the rest of ourselves, everything we're going to do here is going to be focused on winning.
“We'd like to create every possible competitive advantage we can. If that's from analytics, if those apply, certainly, we'll use those in our decision-making to make sure we put ourselves in the best position to win. Acquiring talent, helping Hue on the field with his coaching, it could be player development, but we will look at that. Hue, in addition to being smart and open-minded, he was certainly open to the use of analytics throughout our process.” -----------------
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