Before the Browns took to the field for the sixth day of training camp, Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam held their training camp press conference.
"We're always excited to have a new season to get started," Dee Haslam said. "We're really excited with our young players and new coaching staff, and you can see the energy around the building. We're all committed to making this just a tremendous year. We're glad to be back at camp."
The Haslams addressed several topics both on the stadium and the organization.
Handle of the quarterback situation
Before the Browns are in the thick of the four-quarterback competition between Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Shedeur Sanders, Dee and Jimmy Haslam said they wondered how the coaching staff would make sure each quarterback had enough plays and looks.
Yet, as they watched from OTAs and minicamp to the beginning of training camp, they have witnessed how head coach Kevin Stefanski and his staff created opportunities to get all four quarterbacks reps using "two-spotting."
"I think so far, they have handled it well," Jimmy Haslam said. "And it's something that Kevin and Andrew (Berry) talk about weekly, 'here is the plan for this week.' And I think going to Carolina and scrimmaging and then playing, and then we're going to Philly and have two days of scrimmages and playing. The young guys will get a lot of looks, as will the veterans in the scrimmages. So, we'll know a lot more in the next couple of weeks."
Organizational value of patience
As an organization, the Browns are embodying the value of patience.
Jimmy Haslam reflected that they understand where they were as a football team in 2024, winning only three games with a question at the quarterback position. With questions to answer and finding ways to improve, they are relying on the approach of building the team the right way.
That started during the offseason with moves made in free agency as well as their draft class. It has continued with the mindset of developing young players and manifested itself in the opportunity period called "Hungry Dawgs" – a post-practice period of a handful of plays for players to get extra work.
As they rely on development and patience, the Browns also understand it could be a multiple-year process for the quarterback position.
"We talk about it openly," Jimmy Haslam said. "We talk about it openly. Now, could we take a big jump in one year? Yes, but we talk about we're not going to panic. We're going to draft good players and we're going to build through the draft."
Brook Park Domed Stadium
The Browns are officially beginning their project for the new domed stadium in Brook Park, set to open in 2029.
"We're also really excited about the new domed stadium," Dee Haslam said. "A lot of progress has been made. We started out thinking what can we do for the fans in this community, and what can we do for northeast Ohio and for Cleveland? I think the domed stadium is a transformational project that will deliver a world-class experience for our fans and also spur economic growth and conversation on what a great place this is to live."
The Ohio GOP budget bill approved and signed by Governor Mike DeWine in late June, which included the construct for funding to support a new enclosed Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park.
"Most appreciative of the state of Ohio and all the work that they did. Speaker (Matt) Huffman, President of the Senate (Rob) McColley, Senate Finance Chair Jerry Cirino all did a tremendous job in helping make that happen," Jimmy Haslam said. "We're excited. I think sometime late this quarter, late this year we'll start moving some dirt. There will be significant construction started in the first quarter. And I think now is the time for this community to really work together to create a tremendous situation in Brook Park, as well as on the riverfront, a re-envisioned lakefront and potentially an almost-new airport. So, lots of exciting things here in Cleveland and we're happy to be part of it."
The Browns first began their vision with the lakefront, and the Haslams still believe strongly in the development of the lakefront.
"We believe in Cleveland. We believe in a growth mindset, we believe in economic development, and we believe that this could be one of the greatest communities out there. But you have to have that vision and you have to have that growth mindset. And we believe that we can take care of our fans and provide economic development by doing the Brook Park project," Dee Haslam said. "We can write a great story for Cleveland that people from everywhere will look to what Cleveland's doing and how exciting it is with all these projects. So that's the story that really needs to come out."
