The whirlwind of the NFL Combine is over. The league's annual weeklong spectacle of on-field drills, interviews, medical exams and media sessions has come to an end.
Whew.
So what's next?
For the Browns, the next two months serve as a critical juncture as the franchise enters a new era under coach Hue Jackson and executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown.
In Indianapolis last week, Jackson spoke of need to build a lasting franchise that can be successful now and in the future.
"We want to make sure that we have a sustainable football team, one that can be really good not just this year but for years to come," Jackson said.
"There's no quick fixes in the National Football League so how it all unfolds as we move forward, it's going to unfold, but I promise you this, we're going to put a football team out there that will compete and play hard and I think that's what's important."
Over the next two months, the Browns — who are still evaluating their options with the second and 32nd overall picks in April's draft — will continue to inspect, dissect and carefully examine potential club members. Jackson and Brown have said they'll attend Pro Days — in case you're wondering, Alabama's is set for next Wednesday and Ohio State's next Friday — across the country. The team is permitted by league rules to host as many as 30 prospect at its facility in Berea leading up to the draft.
"It's about going back and making sure we evaluate what we saw (at the combine and elsewhere) and talk through that. I think you guys all know there's campus visits across the country that these young men hold for their respective colleges. We're going to be there and be very active in looking at these guys again," Jackson said.
"We're going to continue to gather as much information as we can while also preparing for April 4, when our players arrive. There's a lot to do, a lot of work to do and I think our staff and I think everybody in our organization is up to the task."
And as Cleveland turns its attention toward acquiring new talent and new potential, it must also take inventory of its current roster prior to when the team begins its off-season workout programs next month.
"We're going to have to draft some really good football players in order to put on our team now and to get us where we need to be, but we also understand that free agency — we'll be very thoughtful about how we go about that process as well," Jackson said, adding the Browns will use it as a supplementary dynamic to rebuilding through the draft.
"The challenge will be our staff doing a really good job of making sure that we get our football players better, that we create the right environment for them to be all they can be, that we challenge them to be the best that they can be. And I'm very excited about that opportunity."
Brown added: "We're building a system not so focused on results, not so focused on one position or one player, but really setting an expectation of a work ethic so that every day we're getting better ... we're going to expect a lot from our players and make sure that by the time we get to fall and Sundays, our expectation going into every game will be to win."
