Browns owner Jimmy Haslam says team was overhyped last season

The Cleveland Browns enter 2020 with much more muted expectations after a lot of hype turned into a disastrous 2019 season. That’s perfectly fine with owner Jimmy Haslam.

In a Zoom call Sunday, Haslam admitted that both he and the Browns got caught up in the hype too much last year, but have learned lessons ahead of the 2020 season.

“I think we probably all of us, including ownership, learned a lesson last year about tempering expectations,” Haslam said, via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “I don’t think we managed that as well as we should have. I think you have to be realistic. This team has not been to the playoffs since 2002, and we’re in a tough division. Baltimore and Pittsburgh are arguably two of the best teams and best franchises. I think you have to be realistic there.”

You may recall that one of their rookies was talking about a Super Bowl appearance, and there was lots of talk about the team possibly winning the division. Instead, the Browns fell flat and finished a disappointing 6-10.

Haslam is clearly already putting what he learned into practice. Expectations for the Browns are significantly lower in 2020, even though early signs are positive. Without the flashy moves and the scrutiny, they could be an under-the-radar team to watch this season.