Top executive Brown is first to pay price in Cleveland

CLEVELAND — One win in two seasons cost Sashi Brown his job with the Cleveland Browns. Coach Hue Jackson is keeping his — for now.

Winless with four weeks left in another dismal National Football League season, Cleveland fired Brown on Thursday, jettisoning their top football executive who was unable to improve the franchise enough to satisfy owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam.

Jackson, though, is safe and will return for the 2018 season despite a 1-27 record.

Brown was named the team’s top executive by the Haslams during an overhaul following the ’15 season. His firing is not unexpected since the Browns are 0-12 for the second straight season with Brown in charge. He gutted Cleveland’s roster, electing not to re-sign some of the team’s own free agents in favour of signing younger players and acquiring future draft picks.

However, the team’s decision to pass up on drafting quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson in the past two drafts may have hastened Brown’s demise and Cleveland has shown little sign of improvement since Brown took over. Brown had no experience in evaluating players as he served as the team’s general counsel before handling the salary cap and contracts.

Brown and Jackson appeared to be at odds over several roster decisions, and Haslam figured his best course of action was to end the relationship rather than attempting to repair it.

The Browns host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.