In a couple of recent posts, I gave Browns owner Jimmy Haslam a lot of credit for having the courage to retain Hue Jackson for 2018 after the head coach went a combined 1-31 in his first two seasons, including 0-16 last year.

Indeed, it obviously would have been easy to fire him.

But what Jackson understands, even though it had never been discussed publicly, is that while he still has his job, he doesn’t have a forever contract. If he doesn’t win this season – and I’m talking about right away – then he’s going to be in trouble. He doesn’t have to be 8-0 at the midway point, but if he’s 1-7 or 2-6 and the team is not even competitive, with no reasonable expectation for it to change anytime soon, then Haslam will likely pull the plug on Jackson and replace him with offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

Yes, Haley was brought in primarily to run the offense to allow Jackson to concentrate fully on the many – and varied – responsibilities of being a head coach. But let’s not kid anyone here. Haley, who has a relationship with new General Manager John Dorsey, also was added to be a head coach in waiting should Jackson start heading down the road to a third straight horrible finish. In that way, then, Haslam now has a viable candidate he could turn to, so the Browns aren’t handcuffed, forced to wait out another miserable season without doing something dramatic to try to get themselves righted before the offseason.

The 2018 NFL regular-season schedule will be released soon, in probably 10 days to two weeks, and Jackson is anxiously awaiting it. The Browns already know they will be playing a lot of tough teams, but if the schedule is front-loaded with a number of those clubs, you may be able to hear Jackson gulping as far away as Cambridge and St. Henry.

And if Haslam has to fire Jackson, then he can do so with a clear conscience and a favorable public perception for he will not be viewed as having been impatient in any way, shape or form.