CLEVELAND — John Dorsey, the new general manager of the Cleveland Browns, played linebacker in the NFL. Turns out he still hits hard.

Dorsey, hired last week to fix the floundering franchise, harshly criticized his predecessor, Sashi Brown, on Thursday, saying he failed to give Coach Hue Jackson good players.

In a radio interview with one of the team’s flagship stations, Dorsey was asked if he will bring Jackson back for a third season if the team goes 0-16.

“You’ve got to get a guy like that players,” Dorsey said. “And you know what? I’ll come straight out with it. The guys who were here before, that system, they didn’t get real players. As (Coach) Bill Parcells would always say, ‘You are your record.’ And you know what? There it is, so that’s the truth-teller in this thing. And I’m going to do my darnedest to get Hue players. And that’s all I can ask for, and that’s all I’m going to do. I like the man.”

Dorsey was fired after four seasons with the Chiefs, who made the playoff three times under his watch.

He hasn’t wasted any time in making his presence felt. On his first full day in Cleveland, Dorsey waived wide receiver Kenny Britt, who was a major disappointment after signing a four-year, $32.5 million free-agent contract.

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During the interview, Dorsey defended his choice to drop Britt, who has signed with New England.

“I have no problem making that decision,” Dorsey said. “From a cultural standpoint, I don’t think (Britt) fits in the prototypical character point of what I’m looking for in terms of a leader. He did not live up to his expectations as a player. He may have a higher opinion of himself than I have of him as a player, so I thought that was easy.”

Haslam has stated his support of Jackson, who is 1-28 in two seasons but is expected back in 2018.

TEXANS: Third-string quarterback T.J. Yates will get his first start this season Sunday for Houston against Jacksonville with Deshaun Watson out for the season because of a knee injury and backup Tom Savage recovering from a concussion.

But Yates has plenty of history with the Texans, starting nine games for them, including leading the franchise to its first playoff win in the 2011 season.

JETS: Injured quarterback Josh McCown will travel with the team to New Orleans this weekend and serve as a player-coach on the sideline against the Saints.

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McCown, 38, is out for the season because of a broken left hand, which he suffered in New York’s 23-0 loss at Denver last Sunday. He had surgery Tuesday and was back with the team Wednesday, sporting a black cast on his non-throwing hand.

JAGUARS: Running back Leonard Fournette expects to play Sunday against Houston despite missing two days of practice.

Fournette injured his right quadriceps muscle in the third quarter against Seattle last week when safety Earl Thomas hit him near the sideline. Fournette didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday but said he was just being cautious.

GIANTS: New York placed top offensive lineman Justin Pugh on injured reserve because of a back injury.

Pugh started the season at left guard but moved to right tackle when Bobby Hart struggled. He finished the season with three starts at left guard and five at right tackle.

Kevin Abrams, the interim general manager, said he wants the job full time.

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RAIDERS: The public entity that oversees the team’s proposed stadium in Las Vegas expressed satisfaction over a plan presented by the team that addresses minority hiring goals.

The stadium authority board discussed a draft of the community benefits agreement, which by law must ensure the greatest possible participation by the local community in the design, construction and operation of the stadium.

THURSDAY’S GAME

BRONCOS 25, COLTS 13: Brock Osweiler ran for one touchdown and threw for two more to lead visiting Denver (5-9) past Indianapolis (3-11).

Osweiler replaced the injured Trevor Siemian in the first quarter and played his best football of the season.

The Broncos needed it. After ending an eight-game losing streak Sunday against the Jets, they picked up their first road win since Dec. 4, 2016.

The Colts blew an early 10-0 lead and have lost five straight.


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