BEREA, Ohio -- Several Cleveland players said Wednesday they feel disrespected by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson's harsh comments about the Browns, and that topic was discussed by head coaches Doug Marrone and Hue Jackson with their respective teams.
Gipson was a Pro Bowler with the Browns before the team chose not to re-sign him as a free agent after the 2015 season.
In an interview with ESPN's Freddie and Fitz radio show on Monday, Gipson took some swipes at Cleveland's front office for letting him leave, predicted the Jaguars will score 40 points this Sunday against the NFL's only winless team and believes the Browns will "probably go 0-16."
Gipson admitted to the media in Cleveland on Wednesday that his radio comments were "probably out of turn" and clarified that his remarks were directed at the Browns' front office. But he said he stands "by my comments that we'll be 1-0 on Sunday.''
"Anybody would be disrespected from that," defensive tackle Danny Shelton said, according to Ohio.com. "So we've just got to go out there and play our game, be dominant."
Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey said Gipson is only trying to "rile up" his teammates, but that his words have provided some extra motivation. Kirksey and Gipson are close friends.
"I'm going to say what I'm going to say to get my team riled up. The best man wins. The best team wins," Kirksey told reporters.
Rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer said he's looking forward to "prove him wrong with those comments."
Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said he addressed Gipson's comments with his team and that the safety will not be disciplined.
"Obviously, I addressed it with the team today," Marrone said on a conference call with media members who cover the Browns, according to Cleveland.com. "We're really focused on ourselves. We know that we have a couple of tough matchups. We don't necessarily match up well with Cleveland, so we're going to have to play extremely well. I have a lot of respect for the coaches, the ownership and obviously the players there.
"That's not something that we like to do as a team. It's been addressed, and we understand that it is going to be very difficult for us to go on the road and win a football game."
Browns coach Hue Jackson also addressed Gipson's comments with his team.
"You can bet your bottom dollar I did," Jackson said, according to CBS Cleveland. "I don't think we need any motivation. We are an 0-9 football team so I don't think we are looking for anything. The opportunity to play is motivation enough for this football team. We want to win. That is what it is all about."
Rookie tight end David Njoku said he is looking forward to exchanging words with Gipson on the field Sunday.
"I love the smack talk. Without smack talk for me, I feel like the game isn't complete. So that just drives me more. I just love it," he told reporters.
"I'm going to be talking to him during the game. Obviously, if we're competing against each other, smack talk is going to happen," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.