Browns ace returner Josh Cribbs is considering all the options available to a player who wants a new contract: a holdout, trade demand, or possibly showing for training camp, then leaving.
If all goes well over the next week, he won’t have to consider using any of the tactics.
Cribbs’ representatives and the Browns are set to meet next to discuss re-working the Pro Bowler’s current deal, which runs until 2012.
After skipping some voluntary workouts, Cribbs showed up to Cleveland’s later OTAs and mandatory minicamp. That would seemingly indicate he’s unlikely to stage a holdout.
But NFL.com’s Steve Wyche says Cribbs is not planning to play under his current deal.
A bump in salary makes sense for both sides. Cribbs is known as a team-first player, and has the versatility that Eric Mangini desires. Cribbs has played quarterback, excels on every special teams unit, and practiced at safety during the offseason.
In a perfect world, he could be Eric Mangini’s version of Troy Brown.
The only difficulty will come if Cribbs expects a deal similar to one that he would receive on the open market.
Cribbs signed a six-year extension in November of 2006. The decision to sign that contract will cost him some leverage and potential dollars.
Cribbs can hold out, he’s a return man, and really only an average one that had a decent game against Pittsburgh a couple of years ago.
He’s not a quarter of the player Troy Brown was. I can think of many better kick returners than him. i.e. Ellis Hobbs
PatsRPerfection:
I have to agree then disagree. Cribbs is no Troy Brown that’s a fact but he is one of the best special team/utility players in the league. I have watched every snap of every Browns game since 99 (cant believe I haven’t killed myself yet) and I must say Cribbs is more valuable to this team than you think. In my opinion he is better than Hobbs and it is too bad he plays on such a shit team like Cleveland because he would get better notoriety if on a better team.
You mention the Pittsburgh game and that was just one of many that Cribbs had like that in 2007. He may be listed as a “Special Team er” but he is allot more than that to this team and city.
The problem with Cribbs is that the Browns aren’t utilizing him to his full potential. The comment about him not being a quarter of the player Troy Brown was is hilarious. I would have thought you were crazy until I read your name. Keep drinking that kool-aid.
Good luck with that Cribbs. You want Starting wide reciever money and caught less than 10 balls last year. Do something then ask to get paid. Kick returners don’t earn 10 million a year.
PatsRPerfection is batshit crazy everyone
So you guys think Cribbs is capable of a 100+ catch season, 1,000 yards receiving. Not to mention Troy Brown was a great kick/punt returner, tremendous all around Special Teamer and he played defensive back pretty well too.
Like I said, not a quarter of the player Troy Brown is.
Troy Brown was a great player for the Patriots but you act like he was better than he was. He only had 1 1000 yard season and that is the only season that he had the 101 receptions. For his career he only averaged a little over 400 yards a year and he only averaged 37 catches a year. As for his kick and punt returns he only has 3 punt returns for touchdowns and no kick returns for touchdowns. He averaged 21 yards per kick return and 10 yards per punt return. He only made 1 pass attempt in his career and it was incomplete. His best defensive stat is the 3 interceptions he had in 04. I do agree that Cribbs hasn’t done anything as a receiver but he hasn’t been on a team like the Patriots either. Besides that, Cribbs has five kick return touchdowns and 1 punt return touchdown. Cribbs average kick return is 26 yards and his average punt return is about the same as Browns. Defensively Cribbs has 59 solo tackles compared to Browns 22. I don’t see how that makes him a tremendous all around special teamer. Like I said, I always liked Troy Brown and thought he was a great all around player but you can’t say that Cribbs isn’t as good. Cribbs can make a lot of things happen just by being lined up in the backfield. He opens up options that Troy Brown never could.
As a Jets fan, I must (reluctantly) agree with PatsRPerfection on Cribbs… he’s a return man, and an average one at that; he’s definitely no Troy Brown.
The Yonk feels that the Browns are not be utilizing him to his full potential… fine, no argument there Yonk; but the fact remains that he really needs to do something before asking to get paid as much as he’s looking for.
Whether or not he is capable of producing a 100+ catch season, with 1,000 yards receiving remains to be seen… the Browns would be retarded to give this guy big money before he can prove that he can put up those big numbers!
This trend is a little embarrassing. Should Davone Bess ask for a better deal because scouts underrated him, too? Maybe that’s his motivation for suing the impostor is he knows he deserves more money.
It’s alarming to wake up and see news of a gadget player and return, who maybe deserves a new deal based on a promise, talking about sitting out (!!!) AND a kicker not happy about getting franchised (in my opinion, he is overpaid).
Cribbs’ lack of touches are, honestly, hurting his chances of a new contract as there are currently receivers like Devale Ellis, Mike Furrey, Brian Robiskie, and Syndric Steptoe who have done returns before, so he has little production to.
I meant to say little production as leverage.
I just want it to be known that I don’t agree with him holding out. My beef was with the Troy Brown comment. If Cribbs had Bledsoe/Brady quality at the QB position – he could be a decent receiver. Of course, that would mean the Browns would actually have to have a clear offensive vision. Ha.
As a loyal Browns fan since around 1980, and as a fan of Josh Cribbs, my reaction to his possible holdout?
“Cut him.”
As much as I love my team and want to see great players contribute to (finally) turning this team around, I am SO SICK of primadonnas and divas bitching about money. Josh, you are a KICK RETURNER. You are on the field for an average of 30 seconds per possession, if that. The NFL has to stop coddling people who never want to honor their original contracts and just giving in to whatever their selfish whim is at any given moment. This is the reason salries are so out of control, because people can’t say “no”.
I’d love to see Cribbs contribute and I know he can be a stud, but I’ve had it with players who sign a multi-year contract, and then act like that contract means nothing after a year or two. So classy (eyes rolling…)
Go ahead and hold out, if that’s what you feel you need to do.
What’s another hole in the roster going to matter. Almost every position is up for grabs this year, why not KR also.
The Browns need more than a kick returner that scores a TD a year. They need an offense that can score more than a TD in 6 games. Kick returner is the least of their problems.
Just because you signed a 6 year deal- 2 years ago, knowing at the time, that you were sacrificing bigger dollars for more years (job security) but, I guess you’ve changed your mind now and want the big money. Good Luck.
Hopefully the Browns can work a trade for someone to fill some of their more important holes.
So I ask you “trickbunny,” what do you have to say about the teams that agree to a contract and then cut a player? It’s rather hypocritical to denounce Cribbs as a primadonna if you look at it from that perspective.
Also, anyone who thinks Cribbs is an “average” return man must not have watched any games and glanced at a stat book. The style that he brings to the return game is amazing. He is the type of returner to run away from contact, [like a primadonna] but he would go through people and pound the ball.
One last thing, his receiver stats should not be looked at out of context. The fact that he was barely used as a receiver paired with the dismal offense of most of last year doesn’t lead to good stats. The play calling of Dudzinski was more to blame than Cribbs’ ability.