The contrast between the respective positions held by the Browns and receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs has quickly become nearly as divisive as the question of whether Mike Vick should be reinstated.
Our own John Taylor of CFT has continued to smother this story for The Orange And Brown Report, and John’s Monday night entry shows two sides that are firmly entrenched as to the question of whether Browns owner Randy Lerner promised to address Cribbs’ contract.
The conflict between the versions provided by Lerner and Cribbs couldn’t be more clear. Cribbs apparently would swear under oath that Lerner promised after the regular-season finale to address the player’s contract; Lerner vehemently denies that any such commitment ever was made.
Lerner told Taylor by phone Monday night that “he has neither addressed Cribbs’ contract with the player personally, nor has he spoken to the player over the phone regarding his contract.”
Cribbs’ camp issued earlier in the evening the following statement: “We have incredible trust in our client, and we have cell phone records to back up that trust. After talking to Lerner [on the day of the season finale], [Cribbs] called [his agents], called his financial advisor, called numerous people, to let us know what he had just talked to Lerner about. . . . We aren’t trying to throw anybody under the bus, but we stand by the credibility of our client.”
The stalemate apparently crossed the proverbial Rubicon on Monday afternoon, when the Browns issued a statement denying reports that any promises had been made to Cribbs. His agents thereafter said that the team’s comments made Cribbs “look like a liar or a fabricator.”
On the surface, this problem is no different than the dispute between the Eagles and cornerback Sheldon Brown. The player signed a long-term deal, the player thinks he has outperformed the deal, and the team is content to point to the contract and remind the player that he signed the agreement without the barrel of a gun resting on either temple.
But this one has taken on a darker quality in light of the fact that Cribbs genuinely believes that the team promised to fix the situation. Though the verbal promises have no legally binding effect, Cribbs now believes not only that he has been lied to, but also that the team is going out of its way to paint him as the liar.
In our view, it’s a very risky way to run a football team, especially with a bunch of other guys who can identify with Cribbs watching and listening.