Cribbs finally get a three-year deal done with Browns

Now the versatile Josh Cribbs has gotten what a most popular player of the Cleveland deserves to have, a new multi-year contract. According to reports, the Cleveland eventually rewarded Cribbs a new three-year part of his six-year, $6.67 million deal that was signed in 2006.


“I’m excited,” Cribbs said, sitting alongside new team president Mike Holmgren at a hastily arranged news conference. “It’s been a long road. It worked out. We reached a good compromise. I’m happy to wear this uniform proudly, as I’ve been saying the whole time.”

The restructured final three-year part will guarantee Cribbs $7.5 million plus another $20 million if he reaches incentives. Thus the Browns finally managed to keep the 26-year-old kicker/wide receiver in Browns jersey for another three years. Meanwhile, the press conference Cribbs said earlier this week he would hold to make a major announcement turned out to be held by the Browns.

The contract ended two seasons of threats, broken promises and back-and-forth negotiations. As the NFL’s career leader with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns, he is considered to deserve a big deal and had won supports from Browns fans for the past season.

Browns injured RB Lewis was released but remained hopeful for returning

The Cleveland Browns seem to be clearing the team for a healthier season. A couple weeks after releasing reinstated wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth, they also released running back Jamal Lewis, who was placed in injured reserve on Dec. 2 because of post-concussion symptoms. And there was still one year left on Lewis’ contract with the Browns.

To Lewis, being released simply means the end of Cleveland days and the end of his NFL career is still too early to come. One he is cleared o play he will find a job in another NFL team. Lewis remains hopeful for that.

“If Jamal wants to play and he’s cleared to play, I think he’s got a lot of football he can bring to the table to help an organization,” Lewis’ agent, Mitch Frankel said. “He can be a significant contributor to the right organization. Jerome Bettis and some other guys at the end of their careers took on a different role, and I think Jamal can do that.”

The 30-year-old running back is still suffering from headaches and blurred vision, the lingering effect of the concussion he sustained in Browns’ opener against the Minnesota Vikings. He tried best to playing despite the symptoms but eventually had to have examination before being put on injured reserve. However, his career number could still bring him quite a few chances of playing football again in another team’s NFL jerseys. Lewis carried 143 times last year for 500 yards and has rushed for 10,067 yards in his career.

What if Browns have a trade with Eagles?

As Mike Holmgren’s first personnel action after joining a new team was always to make a trade for quarterback, like trading for Brett Favre after joining the Green Bay Packers and acquiring Matt Hasselbeck after moving to the Seattle Seahawks, a lot of people have been guessing what he would do with quarterback when he took over as the president of the Cleveland Browns last month.


A reasonable guess is to get a quarterback from the Philadelphia Eagles because Browns’ new general manager, Tom Heckert, came from the Eagles. As McNabb would not agree to a contract extension to join the Browns, the most likely choice for Browns would be Kevin Kolb. Heckert loved Kolb when he was in Philadelphia, was responsible for drafting him and can accurately describe him to Holmgren with regard to work habits, character and, most important, his potential as a full-time starter.

What Browns would cost if they decide to trace for Kolb? It has been guessed to be Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers. Why? First of all, the first-round, the seventh overall pick would get full attention from the Eagles; and secondly, with Rogers putting on Eagles jersey, the Eagles could close the gap between them and the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles are in lack of a dominating inside player and Rogers would be the very player they are looking for.

Browns expect playmaker from 2010 draft

The Cleveland Browns are expecting to find a playmaker in 2010 draft. And they have already had two choices in mind: Florida cornerback Joe Haden and Tennessee safety/cornerback Eric Berry. Holding the No. 7 pick of the draft, Browns’ officials hope at least one of the two will still be on the board by their turn.


The coaches believe they have to building blocks in cornerback Eric Wright and strong safety Abram Elam, but they say the rest of the secondary needs to be rebuilt. Safety Brodney Pool may return to wear back his Browns jersey, but his concussion problems make his playing status in doubt.

The Browns are also having a plan to cut or trade backup quarterback Derek Anderson before they have to pay him a roster bonus on March 19, and the team has already released quarterback Donte’ Stallworth, who is scheduled to be reinstated some time after the Super Bowl. Perhaps the Browns should also spend some time on picking a quarterback somewhere.

WR Joshua Cribbs has been Cleveland’s MVP all season

The Cleveland Browns jerseys have been on cold sale for this season as the team lost all the first 11 games of the season, but now the No. 16 jersey has been snatched up by the Pro Football Hall of Fame this week to be put on display. All because Joshua Cribbs’ excellent performance.


Cribbs, with an inspiring rags-to-riches journey to the NFL, became the league’s career leader in kickoff returns for touchdown when he ran back two of at least 100 yards in the Browns’ 41-34 win at Kansas City last week. The versatile undrafted free agent played quarterback at Kent State, but is now a top receiver in Browns’ lineup.

Cribbs almost single-handedly carried the Browns to wins over Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers. His 100-yard return in the first quarter did not only give the Browns a 10-3 lead but also shot him past Mel Gray, Dante Hall, Ollie Matson, Gale Sayers and Travis Williams for the most TD kickoff runbacks in history. And he joined Ted Ginn Jr. to be the only players with two 100-yarders in one game with a career-best 103-yarder after the Chiefs scored 21 straight points in the second period to go up 24-13.

So, it is time for the Browns to consider signing with Cribbs as soon as possible before his price rise after giving more and better performance.

Browns won over Chiefs with two record-breakers

Despite having to walk with a cane, 73-year-old Jim Brown walked fast enough downstairs Sunday to congratulate running back Jerome Harrison for rushing for 286 yards for the Cleveland Browns in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs and erasing the record Brown set in 1957 when he was still playing in Browns jersey.


The other record-breaker also wears Browns jersey. Joshua Cribbs had a 100-yard kickoff return in the first quarter and a 103-yarder in the second, setting the NFL career record with his seventh TD return and breaking his own record that had stood for less than an hour with the 103-yarder.

As Cribbs had been known to be a great returner before the game, Harrison had never run for more than 121 yards in a game in his life until Sunday. But he burst through big holes in Kansas City’s injury-depleted line all day and scored three touchdowns, including the tiebreaker on a 28-yard burst after the Chiefs tied it 34-all with 2:06 to go.

Browns Josh Cribbs will try new role at running back

How could you describe the Cleveland Browns player Josh Cribbs? Kick returner? Wide receiver or quarterbacker? Simply putting on Browns jersey, the player just can do any job the team wants him to do. I mean what I say here, and the Browns are really considering placing Cribbs on a new position: the running back.


And some began to believe that he will do a good job in the new position. And after watching him slice through Pittsburgh’s defense, Browns Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas thinks Cribbs would be a great one.

“There’s no doubt,” Thomas said. “I think he’s too valuable to take off of kick return and punt return and special teams, but there’s no doubt in my mind, especially after seeing the things that he did that he’d be an extremely successful running back in the NFL.”

Now let’s see what Cribbs can do as a running back. During last week’s 13-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cribbs rushed for 87 yards and had a career-long 37-yard run to help set up Cleveland’s only touchdown and made a crucial 14-yard run on a 3rd-and-11 play in the fourth quarter when the Browns were trying to stop the rival from scoring with little time left.

Another Browns player may end season and career because of concussion

As it has been reported that running back Jamal Lewis may start a new life away from football after being placed on injured reserve Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns safety Brodney Pool may also face the same future.


A starter at his position and a five-year veteran, Pool suffered at least his fourth known concussion during the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was also placed on injured reserve. Having started 10 games this season and 49 in Browns jersey since the Browns selected him in the second round of the 2005 draft out of Oklahoma, Pool really needs to make a decision on his NFL career after sustaining so many concussions.

The Browns have already placed Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers and inside linebackers D'Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton on injured reserve. To lose both Lewis and Pool for the season just made the team’s future of this season even blacker.

Lions had second win of season by beating Browns 38-37

The worst two teams of the league finished Sunday’s game with the Detroit Lions’ narrow 38-37 win over the Cleveland Browns. And now the previously 1-8 Lions are 2-8 while 1-8 Browns fell to 1-9 and remains the lowest in team ranks.


The Browns performed so badly that they allowed Lions starting quarterback Matthew Stafford to throw five touchdown passes in one game and become the first rookie to do so since Ray Buivid did it in 1937 for the Chicago Bears, even if the quarterback in Lions jersey was injured on the shoulder.

Stafford was hit by Browns safety Hank Poteat, who passed interference in the end zone when Stafford heaved a desperation attempt to throw. The quarterback was replaced by Daunte Culpepper for a while and returned to field as the Browns stopped the game with their timeout to get the team ready for the play.

According to Lions Coach Jim Schwartz, X-rays showed Stafford’s collarbone wasn’t broken and more tests are still needed to determine the quarterback’s playing status for next games.

Browns WR Cribbs missed Wednesday practice but still hopes to play Sunday

While the Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn was fined for chop block on the Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, the Ravens defensive end Dwan Edwards also has to pay for a shot on Browns wide receiver Josh Cribbs, who was held out of Wednesday practice with a neck injury and concussion.

Cribbs pitched the ball on a pass play and was leveled by Edwards, who delivered a forearm and shoulder to Cribbs’ chin. Cribbs spent a few hours at the Cleveland Clinic undergoing tests. Afterwards, the team said the results were negative, indicating the team may have to play this Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions without the top playmaker.

But what Quinn did to Suggs is no less serious. The three-time Pro Bowler could miss significant time with a knee injury for the first time in his seven-year career of wearing NFL jersey, ending his streak of 105 played games.

Browns Coach Mangini denied player’s complaint of being overworked

The Cleveland Browns running back Jamal Lewis said Thursday that Coach Eric Mangini was overworking his players, indicating that the coach’s policies should be blamed for Browns losses. As having been expected, his comments gained quite a lot of support from other Browns players.


But the coach did not plan to accept the rant from players and tried to defend the length and intensity of his practices after Lewis had complained that players in Browns jerseys are being worked too hard to play effectively in real games.

“I feel good about the way we practice, the time we practice,” said Mangini, 1-7 in his first season with Cleveland. “Two hours of work on the field is a very reasonable time. The only time that practices are extended is if we don’t execute something the right way.”

Mangini also said he and Lewis had conversation about their differences. After finishing Friday’s workout, Lewis confirmed the conversation and said the media had twisted his comments, which originally were not critical of the coach.

Browns QB Quinn not interested in being traded

Putting a house for sale caused rumors that the Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn wanted to be traded after losing his starting job. However, both the quarterback himself and Browns Coach Eric Mangini denied the rumor directly on Wednesday. And Quinn said he put his put his suburban home up for sale simply because he wants to downsize and shorten his commute.

So the rumors were proved to be a misunderstanding of the quarterback’s move. But it was not just unreasonable for people to have such suspicion as Mangini has shown willingness to trade high-profile players. Kellen Winslow (in buccaneers jersey now) and Braylon Edwards (in Jets jersey now) are good examples. Both are former first-round draft picks like Quinn.

But at least one thing of the rumors would be right-Quinn will not get the $11 million the Browns promised to give if he takes 70 percent of the team's snaps this season. Losing starting job just made it impossible to happen.

Browns coach Mangini planned to have Rogers starting on DT

Although the Cleveland Browns Shaun Rogers had missed the entire preseason, Coach Eric Mangini still would like to have him starting in the season opener.


“He’s working to get back,” Mangini said, “and I’m happy with the way he’s working.”

Rogers injured his foot during a practice on Aug. 2. After being held out for two weeks, he wore back his browns jersey and hit the tackling sled and working on individual drills on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, he worked mainly on the stationary bike and joined his defensive teammates on the sideline for the end of practice.

As the team’s only Pro Bowl representative last year, Rogers recorded 81 tackles and 4 1-2 sacks. And the team would decide late this week about whether to have him playing for Saturday’s preseason home game against the Tennessee Titans.

Browns coach Mangini not surprised by Favre’s comeback

Eric Mangini coached Brett Favre last season with the New York Jets before going to the Cleveland Browns, so he thought he knows Favre will enough not to be surprised by his comeback.


“Brett’s a Hall of Fame player, a great guy, a fierce competitor and like I told him a long time ago, whatever decision he makes, he’ll make right,” Mangini said. “He’s a fun guy to coach, a fun guy to have as a teammate and I feel like I’m a better coach from the experience of being with him.”

Despite the fact that the Browns will play against Favre and the Vikings on Sept. 13, Mangini still considers himself a Favre fan. He said that the game between Cleveland and the Minnesota will “make for good TV.”