Hoax: LeBron James “I Heart NY” Shoes are Fake
January 6, 2010Now Is The Time To Pull The Trigger For Jamison
January 6, 2010Yesterday on Twitter Eric Wright talked about how Josh Cribbs is clearly “Pay da man 1.” But, he also hinted that he might just be “Pay da man 2.”
All slang aside, it is interesting to note. Eric Wright is probably the best performer from that draft not named Joe Thomas. Eric Wright was selected in the second round by Phil Savage and some considered it a coup. Eric Wright played at UNLV, but he was thought to have primetime talent after a stint at USC that ended with suspected off-the-field issues.
Those issues never resulted in charges, but the damage was done. Eric Wright’s rep was harmed and after a season playing at UNLV he declared for the draft. Phil Savage and the Browns were more than happy to select him 53rd overall in the second round.
Mel Kiper said the following of Wright in his post-draft analysis.
From a pure talent standpoint, getting CB Eric Wright in the second round is good value. Wright had first-round talent — you could argue he’s better than Leon Hall and Darrelle Revis — but slid because of character issues.
Now, obviously it is tough to compare the two players because DB stats can be misleading. For exampe, Revis has the lead in interceptions 14-8, but Wright has the lead in tackles 185-164. Doesn’t mean a whole lot. Revis is a highly regarded corner for the Jets and so is Eric Wright. The one thing that I can say definitively is that Eric Wright is a much much much better value. Because the Browns drafted Wright in the second round, they signed him to a 4-year deal estimated at just under $3.2 million. Revis on the other hand was drafted 14th overall in the first round. The Jets signed him to a 6-year deal for $30 million with about $11 million guaranteed.
With that said, the Browns should probably start thinking about giving Eric Wright an extension. Wright will be a free agent after next season, so it is a more typical contract negotiation than Josh Cribbs’ who is in the middle of a 6-year deal currently.
Eric Wright is an important part of the Browns and has shown the ability to play at a high level and also improve over time. He was criticized for his lack of tackling as recently as the first few games this season. He turned that around in short order late in this year. Wright still has some issues shedding downfield blocks by physical wide receivers on screens and running plays, but he is still the best corner on the Browns. He should be considered a key part of the Browns’ defensive future as long as the Browns can lock him up for a sum that is reasonable for the player and the Browns’ salary cap going forward.
43 Comments
Short answer? No. No he is not.
Long(er) answer: Easy-E is a cool nickname and all (if not exactly original), but is he a shut-down corner? Does he change the game? Can we line him up across from the other team’s WR1 and forget about it? No, no, and no. Is he above average in most aspects of his game? Sure. But is he anywhere near the priority to re-sign as Joshua F. Cribbs? Not by a longshot.
Here’s a fun game: Finish this sentence, “Being the best corner on the Browns is like…..”
To be honest, I think he would be a good #2 CB. Extension talks wouldn’t be a bad idea, but I certainly don’t hope he expects Revis money.
Yeah I mean this is all a question of how much his agent is going to ask for really … you can’t make a decision on whether we should pay that figure until you hear those types of figures. It would be a good idea to at least open up the lines of communication though with Eric Wright.
He’s a guy that I wouldn’t mind playing here for the forseeable future. One has to wonder how much playing next to Brandon McDonald has visually inflated his value.
I think we should start talking about extension, but not necessarily a huge pay day. He’s good enough that I don’t want him leaving next year, especially with what we have behind him.
I think Eric Wright is a good CB, and obviously our best DB. I would love to see the browns resign him (not for Revis money) and see them draft a CB in the top 2 rounds so we are good for the next 5 years or so. Eric Wright had kept some WRs at bay, and you have to take into account having no S often over top for support so Wright has to play off a lot. Definitely think he is a starting CB on just about every team in the league. If Berry is gone, a Wright/Haden combo would be nice to see in Cleveland.
Wasn’t it just 2 years ago that we thought we stumbled upon a future mainstay at corner? Name was Brandon something.
Wright now appears to be an average NFL corner. But with so many needs I would hope Holms first looks at his whole body of work, as they say, sees what the drat brings and takes a hard look at how Wright adjusts to any newly installed defense before throwing lots of money at him.
draft
No,
I don’t remember Eric taking hi jersey to the Hall of Fame.
Hang in there Eric, look how long Josh has waited.
“Name was Brandon something.”
Leigh Bodden?
Florida CB anyone? Eric Wright/him would be a nasty dou!
I think we just need to get an extension before his contract runs out next season. It doesnt have to be immediate. But I do think Eric is good enough to be a top CB for us.
Haden is the Florida CB. And I agree. If Berry is gone by #7, then we shoould get Haden and then we can go S in round 2 or 3. A S there would still be god enough to start with Mike Adams, then Wright and Haden with BMac as the nickel and we are looking solid.
“Being the best corner on the Browns is like…..”
Being the best corner on the Browns is like, really cool, man.
Eric Wright is a superb option as a #2 CB. He’s merely average as a #1 CB. So, with that in mind, I would love to see Eazy-E have a long career in Cleveland, but I think finding a #1 CB should be a higher priority than re-upping Wright’s contract.
I don’t think it’s time to pay Wright just yet. I say take the wait and see attitude.
If the Browns can’t get Berry (which I think they won’t), I’d love to get Haden. After seeing what Revis has done this season to some of the top WRs, I really want a top tier CB like that. I think Haden can be that guy when looking at his body of work the past 3 yrs in the SEC.
+ 1 to Matt#2. Well done.
I certainly don’t think he’s the best thing out there but he’s done pretty well overall for us. If a fair extension can be done then I say go for it.
Of course.. who knows what he will think if “fair.”
Let’s not forget that you’re all saying he is a good to above average CB on a team that has has absolutely NO pass rush and asks their CB’s to cover guys like Hines, Santonio, Ocho, Mason, Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, for like 8 seconds on any given down. How many times have seen the QB make a sandwich in the back field and not been able to find a WR until her’s been looking around for 10 mins?
I’d say if Wright had at least and average pass rush he’d be consider a top CB in the league. Maybe not Ashamugha(?) Champ or Asante, but he’d be on that second tier list with guys like Ike Taylor, Quinten Jammer, Cromartie, Rodgers-Cromartie. We need him.
Cromartie is a free agent this year, if my memory is correct. Freakish athlete, though a bit of a head case.
If Martie is a FA then we should seriously sign him. Ya he did fall to the 2nd round b/c of character issues and his play has fallen off a tad bit this year. BUT, dude has all the talent in the world and isn’t exactly going Pac-Man on anybody.
@10: Name was “Brandon McDonald.”
Everyone was pretty excited at that promising youngster picked up by Savage in the late rounds.
S-Dub hit the nail on the head when it comes to the pass rush. The one thing we almost never see happen is Wright being beat deep. If they WR catches a ball, he’s usually there competing against the WR.
I also think we live in an age right now where there aren’t many “shut down corners” in the NFL. Apart from Revis, Samuel, and Asamjkldfjkla for the Raiders, are there any other shut down corners in the NFL? Wright would easily be in the top 15 in the league.
I agree with S-Dub and JackGonzo. Wright has been a good corner on a that didnt have a good pass rush, and he had no help over top (Safety) like many of the other good CBs have. I dont know necessarily about any FAs, just because I feel we’d have to over pay a lot to get people here. Haden, Wright and BMac could be a good group of young CBs, then let Adams go back to S with Nate Allen or another S that could be there in round 2 and that could be pretty decent. The pass rush certainly got better near the end of the season with the addition of Roth, so maybe if we get people who can cover in the secondary we will have a good D.
I think with some better talent around him, he’d be a very good #1 – if not a Pro Bowler. Not only is he a good cover corner, but he’s a good tackler too, something that Asante Samuel is not.
Are you serious? Eric Wright in the same class as Revis? Have you watched any Browns games this season? Or Jets games for that matter? Revis is ELITE- shuts down every #1 WR in the league. Wright is an above average #2 corner but nothing more. To even suggest he is on the same playing field as Revis is insane! No way would I ever pay him #1 money.
Oh, I forgot to add- did you see Adrian Peterson toss him in Week 1 like a ragdoll?
I support the general tone of the article and some of the previous comments: keep Wright in Cleveland but don’t overpay.
That being said, Wright has done about as well as one could do in his situation over the past two years. Him and McDonald were thrown into the fire as rookies; McDonald sank and Wright swam.
Wright improved from his rookie year and then improved even more as his second season progressed. You can’t ask for much more than that.
come on now, what CB would AD not toss around?
AP didn’t toss anyone around in the second half of the season…I am not by any means saying Wright sucks. Just saying he is not a #1. Yes, he improved as the season went on. But, he certainly can’t be confused for a lockdown corner, nor is he in the mold of champ bailey, antoine winfield, revis, or clements as far as tackling abilities. That being said, pay him #2 CB money and pair him with a #1 and our secondary imrpoves dramatically.
Let’s hope Cribbs latest tweet is a fake. . .
http://twitter.com/Joshcribbs16
Thanks everyone, I love playing for the browns & put my all in to it, but it doesn’t look good 4me at this point on returning…
I don’t believe I made the to do list for the team in 2010….
Doesn’t look good on Cleveland.com. $1.4 mil and Cribbs’ camp talking about not coming back in the off-season.
Unbelievable. At least call them back and tell Cribbs they want to work on the coaching situation, first.
I’d be insulted by that offer too
Seriously. The worst part of the article isn’t the offer… it could be reasonable to assume that was just a lowball to start off negotiation.
Not responding to repeated phone calls and e-mails was a terrible move.
Ya, this J Cribbs thing is ridiculous. Hes been the heart and soul of the browns for at least the past 2 years. Hes continued to play hard and give it his all and still he only gets a ridiculous 1.4 mil/year and the browns ignoring/refusing to continue talks with him. There are back-up players that make more then that. I would expect around a 4 mil/year or higher avg for cribbs.
Are the Browns stupid or insane? Cribbs has been the one pure good we’ve had this year. He’s the only player all the fans have been able to look to for hope.
And now they’re going to screw this up.
I hope team brass reads this blog and realize that if they don’t do the right thing in this situation the NFL Network, ESPN, and the fans won’t let them forget it.
I don’t know where him and his agents think they’re gonna go. One, you still have three years left. Two, the man hasn’t been in the building more than 24 hours and spent the day interviewing our next GM, hopefully, and figuring out if the hairless walrus is going to stay or not.
We also have to realize there is no comparable player in the league. Hester is mainly just a WR now. Ronnie Brown is the starting RB not just the Wildcat. He may be the number one Wildcat and special team in the NFL, but how much is that really worth? Yes, pay the man, but if he wants to be the top money maker on this team it will never happen.
@Jack
Homlgren being in the building doesn’t really make a difference here. I wasn’t expecting the $1.4 to be the final offer. The big deal is Dawn Aponte and the Browns apparently not caring enough to return either agent’s phone call saying “We’d like to settle this after the coach and GM situations are dealt with.”
That’s all the Browns had to do.
Ya, to piggy back what EZ said, its the Browns not responding, and the empty promises out of Mangini, which seem to be a trend looking at Kokinis. Also, its not good to see where negotiations actually are. I expected these to be getting better and nearing a middle ground. If this were 2.8/year then its different because thats a legit offer that is realistic.
pay da man 2 can only exist when pay da man 1 actually gets paid..
IF YOUR NOT A season ticket holder, don’t complain about Cribbs Salary.. Tickets pay for salaries
I’m pretty sure Randy Lerner’s pocket pays for salaries.
No offense but Eric Wright’s name should never me used in the same sentence as Darrelle Revis of the Jets, not even close. Wright might be the best on the Cleveland Browns but that just speaks to how bad the secondary is on the team. I’m hoping they draft either Eric Berry the safety from Tennessee or Taylor Mays the safety from USC. The Browns also need help at cornerback. Wright is servicable but he’s not elite.