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January 10, 2010Analyzing the Wins and Losses for the Cleveland Cavaliers
January 10, 2010
Tony Grossi of the Plain Dealer has a good article out there in the papers today about his list for the most valuable players on the Browns this past season. The top part of the list goes as expected with the team’s Pro Bowl representatives and some of the top defensive players as well. Some of the main names missing from the top 30 or so of the list however, are any the team’s second round draft picks not named Mohammed and former first-round pick Braylon Edwards. Hmm, wonder how that happened.
But anyway, the debate rages in terms of whether Josh Cribbs is clearly the Browns most valuable player. If he is, as Grossi suggests and many people have stated here on the site, then why is his re-signing not of absolute importance for the team? Definitely would seem to be contradictory to continued development under the second year of Mangini’s reign.
Share your thoughts on your own list of the MVP’s of the Browns this season below. Make it as comprehensive as you would like and #paytheman tags are always appreciated.
(Photo above of Joe Thomas is via Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
11 Comments
Browns MVP.
1) Cribbs
2) Shaun Rogers
3) Joe Thomas
Honorable Mention/Incomplete) Jerome Harrison
The case for Cribbs is obvious. He consistently set field position and scored alot in the return game. Played good in all other special teams phases and became more important to the offense as the running game found its sea legs late in the season. Still, the fact that a special teams guy is the best player on the team says more about the team than it does Cribbs.
Rogers didn’t play the whole season and it would have been awesome to see how much more of an impact he would have made late in the season if he hadn’t gotten hurt or if D’Quell Jackson (IR) had been behind him more often when he did play. As great as he is as a Nosetackle, I vote him second just based on his ability to block any FG attempt longer than 35 yards. He kept us in games just by doing that. Again, that says more about the team than Rogers.
Thomas is third because he is the best left tackle in the conference in just his third year. However, with no real QB to protect, this skill had no real value to us this year. Otherwise, I think he would be MVP.
Now let me wade into the “payhtheman” debate. First off let me say that I love the guy to death, and I hope the organization finds a way to keep him, but I’ll play Devil’s Advocate on this one.
We simply CAN NOT afford to over pay him. Here’s why.
Cribbs is probably, along with Dave Megget, Steve Tasker and Brian Mitchell, one of the four best special teams players in the history of the game. And really, since Cribbs is both a great returner and makes plays on special teams coverage and the other guys were either, great returners (Mitchell and Megget) or great coverage guys (Tasker), Cribbs is probably right now, the best ever.
But, even though Tasker (90’s Bill’s) Megget (80’s, early 90’s Giants) and Mitchell (’91 Redskins) all played in and (other than Tasker) won Superbowls, they were NEVER the MVP’s of their teams. They were not ever close to the best players on those teams. Nor did those teams ever go 5-11 act like it was a good thing.
So, if Cribbs is our MVP, it really says more about how bad and mis-managed the Browns have been over the last decade than it does about how good Cribbs is as a player now. If we overpay the guy now, we are essentially embracing the failures of the past and hurting the cap in the future. The way some people talk, you would think that he belongs up there with Peyton Manning and Julius Peppers on the NFL pay scale. He doesn’t. Nobody on this team right now is at that level.
I love the Cribbs to death, but if Holmgren overpays him now, it is a sign that NOTHING has changed and we are NO closer to even getting good.
ANY LIST THAT DOESN’T INCLUDE DA IS A FARCE.
HIS BIG ARM OPENS UP THE RUNNING GAME!
Cribbs is clearly the MVP, but his re-signing is not a higher priority than establishing a GM and front office…front office decisions supersede personnel decisions
Definitely Joe Thomas
Josh Cribbs is # 1
Jerome
Shaun Rogers
Joe Thomas
Alex Mack
Lawrence Vickers….this guy is awesome.
Matt Roth
My picks are from the last half of the season since the first half was awful.
1. Thomas…No matter what cribbs does, he does not truly dominate outside of special teams like thomas does.
2. Cribbs. dominating special teamer
3. Rogers.
4. I like Harrison Here. without him we would not have won 5 games.
5. Wimbley. He provided solid Pressure.
6. Wright. wright was severely underrated. he makes pretty good reads now and although he isn’t the best tackler he is a borderline star.
7. Roth. he made such an impact in just a few games. a definite starter
8. Vickers: One word…Beast!
9. Steinbach. the pass protection was much better than last year (the last 8 games) and a large part of that was b/c of steinbach)
10. Bowens, while I respect his season, it was nothing special and he will be a one yr wonder b/c of his age (and this is the first time he’s been asked to start).
11. Mack. made good line calls, solid player
12. Mike Adams: He made plays all over the field.
13. Massaquoi is still somewhat raw but performed well
14. Zastudil
15. Dawson.
16. Porkchop. emerged as a solid starter
17. Rubin. HE can start at NT
18. Trusnik. just does a lot of things…nothing special but versatile.
19. Kenyon Coleman. Solid starter.
20. Pontbriand.
Dear Lord. I can’t even NAME 20 players on the Browns roster, let alone rank them.
Thats sad Denny… Real sad..
Hey Jacob…got some news for you…the re-signing of Cribbs isn’t the absolute importance for the Browns is actually quite simple…CRIBBS IS UNDER CONTRACT FOR 3 MORE SEASONS.
GET A CLUE
MVP = Jamal Lewis’s post-concussion symptoms
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