Talk about a quick honeymoon phase. Within 72 hours of landing in Cleveland, Browns president Mike Holmgren has experienced his first rough patch with a player on his team as well as fans of his franchise.
During his Tuesday afternoon press conference, Holmgren stated that he “believes players should be rewarded for what they do.” This, of course, was in reference to one Josh Cribbs and his ongoing contract desires. Holmgren also stated that the issues that arise come between the team and the player’s representation.
“I want Josh here,” said Holmgren. ”Now, he has three years left on his existing contract so it’s a little unprecedented to start doing things this early in a contract like that. Having said that,” he continued, ”a player should get what he deserves and (Cribbs) has been a fine player. It’s just that business part of it that we’re going through now. We’re trying. I hope how we do that is good enough.”
And as of approximately 6PM last night, “good enough” would not be the term used by Josh Cribbs and his agent J.R. Rickert.
Cribbs took to Twitter to discuss what transpired between the two sides.
“Thanks everyone. I love playing for the Browns and put my all in to it, but it doesn’t look good [for] me at this point on returning… I don’t believe I made the to do list for the team in 2010…”
Rickert was not far behind.
“I do not understand how Dawn Aponte and Mike Holmgren can defend their position, but they are alienating one of their best players. 1.4 per year is NOT even in the top 10 in the league for kick returners…..Are you kidding me or what?? This is one the best special teams players in the history of the game and a player who has the ability to be a game changer at any moment”
As expected, Browns fans were incensed by the words typed by the fan favorite. Replies were predominantly in the form of disgust with the organization, the one that has strung the return man extraordinaire on for the last few years with promises of getting compensated for all of his work.
In a recent radio interview, Cribbs expressed that he felt he was doing things correctly – not holding out, taking on expanded roles, giving 100 percent despite the team record or current game score.
Cribbs and Rickert are reportedly seeking a contract that ranges from $2.8-3.2 million per season. As Rickert stated, the Browns offered $1.4 million with incentives that could maximize the annual pay at $2 million. The Browns offer is being described as a “take it or leave it.” The OBR has a quote from Browns representative Dawn Aponte:
“It’ll be the same offer tomorrow, the same offer in March, and the same offer in September.”
Or as Jerod Morris put best:
“The Cleveland Browns, in their infinite wisdom (you know, the same wisdom that has guided them to so many winning seasons since rejoining the league in 1999…), have decided that it is fair and reasonable to offer Josh Cribbs significantly less money than Andre Davis and Roscoe Parrish make per year.”
Yes, that Andre Davis.
Other WRs who make more than $1.4 million and aren’t “every down” players: Marty Booker, Sam Hurd, Rashied Davis, Greg Camarillo, Brian Finneran, Jordy Nelson, Arnaz Battle, Brandon Jones, Reggie Brown, Javon Walker, and fellow return man Antwan Randle El ($4 million in 2009). And do not forget Cribbs’ importance on return coverage as well.
Given that, Team Cribbs has reportedly said that he feels “deeply disrespected” and feels that he has been lied to for over two seasons, regardless of what regime is in place. Rickert went on record to say that if the Browns do not improve their offer, his client will never step foot back in the Browns facility and that Cribbs/Rickert will push for a trade come March. Of course, Rickert would need permission to shop his client to other teams within the NFL.
Cribbs’ quotes from later in the night speak a little louder, as the “in the moment” emotion was hours past. Attending the Cavaliers game, Cribbs received a standing ovation from fans during a timeout.
“Thanks for cheering me up I really needed it everyone. It feels like I’ve been betrayed by my best friend.”
Cribbs is due to make just over $700,000 next season, making the Browns offer one of an additional $500,000 – or half of what Team Cribbs desires.
Given what Cribbs has meant to this Browns franchise since joining as an undrafted rookie, it is understandably a tough place for Holmgren and the Browns. Randy Lerner is one of the individuals who “promised” Cribbs a new contract; Holmgren was brought in to show the fans that Lerner is in fact serious about getting this team on the right track. A player that Cribbs is consistently compared to at this stage is Chicago’s Devin Hester – a player who is playing on a contract that pays him upwards of $5.5 million per year. Cribbs is looking for approximately half of that deal, which was signed a handful of years ago.
Of course, taking matters public via Twitter and an interview with Fox 8 may not be thought highly of by the Browns front office. Holmgren has dealt with contract issues of fan favorites in his past, most notably Walter Jones. Jones was not given a contract extension in 2002 and skipped the first two games prior to signing a one-year deal.
How he deals with his first contract dispute in Cleveland remains to be seen.
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Related: Examining Cribbs’ contract situation [No Logo Needed]
(image via Flickr)
Author: Scott
Scott is a co-founder/editor of Waiting For Next Year who resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Feel free to follow him on Twitter or email him at scott@waitingfornextyear.com.Scott has written 2013 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
Yikes this worries me. Arguably the best return man in the league, and an emerging major presence in our offense, this man clearly deserves more than he makes.
Here’s an issue, though; he is not an every-down player. They might make him into this, but so far he is not. I can see the Front Office using this as a point of contention, so if Cribbs declares that he doesn’t mind being one, and the offense can work him into play for the majority of the snaps, then I can see their point in paying him more than the initial offer.
But, if he is insisting being only a small part of our offense…then I don’t know.
Sounds to me like the Browns want to trade him and are attempting to make Josh sound greedy and making it appear to the fans that they have no choice but to trade him. The Browns are trying to stock draft picks and an All Pro making under 1 million a year for the next 3 years is a huge trading piece. I would like to see him here, but the Browns need picks and don’t want to overpay someone who doesn’t play a major specialist position.
This sucks.
Instead of paying fan favorites who play with max-effort on the field, Randy Lerner would apparently rather pay coaches not to coach and GM’s not to manage. Sick.
Want to alienate fans? Drive Cribbs out of town and see how many empty seats pop up as a result. Just ask how that’s working for Larry Dolan after the Martinez and Lee trades. This makes me ashamed to be a Browns fan.
I am shocked at the offer from the Browns. The man does everything for this team outside of doing the laundry and working the concessions stand. I realize the hesitation with the track record for return men/special teams players fading out after a couple years, but Cribbs seems to be a different breed from players like Dante Hall or Az-Zahir Hakim. Steve Tasker went as far to say that Cribbs is the “Best Special Teams Player, EVER”, which says something since Tasker has been labeled that many times.
He’s shown consistency and dedication to this team, what’s an extra $1 mill to get this situation behind us and moving on?
Please just Pay The Man
As I said earlier today on Twitter, the ultimate irony of this Cribbs situation is that in Holmgren’s one Super Bowl win, his kick returner was the MVP of the game. You’d think he understands the importance of Cribbs’ role on the team. I do think, however, that we need to give Holmgren time to settle in and for cooler heads to prevail. I have a feeling when all is said and done, Cribbs will get what he wants.
@oribiasi – Couldn’t have said it better. He is great at what he does but we have all seen the limit. Cribbs is not a reliable receiver and has had problems catching. Sure the Wildcat has been successful but how long will that stick around with Holmgren in town and likely to install a west coast offense?
Cribbs can lash out all he wants about this, but at some point he needs to realize that he has 0 leverage in this situation. If he pisses off the Browns enough, they can tell him to hold out and just sit on his contract for the next three years. Cribbs put himself in this situation by signing a six (or however long it was) deal a few years ago. HE should have thought more highly of himself when he signed it, and since HE didnt, HE is now pissed at everyone else.
Cribbs is not being unreasonable here. What is 2 mil/year for the browns to add to Cribbs’ contract? How much is freaking Corey Williams making for nothing? I think Cribbs and Harrison could be a dynamic duo at RB and paying 2.8-3.2 is very reasonable for that.
Seems like they could have started at $2mil with incentives getting him to $3. That at least isn’t an insult. An extra $600k is chump change.
First of all, Cribbs’ agent, in his infinite wisdom, had him sign a lowball 6 year deal, which Rickert should be laughed at (or fired) for doing. Glancing at his client list, it looks like Cribbs is one of two pro bowlers being represented, with the other being Joe Thomas.
At any rate, I don’t think 3 mil per year is too much, but this “woe is me” bull%&^* twitter and media campaign that he’s running is not endearing him to me at all, it’s actually rather annoying considering how much I make per year murdering my soul at my job.
How about holding the browns FO/ organization accountable for promising raises then not giving him anything? Yes, he did sign a contract, but c’mon, hes obviously our best threat to score whenever he gets the ball. The browns need to honor their promises to Cribbs who has not been a distraction until now.
damned if we do damned if we don’t
we don’t pay him, he sits out/fans enraged/mass hysteria
we pay him, he gets hurt ala charles bentley et all, and we end up paying him 3.2 mil for the next 3yrs for time on the IR
life of a brownies fan
When you compare this to whatever normal job most fans have, sure it seems unreasonable. When you compare it to someone like Kellan Winslow who was riddled with injuries, could only play half of his position (no blocking) and threatened to hold out before being traded and becoming the highest paid player at his position… well, remember that Cribbs has been promised a new contract for two years and despite constantly being told to wait he still took the field this year, became the best player on the team and became a hall of fame kick returner. His demands are not unreasonable when looking at them through the scope of professional football players. And yes, I’m sure he was thinking about that six year NON-GUARANTEED deal when he was lying on the field at the end of that Ravens game.
Watch the win over Pittsburgh again and tell me we don’t need him next year.
I love Josh Cribbs. However, he put himself in this position. NO ONE ElSE BUT HIM. With incentives the current contract offers 2 million a year for Cribbs, which is a 1.3 million dollar raise per year for 3 years. THAT IS NOT CHUMP CHANGE. The Browns are offering him a raise with 3 YEARS LEFT on his current contract. That is unheard of in the NFL. If Cribbs aint happy then let him sit out the next 3 years, and he won’t make a single penny. To me, he is being greedy. 6 million over 3 years or at worst 4.2 over 3 years if he doesn’t hit incentives (which we all know he will) is a nice raise when the Browns DONT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. Don’t get me wrong, I love #16, but he did this to himself. Go ahead and sit out the next 3 years Cribbs. You won’t make any money, and you will be 30 years old (when the season starts) when are finally a free agent. HE HAS NO BARGAINING POWER but the Browns are offering him a raise anyways. He is starting to irk my nerve.
This is typical Browns and typical Cleveland.. So frustrating.
1) Aside from the defense, Cribbs beat the Steelers this year with the occasional block from Vickers.
2) With the ability to apply incentive based pay in the NFL, its absurd what they are doing. Just give him a nice raise and even more based on tackles/50+ yard returns.
3) I really wonder what money would be saved by not offering him a better contract. Does what you don’t have to pay Cribbs equal what the team pulls in with jersey, ticket and tv add revenues that could very well be lost from a Cribbsless Browns?
4) Next year is uncapped. The Redskins have Dan “I’ll pay anything for what looks shiny” Snyder and Mike “I’ll violate the salary cap without blinking” Shanahan. Rock Cartwright sucks as a returner and they would snatch up Cribbs for 3.5 mil a year in a HEARTBEAT.
5. Cribbs does have some leverage. If he chooses not to practice or play the team cannot sue him for breach of contract (I’m pretty sure).
Here are my thoughts:
1. Cribbs is underpaid, but he IS in the middle of a contract.
2. The biggest problem that I would have with this is that IF Lerner or others of authority in the Browns organization made promises to Cribbs, they should keep them.
3. As great as Cribbs is (maybe the best ever at returning?), his importance would not be nearly as great to the team if the Browns actually had a decent team with balanced scoring threats.
4. The timing of this is unreasonable given that Holmgren just arrived, but also perhaps precisely why Cribbs’ agent might be pushing so hard at this very time. And maybe even why the Browns are giving the alleged “take it or leave it deal”. Translated: “if you [Cribbs] are unreasonable with us (in terms of timing), we will be unreasonable with you”.
Both sides need to be a bit more reasonable, all things considered, if they want to get a new deal done. I can’t imagine that the actual amount of money is the REAL issue at this time.
@ Andrew S – I agree…Cribbs is a great KR, and Special Teams Ace…but he is definitely not a WR…he’s best suited as a Ted Ginn at OSU type slot WR that takes reverses or bubble screens…but he is not even a 3rd WR…if he had better hands, which by no fault of his own, he doesnt, he would warrant more $…as a part time RB, splitting time with Harrison, yes, more $…but then that takes him away from what he is best at…returning kicks and ST…
I am a huge Cribbs fan, and think he deserves a raise, but that said, he DID sign a contract, and at the time he was ecstatic to do so…he’s a great guy…dont mistake what im saying, but I think he also needs to understand they dont HAVE to do anything…I would much, much rather he be on the team and happy, but you cant really say we have to give him a raise…i hope they do, but can see where they wouldnt want to…
@ EZ – that isn’t my point. I love the guy, and think he should get paid. He just really needs to stop crying, stfu for a month or two, let people get settled in to their jobs and work it out.
It’s freaking January, camp opens in August, and he’s got a non-stop string of posts a mile long on twitter about how the initial offer. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he’s going through foreclosure right now.
IMHO….This isn’t about past promises from the orginization, or being the fan favorite, it’s about being the best player on the team. You have to take care of your top performers. Josh Cribbs is a threat to score, or at least break a big play, every time he touches the ball, which is 15-20 times a game, counting returns, “Flash” packages, and a little at WR. Not only does he produce on the field but he is well respected on the team for his play. He’s a model teammate, a model player really. And when’s the last time a player actually said he WANTS to play/retire as a Brown? I just can’t see Holmgren letting this happen all the way thru until nest season.
And this one takes the cake:
“It’s now time for me to let go & Let God. I’ve said all I needed to now I give it to him who is above all, the real Boss in charge of salary”
I’m sure God really cares if he makes 700,000 or 1.5 million next year.
I think the more appropriate analogue when talking about Holmgren’s approach to holdouts may be Joey Galloway than Walter Jones.
Cribbs needs to tread lightly and be smarter about this, as does his agent. Cribbs got the security he wanted–but he needs to be more cognizant of the fact that he left himself virtually no leverage in this situation. Reacting emotionally and lashing out publicly on Twitter is unlikely to help his case with somebody like Holmgren.
I support Cribbs getting a reworked deal of some sort, but he loses serious points here with his timing. Holmgren is still assembling his staff, the team doesn’t have a GM or know whether or not they’ll be searching for a new head coach, and these recent outbursts risk making Cribbs look petty and immature.
Dude needs to at least let Holmgren get a GM in town before proclaiming himself priority #1 for the club–and his agent should know better.
Ok, I was on the “you signed that contract” side before. I figured he would be going after Hester money. Give the dude $3 mill and lets move on.
C’mon, this is all part of negotiating. I find it hard to believe that after two days on the job that Holmgren would give Cribbs a “take it or leave it” offer.
No matter what the Browns offer, Cribbs’ agent is always going to want more. This agent is not the same agent Cribbs had when he signed his current contract. That means the only way this agent gets paid is if he lands Cribbs a bigger contract. So it’s in the agents best interest to grub for as much money as he can so he can get a bigger payday.
The Browns aren’t in the playoffs, the next game isn’t until Sept. and there’s no urgency for anything to happen until March or April. This will all work out.
Keep calm and carry on.
Titus Pullo may be on to something, but I feel like he is not the kind of superstar who would make public gestures for more money. I just don’t think he would.
But maybe he is a money hungry guy. Or, maybe his agents are all pouring whatever they can in his ear, telling him what others are making when they do much less, etc.
@ Andrew S — Yes, HE did. Or, HIS agent sucked then/didn’t get it. Now HE does. Who knows. He is an electric player, but you and I likely agree, he is still not an every-down player. Christ, it’s sort of the same argument one makes with pitchers, who play 1/5 of the season and still get paid more than UTI Inf. who plays every position. That’s just how it goes I guess.
Titus Pullo, you said it. This is classic negotiating. And the currency right now is public opinion. I’m sure Cribbs’ agent doesn’t expect Holmgren to actually make a deal right now — he’s got to know that doing so would be wholly unreasonable, and ultimately Rickert would never be taken seriously in his line of work if he really insisted that Cribbs “walk” right now. This noise is mainly happening right now because the fans’ positive thoughts about Cribbs are huge at this time, and that can only wane a bit as time moves on.
I wonder if Holmgren is getting pressure from around the league about setting a bad precedent with renegotiating a deal with 3 years remaining on it. If nothing else it sets a bad precedent for the team. Renegotiating with Cribbs now would essentially mean that the Browns could sign a draft pick for four years, the rookie has 1 good year and then it’s time to redo the deal. No thanks. Like Chris said above…if Cribbs’ agents are looking to blame someone they should look in the mirror.
I’m with Titus on this one; I cannot believe at all that this is a “take it or leave it” offer. There’s still plenty of time left to get a deal done.
It’s probably more “impatience” coming out from Cribbs and Rickert than anything; they’ve done their part and are eager to get something new in place. Eventually there’ll be a compromise and the deal will get done.
@ ori – when he wasnt drafted, it kind of made bargaining at the time a little difficult…no one wanted to take a chance on him, but we did…there are plenty of great atheltes that might be good in the NFL, but just cant make it…when he signed, he was from a MAC school, and wasnt really known for his throwing abilities…I saw him at Kent first hand and knew he was good, but he is better suited as a hybrid QB/RB…but again, thats pulling him away from the ST’s, which is where he made his mark and what hes known for…nothing wrong with it, if thats what he is to be…
you cant argue that they underpaid someone who wasnt drafted, and happened to carve a niche in the league…if everyone knew then what they know now, he would be making more $ now…but the fact remains, he’s a hard worked and made his mark…I agree he needs a raise, but I dont think it should be an annual thing…I would like to see his base salary increased a bit, but think he should get a bonus, rather than a huge raise…
just my opinion…
I think it’s being blown out of proportion, mainly by his agent who is handling this entire situatuion unprofessionally all along. I don’t like how much Cribbs twitters either, but that’s kind of why he’s so endearing. Lots of valid points in the comments (he has 3 years left, he’s not an every down players, etc) but the fact of the matter is they’ll get something done with him, probably to the tune of $3MM over the off-season and it’s a warranted figure. I love how his agent threatened that Josh is cleaning out his locker, ya, him and every other player on the team.
C’mon, breathe everybody.
Cribbs and agent are understandably anxious, but the only version we’ve heard so far is from them, not the new boss. We haven’t heard Big Show say “it’s take it or leave it.” The agent admits he was threatening Holmgren with an immediate deadline for a bad publicity barrage before Holmgren even arrived in Cleveland. The reality may be more like Holmgren thinking “we’ll talk, but we have intense meetings and Aponte is knocking heads with GM and coaching agents today” and Cribbs’s agent saying “Forget you, Walrus Man, now we go nuclear.”
Holmgren is savvy. Some time today, he’ll pat our heads and reassure us they have every intent to keep Joshie here. The agent will keep squawking until it’s done, but rubbing a little green ointment on his tummy will make everyone quiet and feel much better. Relax, it’s coming.
How often do you hear someone say that a team…an organization…an era…needs to be built around a special teams player? Clevelands NEEDS to build this team around Josh Cribbs. He has proven to be the ONLY consistent thing on that team besides inconsistency. Cleveland and Cribbs need to reach an agreement….they owe it to Josh..and perhaps more importantly, they owe to the fans.
Anyone ever work their tails off at work, put in more effort, make your respective firm more money, are more productive, make improvements in policies and proceedures, keep clients, get new clients, develop proposals and submit bids, win projects, and generally kick butt with other dead weight at the firm making more money doing much much less and comprable employees at other firms with higher salary/better benefits? Have you ever used this to justify your requests for pay hikes? Have you ever been the good worker and held tight until “things got better” or we will reward you with a nice raise and bonus next year, never to have it come to fruition? Have you ever used this situation as justification to start looking for another position? That’s exactly what this Cribbs situation is folks, contract or no contract. In Ohio even if you do all the right things your employment is not guaranteed and you can be let go at any time with or without justification with no recourse. This happened to me in August, without justification. So I understand where Josh is coming from. Remove the football honor the contract nonsense out of this discussion.
Wow, um ok. Normally I would say that the player has no leverage in this situation, but I think Cribbs holds some cards here.
The complaint from fans on this site mid-season was the team wasn’t even competitive. The games weren’t exciting because it was beyond bad.
Who was the only player we all rallied behind? Cribbs.
So you (Learner) want us to sit through Rebuilding year 11 without anyone to give us hope? Really?
Pay the man, or pay for empty seats. No one will watch another rebuilding year without hope that someone will make a play. The only one you have right now who has that potential is Cribbs.
@ClownBaby
This isn’t the same thing as a rookie that gets one good year and wants to redo. Cribbs has been one of the best players on the Browns the entire time he’s been with the team, and the best player this year. He’s established himself as the #1 kick returner in NFL history, and has been promised a new contract for the past two years.
The only message looking at the deal again sends is that if any player plays hard for half of their contract, establishes that they are invaluable to the team, and puts themselves in Canton all the while wanting to play for this team, we’ll reward that. I don’t see why that’s a bad thing.
This is flat out BS. The Browns finally move in the right direction and their pride is going to cost us the best player on the team. Possibly the best return man in history. Not to mention he is a class act. This guy really just loves to play the game. He is a role model that is desperately needed in professional sports right now!!! If Holmgren and Lerner are too stupid to pay this guy then I revoke my status as a Browns fan!!!! I have rooted for them since the 80′s and it will break my heart but, for goodness sakes enough is enough!!! Maybe they should hire a fan to run the franchise!!! We’ve established that they can not do it successfully!!! Go Cribbs, Pay the MAN!!!! Signed Cribbs biggest fan!!!!
Call me crazy but I kind of have mixed emotions on the whole Josh Cribbs contract situation and much of it comes from all of the countless whining I continually hear coming from the Cribbs camp. He signed a contract that has three years left on it look in the mirror for starters. I understand that Cribbs is the only real “threat” or “asset” on the Browns but still. Maybe he should be traded because I can’t personally see paying a kick returner/special teams/wildcat/part time WR a ton of $$$ besides that we all know being Cleveland sports fans what will happen in the first game after the Browns pay Cribbs right? I won’t say it because I’m fearful it might just happen!
Oh and I’m not bitter – I am just trying to make a point about what I view as an employee-employer relationship regardless of the industry, albeit an emotionally charged point for me – ok maybe I am still bitter…but the point is when you do good work you should be rewarded, by rewarding good workers you keep them happy and producing and most importantly you keep that good worker producing for your firm and thus a better company.
Agree with your general points, deebo…
To go along with your analogy of general employee-employer relationships… you make all good points. But have you ever been in a contract siutation? You’re discussing at-will employment… what most of us are accustomed to. But if you had a six year contract with your employer? Or say a consultant on a short term contract? Try re-nogotiating a contract at the midpoint in those instances–it doesn’t matter if you’re outperforming it. You either perform as specified in the contract, or deal with the lawyers (or ultimately a judge.) Looking for other work because one doesn’t receive an expected (or simply desired) raise is a whole different animal than delivering the services one promised to deliver at the acceptable price you agreed to in writing. Contracts with professional athletes are of course a bit different, and are subject to collective bargaining and all that. I just need to point out that everyday at-will employment is not analogous here.
That’s not to say that Cribbs shouldn’t be trying to get a new deal–I’m fine with that. I just think he’s going to do more harm than good with this current strategy–I don’t think Holmgren is the type to fool around with it (I’d hate to see Holmgren ship Cribbs out of town!), and over time the public wailing will cost him fan support. Better for him to negotiate and posture behind closed doors while maintaining the high road in the public arena.
[...] are the words spoken by Josh Cribbs’ agent Peter Schaffer on 850AM WKNR in response to the ongoing contract saga between his client and the Cleveland Browns. Cribbs, considered by many to be one of the few [...]
Josh Cribbs is the heart and soul of this team. His post-game interview after the Steelers win was so selfless it caused the NFL network studio team to break out into applause. He is an absolute beast, and in my opinion the most exciting player to watch in the league. Next year is going to be an UNCAPPED year. Lerner needs to reach in his pockets and pay Cribbs like one of the top return men in the league that he is.
The Browns will be losing a lifelong fan in me, if they don’t give this man his due. Look at how the media is reacting to this. They rarely support hold-outs but everyone in the league is unanimously rallying around Cribbs and his contract efforts. Pay Josh Cribbs 3 mil a year. PLEASE
the Browns consistently traded down so that they didn’t have to spend money on a high pick in case he was a bust. Well, Cribbs has proven he is no bust, and since the Browns have all that money saved up, it is time to PAY THE MAN!
@40
Sure I agree that at-will employment and contractual employment are not 1:1 comparisons, but the underlying themes of rewarding good workers are the ones I was looking to highlight in response to the tough luck honor your contract comments. Trying to put it into perspective for us common schlubs in the daily grind and take out the pro-athlete milieu. And contracts are renegotiated all the time for a variety of reasons, performance being one of them. Sounds like they have tried the closed door approach for three years and the non-responsive and unwilling to budge approach the Browns have taken has only exacerbated the situation.
Anyone who says he signed a contract and only has himself to blame are unaware of how NFL contracts work. If Cribbs blows out his knee in training camp, the Browns are no longer obligated pay that contract out.
Look at LaCharles Bentley, he had his contract length cut in half and his salary dumped to the league minimum after his injury. So much for a “contract.” The NFL is a “get what you can now” league for players. I wonder if The Walrus signed that type of contract with the Browns.
So more power to Josh and I hope he gets a contract that works for him.
[...] took over, he all but said that Cribbs will be taken care of. Then the firestorm hit last night and Cribbs and his agents went public. Who could blame them? The supposed $1.4 million offer is a slap in the face. Not to mention, this [...]
The whole “he signed the contract” talk is pointless in football. If he blew out his knee tomorrow and never could play another down, do you think the Browns would “honor the contract”. He is not asking for insane money, our friggin long snapper makes over $4M a year.
The guy, along w/ J. Harrison towards the end, was literally the only thing worth watching on this crap team. I have a feeling he will be gone for a second rounder and some scrub ex-Seahawk soon though. We all know how great our track record was last year with extra second round picks!
Well cribbs 2 choices…play and get paid what he’s making or sit at home for 3 years and get nothing.
That said he is a 3-5 million dollar player if he continues to be a Wr and a Rb option. if he is playing both positions and special teams he needs paid alot more.
I’ve never been a Holmgren fan and the fact he offerd this week of a contract right away makes me realize that Learner dropped the ball on this, and NEVER should have put this man in charge of anything.
cribbs snafu combined with the fact more then likely Morrinwig is our next coach (yes the 5-27 former detroit coach) looks to me like this team is doomed to end up in the pitts of the nfl.
Thanks Magic Mike for working your magic!
“Sounds like they have tried the closed door approach for three years”
He just signed the contract three years ago.
“Look at LaCharles Bentley, he had his contract length cut in half and his salary dumped to the league minimum after his injury.”
A bit misleading. First, he never played a down for the Browns–are you suggesting they should pay a guy not on the team? Second, he kept all his signing bonus money (I forget the dollar amount, not going to bother looking it up.) It’s unfortunate that he got hurt and ended his career, but he made out quite nicely for never having taken the field for the team. And if he were smart and has good financial advisers around him, then he likely recovered any lost salary from his insurance policy.
Cribbs does need to get paid. When he gets paid is a different matter. Decide on a coach and GM first. Look at the type of program they want to build and then find where Josh fits. Make some decisions on how we can get complementary players in the draft or free agency. Then pay him because the Browns have plan and are doing it with a purpose and vision in mind. This isn’t fantasy football. Paying Cribbs, with an undefined position, has implications on where the team can spend going forward.
I can appreciate Josh being anxious in advance of an uncapped year where he stands to make more than in other years, but we can’t get on Holmgren less than a week into the job and hold him accountable for the missteps of those before him. This is how bad situations become like quicksand and sink quickly – like the Browns have been doing for the last 10 years.
hey dead horse, c’mere (whap, whap). OK final thought re: Cribbs, contracts, performance, etc. It seems to me that while the contract he signed has not evolved/been renegotiated, Mr. Cribbs role on this team has. When he signed that contract he was a special teams guy period and a very good one at that. In the present day he is an all purpose yards czar – kick-off/punt returns, rushing, and receptions – to the tune of #2 in NFL 09. Add ko/p coverage, a few passes thrown, and #1 NFL KOR TD for good measure.
So if I am under contract to build a stone wall (I was a mason and landscaper in a former life) and in addition to the wall my client decides they want me to choose and install the plantings, install some lighting, and create a water feature. Do we renegotiate the orginal contract? We sure do.
the browns didn’t HAVE to offer cribbs anything, he has three more friggin’ years on his contract, but they did offer him a new contract as a gesture of good will, showing that they appreciate him and want him to stay.
cribbs should be happy with a $500,000 a year raise. if he doesn’t want it, i’ll take it.
i’m afraid he’s starting to sound a bit greedy and emo now thanks to his twitter rants…
“So if I am under contract to build a stone wall (I was a mason and landscaper in a former life) and in addition to the wall my client decides they want me to choose and install the plantings, install some lighting, and create a water feature. Do we renegotiate the orginal contract?”
If the original contract specified just the stone wall, yes, you would renegotiate or get an additional contract. I’m unaware that Josh Cribbs’ contract says it’s just for special teams, though… pretty sure it’s a standard NFL player contract under the CBA.
Again, that’s not to say that Cribbs doesn’t deserve a new or extended contract. But the fact remains: he does not have the leverage here, and needs to stop negotiating in the press, cut the amateurish posturing from his agent, and stop crying poor and talking about being “taken advantage of.” Holmgren has expressed a willingness to work something out. Cribbs needs to behave professionally and come to an agreement. I have no doubt he’ll do much better than the $1.4m currently thrown out there, if he doesn’t make such a spectacle that he gets himself run out of town. He’s making himself look like a problem right now while GM candidates are visiting Berea–he’s going to want that guy on his side, and all this stuff right now isn’t going to help him any.
Even though he already had a contract and they offered him some sort of raise with this new contract, they did promise him that they would give him a new contract. And considering the high caliber player he has become, he deserves more than 1.4 mil a year. He’s been a spark for their offense all year, and broke the kick return career touchdown record in his first five years in the league. He plays five different spots for them and is possibly one of the best utility players in the entire NFL. The offer is well below market value for a player with his talent. He deserves better.
Here’s an illustration: when Christmas shopping for a Browns shirt for my dad, I walked into multiple sportswear/memorabilia stores in Columbus. Both of them had all Browns gear at 50% off. All Browns gear except ONLY vintage jerseys and Cribbs jerseys.
@milton
Your thoughts on LeCharles Bentley are correct, but you are forgetting to mention that he didn’t just “get hurt.” He got hurt and went to medical facilities that represent the Cleveland Browns, in which he got staph infection and encountered problem after problem, and THEN faced the dumping of his contract. My point is, this organization, along with the rest in the NFL are a bunch of shady, money hungry people who will do whatever it takes to make/save a buck. If we don’t pay this man, I for one, am done with the Browns, and more likely, done with professional sports.
[...] He is currently making around 700k a year. The Browns offered him 1.4 million. Cribbs is insulted by the offer and cleans out his locker, stating that he may never return to the Browns. Key point: Cribbs is [...]
“My point is, this organization, along with the rest in the NFL are a bunch of shady, money hungry people who will do whatever it takes to make/save a buck”
Sounds like the same kind of class-envy/warfare talk that’s becoming so popular with our politicians and most of the media these days. “Look over there! It’s there fault for [x]”
Maybe you know all the owners and executives in the NFL to be able to intelligently make a sweeping statement like that. I’ll admit that I don’t know any of them personally, and have only had contact with high-level members of two organizations in my life.
But I am smart enough to know that rich and wealthy (or owning or running an NFL club) does not automatically mean one is “shady, money hungry people who will do whatever it takes to make/save a buck”. I don’t fault people for being successful, and I don’t begrudge them for wanting to make money. It’s the American way.
As for Bentley’s staph infection, I feel bad for the guy. It’s unfortunate. But it doesn’t just happen to the Browns. It doesn’t just happen in the NFL. It happens to all kinds of people. Every day. In every hospital in America. It’s a health risk, and it has nothing to do with his playing football or being an employee of the Browns. I mean if we’re going to go there, what about the middle-class working stiffs who contract infections like this and lose their livelihood and don’t have tens of millions of dollars in the bank to fall back on?
None of that is the Browns fault. As it relates to his contract, the Browns acted within the rules of the system that was collectively bargained with and agreed to by the players. They did nothing wrong whatsoever.
And with Bentley, like I said… he’s a multi-millionaire, with high paid agents and attorneys and financial advisors all around him. If he was smart enough to listen to their advice, then he’s recovered most if not all of the money he’d have earned over that contract thanks to a smart insurance policy.
Considering that the Browns DO NOT have to renegotiate with Cribbs since he is signed for 3 more years but they did offer a little more money means that made an effort. Okay, so he is underpaid and they didn’t offer him the keys to Fort Knox. So what!
His last agent had him sign a bad deal. His new agent is an idiot who has him packing up his locker to hold out and the playoffs haven’t even started yet. So tell me, which one is more stupid, the agent recommending a bad deal or the agent who says to holdout about 275 days before the regular season starts?
Or maybe its the player who hired and then listened to them in the first place.
Josh needs to realize that being offered 1.4 million is a lot of money. So what if he is underpaid compared to other players. Just because other teams overpay, doesn’t mean the Browns have to.
Cribbs will be back next year with the Browns. His agent is being stupid at this stage. It doesn’t matter what Holmgren said. There was no reason to go public at this time.
The real reason is that the agent wants other teams to call the Browns to explore trades because the agent can’t (without Browns permission) or there can be tampering charges.
[...] all of this together, Cribbs’ team took to the media to discuss their unhappiness. Radio row, ESPN television shows, Twitter… The special teams [...]