Cleveland Browns Need To Move Josh Cribbs From Receiver To Running Back

Going into their game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns need to make a change with their special teams ace, Josh Cribbs, who is by far one of the most electrifying returners in the history of the NFL.

He has impressed ever since he was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State University in 2005. Since coming to Cleveland, the Browns have tried to convert the former college quarterback into a wide receiver.

The "Cribbs Experiment" has been in the making for four years now and in those four years Cribbs' stats as a receiver are 34 receptions for 276 yards and two touchdowns.

Let's be clear. Those numbers are not for a single season, but for his entire NFL career thus far.

First, Romeo Crennel tried to make Cribbs a legitimate receiving option, but failed. Now Eric Mangini is trying to do the same, but is failing as well.

What went wrong?

In this journalist's opinion, the flaw was not in trying to incorporate Cribbs into the offense, but instead of making him a receiver, he should be made into a running back.

When Cribbs returns kicks and punts he looks like a running back with the ball.

He runs upright and strong, and instead of trying to use flashy juke moves, Cribbs runs straight through arm tackles and powers his way through multiple defenders.

Sounds like a running back doesn't it?

Cribbs has good size to be a running back in the NFL, standing 6'1" and 215 pounds. But he may not be able to be a feature back.

Regardless of whether he can be a feature back or not, he is indeed more of a running back than a wide receiver and the Browns should be focusing on moving forward with Cribbs in the backfield.

Whenever Cribbs is running the ball, either from the Wildcat formation or from reverse plays, he always seems to get at least four to six yards each time.

Over his career Cribbs has rushed the ball 74 times for 457 yards and one touchdown.

That's a per carry average of 6.3 yards each time he runs the ball.

The NFL average for yards per carry is always around 4.0, and Cribbs destroys that average.

With the Browns hurting at running back, since Jamal Lewis announced his retirement and since he is on the IR for the rest of the season, someone in the Browns organization needs to take this suggestion and bring it to Mangini or even owner Randy Lerner himself and let them know that Cribbs is not a wide receiver, but a running back.

Please make this switch. Not only will Cribbs get more touches, but the fans will get what they want, which is as much Cribbs as possible.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper)