Josh Cribbs at Running Back: Eric Mangini Is Going To Try It

In continuing in my quest to have Josh Cribbs of the Cleveland Browns become a running back instead of a wide receiver, I give you the next chapter which I have entitled..."Eric Mangini Buys In!"

(Click here and here for links to the other two chapters.)

That's right, according to the Associated Press, Mangini has bought into this theory and will begin using Cribbs as a running back more.

Mangini said, "As a traditional running back, it wouldn’t be something I’d be opposed to."

“I’ve liked the role he has now. But that’s definitely something we could continue to explore and figure out more ways. There’s some merit to getting in multiple receiver groups, being able to motion him back into the backfield and use him as a running back that way. We did a little of that with Brad Smith in New York. It’s definitely something to look at.”

Obviously Cribbs will not become the Browns' featured running back, but with former starting running back Jamal Lewis on Injured Reserve, and ending his career this year, the Browns are strapped to find a new featured runner.

Cribbs may have the chance to become that guy in the future, but for now he will be splitting duties with the other running backs, Jerome Harrison and Chris Jennings.

Regardless, of what may happen in the backfield beyond 2009, Cribbs' calling has been to run the ball out of the backfield seeing as how he has been doing it in high school and college as a run-first style of quarterback.

He has the vision and the instinct to be a successful runner even if he only got 12-14 carries per game, if he continued to run the ball for over a six yard per carry average, he would be a 1,000-yard runner by week 13 and he would have almost 1,300-yards at the end of the season.

Now that would be amazing, not only for the team, but for Cribbs to become one of the top runners in the NFL.

At first, this was just a hypothetical thought that I figured might help Cribbs and the team, then the Steelers game happened, and now Mangini is complying with this.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper)