According to “internet reports”, the Cleveland Browns are targeting WR Brandon Marshall in a trade with the Denver Broncos. The website reporting the rumor, which I will not name so as not to given them their 15 minutes, has said that the package would include KR/ST Stud/WR/Complete Badass Josh Cribbs plus one or more draft picks.
To view the complete report on the Brandon Marshall-to-the-Browns rumor, hop on over to the good folks at Pro Football Talk.
(For the record, hopefully you understood the sarcasm of the first paragraph. Pro Football Talk is decidedly NOT a blog that typically receives such treatment anymore (but we are!), although they did at one time. Now, they are striking deals with NBC and basically encroaching more and more on the NFL universe every single day — and I mean that as positively as possible. Congrats to Florio for the recent announcement of the deal with NBC. We are quite pleased that “suitable nodes” will no longer be part of the PFT lexicon.)
Now, back to this Brandon Marshall-to-the-Browns trade rumor.
I believe that Florio is hearing such whispers, I just don’t believe that the rumor will ever come to fruition, nor that it should.
First, I just don’t see Brandon Marshall being a “Mangini guy.” Granted, I only have peripheral knowledge of what a “Mangini guy” is from what we’ve seen through the press, which of course is very little because Mangini is decidedly a “Belichick guy.” However, what I believe that we have learned is that Eric Mangini is a coach who values character, loathes distractions, and employs a system that demands cerebral players and desires versatile players.
We also know the following about the Browns: they are thin on experience and proven play-making ability at the WR position and are still embroiled in a contract spat with the Cribbs.
Still, I just can’t see this being a move that Eric Mangini and George Kokinis would want to make.
Based solely on reputation and my own admittedly subjective opinion, Joshua Cribbs is cut from a higher cloth of character than Brandon Marshall. Additionally, Cribbs has played multiple positions in the NFL and was a QB in college. Just based on the diversity of his experience alone, I think it’s reasonable to assume that Cribbs is a more cerebral player overall than Brandon Marshall. And while Marshall may know receiving better, Cribbs clearly has versatility in his corner.
As for distractions, yeah Cribbs has gone public with his desire for a reworked contract, but he also participated in camp most of the way through the squabble. Marshall, on the other hand, has unresolved (though disputed, by him) issues with domestic violence that were recently chronicled on Outside the Lines. And Marshall is clearly not as amenable as Cribbs. Something set Marshall off and he, essentially, “took his ball and went home.” Marshall recently cleared out his locker so serious was he about geting out of Denver, with Jay Cutler’s departure ostensibly being part of the reason.
Update: Just caught this recent post on PFT regarding a statement by Brandon Marshall at his website. The post by Marshall purports to explain some of his reasoning for leaving. Aaron Wilson explains why the Broncos may have a hard time trading Marshall, and none of them should make the Browns overly excited about getting him.
But what about from a purely football standpoint?
Brandon Marshall is clearly a much better WR than Joshua Cribbs, and would give the Browns either a potent 1-2 punch of Marshall and Braylon Edwards, or as PFT suggests, would put Edwards “in play” for a trade to another team. Either of those options is intriguing, especially if the current accord between Mangini and Edwards is on a rocky foundation. (I don’t know either way, but Edwards certainly had a tense relationship with the Browns and the city last year.)
However, how much of a loss would Joshua Cribbs be on special teams and as a versatile offensive weapon? I think the Browns would lose a lot. Cribbs provides difference-making ability every time he lines up for a punt or kick-off. He consistently makes big yardage-saving tackles and is a threat to break a big return every time he touches the ball.
I think that the impact of Brandon Marshall — a terrifically talented receiver — on offense is equivalent to the impact of Joshua Cribbs on special teams. And while I don’t believe offense and special teams are necessarily equals, I do believe they impact NFL games in a similar enough manner that the character and intangibles (not to mention future contract cap-friendliness) of Joshua Cribbs should win out here.
Forget the draft pick, especially if its a first-day pick. I definitely would not do that deal, not with how valuable draft picks are. And the truth is that I, personally, would not trade Joshua Cribbs straight up for Brandon Marshall. Yes, Marshall is a great WR and would instantly help Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, but the Browns have a new coach and should be building for the long haul. Joshua Cribbs is the kind of underrated yet impactful player who can be had for a reasonable contract and become a cornerstone — in both talent AND character — into the next decade.
Brandon Marshall? I’m not so sure. Lots of talent, but will he help to define the new era of football under Eric Mangini or undermine it? I don’t have the answers to those questions, and am basing them solely off of my personal impressions of Brandon Marshall through what I’ve read in the media, but I’ll tell you this: I have no such fears or conceptions about Joshua Cribbs.
If I were the Browns I would send a clear message that the new regime is making a commitment to character and leadership. Brandon Marshall may possess these attributes in addition to his talent, but Joshua Cribbs does possess these attributes in addition to his talent.
Thus, the Browns should trust and hang onto what they know: keep Cribbs. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Now, Michael Vick on the other hand…hmm, that’s mighty intriguing, don’t you think?
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