He’s also very realistic about the situation and understands that the new regime may not want to bring him back.

As a result, his appearance Thursday night at the Cleveland Auto Show may have been his last as a member of the Browns.

“It’d be a sad thing to not play for the Browns,” Cribbs said in an interview with 92.3 The Fan. “I want to end my career here. This is the team that gave me an opportunity to shine and I’ve done that with this team and it would be a sad thing to leave this community.”

With that reality setting in, Cribbs has already crossed 3 teams off the list that he will not play for next season – the Browns’ AFC North rivals.

“Not necessarily [out of respect for] the Browns but respect for the fans,” Cribbs said. “The community, the fans, they speak more to me and motivate me more than an organization would.

“Out of respect for the community and the fans of this great city I don’t want to go in [division] at all.”

Should he have to play elsewhere, Cribbs plans to keep his home and family in Cleveland while spending the necessary time away in the home of his new team.

Earlier this week, Cribbs told 92.3 The Fan’s Andy Baskin and Jeff Phelps that he was not confident that he would return in 2013.

He explained why he felt that way Thursday night.

“If they would have had high interest something would’ve been done before free agency even kicked off,” Cribbs said. “Just the simple fact that that hasn’t happened and it just doesn’t feel right. I would love to stay here and I’m going to do everything in my power to stay here and end my career with Cleveland but all I can do is hope for the best but prepare for the worst at the same time.”

Cribbs has had contact with his agent J.R. Rickert but there isn’t much to report in the way of negotiations with the Browns – not even after the NFL Scouting Combine, which is usually a prime opportunity for teams and agents to lay the groundwork for future talks.

“It’s just a waiting game right now,” Cribbs said. “I’m just waiting and seeing.”

Cribbs clarified that he and Rickert have not talked to any other teams, which would be a violation of league tampering rules, but they are compiling a wish list of potential destinations if the Browns don’t want him back.

“You can’t really negotiate anything right now,” Cribbs said. “Right now I’m just talking back and forth with him about teams I would consider when that time comes.”

Free agency and the new league year begins March 14 at 4 p.m. but negotiations may begin as early as March 9.

In 8 seasons with the Browns, Cribbs appeared in 3 Pro Bowls and amassed over 12,000 combined return yards.

Follow @RuiterWrongFAN

But, those days may be coming to an end.

Cribbs is a free agent, and while players can’t start signing with teams until March 12th, the Kent State product believes his time in Cleveland may be over.

“I’m not optimistic that things are going in my favor as far as staying with the team”, said Cribbs before signing autographs at the Cleveland Auto Show.

“And, that’s just my take on things. A whole new regime coming in, me having to prove myself to this regime off of a year that I didn’t really play any offense. And it’s all about productivity, and looking at that, productivity in the offense, special teams was average, it doesn’t look good for me in their eyes.”

In 2012, Cribbs was 4th in the NFL in Kick Return Average, and 6th in Punt Return Average. But, for just the second time in his career, Cribbs was kept out of the end zone on special teams.

And, he was never a factor on offense. Cribbs caught just 7 passes for 63 yards last season.

Despite that, he would welcome a return to the team.

“I want to play for the Browns. I don’t want to play for any other team, that whole process sucks”, said Cribbs.

Still, Cribbs says he’s realistic about what the future holds.

“It is a business. I love the fans of Cleveland, I love the community, but football is a business and unfortunately there comes a time you must part ways. Hopefully,it happens at the end of my career here, but time will tell.”

Cribbs shares the NFL record for Most Career Kickoff Return Touchdowns, and he is the owner of seven Browns team records as well.

He’s an aspiring actor.

Cribbs will appear in a new film titled “The Murders at Brandywine Theater,” which is being directed by writer and local filmmaker, Larry Longstreth.

The movie will star actors including Martin Klebba (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Diamond Dallas Page (The Devil’s Rejects). And it’s being produced by executive producer Mark Ordesky, who also produced “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

The movie is being filmed primarily in Kent starting on March 2, but some key scenes will be shot in Cleveland as well. The film is expected to be finished sometime this summer, when it will be shopped around to various festivals and potential distributors.

The movie is about a man named Henry Kosta, who is a puppeteer and known as the town joke. After being bullied for years, he finally stands up for himself through his puppet Moxxy.

For more information on the movie, click here.

Cribbs, who is scheduled to become and unrestricted free agent on March 12, isn’t sure he’ll be with the Cleveland Browns next season.

In an interview with Baskin & Phelps on 92.3 The Fan Tuesday afternoon, Cribbs said that he hasn’t gotten the impression that he’ll be resigned by the team, which in under new management once again.

“It’s at a standstill right now,” Cribbs said of talks between his agent and the Browns. “My plan is to stay with the team as much as possible even if it’s a slight paycut but at the same time not huge paycuts and I’m trying to work with the team.

“I wanna be a Brown and end my career here.”

Related: Audio – Josh Cribbs with Baskin & Phelps on 92.3 The Fan.

While Cribbs is willing to negotiate, he does have limits.

“I’m willing to make a compromise but at the same time I won’t devalue myself,” Cribbs said. “I haven’t really been used to my potential and all of that but I just want to be able to help this football team see a playoff and get to the playoffs and see what we can do in the post season because I think we’re so close and I would just hate to have to leave the team right when we’re on the cusp of winning.”

Cribbs said that he is excited about the new coaching staff led by Rob Chudzinski, who was the Browns’ offensive coordinator for 2 years in 2007-08, and has been visiting the facility in Berea daily and talking with new offensive coordinator Norv Turner.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with those guys again,” Cribbs said. “I worked with coach Turner at the Pro Bowl a couple of years ago and I definitely know that they can help me [excel] and use me like I should be used.

“Hopefully we can get this contract thing worked out fellas.”

CEO Joe Banner said Saturday in Indianapolis that the team has made up their mind on their existing free agents – including Cribbs – but will keep those decisions private.

Cribbs doesn’t feel too great about his prospects to remain in Cleveland.

“Ultimately we all know it comes down to the upper management,” Cribbs said. “I’m not too confident in upper management because I’m not sure what their plans [are], their intentions.

“Right now it doesn’t seem like the interest level is there with the upper management.”

After catching 41 passes in 2011, Cribbs’ offensive reps were limited last season and he caught just 7 passes for 53 yards much to his dismay.

“I was like, ‘What happened? Did I not catch enough [passes],’” Cribbs said. “I was the third wide receiver [in 2011] and ended up being the second leading receiver and I think I led in touchdown receptions or something like that but it just disappeared [in 2012].

“I know how the business works.”

Cribbs alluded to the Browns’ youth movement and the pressure to play young players who were drafted by the team as the main reason for his lack of inclusion offensively last season.

“It should be the best guys that are going to help you win should play,” Cribbs said. “But when you draft a guy and you spend money on a guy that player has to play or the person that drafted him or got him looks bad.”

If in fact he has played his last game as a Brown, Cribbs said that the thought is tough to think about but he will always be grateful to the Browns organization for giving him a shot at the NFL and of course the fans.

“The level of support the fans gave me is just tremendous,” Cribbs said.

Follow @RuiterWrongFAN

[audio_link url="http://cbscleveland.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/josh-cribbs-2-26.mp3" name="Josh Cribbs" artist="Baskin & Phelps"]

The Browns are not willing to commit to the $2 million that Cribbs is seeking. Coming off his best return year since 2009, the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers may be looking at him.

The Browns are not willing to commit to the $2 million that Cribbs is seeking. Coming off his best return year since 2009, the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers may be looking at him.

Below is a transcript of the 36-minute conversation with Chudzinski which covered a bevy of topics including Brandon Weeden, creating competition at quarterback, the youth of the team and transitioning to a new defense.

Do you want to keep any of your free agents?
“We have an overall plan that we’ve been working on and working through for the last few weeks. It’s sort of a high level philosophy and there’s ongoing discussions and it’s an ongoing plan that we’re developing. At this time, not all the details have been worked out on that. Not all the discussion and specifics about every player have been worked out on that. So and that’ll be, we have 2 ½ weeks till we get into the free-agency period. Obviously those things will be worked out going forward and through those times. We’ve been meeting trying to catch up with a lot of things, free agency being one of the major things. I think really the biggest thing is we’ve outlined what we want in terms of a philosophy on anything.”

Where do you stand with free-agents-to-be Phil Dawson and Josh Cribbs?
“I’m not going to get into any specifics on any players, any of our free agents, any contractual situations. All those things I’m not going to get into and you understand why.”

Is there a chance any of your free agents could be back?
“Again, I don’t really want to get into any of that.”

What do you think of quarterback Brandon Weeden?
“I’ve looked at Brandon. I’m excited about getting Brandon out on the field and in the meetings and around the building. It’s tough when you’re just looking at tape on guys. That’s one piece of it. Certainly he has some good tools to work with. He had some success. You saw progress as the season went on last year. And again, I’m excited really with all of our guys, just getting them around and being around them a little bit more. And once we get them in meetings and get them on the field and start working with them, [we’ll] see where they can go from there. But I’m excited about Brandon.”

When owner Jimmy Haslam said you’ll have competition, does that mean you’ll add a quarterback in the draft or free agency?
“We have three guys here that provide competition and we’ll leave it open to whatever happens in terms of any other possible scenarios. We’re going to look at everything, every possibility to try to make the team better. I’m excited about Brandon. Obviously Colt [McCoy] has been here, has won games, has some unique abilities himself that I’m excited about. Again, getting all those guys in the building and see what they can do and being around them and really getting a chance to really evaluate them. You can look at tape and evaluate tape, but until you’re around guys, until you understand when you’re asking them to do certain things and seeing how they react to that and how they react on the field and how they play ultimately is what decides how far they can go.”

When you interviewed for the job, was there any discussion about expanding the zone-read offense you used with the Carolina Panthers here?
“No, there was really no discussion on that specifically. I’ve always believed from a philosophy standpoint as a coach you have to be able to flexible and adapt to the players that you have. That was something that I had never done in Carolina before and with Cam Newton and the possibilities with him and the potential that he had and really the background he had in college, I just felt like being able to give him something that would transition him to the NFL as you continue to develop and utilize some of those special, unique qualities that guys have, and that goes for all positions. That you’re looking to try to find roles for guys, looking for guys that have redeeming qualities and things they can do that are special and us having a good enough system and a flexible enough system that you can use those type of guys.”

We know what your offense looked like in 2007, is that the starting point or ending point?
“I feel like I’ve evolved as a coach and really that comes from offensive coordinator Norv [Turner]’s philosophy from year to year that you have to be pushing the envelope at all times and finding new, different, call them better ways of attacking and trying to attack defenses. So I don’t know if you call it the beginning point or starting point but there are components of the things that you would have seen in that offense, there’s components of the things that you would have seen in that offense, there’s components of the things that you would have seen in that offense. There’s components of the things that you would see in some of Norv’s offense, components of some of the things you would have seen in the Carolina offense that we’ll incorporate. And that’s really been one of the things that’s been fun, is sitting in there together and working through some of these things both on offense and defense, here’s what we’d like to do. Then the whole big part of it is, OK, now here’s the players we have. What can we do that fits? You’ve got this big playbook. What portion of it will we be able to use?”

Would you be comfortable with Weeden as your starter?
“Whoever our starter is, I’m going to be comfortable with.”

Is there another change coming at QB?
“Some of those things are hard to say. We need to get out on the practice field. We need to get into the meetings, get into the installs and evaluate him. We’re going to put the best guy on the field that gives us the best chance to win.”

Is Weeden’s age (29) a factor?
“I think you have to look at him as a second-year player because that’s what he is in this league. He had some ups and downs last season, but you saw progress as he went on. And all the quarterbacks, we’re going to challenge all of them. That’s the way we’re going to be with all our players, specifically the quarterbacks. I expect all of them to rise to the challenge and improve. I’m excited. You guys know the history of Norv and his work with quarterbacks. He’s done an unbelievable job with them, and I’m excited to get started with those guys.”

Do you think zone read has a future in Cleveland and does it depend on who your QB is?
“It’ll depend on the guys that are playing it, do they have the capabilities of doing it and some of the background on doing it and we’ll just have to see once we get out there what the guys can do.”

But you don’t dismiss it as just a fad?
“No, not at all.”

What do you like about it?
“When you look at doing it, you really, balance of it, most of the time defenses don’t have to account for the quarterback as a runner so you actually add a number to your run game and to your blocking schemes even out. It’s hard for them to outnumber you in the box and obviously just one more possibility of a guy who can carry the ball.”

Are those quarterbacks getting easier to find?
“Yeah, the college game has evolved to a lot of the spread and a lot of people doing those type of things so that’s what you’re getting from a college quarterbacks and you find less and less of the old style traditional drop back guys so they have some unique skill set.”

Do you see defenses starting to adjust to it?
“I think they have. You know they’ll continue to work and spend a lot of time on that and they’ll get better at playing those things. Again, it just gives you one more option as an offensive coach and in Carolina we were on the front end of that and on the cutting edge of really incorporating that as part of our offense. It started as not really knowing exactly how it would work. We worked our way through it really helped us a lot and helped Cam in his development and obviously the questions you start asking are what about the long term possibility of doing it and those type of things as a guy gets older and those are the things that we would’ve had to work through and anybody that is doing has to work through. Defensively we’re going to end up playing teams that do it and so we have to have answers and hopefully my experiences with doing that will help us defensively.”

How does Turner feel about Weeden?
“Very similar to what I’m telling you. As coaches a lot of time you look at tape and it tells a very small part of the story. Until you get out there, until you get in meetings with guys and you get a sense for them, you start teaching the things you want done and how you want them done and then see those guys and how they react to them on the field, and then get him in situations. Put him in situations that as a quarterback are important, the two-minute drills that you do in practice, and the third downs and the red zone and all those critical situations. That’s where you really get a chance to see him and evaluate him based on what you’re teaching them and what you’re emphasizing.”

Do you need to make a decision on Weeden before you get him on the field?
“April 1 is when these guys come in and show up. So we get them for two weeks starting April 1. This is all optional for them to report. We can meet with them for two weeks. We can’t go on the field with them, but we can meet with them for two weeks during that time. And then they can lift and work out in the weight room and run and those type of things. We can’t as coaches go on the field with them. And then we’ll have a minicamp after those two weeks, a veteran minicamp for three days. I think we’ll have five practices during those three days. Then we have three more weeks of phase two. That’s where we can be on the field coaching those guys and going through things. We can’t line up offense vs. defense, but we can do our perfect plays, we can run through all those things for three weeks and then we have four weeks of OTAs and finish with another minicamp at the end. Because we’re new, we get two minicamps. You get a minicamp before the draft, which will end up being two weeks or so before the draft and then the minicamp at the end.

Can Turner make Weeden better?
“He’s got a skill set that you’re excited about, and I have all the confidence in the world that Norv will get Brandon to improve and ultimately it’s going to be on Brandon or on any player what they put it into and how much they commit to it. That’s going to be the difference.”

What are Weeden’s skills that you see?
“He has a really good arm, he can throw the ball, he can make all the throws that you need to throw, he has a good, calm poise and demeanor in the pocket. Again, he was up and down a little bit and during the season as any young quarterback, or rookie quarterback especially is. You see some things that are there that get you excited about him.”

Do you need a veteran wide receiver?
“From a leadership standpoint, we have a lot of young guys on the team. And I think that as opposed to saying let’s bring in a veteran type guy necessarily, I think you need strong leadership regardless of where that comes from. And that can come from young guys. Sometimes that’s the thing you think of when you don’t have a veteran, you don’t have leaders. But leaders can grow from the young group of guys. So we need strong leadership. We need good leaders. Where that comes from I’m not necessarily worried whether that comes from a veteran or whether that would come from a young guy.”

Wide receivers Greg Little and Josh Gordon missed college time. Vet wide receivers good route runner would help?
“Greg and Josh both, you look at those guys and really like some of the ability that they have and what they’ve shown and obviously there are some areas they need to continue to get better in. But even sometimes with veteran guys, they’re coming in and learning a brand new system, and how we do things is going to be different than maybe they’re used to doing, regardless of how many years they have in the league. It’s going to be new for everybody, just having a veteran isn’t necessarily helpful in that manner.”

What are the biggest areas of need on the roster?
“We’ve assessed all those areas, and we do have a lot of areas that we need to improve on. I’m not going to get into pinning down the specifics on that, but we do have a lot of needs, a lot of areas we can improve on.”

Do you still use tight ends a lot in your offense?
“We have in the past. We’ve been fortunate to have those type of guys. If you don’t have those type of guys, then you utilize different personnel groups and, again, that goes back to the overall system of being flexible enough to be able to adjust to the guys you have and put the best guys on the field that can help you win.”

What are your impressions of running back Trent Richardson?
“I’m excited about Trent as well. I know he had some injuries early, but you could see him really develop as the season went on. Again, he’s a young guy, I think there’s still a lot of things he can improve on in his game and I’m excited to get him out there and get started with that process. We do have an overall young team and a young group of guys and we have a lot of work to do with those guys. And that’s the part you’re excited about as a coach, because that’s bridging the gap from some of the potential — which sometimes it’s that ugly word potential — but seeing that potential in guys and the talent in guys and then being able to bring that out and for them to develop into the players that they can ultimately become.”

What are your impressions about this year’s quarterback draft class?
“People have talked about that. I have not studied enough. I’m still playing catch up on a lot of these things in the draft, and we can go into all the things I’ve been doing in the meantime. I don’t have enough of a pulse on the whole class to really make a comment.”

Why do you feel you need to add a quarterback?
“In our discussions, I think the overall point is that we want competition. Going back to my past and my background playing at the University of Miami and being lucky enough to somehow get a chance to get on the field there – I don’t know how that happened – but competition makes people better, so however that competitions ends up coming about, I’m satisfied that we’ll be pushing and creating an environment for competition and that’s really ultimately what you want. Guys are going to have opportunities and when guys have opportunities, they have to make good on those opportunities and deliver, and that’s ultimately what you want to see as a coach, and that’s what you’re looking for.”

Will you have a role in evaluating draft prospects?
“Well, let me start off with, as I mentioned before, I am really excited about working, just in the short amount of time, working with [CEO] Joe [Banner] and [vice president of player personnel] Mike [Lombardi] and seeing those guys work together, the experience they have in football. They understand the football side of it, the business side of it. They’re extremely intelligent guys. They know the game. We’ve worked so well together. It’s really a collaborative effort. You look at Mike and the scouting staff and what they’ve done in a short amount of time. I’ve been extremely impressed with them. Part of the process we had to do early on was with the coaches. We spent a lot of time as coaches coming together and identifying what our profile was for our ideal player at different positions whether it was a slot corner or a left guard, or a receiver – every position coming together and really sitting down and hammering out. That was a process that took some time. Then being able to communicate that to the scouts and what they are looking for and how they can go out and recognize that more easily so we can all come together. It’s a worthwhile process and a necessary job to really do the job we want to do. I can’t emphasize enough Joe and Mike and what a great job they’ve done and what a pleasure it is to work with them. I really think the group works so well together. We’re all on the same page of where we want to go and the overall philosophy of it. You just have to hammer out the details of it. We have a great working relationship.”

Does the work the scouts did before you were hired conflict with what you want?
“I wouldn’t say conflict. As I mentioned before, we really tried to sit down and define from a player’s standpoint what we’re looking for as coaches by positions. What we’ve had to do, and Mike has done a great job with the scouts, is circle back and get them all together and then work to define that and get them all on the same page. Based on the evaluations they’ve done already, go back and, [say] ‘Does this fit this. This is what we’re talking about.’ They’ve done a lot of work. I don’t know if they’ve had to adjust to the overall system we’re talking about.’

How does the line in your hybrid defense look?
“A lot of those things will be answered when we get on the field and go through that. The style of 3-4 we’re talking about, the guys we have are very adaptable to that and will fit in. What I really see with that group up front is a number of guys that can play multiple positions. The inside guys, Phil [Taylor] and [Ahtyba] Rubin and Billy [Winn] can move around. Some can play defensive end. Some can play nose. The defensive tackles move and rotate around in there. You talked about Jabaal [Sheard]. I see him with the ability to be an outside linebacker and a defensive end. When we get out there on the grass, we’ll make that determination as far as that goes. One of the things [defensive coordinator] Ray [Horton] said in the press conference was not to put limitations on guys. You want to find out what they can do and not say, ‘They can’t do this. They can’t do that.’ Give them the chance to go there and we’ll zero in on what they can do well to hope us the most.”

Do you mean Sheard can play end in a 3-4 or 4-3?
“Both.”

How tough would it be for him to drop into coverage?
“It’s something he’s done some. You can see on tape he’s done a little bit of. Obviously that will be something he’ll learn and keep working on. I know that a year ago there were a lot of 3-4 teams that were interested in him as well.”

Linebackers are crucial. Who on the roster, besides D’Qwell Jackson, can you count on?
“You talk about Jabaal being able to play either one of the positions there. D’Qwell has played in a 3-4 defense before so he has a background in it. He’s played both positions inside in the 3-4 before. That gives us a lot of flexibility there. We have some younger guys, obviously Chris [Gocong] coming back from an Achilles. We’ll see how that all fits in there together. I feel confident we’ll be able to get the guys in place to be successful there.”

Will Gocong be ready for the start of the offseason conditioning program on April 1?
“I’m not sure about that yet. Rehab is on target, on track, he’s running and doing those type of things. Beyond that I don’t know exactly. I can’t give you an exact date.”

Will he be ready by minicamp?
“I don’t know yet.”

Were there offseason surgeries for other players?
“I’m not expecting any issues with any other things.”

Would you listen to trade offers for Weeden and Colt McCoy?
“We’re not going to get into any specifics on any of our guys. We’re looking to improve our team in any areas, by any means of doing that.”

Both Super Bowl teams used two tight ends. Is it more in vogue?
“I’ve always kind of thought it was in vogue. I think the position has grown in importance over the last 10 years. You look at the guys and the type of guys who are coming out in college, you’re seeing so many more guys who are athletic, are receiver types. The game’s evolved in that way and the position has evolved in that way, that you want those versatile type guys who can do everything. Ozzie Newsome was the exception back in the day.”

Three to four wide receivers were in two or three years ago, now it’s two tight ends?
“Versatile players are something that you value, guys that can play multiple positions and do multiple things for you.”

Versatility is a lot to ask of young team. Are you trying out guys at different spots then stick with one thing?
“I think it’s a little bit of both. You’re looking for guys who can do a lot of different things. Hopefully you have a system in place that you can teach and get those guys to be able to do that. Talking about the coaching staff, one of the things I was looking for, especially with a young group, is great teachers. Guy who can teach them, communicate effectively and motivate and get them to do things in a short amount of time. So that is part of that process as well. Looking for the right type of guys that fit, then finding what they can do well and then being able to coach them and teach them to get them to do the things you need to do. It’s all a part of the process.”

Has left guard Jason Pinkston, who had a blood clot in his lung last season, been cleared?
“I’m not sure what his status is and probably won’t be for a while.”

Is the fullback still an elemental part of your offense?
“I think so. The biggest thing is you have to adjust to the guys that you have, and if you have one, that’s great. It’s kind of a lost position, a lost art nowadays. But there is definite value in a good fullback.”

Why wouldn’t you re-sign Dawson given what he’s meant to the franchise? What’s to think about?
“Phil had a great year last year. I know Phil and I have a lot of respect for Phil, but I’m not going to get into what’s going on in our free-agent type situations.”

Were you so tied to 3-4 you didn’t care what went on here before?: You talk about flexibility. Why not keep defense and staff?
“I felt the ideal situation was the 3-4. That was the ideal in my mind as for what I wanted to do. I think the personnel we have are flexible enough that you don’t have to do a major overhaul. I don’t think the difference in scheme is that big from that standpoint. And then a guy like Ray Horton becomes available and he fit exactly the style I was talking about and the one I preferred. So, those things all come together and I’m excited about what the Browns’ defense is going to be.”

Why fire the wide receivers coach?: “From a system’s standpoint and bringing in a new system is I had a background with Scott and was very comfortable with Scott coaching the receivers. It doesn’t comment to any of the coaches who were here before. It’s more about knowing the system and the scheme and comfortable level and being around guys you have coached with.”

Was Ray Horton your hire or the front office’s hire?
“It was [me] all the way. I love having Ray Horton and I think everybody was excited in the building about it as well.”

However, the needs are a plenty heading into the offseason.

“We’ve assessed all those areas,” Chudzinski said. “And we do have a lot of areas that we need to improve on. I’m not going to get into pinning down the specifics on that, but we do have a lot of needs, a lot of areas we can improve on.”

During a breakfast meeting with reporters Friday, Chudzinski declined to talk about impending free agents like Phil Dawson, Ben Watson and Josh Cribbs as well as any specifics related to team needs this offseason.

“We have an overall plan that we’ve been working on and working through for the last few weeks,” Chudzinski said. “It’s sort of a high level philosophy and there’s ongoing discussions and it’s an ongoing plan that we’re developing. At this time, not all the details have been worked out on that. Not all the discussion and specifics about every player have been worked out on that. So and that’ll be, we have 2 ½ weeks till we get into the free-agency period.

“We’ve been meeting trying to catch up with a lot of things, free agency being one of the major things. I think really the biggest thing is we’ve outlined what we want in terms of a philosophy on anything.”

Chudzinski has looked at quarterback Brandon Weeden and feels that he has the physical tools – including arm strength to make the throws within his offense but is anxious to get him on the field and in meetings so he can complete his evaluation.

“Certainly he has some good tools to work with,” Chudzinski said. “He had some success. You saw progress as the season went on last year. And again, I’m excited really with all of our guys, just getting them around and being around them a little bit more. And once we get them in meetings and get them on the field and start working with them, [we’ll] see where they can go from there. But I’m excited about Brandon.”

He’ll get a look at Weeden prior to the draft at a minicamp in mid-April. Because the Browns haired a new coaching staff, they are permitted to run a second minicamp as part of the offseason program.

While Chudzinski is excited about what he saw on film with Weeden, he hopes that offensive coordinator Norv Turner will help him solve his issues with inconsistency.

“He’s got a skillset that you’re excited about and I have all the confidence in the world that Norv will get Brandon to improve and ultimately it’s going to be on Brandon or on any player what they put it into and how much they commit to it,” Chudzinski said. “That’s going to be the difference.

“He has a really good arm, he can throw the ball, he can make all the throws that you need to throw, he has a good, calm poise and demeanor in the pocket.”

Weeden’s age has been talked about for a year but Chudzinski said that he views him as a 2nd year player and not a 29-year old quarterback.

Defensively, Chudzinski likes the flexibility already built into the front 7 and he will continue to look for it when supplementing the roster.

Jabaal Sheard can line up as a defensive end or stand up as an outside linebacker, and he feels that Phil Taylor, Ahtyba Rubin and Billy Winn are capable of playing anywhere on the 3-man front.

“A lot of those things will be answered when we get on the field,” Chudzinski said. “The style of 3-4 we’re talking about, the guys we have are very adaptable to that and will fit in. What I really see with that group up front is a number of guys that can play multiple positions.

“One of the things Ray [Horton] said in the press conference was not to put limitations on guys. You want to find out what they can do and not say ‘They can’t do this. They can’t do that.’ Give them the chance to go there and we’ll zero in on what they can do well to hope us the most.”

The Browns’ latest rookie coach conceded that the team does need leadership on it but that doesn’t necessarily have to come from veteran players.

“Sometimes that’s the thing you think of when you don’t have a veteran, you don’t have leaders,” Chudzinski said. “But leaders can grow from the young group of guys. So we need strong leadership, we need good leaders. Where that comes from I’m not necessarily worried whether that comes from a veteran or whether that would come from a young guy.”

Follow @RuiterWrongFAN

[audio_link url="http://cbscleveland.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/nate-davis-2-15.mp3" name="Nate Davis" artist="Baskin & Phelps"]

Enjoy a Valentine’s Bash & Cleveland Fan Appreciation Party thrown by Cleveland Browns Receiver Josh Cribbs this Friday, February 15th at TOMO – Sushi Bar & Hibachi Restaurant & Lounge in the Warehouse District!

Every lady receives a FREE Rose and drink on Josh before midnight. Plus photo-ops and autographs with the man himself!!

Party on all 5 levels!

RSVP on Facebook  | Get more info

Pro: Offensive Aptitude

The man knows a thing or two about the tight end position. Chudzinski, also known as “Chud”, won two national championships during his time at the University of Miami where he was the starting tight end for three years. He returned to his alma mater as a tight ends coach where developed the likes of Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey, and Kellen Winslow II over an eight year span.

He has coached tight ends in the NFL for five years with the Cleveland Browns and the San Diego Chargers.

For the past two seasons Chud was the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. During his first season in Carolina he transformed a bleak, ineffective offense into a juggernaut.

His Panthers boasted the seventh overall offense in the league, as well as ranking fifth in points scored, and setting a franchise record for total yards. Maybe Offensive Rookie of the Year, Cam Newton, had something to do with that?

To say that the dude knows a thing or two about running an offense is an understatement. Chud has been at it for nearly two decades. His ten years in college football and nine years in the NFL must have enticed Jimmy Haslam and company.

Con: Lack of experience as Head Coach

After nine years in the NFL, this is Chud’s first head coaching gig. Former Cleveland head coach Pat Shurmur, provides an example of the difficult transition between offensive coordinator and head coach.

The Harbaugh brothers have recently set a high standard for first time head coaches in the NFL; however, it is unreasonable to expect that same level of production from others such as Chudzinski.

Pro: Experience with Browns

Chudzinski was born and raised a Cleveland Browns fan in Toledo, Ohio.

“My cousins and I, … we wanted to be in that stadium, in the Dog Pound so bad that we would watch games in December out in the snow, said Chudzinski. We’d flip the TV around in the window, and that was (like) us being there, being in the stands and being part of that.”

This will be his third stint with the Browns.  In 2007, as offensive coordinator, he took an ineffective offense to new levels, much like he did in Carolina. The team finished eighth in the league in total offense and featured five offensive Pro Bowl members: Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow II, Josh Cribbs, and Joe Thomas.

Cribbs’ future with the team remains unclear, but Joe Thomas remains on the roster. If Chud can utilize Brandon Weeden’s rocket of an arm like he did with Anderson combined with the deep threat ability of Josh Gordon like he did with Braylon Edwards, than Cleveland fans are in for a real treat.

Chudzinski has had success with athletic tight ends like Winslow in Cleveland and at the University of Miami, and Antonio Gates in San Diego. Gates is a converted basketball player from Kent State who shares a few similarities with Brown’s tight end Jordan Cameron, who also played basketball in college. Perhaps Chud can propel Cameron to new heights.

Con: The Cleveland Brown’s 2008 Season

For as encouraging as the success of the ‘07 campaign under Chudzinski was, 2008 proved equally agonizing. So bad, in fact, that the new management in place decided to part ways with Chud after the season.

The Brown’s offense fell from the top ten overall in ‘07 to twenty fourth in the league in points per game and twenty fifth in yards per game in ’08.

Chudzinski wasn’t solely responsible for the meltdown, many different factors contributed to Cleveland’s regression. Nonetheless, his departure was hardly protested by fans.

Pro: Coaching Staff

One consolation of Cleveland fans who opposed the hiring of Chudzinski is the rest of the coaching staff in place.

The Browns recently signed Ray Horton as their defensive coordinator. His name was buzzing around rumor mills as teams searched for new head coaches this offseason. Feeling betrayed when he wasn’t upgraded from defensive coordinator to head coach by the Arizona Cardinals, he decided to accept the defensive coordinator position with Cleveland.

Horton comes with experience in the AFC North. He spent seven years coaching the secondary of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2004-2010.

Norv Turner joins Chudzinski again in Cleveland, but this time, Chud is running the show. Most recently, Chudzinski served as the assistant head coach to Norv Turner in San Diego.

If Chudzinski ever finds himself overwhelmed during his first attempt at coaching he need to look no further than Norv Turner and his fifteen years of NFL experience for advice.

Con: His nickname is ‘Chud’

Before the hiring of Chudzinksi, fans were teased with rumors of “sexy” name head coaching candidates such as Nick Saban, Chip Kelly, Ken Wisenhunt, Bruce Arians and others.

Chud’s nickname and reputation are about as sexy as Miley Cyrus’ new haircut. I heard an analyst on ESPN say that Haslam and Banner promised steak, but came back with Spam.

Every head coach needs an opportunity to build a reputation for himself. The accolades which make certain candidates so enticing are not just given, they are earned. Perhaps Chud’s current position as Cleveland’s head coach will serve as a launching pad to bolster his reputation.

Mazel tov to the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s tough to quibble with the guys deemed worthy of a gold jacket this year. Well, except for the guys voted in by the Seniors Committee … but that’s a debate for another time.

As a man of justice, I’m especially pleased to see Cris Carter get in. I have no idea what took so long, but at least he’s getting his just reward. (Sidenote: he’s taking a serious run at the prohibitive favorite Ray Lewis for “Most Tears Shed in NOLA This Week.”) By almost any measure -– the most important one being the eyeball test – Carter ranks among the 20 best wide receivers of the Super Bowl Era.

Applying that same standard, I’m disappointed to see Charles Haley and Jerome Bettis still on the curb outside the Hall. Have there been 20 better players at their respective positions over the last half century? (That was intended to be a rhetorical question, the answer to which is ‘no’.) However, when I tweeted that opinion on Saturday night, I was surprised so many people disagreed with me on Bettis. Seems like a no-brainer to me. He’s probably the most durable big back ever, he finished sixth all-time on the rushing list, and had a requisite “defining” style, paradoxically nimble-footed but punishing all the way through the last game of No. 36′s 13 seasons.

I now feel obliged to self-validate -– and hopefully convince you –- by listing off the best runners of the NFL’s modern era.

First of all, though, there are four guys who’d be in the Hall and much higher on this list if it weren’t for injury. They are:

    Bo Jackson
    Billy Sims
    Terrell Davis
    William Andrews

And here are seven current rushers whose stories still need a few more chapters before a determination can be made:

    Shady McCoy
    Arian Foster
    Ray Rice
    Steven Jackson
    Marshawn Lynch
    Frank Gore
    Jamaal Charles

Wasted years in the USFL might have deprived four more guys of a trip to Canton:

    Herschel Walker
    Joe Cribbs
    Kelvin Bryant
    Mike Rozier

And now, with those human caveats out of the way, here’s the list of … the best running backs of the last half century:

    Jim Brown
    Walter Payton
    Barry Sanders
    Eric Dickerson
    O.J. Simpson
    Tony Dorsett
    Adrian Peterson
    Earl Campbell
    Emmitt Smith
    Marshall Faulk
    Gale Sayers
    Marcus Allen
    Franco Harris
    Thurman Thomas
    LaDainian Tomlinson
    JEROME BETTIS
    Edgerrin James
    Curtis Martin
    Clinton Portis
    Freeman McNeil
    Maurice Jones-Drew
    Rickey Watters
    Roger Craig
    John Riggins
    Larry Csonka

Agree? Disagree? Speak now or … do it later.

[nfl-video id="09000d5d8009a816" contentid="09000d5d8009a816" related="home" align="right" playername="blog_small_embedded"]

Browns Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas is a finalist for the ‘Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award’ which will be announced in New Orleans.

It’s not quite the Grammys, Oscars or Golden Globes but in the spirit of Saturday night’s 2-hour prime time special which will air on CBS (shameless plug), Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan presents: The Brownies – 2012 edition.

And The Brownies go to….

Best Touchdown Celebration: Trent Richardson

Richardson flipped into the end zone to cap a 32-yard touchdown run at Cincinnati in week 2 – it was his first NFL score. He followed the flip up with a salute, something that he would go on to do 11 more times in 2012.

Best Supporting Player: Alex Smith

Smith replaced Owen Marecic at fullback for the final 9 weeks of the season and did a solid job blocking for Richardson, who would often just run by Marecic before he could make a block. Smith also caught 13 passes for 47 yards.

Mr. Congeniality: D’Qwell Jackson

It’s no surprise why Jackson was a team captain again this past season. He was a true professional while leading the Browns on and off the field. Jackson started all 16 games and led the team with 119 tackles to go with 7 passes defensed, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions. The heart and soul of the defense always made himself available to the media and answered every question with thought and consideration – even when asked to answer the same one over and over. His candor and class earned him the 2012 Dino Lucarelli Good Guy award presented by the local chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Courage Award: Scott Fujita

Fujita found himself embroiled in the middle of the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal last March. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell accused Fujita, who played for the Saints between 2006-2009 before signing with the Browns, of participating in a ‘pay to injure’ scheme run by former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and suspended him for 4 games. Fujita maintained his innocence from day 1 and after 6 months of appeals, hearings and court proceedings Fujita’s good name was finally cleared of any wrong doing. Fujita, who served on the executive committee of the players association, has championed the importance of player safety throughout his career. His philanthropic efforts center around helping former Saints teammate Steve Gleason, who was diagnosed with ALS which is considered a terminal neuro-muscular disease.

Most Popular Player: Phil Dawson

Dawson is the Cleveland Browns. The lone remaining member of the 1999 expansion team has endured a lot of changes and losses in his time in Cleveland but after 14 years, Dawson was finally selected to the Pro Bowl thanks in part to a late surge in fan voting. Dawson’s contract came up following the 2010 season, which he thought would be his swan song, but the team used the franchise tag on him for 2011 and again in 2012. Dawson has said repeatedly how overwhelmed he’s been with the outpouring of fan support that he’s received over the last 2 seasons. If it was Dawson’s final season in Cleveland he sure went out in style by making all 7 field goals attempted from beyond 50 yards. He has the best FG percentage (84%), made the most FGs (305), is 2nd in points scored (1,271) and 3rd on the all time games played list (215) in franchise history.

Class Clown Award: Billy Winn

On the field, Winn is a mean machine in the middle of the defensive line but among his teammates the rookie from Boise State was fun and charismatic. Winn always helped to keep the locker room loose with jokes, pranks and laughter. He wasn’t shy while being interviewed by reporters nor was he afraid to jump in on the middle of player interviews to ask deep, profound and probing questions of his teammates while cameras and recorders rolled – even at the most inappropriate times.

Best Soundtrack: Frostee Rucker

Following in his father’s tune spinning footsteps, Rucker brought his A-game daily while serving as the team’s DJ and jukebox. He keept the music mix fresh and unpredictable in the locker room. Rap, R&B, rock, pop, motown and even some country – you name it Rucker spun it.

Quote of the Year: Phil Taylor

When asked on Dec. 12 what the key to slowing down Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, Taylor fired off this beauty – “Fire off the ball and whoop the o-line’s ass.”

Rookie Most Likely to Succeed: Trent Richardson

Richardson broke Jim Brown’s franchise rookie records by rushing for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns in 15 games but was never 100 percent during the season. He missed the entire preseason recovering from a 2nd arthroscopic knee surgery in 6 months, then played 9 games with 2 broken ribs after sustaining the injury against the Bengals in week 6. He still managed to run for 610 yards 7 touchdowns while playing in a tremendous amount of pain. Richardson will fit beautifully into new offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s offense considering that Turner has helped to produce the NFL’s leading rusher 5 times throughout his coaching career.

Coach of the Year: George Warhop

The offensive line was the most stable unit during the 2012 season anchored by 6-time pro bowl left tackle Joe Thomas. After losing left guard Jason Pinkston, who was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 22 with blood clots in his lungs, John Greco filled in for the remainder of the year seamlessly in his absence. The line gave up 3 fewer sacks in 2012 and rookie Brandon Weeden had plenty of time to throw the ball. Warhop was among the few coaches who were retained by new head coach Rob Chudzinski.

Rookie of the Year: Josh Gordon

Many questioned just how fast Gordon, who hadn’t played in a game since Dec. 2010, could actually contribute after being selected in the supplemental draft on July 12 – a mere 2.5 weeks before training camp. There were character questions as well after he failed multiple drug tests in college which prompted him to sit out the 2011 season after transferring to Utah from Baylor. He joined Kevin Johnson (1999), Webster Slaughter (1986) and Eric Metcalf (1989) as the only rookies in team history to catch a pass in all 16 games. He started 13 of them. Gordon caught 50 passes (4th among NFL rookies) for 805 yards (3rd among NFL rookies) and 5 touchdowns including scores of 33, 44, 62 and 71 yards.

Most Valuable Player: Joe Haden

Haden’s presence on the field made the most difference in the win/loss column of any player in 2012. The Browns went 0-4 while he served a 4-game suspension for violating the leagues policy on performance enhancing substances. He missed a 5th game – an overtime loss at Dallas – with an oblique injury. In the 5 games that Haden missed the Browns gave up an average of 29.0 points per game. When he was on the field they allowed an average of 20.27 points per game and the Browns went 5-6. Without question, had he played the entire season the Browns would’ve finished better than 5-11 and could’ve easily finished the season at 8-8. He registered 51 tackles, 3 interceptions, broke up 10 passes and forced a fumble in 2012.

Follow @RuiterWrongFAN

[audio_link url="http://cbscleveland.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/zarrella.mp3" artist="Kiley & Booms" name="Tony Z 1/28/13" config_file="config.xml"]

The contracts for kicker Phil Dawson and returner Josh Cribbs’ are up and they are both set to become unrestricted free agents on March 12 so it could be Aloha for one or both.

Dawson is the only remaining Brown from the 1999 expansion team while Cribbs epitomizes Cleveland’s blue collar fanbase. But despite their popularity among fans, with yet another regime change in Berea, anything is possible.

“The coaches and Michael [Lombardi] will make that call,” owner Jimmy Haslam said Thursday night at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards. “You have to remember we have a completely new set of individuals. Chud’s been here, what 10 days now? And really they’ve been focused on hiring a staff, which is what we want them to focus on. They’ve just now started looking at our team. So those decisions will be made over the next few weeks.”

Head coach Rob Chudzinski, who has been busy assembling a new coaching staff, hasn’t even thought about the futures of either Dawson or Cribbs.

“We haven’t even gotten to that point. Again, the coaching staff is what I’m focusing on,” Chudzinski said Thursday night. “We’re getting all our guys in. We’re going to go through and evaluate our players. That’ll be the first thing we do in the next couple of weeks and kind of put together what we want our players to be so we can get into free agency and get into the draft.”

In the short time since taking over the team, Haslam has grown to appreciate what both Dawson and Cribbs mean to the Browns and fans.

Dawson has ascended the team’s record books but has spent the last 2 years in limbo after being ‘franchised’ in lieu of a new long-term contract.

With 116 points in 2012, he extended his team-record to six 100-point seasons in his career. He’s made more field goals and has the best field goal percentage than any other kicker in franchise history. He is 2nd on the all time franchise list in career points and 3rd in games played.

It took 14 years for Dawson, who has the 7th highest field goal percentage in NFL history but the highest (84.0 percent) among the 25 kickers with 300 or more attempts, to make the Pro Bowl.

This past season he led the AFC by making 29 of 31 attempts including a perfect 7 for 7 from beyond 50 yards. He also set a career-high with 30 touchbacks, surpassing his previous best of 12 in 2008.

“Phil’s a great player and a great person,” Haslam said. “That’s the kind of people we want here in Cleveland, people who are great on and off the field, and Phil’s that kind of guy. No doubt about it.”

Cribbs, who completes a 3-year $18 million contract signed in 2010, makes his 3rd Pro Bowl appearance since being signed by the Browns as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2005.

He finished 4th in the NFL this year in kickoff return average (27.4) and 6tth in punt return average (12.0). He also added 9 special teams tackles.

Cribbs also became just the 6th player in league history to total 12,000 or more career kick and punt return yards. He’s 5th in kickoff return yards with 10,015 as well as total returns for touchdowns (11). He is tied with Leon Washington for the most kickoff returns for TDs (8).

“I don’t know if there’s a tougher player in the NFL than Cribbsy,” Haslam said. “Just like everybody else, we’ll have to take a look at where Josh is and where he fits into our plans. But we certainly appreciate the unbelievable effort and job that he’s done. And we’re really happy that he got to go to the Pro Bowl. He really deserves that. He’s a quality guy. He works his tail off.

“I don’t anybody that’s ever played the game that’s been as good at returning and covering kicks as Cribbsy is. He’s a great player, a great athlete and as tough as they come.”

New CEO Joe Banner has a reputation for being a tough negotiator which makes the probability that one or both could be gone in 2013 a pretty good bet.

“They’ve obviously had success,” Chudzinski said. “We’ll just have to wait and see and see how everything fits together on that.”

Hopefully the Browns’ new regime will find a way for both to fit into their plans.

Follow @RuiterWrongFAN

[cbs-audio url="http://cbscleveland.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/denard-robinson-1-25-13.mp3" size="normal" download="true" name="Denard Robinson" artist=" Bull & Fox"]

The NFL made the announcement on Sunday.

The change marks the third career Pro Bowl selection for Cribbs, having made the team after the 2007 and 2009 NFL seasons. He currently ranks fourth in the NFL for a kickoff return average of 27.4 and sixth in punt return average of 12.0. Cribbs also had nine special teams tackles.

During the 2012-2013 season, Cribbs also became the sixth player in NFL history to total 12,000 or more career kick and punt return yards.

Tackle Joe Thomas and kicker Phil Dawson were also previously named AFC Pro Bowl starters.

The 2013 AFC Pro Bowl is scheduled to be played Sunday, January 27 in Honolulu, Hawaii.