Much has been made, rightfully so, of the Cleveland Browns' lacking a big-time playmaker at wide receiver.
Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi have done little to justify being second-round picks, as they both were, in the 2009 draft.
A second-rounder last April, Greg Little, apparently owns some of the qualities necessary for an impact wideout. Bottom line is, he's a rookie.
Several young wide receivers are trying to earn roster spots, and though maybe one or two could emerge as contributors, it's unlikely that any will be a game-changer.
And, there's Josh Cribbs, the ace kickoff/punt returner who has not flourished in his opportunities as a wide receiver.
Craig Lyndall writes that Cribbs might still become a key to the Browns' passing game. Cribbs and quarterback Colt McCoy connected twice for 37 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown, in Cleveland's 27-17 exhibition game win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.
Lyndall writes:
Josh Cribbs continues to get better and better as a receiver. This is really only Josh Cribbs’ third year playing wide receiver, and much of last year he was plagued by injuries. So far this season Josh has been healthy and he is really starting to put some polish on his game. He has shown some really great hands and is running his routes more crisply than ever before. In addition to that, there is nobody on the field who is more friendly to the QB on broken plays. Cribbs is always wary when McCoy has been flushed out of the pocket and he seemingly always gets himself into a decent position to bail his QB out in space. We don’t expect NFL players to continue to improve into their late 20′s, but it seems that Cribbs might be an exception to the rule.
The Browns play their second preseason game on Friday night, meeting the Detroit Lions at Browns Stadium.
Source:
http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2011/08/cleveland_browns_pm_links_8.html
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