Mangini Plays Cloak and Dagger Game

With less than a week until the Browns battle the Vikings to kick off the '09 season, we still have no idea who is starting at QB......or do we?
From the Mangini press conference on 9-7-09.

“In terms of the quarterbacks, I’ll just say that I will be talking to those guys. I have made a decision. I’ll clearly explain what the decision was based on, why I made the decision that I did and what my expectations are. My expectations will be, clearly, that they support each other at all times, they support the team at all times and they both prepare as if they were the number one quarterback. In terms of announcing it publicly, that’s not something that I plan to do. It will be internal. I understand everybody has a different opinion on it, I respect that. I understand the excitement in relationship to that and I respect that as well. That will be something that will be internal. Being on the other side of this, as a defensive coordinator, it is more difficult to plan for two than it is to plan for one, to prep for two, than it is to prep for one. I’m not saying that is going to be the difference or not the difference, but I know that there is time allotted to that and you can’t put the same amount of time to focusing on one player.”

Mangini Plays Cloak and Dagger Game

by Greg Kozarik

As the Browns prepare for the start of the 2009 regular season, Mangini has announced that he has made his choice for quarterback but is not telling. Have we gone back to the third grade where kids are heard chanting, “I got a secret, but I am not telling.”

Mangini has put the media and all other teams on double-secret probation or something like that as he acts as if he is holding the meaning of life. The real problem is that he needs to explain to the team and hopefully he has already done it.

Many players will tell you that they wish they knew who is going to lead them instead of this secrecy that Mangini has used. Most of us have seen the results thus far and it would lead us to believe that the choice is Brady Quinn.

Take that a step further and you can see it in the demeanor of both Quinn and Derek Anderson when they talk with the media. Anderson has lost that happy-go-lucky attitude and has become surlier where as Quinn has had an extra bounce in his step.

Mangini is becoming an expert in the Bill Belichick style of revealing nothing, not even so much as if their is a fly in the room. All training camp, Mangini has mastered the art of speaking without really saying anything.

In the end all this will be moot if he delivers a winning team to Cleveland. If he takes the team to the NFL’s promised land, then Mangini could just stop talking altogether and nobody would care.

Until then, Mangini needs to understand that playing his cloak and dagger game is not fooling anyone especially the Minnesota Vikings. Vikings head coach Brad Childress is not fretting on whether it will be Quinn or Anderson, instead he is telling his team to play their game and they will win.

Neither quarterback has shown the ability to put any type of fear into opposing defensive coordinators. Mangini secrecy would work in government, but it has yet to help him in the NFL.

The Vikings know that the Browns could go with either quarterback, but they also know that they neither Peyton Manning nor Tom Brady will be in a Browns uniform come 1 p.m. on Sunday. Instead, they will be playing against one of two quarterbacks that really have not proven anything in the NFL.

Mangini believes he is doing the right thing, but he needs to understand that he better have made changes from the way he did things in New York. His mentor, Belichick credits his changes from his days in Cleveland to New England for his success.

If Mangini turns up the same results he did with the Jets, this may be his last head coaching job in the NFL ever. He will need to do things better than he did prior to getting the Browns gig.

Either way, Mangini will be judged by the amount of wins and not so much by his secrecy. If he continues the losing ways that the Browns have endured since 1999, then his secret meetings and secret handshakes will get old real quick.

The quarterback is the most polarizing position in all of sports and not telling your team who the starter is because of a possible leak to the media is just true paranoia. Mangini needs to understand that there is not a team in the NFL that fears the Browns no matter who lines up under center.

Mangini will let the rest of world know his decision probably an hour before Sunday’s kickoff. The only thing that matters is that he better be right and it better not be Brett Ratliff.

And oh yeah, Josh Cribbs is still wanting a new contract (WHY HAVE WE NOT REDONE THIS YET FOR HIM!!!) In all this QB "who's gonna start B.S." we kinda forgot that Cribbs was going to hold out if his contract was not redone before the season. No body tell Phil Dawson, or Tom Tupa will be summoned from retirement.

Browns receiver Josh Cribbs said he's "very optimistic" about resolving his contract dispute with the Browns & playing on Sunday.

From Scott at WaitingForNextYear.com:

It appears to be make or break time for Josh Cribbs in regard to his stance on his current contract. If you recall, Cribbs skipped the early portions of the voluntary minicamp with teammate Phil Dawson, as both players were on a strike of sorts due to their respective situations..

Cribbs then was allegedly told to come to camp and that the team would consider increasing his pay - he is currently in the third year of his six-year, $6.7 million deal. Thus, Cribbs came to camp and did not hold out during any portion of the mandatory minicamp.

He did so while putting a bit of a caveat, claiming that he would consider holding out when things mattered most: the regular season. But with the team apparently not budging regarding Cribbs’ quest for a pay increase, will the special teams star stay true to his word?

If judging by this week’s practice, it doesn’t appear so as No. 16 was present at yesterday’s practice as the Browns gear up for opening weekend against the Vikings. And he was doing a lot more than simply giving the defense a look at what they may find in Percy Harvin.

At this stage, Cribbs has very little leverage beyond his importance to the team. If he were to sit out, he would not make any money, forfeiting one week’s salary at the considerably low rate. Even if he were to demand a trade, the team owns his rights through 2012 - the beauty of the NFL contract.

With any contract debate, there are two sides to the story with supporters of each argument. Cribbs signed a six-year deal; he should be required to hold up his end. But in the same, his contract is in no way guaranteed. And while he was “just a special teams guy,” the official depth chart lists Cribbs as the starting wide receiver opposite Braylon Edwards. Needless to say, there are not many starting wide receivers bringing home less than $1 million this season.

Of course, the team may want to see what they can get out of the talented return man in the passing game before they make any moves with their wallet. Regardless of which side of the debate you are on, it appears that even without a new deal, Josh Cribbs will be in uniform come Sunday at 1PM. At this point, he can prove whether or not he is worth more than his current wage.

For the sake of the Browns offense, I hope he more than proves his point.