CLEVELAND — Browns receiver plans to boycott the team’s voluntary minicamp this week unless progress is made on his contract by 5 p.m.
tonight, a source told The Plain Dealer this morning. The minicamp is Tuesday through Thursday. Cribbs, who made the Pro Bowl last season, signed a six-year extension in 2007 — before becoming a special teams star — worth $6 million, including $2 million guaranteed. Former Browns general manager Phil Savage promised Cribbs in training camp last season that the team would take care of him this offseason, the source said. After Savage was fired, Cribbs received a call from Browns owner Randy Lerner saying that the team would still fulfill the promise. But Cribbs has made no progress with the new regime of coach Eric Mangini and general manager George Kokinis. An e-mail seeking response from Kokinis and Mangini was not immediately returned. Cribbs was told by Kokinis that his deal would get done after the draft, but it’s been almost a month with no progress. Last week, at a charity event, Cribbs said he was excited about the season because he was playing both receiver and strong safety. “I’m going to defensive meetings and offensive meetings,” he said. But he won’t be going to anything else until the substantial progress is made, the source said. That includes the minicamps this week and next week, and the organized team activities in the first week of June.
Cribbs is believed to be seeking at least what Chicago’s Devin Hester received from the Bears last year: $40 million over four years with $15 million guaranteed.