Count Josh Cribbs among those wishing the Cleveland Browns would pump the brakes on yet another regime change.
"I hate that we rebuild every year," Cribbs told The Associated Press on Thursday. "It's not a good recipe for successful football."
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Cribbs has been a fan favorite since joining the Browns in 2005. The return specialist has seen Romeo Crennel fired and replaced by Eric Mangini, who was fired and replaced by Pat Shurmur. Now it's widely believed Shurmur won't survive the next round of cuts orchestrated by new Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III and CEO Joe Banner.
"A lot of people don't get a fair shake in this business, whether it be the quarterbacks or the regime," Cribbs said. "(Shurmur and Co.) came in during the lockout, now the owner decided to sell the team. It's just so unfortunate the way the nature of the business is.
"But I'll tell you one thing, we're geared up to win this last game, to give it our best shot because this win, a sweep of Pittsburgh, would do a lot for this city and might do a lot for the coaching staff as well. Finishing strong is the biggest thing at this point."
We posted earlier about Shurmur understanding his time in Cleveland might be over. His full quotes arrived later in the process.
"I think we've made improvements," Shurmur said of his two seasons with the Browns. "Some may say not fast enough, but I think we've made improvements. I think we came into a less-than-ideal situation when we got here. ... We have not won enough football games, and I know that's the way this thing works, but in our situation, I see improvement, and I'll leave it at that."
The Browns (5-10) have burned through regimes in manic fashion since returning to the NFL in 1999. They've hired five coaches and one interim coach since their relaunch. On the field -- and even more sordid – the team is threatening to start its 18th quarterback in 14 seasons if Thad Lewis gets the nod Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's enough to make grown men cry.
Maybe the next round of changes flips the magic switch, but Cribbs -- and an agitated, restless fan base -- have seen this act before.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
