Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians would love to get Josh Cribbs in the fold as soon as possible. Arians knows how impactful he can be right off the bat.
“I would love to have him if he can get healthy,” Arians said at the NFC coaches breakfast on Wednesday. “He’s a dynamic player in a lot of phases, not just special teams. Obviously he’s one of the best [special teams players] ever. But I think he can do some things offensively to help us become more dynamic.”
According to Cribbs’ agent, JR Rickert, Cribbs passed his physical with the Cardinals on Monday. Arizona however, has chosen to be careful and wait on signing Cribbs until he’s fully recovered, which could take a month or more.
In his eight years with the Browns, Cribbs amassed over 10,000 kickoff return yards and took eight returns to the house. Cribbs all-purpose play earned him a spot on the NFL’s All-Purpose Team of the 2000’s.
That all-purpose nature Cribbs brings to the table has visions dancing in Arians’ head.
“I’m not a Wildcat guy, but he can get his hands on the football quickly without taking it from the quarterback and using him in a lot of different ways with a package,” Arians said.
Arians isn’t opposed to using Cribbs in the backfield as well, once he comes on board.
“I think possibly,” Arians said. “He’s such a big, physical guy. Whether he could play in the backfield, I’d have to find out. I’d like to get my hands on him and find out about a couple things he can do as a receiver and a back.”
Cribbs caught a career high 41 passes in 2011. Being used as a receiver in his vertical passing system intrigues Arians too.
“That’s the part I’d like to get my hands on to find out about,” Arians said. “Get him out on the grass and see what his positives and his negatives are as a receiver. I know once he gets his hands on the football how dynamic he can be. It’s where do you put him to get his hands on the football.”
