Browns returner Joshua Cribbs believes the new kickoff rules adopted by the NFL will make players like him obsolete. "I totally disagree (with the rule change)," Cribbs said. "I don't think they take special teams serious enough. You can say you're making it safer for players, but that's part of it, not taking special teams serious enough. That ticks me off, because we, the Cleveland Browns, win games on special teams." The change was actually more modest than originally proposed. The suggested placement of the ball at the 25-yard line, rather than the 20, on touchbacks was nixed, as was elimination of the two-man wedge. However, the line of scrimmage for the kickoff was moved from the 30 to the 35, and the pre-kick running start for the coverage team has been limited to 5 yards. The moves by the NFL's competition committee were made to promote player safety. "I was listening to (some) of the owners speak about how player safety trumps athletic, entertainment ability," Cribbs said. "But we have yet to see any proof or anything that says most of the injuries happen on kickoffs or kickoff returns, and this is why, so we need to move it up 5 yards and it will eliminate it. I just don't see the relevance in the 5-yard rule. All I see is the lack of opportunity that will occur because of that rule." He later said he "appreciate(s) the concern. I really appreciate that. But the motives I question."