Michael Crabtree

[deep9er]

Contractual leverage refers to the business side of football. This condition occurs when a player has been given 'starter money' whether from an extension, free agency or perhaps a '1st round' contract.

Players to us, the fans, are athletes or even icons, however to the owners of a team they are just investments and the only way an owner can realize a return on those investments is if they are playing.

Coaching staffs are under a lot of pressure to make sure the 'money' is on the field, thus creating contractual leverage over the other players at that position.

Most of the time the money is right and should be on the field, but sometimes it isn't and that is when players with equal talent (but a smaller contract) or those with a higher ceiling get lost in the shuffle.

IMO, Crabtree was and remains a bad investment that continues to see more playing time than his ability and/or production warrants. This is partially because of his contract. Thus when the balls are 'rolled out', to use your phrase, the playing field isn't necessarily level.

Edit: My Crimson comments were referring to him reminding me that Morgan is a FA this year and thus we would need to sign Morgan prior to releasing Crabtree if that is our intention. You write just fine as far as I'm concerned...

ok, thanks for the explanation.

 

[deep9er]

if kyle williams comes back as the punt returner someone or multiple ppl need to be fired.

if he makes the team as a WR, he'll likely be the back-up PR?

won't have an issue with back-up PR, there's only so many roster spots.

 

[deep9er]

I think Ginn is gone. The team will go harder after re-signing Morgan and let Ginn test the market. Ginn only returns to us if a.) he wants to, b.) no one else makes him an offer. (sorta like what happened with Goldson last year)

Our return man for next year will be Kyle Williams or a player from the draft. You may even see Hunter back there.

I'm just guessing of course, but I think our plan at WR will be to re-sign Morgan, go after a FA, and then draft one in the first 3 rounds.

I don't see the team doing anything with Crabtree. They will look at film see he was picking it up late in the season and give him a chance to build off of that, but I don't see him being the #1 receiver next year and he may not even be #2. If Crabtree wants to be a star WR in this league he will have to work hard to prove himself next year.

He needs to be a more reliable target for the QB and show that he will fight for the ball in the air. He started doing it late in the year, but then disappeared in the playoffs. He and Alex really need an offseason together to work on routes so here is hoping he stays injury free.

would think the same with 1) sign a FA; and 2) draft a WR. if the FA is something like Bowe, VJ, etc., then 2) could be in any round.

isn't it too early to think sign Morgan? coming off a major injury i'd think a safer "workout" type contract to see how he performs off-season? a contract where they could cut him without a 'big' commitment.

 

[Flyingiguana]

if he makes the team as a WR, he'll likely be the back-up PR?

won't have an issue with back-up PR, there's only so many roster spots.

reggie smith should be the back up PR as he should have been going into the playoff game and definately after kyle dove for a fair catch.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Chris Culliver was a great returner in college. It might be worth giving him a shot.

 

[RedneckNiner]

Trade Crabby in a heartbeat for a 3r or 4th. Ill even through in Kyle Williams for an empty beer can.

 

[imac_21]

Trade Crabby in a heartbeat for a 3r or 4th. Ill even through in Kyle Williams for an empty beer can.

That leaves us with zero WRs.

 

[MW49ers5]

I think the leverage argument is generally valid, but I don't think it bears much here. Neither Baalke nor Harbaugh has any particular loyalty to Crabtree. He wasn't their pick. This season, they were perfectly willing to let Spencer sit on the bench under similar circumstances.

Other than perhaps Morgan pre-injury, no one was a legitimate threat to Crabtree as our #1 receiver, much less as a starter. From game four on, he was clearly our go-to guy, with no one else consistently getting involved. I have trouble believing that only happened due to his contract. Ginn and Williams both had ample opportunity to step up and neither really did it. I'm not saying they can't, especially in Williams' case. But they didn't this year.

An Owner, GM & HC will each have similar and different types and likely different levels of loyalty or vested interest either in and/or to a player.

Was some of Crabtree's playing time this year due to contract leverage? I believe the answer is absolutely. How much, however, is difficult to measure, especially with the injuries to both Edwards and then Morgan.

Here is what we do know. In 2009 we drafted Crabtree to be 'a' and 'our' #1 WR. In 2010, Crabtree was our undisputed #1 WR. By early August 2011 Crabtree was rightfully demoted from being our #1 WR.

By default, on October 16th, 2011, Crabtree was once again our undisputed #1 WR. Beginning next season Crabtree will once again be demoted from being our #1 WR, and will likely never again, unless by default, be our #1 WR.

So, has Jed received a relatively fair [performance/production/financial] return on his investment - not even close.

At some point in the near future, if they haven't already, Jim and his coaching staff, Trent, Paraag & Jed will meet to discuss among other things how they want to pursue ours and other FA's this off-season.

So, let's say we have Morgan contracted when Crabtree's name comes up for discussion, what decision would you make?

 

[RedneckNiner]

0 Wide receivers, thats about what we had in the NFC Championship game. But trades free up salary to pursue a real wide receiver in FA. I would like to See Morgan resigned, and the niners to target Bowe,Colston, Vincent Jackson, and them use at least one pick preferarbly first round pick in the draft on a wide receiver.

 

[clyde_carbon]

Everyone knows how I feel, and always felt, about Crabtree, and maybe I might have misunderstood, but are people really saying that Crabtree isn't even a #4 WR in this league?

 

[clyde_carbon]

Where can we get one of these?

 

[clyde_carbon]

Crabtree can only dream about making girls open their legs when he catches balls.

 

[BINGO]

We really need Juron Criner! Alex Smith has a tendency to throw high, and I am confident that Criner would be the type of receiver that can constently adjust and make those tough Larry Fitzgerald / Brandon Lloyd type like acrobatic catches (bailing Smith out).

 

[Crimsoncrew]

An Owner, GM & HC will each have similar and different types and likely different levels of loyalty or vested interest either in and/or to a player.

Was some of Crabtree's playing time this year due to contract leverage? I believe the answer is absolutely. How much, however, is difficult to measure, especially with the injuries to both Edwards and then Morgan.

Here is what we do know. In 2009 we drafted Crabtree to be 'a' and 'our' #1 WR. In 2010, Crabtree was our undisputed #1 WR. By early August 2011 Crabtree was rightfully demoted from being our #1 WR.

By default, on October 16th, 2011, Crabtree was once again our undisputed #1 WR. Beginning next season Crabtree will once again be demoted from being our #1 WR, and will likely never again, unless by default, be our #1 WR.

So, has Jed received a relatively fair [performance/production/financial] return on his investment - not even close.

At some point in the near future, if they haven't already, Jim and his coaching staff, Trent, Paraag & Jed will meet to discuss among other things how they want to pursue ours and other FA's this off-season.

So, let's say we have Morgan contracted when Crabtree's name comes up for discussion, what decision would you make?

I wouldn't consider it a demotion given that he was injured for the entirety of camp.

I would keep Crabtree, regardless of the outcome with Morgan. I think Crabtree is more consistent than Morgan at this point.

 

[h0ckeysk83r]

Crabtree is still a # 2 at best right now. Im not sold on giving him up just yet, but if they needed too free up more money to get anoher bigger piece then i wouldnt be too mad. We get a #1 WR and pair it with Crabs, Morgan, or a draft pick then we should be good. We never even know who may come out of nowhere UDFA? Bogan? Maybe someone new this yr? Who knows.

 

[Yadahell]

We really need Juron Criner! Alex Smith has a tendency to throw high, and I am confident that Criner would be the type of receiver that can constently adjust and make those tough Larry Fitzgerald / Brandon Lloyd type like acrobatic catches (bailing Smith out).

What round would you snag him?

 

[MW49ers5]

I wouldn't consider it a demotion given that he was injured for the entirety of camp.

I would keep Crabtree, regardless of the outcome with Morgan. I think Crabtree is more consistent than Morgan at this point.

Injured, yes, but not 'out for the season', or, in fact out for any length of time beyond TC. It was common knowledge that Crabtree would be back in time for the season opener. As an example, if Gore missed training camp because of a nagging injury but was expected back by the opener, we wouldn't go out and sign Adrian Peterson unless...???

Even now with Crabtree perfectly healthy and ending this season as our #1 WR, we all know our top priority for this off-season is to bring in someone to replace Crabtree in that slot on the depth chart. So, we'll have to disagree on the demotion point.

I'm not sure how you are defining consistency, but by nearly all technical and statistical definitions of the word, Morgan out paces Crabtree by a noticeable margin beginning in 2010. That said, Crabtree's last 6 to 8 games of 2011 were excellent and brought him a lot closer to Morgan.

If Crabtree can continue playing next season how finished playing this season (playoffs excluded) then he would be in the same range of consistency as Morgan and we would have two excellent possession receivers.

I think Morgan is often underrated perhaps due to his draft slot; and, by contrast I think Crabtree is often overrated for perhaps the same reason.

 

[AU_Fever]

I'm not sure this perception is accurate. Crabtree's comments in the past have shown a touch of delusion (I've never had a problem dropping the ball, I'm getting open just not seeing the ball, etc.), but on the field he has generally demonstrated a team first attitude. He has been a willing blocker this season. Until the aftermath of this game, he hasn't made any disparaging remarks about his teammates. In the recent case, he was getting grilled about disappearing in the playoffs, following a devastating loss, and he got defensive. He's a socially awkward guy, but I really don't believe he's the diva he's been portrayed as. I think he's just a loner who is uncomfortable being in the public eye.

As for the article, I thought it was a fair consideration of the dilemma. I think we keep Crabtree. His contract isn't exorbitant, and he's signed for three more seasons barring a pro bowl year next year. Given Fitz, Megatron, Jennings, White, and Steve Smith, not to mention Nicks and Cruz, that's unlikely. I believe a decent chunk of his contract is tied up in workout bonuses.

I know some disagree, but I think Crabtree is a pretty solid second receiver. People are letting his disappearance in the playoffs overshadow what really was a pretty good second half of the season. And we are so thin at WR right now that we'd have to make multiple moves at the position to even consider parting with Crabtree. So he gets at least another year to step up and make some more plays. Hopefully he gets in for the offseason workouts, improves his rapport with Smith, and stops with the easy drops.[/QUOTE]

I agree about the offseason workouts. He needs to be healthy and work with Smith. He has missed most of the offseason workouts his first three years in the league.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Injured, yes, but not 'out for the season', or, in fact out for any length of time beyond TC. It was common knowledge that Crabtree would be back in time for the season opener. As an example, if Gore missed training camp because of a nagging injury but was expected back by the opener, we wouldn't go out and sign Adrian Peterson unless...???

Even now with Crabtree perfectly healthy and ending this season as our #1 WR, we all know our top priority for this off-season is to bring in someone to replace Crabtree in that slot on the depth chart. So, we'll have to disagree on the demotion point.

I'm not sure how you are defining consistency, but by nearly all technical and statistical definitions of the word, Morgan out paces Crabtree by a noticeable margin beginning in 2010. That said, Crabtree's last 6 to 8 games of 2011 were excellent and brought him a lot closer to Morgan.

If Crabtree can continue playing next season how finished playing this season (playoffs excluded) then he would be in the same range of consistency as Morgan and we would have two excellent possession receivers.

I think Morgan is often underrated perhaps due to his draft slot; and, by contrast I think Crabtree is often overrated for perhaps the same reason.

Apparently you're referring to the addition of Edwards? I thought you were implying that Morgan had bumped Crabtree, which I don't agree with. I read the Edwards move as an attempt to get another starting-caliber receiver to play alongside Crabtree. Obviously the hope was that Edwards would be our #1, but that was never guaranteed. And Crabtree was still intended to be a starter, so demotion isn't really an accurate term in this context IMO. When healthy, Crabtree has always been a starter and turned out to be our go-to receiver all season.

As far as the Gore comparison, it has virtually no bearing here. First, you only start one RB as opposed to two WRs. There is every indication that we still expected Crabtree to be a starter despite adding Edwards. Second, if we had a chance to bring in arguably the best RB in the league, you're damn right we would have done it. But Edwards is hardly the best WR in the league. A more apt comparison might be if we had a chance to bring in DeAngelo Williams on a one-year deal. I think we would have done that in a second if he came in at a bargain price.

This offseason, our top priority in my mind is to get another starting caliber WR to play alongside Crabtree. Ideally that person will become our go-to guy, but I'm not entirely sold that will happen this season. Crabtree isn't assured a starting job, but assuming we bring Morgan back and either draft a WR high or get one of the big names in FA, I think Crabtree still starts. If we draft one high and get a big-name FA, Crabtree might be in danger of losing his slot. But that's next year, not this past year. I never claimed Crabtree was a true #1 receiver, just that he's been our #1 receiver.

Finally, re: consistency, my biggest complaint with Morgan is his tendency to disappear in games for long stretches. Obviously Crabtree has done that from time to time as well, but until this year, Morgan had never really strung together more than two good games. Even this year Morgan he didn't string together multiple games that suggest he's anything more than a tolerable second receiver. I think he is better as a third guy. Crabtree put together quite a few good games toward the end of this season, and would be an ideal #2 guy to play opposite a big-play threat.

I'm not sure what statistical measure you are looking at when you claim that Morgan is more consistent. This season he seemed to get over his own struggles with drops, but prior to this year that was as big a problem for him as it's been for Crabtree. And as said, Morgan has a tendency to disappear in games much more often than Crabtree.

I like Morgan, but I don't think he has ever shown much sustained consistency. I'm not crazy about Crabtree, but IMO he's the best we've got right now, including our own FAs.

 

[BINGO]

What round would you snag him?

It all depends to what our medical doctors have to say about his past injury/illness? There has been several contradictory reports out there about him missing games (illness and off field problems). I would draft him in the 2nd round now.