Why SF Should Keep Crabtree

[NinerSickness]

I think you grossly underestimate Crabtree, Sick. Once Kap took over in 2012, Crab's numbers were top-10 (extrapolate to 1408 yards and 13 TDs). When healthy, he is a very good receiver. If he's not elite, he's close IMO.

Crabtree's made 14 starts & racked up 879 yards with Dipshit at QB. That extrapolates to 1004 yards over 16 seasons.

It's crazy how much undeserved credit Crabtree gets from 49er fans. He's a good receiver, but he's not a franchise guy like... oh say Larry Fitzgerald. In fact I'd take either starting WR on the Cardinals over Crabtree.

 

[AU_Fever]

He's a very good receiver and has great hands. Is he worth $10 mil per year? Marshall was the highest paid WR last year at $9.1 mill (base pay). I don't think he should get $10 mill per year, but he plays an integral part offensively. When healthy, he's productive like in 2012.

 

[NinerSickness]

He's a very good receiver and has great hands. Is he worth $10 mil per year? Marshall was the highest paid WR last year at $9.1 mill (base pay). I don't think he should get $10 mill per year, but he plays an integral part offensively. When healthy, he's productive like in 2012.

You can't look at just base salary to say who's the highest-paid WR.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Crabtree's made 14 starts & racked up 879 yards with Dipshit at QB. That extrapolates to 1004 yards over 16 seasons.

It's crazy how much undeserved credit Crabtree gets from 49er fans. He's a good receiver, but he's not a franchise guy like... oh say Larry Fitzgerald. In fact I'd take either starting WR on the Cardinals over Crabtree.

Not sure how you're getting 14 starts and 879 yards. I've got 18 starts, counting the playoffs, and 1215 yards, for a season average of 1080 and 8 TDs. Either way, though, it's somewhat beside the point given that this year he was playing when he was clearly far from 100% after coming back from a devastating injury. I was only looking at 2012, though I realize now I didn't say that in my post.

I'm certainly not arguing that Crabtree is a franchise receiver right now, nor do I think we should pay him as such. But he is a very good receiver with the chance to be great if he can get back to 100% and keeps working on his chemistry with Kap.

 

[NinerSickness]

Not sure how you're getting 14 starts and 879 yards. I've got 18 starts, counting the playoffs, and 1215 yards, for a season average of 1080 and 8 TDs.

That's a far cry from 1400 + & 13 TDs. I was using his regular-season starts with Kaepernick at QB.

There are so many better ways to improve the team than holding on to one of the most overrated WRs in the game. Don't let the 49ers' jersey fool you; he's not a great WR. He's a good WR. Good WRs are as replaceable as replaceable gets.

Meanwhile, the team has no starting CB, CB, FS or center. And the return game is crap. And 2 all-pro's (Aldon & Iupati) are coming up towards the end of their contracts.

 

[purguy12]

Well most experts have Crabtree in the top 10. So I will listen to them instead of someones opinion on here. Crabtree has one of the best hands in football and makes a lot of clutch catches and moves the chains.

I would take crabtree on my team.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

That's a far cry from 1400 + & 13 TDs. I was using his regular-season starts with Kaepernick at QB.

Yes, it is. But again, five of those games were returning from a very serious injury. He showed clear improvement as he played this past year, and should be back to normal next year. Normal with Kaepernick at QB, Crabtree was basically elite.

There are so many better ways to improve the team than holding on to one of the most overrated WRs in the game. Don't let the 49ers' jersey fool you; he's not a great WR. He's a good WR. Good WRs are as replaceable as replaceable gets.

I don't disagree. Obviously we should sign Aldon Smith over Crabtree. Iupati is something of a tossup IMO. Both guys have some injury issues, and we have done a good job of finding and developing OGs. Good WRs may be very replaceable, but we haven't shown any ability whatsoever to find/develop them. Much as it's painful, that has to factor into our decision. Crabtree is the only homegrown talent we've had at WR since TO.

Meanwhile, the team has no starting CB, CB, FS or center. And the return game is crap. And 2 all-pro's (Aldon & Iupati) are coming up towards the end of their contracts.

That is true (though I think one starting CB spot is at least adequate, and I'm assuming you meant SS instead of FS), and I'm not saying we should break the bank for Crabtree. Just saying that I think you rate him too low, even as you criticize others for rating him too high.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Well most experts have Crabtree in the top 10. So I will listen to them instead of someones opinion on here. Crabtree has one of the best hands in football and makes a lot of clutch catches and moves the chains.

I would take crabtree on my team.

They do? I'd be surprised if you could cite even a single example.

 

[NinerSickness]

Well most experts have Crabtree in the top 10.

Most experts? Like Colin Kaepernick and Colin Kaepernick's turtle & Michael Crabtree himself? I honestly don't read his blog, so I'm missing these numerous top 10 lists with Crabtree's name on it.

 

[badazzk9]

Top ten? Wr's better than Crabby in no particular order:

1 Calvin Johnson
2 A.J. Green
3 Dez Bryant
4 Vincent Jackson
5 Antonio Brown
6 Brandon Marshall
7 Josh Gordon
8 Alshon Jeffery
9 Larry Fitzgerald
10 Demaryius Thomas
11 Steve Smith
12 Julio Jones
13 Victor Cruz
14 Andre Johnson
15 Pierre Garcon
16 Roddy White
17 Reggie Wayne
18 Justin Blackmon
19 Torrey Smith
20 Anquan Boldin

Here is a list of 20 WR's better than Crabby. There are more guys to list but 20 seems enough when you are trying to say that he is better then 10 of these players. Also this coming year there will be younger guys coming out that will show that they are better then injury prone Crabby.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Top ten? Wr's better than Crabby in no particular order:

1 Calvin Johnson
2 A.J. Green
3 Dez Bryant
4 Vincent Jackson
5 Antonio Brown
6 Brandon Marshall
7 Josh Gordon
8 Alshon Jeffery
9 Larry Fitzgerald
10 Demaryius Thomas
11 Steve Smith
12 Julio Jones
13 Victor Cruz
14 Andre Johnson
15 Pierre Garcon
16 Roddy White
17 Reggie Wayne
18 Justin Blackmon
19 Torrey Smith
20 Anquan Boldin

Here is a list of 20 WR's better than Crabby. There are more guys to list but 20 seems enough when you are trying to say that he is better then 10 of these players. Also this coming year there will be younger guys coming out that will show that they are better then injury prone Crabby.

Steve Smith? Not at this point. I'd also take a healthy Crabtree over Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin. Blackmon's sample size is just too small. He's had two or three huge games, but he's only broken 80 yards receiving in four games, and only has six career TDs. Not to mention the off-the-field stuff. I think a healthy Crabtree is at least in the ballpark of a healthy Roddy White these days, too.

Outside of that, it's too hard to disagree with this list, though Jeffery benefits a lot from playing opposite Marshall.

 

[NinerSickness]

I'd add Michael Floyd to that list.

I also think Justin Hunter, Cordarrelle Patterson, Deandre Hopkins & Keenan Allen will soon be rated higher than injury-prone Crabby.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

I'd add Michael Floyd to that list.

I also think Justin Hunter, Cordarrelle Patterson, Deandre Hopkins & Keenan Allen will soon be rated higher than injury-prone Crabby.

Might these guys be better at some point? Sure. Are they better as of fall 2014? No.

 

[badazzk9]

I'd add Michael Floyd to that list.

I also think Justin Hunter, Cordarrelle Patterson, Deandre Hopkins & Keenan Allen will soon be rated higher than injury-prone Crabby.

Those would be some of the young guys that I implied... but yes you are right about them. When its all said and done does Crabby even make the top 32? That's a ways from top 10.

 

[NinerSickness]

Might these guys be better at some point? Sure. Are they better as of fall 2014? No.

I think most of them will be by winter 2014. Michael Floyd already is IMO.

If the Niners were smart they would've traded the overrated Crabtree last offseason & drafted another possession receiver to replace him like Keenen Allen. Would've been cheaper, and they would've gotten 4 years out of him.

I think Terrance Williams deserves consideration on that list as well. Forgot about him.

 

[badazzk9]

Steve Smith? Not at this point. I'd also take a healthy Crabtree over Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin. Blackmon's sample size is just too small. He's had two or three huge games, but he's only broken 80 yards receiving in four games, and only has six career TDs. Not to mention the off-the-field stuff. I think a healthy Crabtree is at least in the ballpark of a healthy Roddy White these days, too.

Outside of that, it's too hard to disagree with this list, though Jeffery benefits a lot from playing opposite Marshall.

I would say Crabby benefits from VD and a strong run game as well. Biggest thing when people talk about Crabby is "if/when hes healthy" guy seems to have a foot related injury every year. When he has been healthy he plays OK but nothing spectacular.

 

[Jakology]

What's the big deal if you just give him a smaller deal no more than 3 years? I'm sure he'll understand that he's going to struggle to find a long term deal somewhere due to his injury history. You can't afford to lose weapons. Kaep is already shaky as it is.

 

[badazzk9]

Players to add:

21 T.Y. Hilton
22 Hakeem Nicks
23 Mike Wallace
24 DeAndre Hopkins
25 Michael Floyd
26 Keenen Allen
27 Justin Hunter
28 Cordarrelle Patterson
29 DeSean Jackson
30 Wes Welker
31 Marques Colston
32 Dwayn Bowe
33 Greg Jennings
34 DaRick Rodger?
35 Green bay receivers?

That gives 32+ players that are arguably better than Crabby... Top 10?

 

[sjballer03]

Players to add:

21 T.Y. Hilton
22 Hakeem Nicks
23 Mike Wallace
24 DeAndre Hopkins
25 Michael Floyd
26 Keenen Allen
27 Justin Hunter
28 Cordarrelle Patterson
29 DeSean Jackson
30 Wes Welker
31 Marques Colston
32 Dwayn Bowe
33 Greg Jennings
34 DaRick Rodger?
35 Green bay receivers?

That gives 32+ players that are arguably better than Crabby... Top 10?

This list just depresses me. Quite a few young WRs with lots of promise. And we didn't draft a single one of them.

 

[sjballer03]

Players to add:

21 T.Y. Hilton
22 Hakeem Nicks
23 Mike Wallace
24 DeAndre Hopkins
25 Michael Floyd
26 Keenen Allen
27 Justin Hunter
28 Cordarrelle Patterson
29 DeSean Jackson
30 Wes Welker
31 Marques Colston
32 Dwayn Bowe
33 Greg Jennings
34 DaRick Rodger?
35 Green bay receivers?

That gives 32+ players that are arguably better than Crabby... Top 10?

This list just depresses me. A few young WRs on that list with lots of promise. And we didn't draft a single one of them.