http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/09/02/crabtree-contract-not-coming-for-a-real-long-time/ So basically, Crabtree will more than likely not play for the 49ers this season. As a draft issue, what mistakes did the 49ers make in drafting Crabtree? To me, the obvious one is a team should NEVER draft a player that highly if they do not run a 40yd dash at some point, either privately or at the Combine.
He wants more than Hayward-Bey got. He feels he is better than Heyward-Bey and therefore should get paid more. He is a loser.
Well, keep in mind there is no way the 49ers could have known that the Raiders would overpay Hayward-Bey, Davis literary dumped a wheel barrel full of cash into Bey's bank account. Now I do no the Browns, who could have used him, thought he was acting like a "diva" just on visits to the Browns HQ. That should have sent up a flare for the Niners.
Crabtree is going to cave at some point and get the deal done. I don't think the 49ers were offering him less money than what his draft position is. If he does something as stupid as sit out until next year's draft, he is going to have to wait until the last day to hear his name called. Even if he does sign sometime soon, his rookie season is a wash. He is not going to be able to contribute anything on offense and I doubt he would play special teams. At this point I agree with Stitches. The only mistake you could argue is that the 49ers drafted the diva receiver instead of picking up someone else.
I have a question in regards to all this. If he doesnt sign and re-enters the draft, are the 49ers just screwed out of that pick? That really really sucks if so....oh, and I agree with Pete, they have done nothing at all wrong. If I was them, I would be on the phone with every other team looking to work a trade. I saw somebody mention The Donkos's throw in Alex Smith and get Brandon Marshall.... just sayin.....
Shouldn't they have factored in the divaness of Crabtree before pulling the trigger? He even acted like a jerk when visted ESPN's studios.
They should of. I know Mike Leach went to bat saying Mangini doesn't know what he was talking about when all the diva questions were being thrown around draft time. I know they couldn't have seen Crabtree claiming this bull crap of wanting top 3 money because he believes he has top 3 talent. That could very well be true, but it wasn't where you were drafted. I say shut up, take a fair contract being offered to you and get your *** on the field. If not, trade his rights for whatever you can get and cut your losses.
Bo Jackson was a better prospect and he fell to the 7th round. I'm sure the Raiders would pull the trigger on him though in the 2nd round which would be kind of funny.
The deadline passed last week to trade his rights. Crabtree's foot injury was a convenient excuse for several teams to pass on Crabtree, and now that I think about it, Crabtree's Diva Flag was flying high enough for even Al Davis to take note... Recall the Raiders selection of Bey was met with consternation when Crabtree was on the board and projected as a top 3 pick...without ever having run a 40yd dash..
Didn't know about the trade deadline. Thought they went by the october trade deadline. When Heyward-Bey ran that 4.30 at the combine, you had to pencil him to the Raiders. Crabtree would of had to have run something in the 4.3 range for the Raiders to have considered him over DHB. Crabtree had the stats, but DHB had the measurables for Al Davis. I hate to say it, but at this point the Raiders have made a better decision than the 49ers which isn't a good way to kick off the Singletary era.
i would find it hilarious for the 49ers to draft him again next year later in the draft. WOW! would that be funny. also, anything past the 3rd, i would pick him in a heart beat.
He is not getting traded...he will not re-enter the draft. He will be a 49er..Crabtree has little or no leverage. Look for him to be signed before Opening Day. Its a game between the agent and the team on who blinks first. His slot and payment go on where he was drafted..not on where he THINKS he should have gone.
I wonder what Deion Sanders and his PrimeU school is thinking....this is blowing up on him as well!!!!!
I think he'll fall much further than that unless the Lions or Raiders plan on picking a wide receiver. I don't see the issue with him not running the 40. He didn't run it but he did participate in mini camp in some team activities and according to reports, he was well on his way recovering from his injury. I don't see what the 49ers did wrong here, its tough to pinpoint a contract holdout. If there's one thing I had to pick out, I think they probably could have a thorough character evaluation. He's holding out like a douche and they're not really doing anything wrong here. They threw the same money that Raji got, at him and he's turned it down. Where do they go from there? I sure as heck wouldn't invest in him. If it was up to me, I wouldn't have drafted him in the first place lol.
Well, what I do think is important is the warning flags were there, when a prospect is considered a Diva by ESPN based on personal interaction with them, there is a problem. What normally happens in the NFL is personality is disregarded in favor of talent/raw ability, for example Andre Smith showing up 40pds over his playing weight, he sent up all sorts of warning signs, but the NFL player acquisition system is just so self conceited they simply do not care about that sort of thing. And that is how busts happen, one of the ways anyway.
I agree there. It was obvious and I'd wager a guess that when Crabtree was on the board, Mike Singletary looked at his scouting department and said "this kid can play. whatever issues he has, I'll straighten them out". When you get told by your head man that he can do the job, you're more than likely to take the risk and that's what they did. Whether it pans out or not is a completely different story but I think the fact is that Crabtree does have a rather small or large ego. (Note: that fact is somewhat of a scientific fact, he may prove us wrong. ) I completely agree and it especially happens when your scouting department hasn't had success in the past by doing exactly that and yet they still retain them. Ironically, the Bengals drafted Andre Smith, the flawed character (and player), and their past history shows that they aren't likely to have much success with a player that has some type of character issue. One thing I've long felt is an issue in the league is ego's but not just with players, but with many coaches as well. Coaches are too stubborn and hung up on their past success or philosophy. As this league changes yearly, the coaches have to adjust or at least the successful ones do. I remember reading a quote from Bill Walsh and Joe Montana, where Joe talked about how flexible and how great of a listener Bill was. In '81 against the Saints, Bill was struggling with playcalling and Joe came to the sideline, told him what he saw from the defense and how they should attack that. Instead of Bill sticking to his game plan that he spent all night working on, he tossed it aside and called plays, from scratch, based on what Joe saw. The 49ers ended up winning that game.
I don't think the 49ers made any mistake by drafting him. He was a premier talent who dropped to them at a position of need. It is very rare for a player to hold out and wait for the next draft. So even with the diva red flags I don't think the team had any info that would reasonably have made them pass. Now it is possible that they made mistakes during their negotiations. While IMO Crabtree's alleged demands sound unreasonable, I realize that I don't have anything close to facts regarding those negotiations.
I think the moral is you never draft a player who thinks they're bigger than the game. The kid's a bum...a hood rat...and you could tell it during the draft when they showed him with his homies all coordinated wearing plain white gangster tshirts. I hope he's dumb enough to hold out and re-enter the draft for "more money", bc even if his contract is higher, it won't be enough money to make up for not getting paid this year.
Alen's right. "God complex" convoluted Singletary's judgement. Mike thought he was tough enough to steer Crab down the right path....but that's taking for granted you can even sign him in the first place. You gotta own him before you can control him. LOL
If he holds out and re-enters the draft next year, I guarantee he falls down alot. Maybe somewhere in the late first early second. And, he'll get a smaller contract, too.
Yeah, somebody is giving this kid REALLY bad advice, and I have a feeling it has been for awhile. If he holds out till next year, he will make but a small portion of what the 49ers have already thrown out on the table. Sometimes, its better to shut your mouth, eat some humble pie and just F-in prove it. Unfortunaely, he isnt doing any of those right now.
If he's drafted in the late first or early second next year, the owner of that club should consider giving his director of player personnel and his coaches an IQ test, IMO. Yes, Crabtree has some talent but if he sits out a year - which I don't think will happen - and you still draft him in the first round then you're asking for a draft blunder. My brain is fried at the moment but didn't Mike Williams sit out a whole year, enter the draft and the Lions - scratch that, Matt Millen - still took him tenth overall or so?
Yep, the only time I've seen sitting out a year work is either the player was playing another professional sport ala Bo Jackson, or the guy was injured and legitimately could improve their draft position via rehab ala exphin Craig Erickson.
Alen, I agree that it is a risk drafting him because of his attitude. But one team will draft him in the late first round, early second round if he slips that far next season. He is far too talented, and a team will take a chance on him.
Yea but guys with first round talent and UDFA heads go later than they should. I'm not saying it's not going to happen, but after the Mike Williams fiasco, teams are going to be gun shy. What's stopping him from wanting top 3 money if he sits out next year no matter where he is drafted. He could make the argument that he is the best WR in the draft again and pull the same crap with a different team. I'd rather take a guy like Dez Bryant or Arrelious Benn before I would even touch Crabtree.
Its not just his diva like attitude. Its his willingness to learn and his work ethic. Like I said earlier, if it was up to me, I wouldn't have taken him in the first place. If a team is willing to take on those flaws and try to change them around then all the power to them but I think more teams than not would pass on him and let him slide quite a bit.
I respect that, but at the same time, all this PLUS a bag of chips was also said about Randy Moss.... 1. Before he was drafted. 2. After he was being shipped out of Minnesota 3. After he was being shipped out of Oakland. He had all the same bad attributes PLUS had been kicked out of a major university for smoking pot...several times. He was also lazy, had no work ethic and constantly took plays off.......just sayin.......
No work ethic? I believe Randy's work ethic has been brought in the past and its said to be one of the better ones in the league. There's a reason he's still so damn good. He does take plays off though. Also, if Crabtree had Moss' talents, I wouldn't be discussing this much at all, honestly.
Crabtree doesn't have an ounce of Moss's talent though. A WR like Moss comes around every decade. Calvin Johnson compares to him best.
completely agree!! Crab is not even close to the total package to be considered an NFL great like Moss or Calvin. He needs to grow 3 more inches and boost his forty by 2 tenths if he wants to be in their league....oh yeah, and lose the attitude. He was a man among boys in college, but he might only be a man among men in the NFL.
Even if Moss was lazy then, he was still 3-4 inches taller and the fastest guy on the field. Can't say the same about Crab. He's not even worth top 10 money IMO. I would've rather traded down to grab Nicks or Britt and used the extra 2nd or 3rd round pick to help an OLine that ONLY allowed 54 sacks last year. What's the point of Drafting a WR at #10 if your QB spends more time on his back than Brittany Spears?!
