Who Would You Say Michael Crabtree Compares to in the NFL?

I know we have heard people say he is like a cross between T.O. and Steve Smith, but I see flashes of Wes Welker too! Maybe also Brandon Marshall... or Andre Johnson!






[ Edited by PTulini on Jun 18, 2009 at 22:31:15 ]

While your thinking about it take the time to vote too!

http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/thread.php?num=125287

Originally posted by PTulini:
In my opinion, that is who I think of when I watch Michael Crabtree highlights. I know we have heard people say he is like a cross between T.O. and Steve Smith, but I see flashes of Wes Welker too!

I think of Welker more as a reliable possession reciever - the kind of guy who will always be open on 3rd downs to help you pick up a first.

Crabtree, based on highlights I've seen and his playing style, is probably more in the mold of a big-play reciever but he also has range and good hands.

Tough to say really. How he produces will depend a lot on the type of reciever they line up opposite him. If it's a speedy, stretch-the-field kind of guy then Crabtree might be used more like Wes Welker.

[ Edited by scopur49er on Jun 18, 2009 at 11:58:04 ]

Originally posted by scopur49er:

Originally posted by PTulini:
In my opinion, that is who I think of when I watch Michael Crabtree highlights. I know we have heard people say he is like a cross between T.O. and Steve Smith, but I see flashes of Wes Welker too!

I think of Welker more as a reliable possession reciever - the kind of guy who will always be open on 3rd downs to help you pick up a first.

Crabtree, based on highlights I've seen and his playing style, is probably more in the mold of a big-play reciever but he also has range and good hands.

Tough to say really. How he produces will depend a lot on the type of reciever they line up opposite him. If it's a speedy, stretch-the-field kind of guy then Crabtree might be used more like Wes Welker.

Exactly hard to say what Crabs will be in the league but form watchign college highlights I don't see him resembling Welker at all.

Originally posted by lamontb:

Originally posted by scopur49er:

Originally posted by PTulini:
In my opinion, that is who I think of when I watch Michael Crabtree highlights. I know we have heard people say he is like a cross between T.O. and Steve Smith, but I see flashes of Wes Welker too!

I think of Welker more as a reliable possession reciever - the kind of guy who will always be open on 3rd downs to help you pick up a first.

Crabtree, based on highlights I've seen and his playing style, is probably more in the mold of a big-play reciever but he also has range and good hands.

Tough to say really. How he produces will depend a lot on the type of reciever they line up opposite him. If it's a speedy, stretch-the-field kind of guy then Crabtree might be used more like Wes Welker.

Exactly hard to say what Crabs will be in the league but form watchign college highlights I don't see him resembling Welker at all.

I agree. I think there really is no comparison to Crabtree and Welker. I think a much better comparison would be Steve Smith and Wes Welker.

He's a little bit darker.

I see Crabtree as a potential game breaker and a highlight reel type of player. Wes Welker is a very productive reciever, but he's not the type of player that's going to make a one handed catch while being double covered or break tackles left and right for a long touchdown. Bottom line is Wes Welker produces. Until we see Michael Crabtree on the field we can't truly compare these two on top of the fact that they don't play the same position at reciever. Wes Welker is one of the toughest recievers in the NFL IMO.

~NinerLunatic

Originally posted by lamontb:

Originally posted by scopur49er:

Originally posted by PTulini:
In my opinion, that is who I think of when I watch Michael Crabtree highlights. I know we have heard people say he is like a cross between T.O. and Steve Smith, but I see flashes of Wes Welker too!

I think of Welker more as a reliable possession reciever - the kind of guy who will always be open on 3rd downs to help you pick up a first.

Crabtree, based on highlights I've seen and his playing style, is probably more in the mold of a big-play reciever but he also has range and good hands.

Tough to say really. How he produces will depend a lot on the type of reciever they line up opposite him. If it's a speedy, stretch-the-field kind of guy then Crabtree might be used more like Wes Welker.

Exactly hard to say what Crabs will be in the league but form watchign college highlights I don't see him resembling Welker at all.

Ya...Welker reminds me more of the scat, uber-fast wideouts from the Run-N-Shoot back in the day.

Crabtree reminds me of John Taylor.

If your talking about the routes they run, well then yes, they both know how to run the bubble screen very well. Welker ran it at Texas Tech and is STILL running variations of it in New England.

Hopefully Jimmy Raye will incorporate some of that.

From a physical standpoint tho, I think Welker and Crabtree are very different players.

Originally posted by jreff22:
He's a little bit darker.

YaH what he said......

absolutly nothing

Bigger, not as Fast
I think hes more like Boldin but faster. Tough to bring down

[ Edited by MADMIKE on Jun 18, 2009 at 12:33:42 ]

I think Crabs is comparable to Crabs

It's hard to say. We'll have to wait and see how he develops. You can't really go off what he did in college, because he'll be playing against a different caliber of competition now. In college he was probably the best athlete on the field week in and week out. In the NFL he may not even be the best athlete on his team. Personally I think he'll end up a combo type player. A guy that can make the big play from time to time, but is still a solid possession receiver.

Originally posted by BMore9ersfan:
It's hard to say. We'll have to wait and see how he develops. You can't really go off what he did in college, because he'll be playing against a different caliber of competition now. In college he was probably the best athlete on the field week in and week out. In the NFL he may not even be the best athlete on his team. Personally I think he'll end up a combo type player. A guy that can make the big play from time to time, but is still a solid possession receiver.

I would guess the same thing. For some reason the three names that come to mind would be Houshmandzadeh, Boldin, and Andre Johnson. I really hope so for our sake!

He's nothing like Wes Welker as Welker is gay and Crabtree is no homo.