Crabtree: more overrated than lazy, or more lazy than overrated?

Originally posted by krizay:
I for one just think he doesn't get the chances to make plays. I'm on the east coast so don't see all the games but from games I watch he gets open. Smith misses him alot. Too high! Too wide! Too long! Too short! Just think they need to get on the same page this offseason. Assuming he can stay healthy and work with Smith.

With all that said, the Saints game Smith was hitting him and he was dropping them. I don't think he's lazy or overhyped, just.... not there yet, I guess.

lol

I very much want to see him after a full training camp and pre-season. Not interested in the past here, this coming season is I think pivotal for Crabtree. Hopefully we will be bringing in at least two new prospects and his time is running out.

I actually think he can make himself indispensable to the team, but we will need to see rather more than we did this season.

I hope he applies himself and breaks through.

Sign one of the good free agent wide receivers available, trade him to Dallas for a draft pick, then draft another wide receiver with the pick---problem solved. The guy seems like more of a loner than a team player, which makes it easier for him to criticize others instead of looking in the mirror. And he kind of reminds me of an early 80's version of Michael Jackson. Unfortunately, sometimes he plays football like him too.

I think he is a very good posession receiver. We knew when we drafted him that he was not fast. Maybe they thought he was combine slow but football fast, like Jerry Rice. I know if he didn't drop to #10, McCloughan is on record saying that he would have taken Michael Oher. Do you guys wish we did, in retrospect? If we did, then we would have gotten somebody else instead of Anthony Davis 2 drafts ago. Crabtree has good potential. He needs to get better separation though and Smith needs to be able to throw to him in small windows, not just when he is wide open.

He has not produced as a top draft pick should, so he is overrated from that point of view, just as Smith was. But it's a team sport and we don't know if his injuries, lack of practice with Smith, Harbaugh system, and team mates affect him negatively. If the 9ers bring in a couple WRs who produce like VD, then we will look back at Crabtree as a failure. If he turns it up a notch next year then he may meet draft expectations.

Never heard that he was out of shape or did not work hard...so I won't accuse him of this.

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
He has not produced as a top draft pick should, so he is overrated from that point of view, just as Smith was. But it's a team sport and we don't know if his injuries, lack of practice with Smith, Harbaugh system, and team mates affect him negatively. If the 9ers bring in a couple WRs who produce like VD, then we will look back at Crabtree as a failure. If he turns it up a notch next year then he may meet draft expectations.

Never heard that he was out of shape or did not work hard...so I won't accuse him of this.

Sounds like CrabtreEXCUSES to me....

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
He has not produced as a top draft pick should, so he is overrated from that point of view, just as Smith was. But it's a team sport and we don't know if his injuries, lack of practice with Smith, Harbaugh system, and team mates affect him negatively. If the 9ers bring in a couple WRs who produce like VD, then we will look back at Crabtree as a failure. If he turns it up a notch next year then he may meet draft expectations.

Never heard that he was out of shape or did not work hard...so I won't accuse him of this.

Sounds like CrabtreEXCUSES to me....

Have to be consistent!

Originally posted by Shaj:
I think he is a very good posession receiver. We knew when we drafted him that he was not fast. Maybe they thought he was combine slow but football fast, like Jerry Rice. I know if he didn't drop to #10, McCloughan is on record saying that he would have taken Michael Oher. Do you guys wish we did, in retrospect? If we did, then we would have gotten somebody else instead of Anthony Davis 2 drafts ago. Crabtree has good potential. He needs to get better separation though and Smith needs to be able to throw to him in small windows, not just when he is wide open.

Only if Anthony Davis didn't pan out. At this point last year, I did wish he had taken Oher. Now, I don't really mind.

Originally posted by niner4life21:
How can people even say that he has no ability to get separation on the deep routes?

I guess no one remembers that most of his touchdowns in 2010 came on deeper passes of 30+ yards, and there were countless times this season where Alex overthrew him when he was wide open on a deep route.

Crabtree is rarely "wide open." Look around you on this forum, NOBODY else is making this statement.

Both

Originally posted by 9erfanAUS:

Originally posted by niner4life21:
How can people even say that he has no ability to get separation on the deep routes?

I guess no one remembers that most of his touchdowns in 2010 came on deeper passes of 30+ yards, and there were countless times this season where Alex overthrew him when he was wide open on a deep route.

Crabtree is rarely "wide open." Look around you on this forum, NOBODY else is making this statement.

He's not open on deep routes. That's why Alex throws it out of bounds. Those are intentional throw aways.

Originally posted by 9erfanAUS:

Originally posted by niner4life21:
How can people even say that he has no ability to get separation on the deep routes?

I guess no one remembers that most of his touchdowns in 2010 came on deeper passes of 30+ yards, and there were countless times this season where Alex overthrew him when he was wide open on a deep route.

Crabtree is rarely "wide open." Look around you on this forum, NOBODY else is making this statement.

But he is open often, and Smith isn't comfortable with the windows. Same thing happened in the NFC championship. Like Cosell said, Walker was there for an easy 68 yard TD. Smith hesitated, kept looking around, and took a sack instead.

his laziness is overrated, and calling him overrated is lazy.

Originally posted by Shaj:

Originally posted by 9erfanAUS:

Originally posted by niner4life21:
How can people even say that he has no ability to get separation on the deep routes?

I guess no one remembers that most of his touchdowns in 2010 came on deeper passes of 30+ yards, and there were countless times this season where Alex overthrew him when he was wide open on a deep route.

Crabtree is rarely "wide open." Look around you on this forum, NOBODY else is making this statement.

But he is open often, and Smith isn't comfortable with the windows. Same thing happened in the NFC championship. Like Cosell said, Walker was there for an easy 68 yard TD. Smith hesitated, kept looking around, and took a sack instead.

Smith is not comfortable with Crabtree at all. Part of it is Crabtree and part of it is Smith. Everybody will have their own personal division of blame. I personally put it more on Crabtree as Smith has excellent chemistry with Davis and Morgan.

I expected Crabtree to be like Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, AJ Green and Larry Fitzgerald, especially given his performance in college and the hype that was surrounding him. Those WRs have been able to succeed despite playing with subpar QBs. Most here have realized now that Crabtree is not the #1 WR we all wished him to be. We'll likely be acquiring a top-talent WR (and not a QB) for a good reason.

Originally posted by PatrickWillisHOF:
Crabtree was the only 9er who talked about himself after the Giants loss. Everybody else was sticking together as a team, but he was complaining about not getting the football.

Very telling.

I do believe he can create chemistry with Alex, much like VD and Morgan did, but my question is whether he wants to be a Niner. Not sure if he does or not.