Crabtree Signed. Jets Trade for Braylon Edwards. Coincidence?
It's curious that the day that Crabtree signed the Jets made a high profile trade regarding perhaps their biggest need, wide receiver.
Mike Sando, the ESPN blogger for the NFC West, chalks this up to coincidence. He states, "...the timing of these transactions is probably a coincidence. NFL rules would prohibit the 49ers from trading Crabtree's rights before March. The Jets acquired Edwards with the 2009 season in mind."
But why would the Jets make such a strong move right now? One simple reason: they were no longer able to pursue Crabtree.
I think it went a little like this: The vice grips started when the 49ers started investigating the charges. This probably forced the Jets to sniff elsewhere. When the 49ers formally accused the Jets of tampering it ensured the Jets would never be able to go after Crabtree in next year's draft, or trade for his rights this year. That would look ridiculously shady. It was time for the Jets to forget about Crabtree and start looking to fill their receiver void elsewhere.
Any way you slice it, we can only reason that the best move the 49ers made was accusing the Jets of tampering. At the very least, the 49ers should see Commissioner Goodell come down hard on the Jets. At most? The 49ers not only get Crabtree, but an improved draft position in 2010 as well. It would be little solace after this drama, but solace nonetheless.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers mailbag: Should SF trade away some players? Will the 49ers add a wide receiver at the trade deadline? How has Ricky Pearsall looked?
It's the bye week for the San Francisco 49ers. After a win over the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers improved to 4-4 and now have a week to rest up and get healthy. They hope to get some injured players back, as well, which should help. Especially since some of those players are...
Why 49ers GM John Lynch doesn't feel a sense of urgency to trade for a WR
The San Francisco 49ers took a significant hit with the season-ending loss of star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who suffered torn ACL and MCL injuries on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Adding to the challenge, Jauan Jennings was sidelined for that game with a hip injury...
As the NFL trade deadline approaches, one league insider wonders if the 49ers will be buyers, sellers, or both
The San Francisco 49ers are fearless in making big moves at the trade deadline. They've shown that over the past few seasons. For example, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have traded for players like WR Emmanuel Sanders (2019), RB Christian McCaffrey (2022), and edge rushers Randy...
Why Rapoport isn't confident the 49ers will trade for a WR
The season-ending injury to Brandon Aiyuk dealt a significant blow to the San Francisco 49ers. Although Aiyuk hadn't yet made a significant impact since becoming one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL, those inside the organization felt confident he was on the verge...