When will Michael Crabtree be signed?

Yes indeed

http://deadspin.com/5331938/michael-crabtrees-adviser-has-quite-the-shady-history

Today.

I hope.

Crabs needs to come out and say he will sign what the 10th pick is worth, so he can get in to camp, and show he was better than the 7th pick Heyward-Bey and that he deserves more. Prove his self through his deal, then restructure that if he proves so and sign him for a huge deal he wants. The kid needs to get his ass in camp, I really hope he signs within the next couple of days so he can get a practice or two in and play Friday!!!

Crabtree will sign once two of the three other unsigned picks around him get signed (#8 Monroe and #9 Raji).

Originally posted by m_brockalexander:
Crabtree will sign once two of the three other unsigned picks around him get signed (#8 Monroe and #9 Raji).

Everything I have read is saying they are waiting for him to sign. This is ridiculous.

I am beginning to wonder if he will, in fact, ever sign with us

Raji is suppose to be close to signing, ESPNEWS is reporting.

Originally posted by DownSouth:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
You are only looking at guaranteed money, which is certainly one way to slice it. However, slotting is not simply based on this idea. It is also based on average salary per year.

. . .

Further, I have always stated that the notion that Crabtree should simply bow to the sanctity of the slotting, which does not exist, would be foolish. There are circumstances where players, for some reason, either gain an imbalance in either their total contract numbers, annual salary, or guaranteed money.

I disagree with you. The contract slotting does exist. It's clear that the guaranteed money overwhelming follows the slotted system. It's equally clear that the "average yearly salary" does not.

The difference is that the guaranteed money (and generally the first 3 or 3 years of the deal) are real numbers and the AYS is a largely meaningless number (as in, made up or "imaginary").

As you know, the AYS is reached by dividing the total value of the contract by the contract length (# years). However, the total contract value is an almost meaningless number b/c few (if any) rookies will ever actually receive most of (let alone all of) the total contract value. Few, if any, ever hit all the incentives, receive all the bonuses, and make all the "total contract value" they signed on for. That's why it's a meaningless number.

For example, look at Clements' deal. His AYS is huge, but in reality he'll never get that much money. His actual AYS is still big, but its not nearly as big as the AYS # would indicate. That's why his AYS is a "made up number", just like those of the rookies'.

Based on that, I guess, i'd be happy to give Crab a 6 year deal with the last year having a nonguaranteed roster bonus of 25mill. WOW. Then he'd have a top 3 AYS, but his actual guaranteed money and the first 4 or 5 years of his deal (the "real" numbers he's likely to receive) fit within the #10 slot. THEN there will be idiots crowing about how his deal blew out the slotting system b/c of how big his AYS was, when in reality, it did nothing of the kind. It would still set a bad precedent b/c every year the "fake year numbers" would get bigger and bigger, thereby shortening the legitimate contract length.

The guaranteed figures (including the "log" bonus) and the first few years' salary are really the only numbers that matter. The AYS is largely a meaningless number.

Maddog I understand your tireless effort to show how the slotted system is more of a guideline then rule book but I strongly feel like Crabtree is acting outside both of those terms. The above poster made a strong point with the the guaranteed money vs the AYS and their correlation to the slotting system. Something else that should be noted is that Crabtree is not asking to be paid like the 9th or 8th pick like many of your non-QB examples have eluded to. He wants to be paid like a top 5 pick. Thats a bit more than a slight bump in the slotting system. Its comparable to something much different.

If we use the draft value chart provided by this site it could give us relative proportionality for his contractual wish. IF he is indeed wanting Top 5 money we can set a base via draft value. The draft chart tells us his wanted worth is equal to 400 draft points. So we could say it is similiar to the 32nd pick wanting to be paid like the 16th pick or the 64th pick wanting to be paid like the 27th pick....

If we look at Joe Flacco from last year he received at 15mil dollar contract bump and 30 mil which places him from 18th to the 8th or roughly 500 draft points. This is in fact comparable to the 400 point Crabtree is asking for...... But if you look at guaranteed money, he is right in line with the system. The difference here is that Crabtree wants his guaranteed money to be out of line and even out step with the 2nd rated QB of the 08 draft.... That my friend is where the reach is.

I know you are right in defending the flexibility within the slotting system but it is very prudent to note that the guaranteed money is what really sets this system and sets every other contract. Everything else in a contract is normally bravado fluff. You are right in defending the system but not Crabtree because his desire is outside of the normal boundaries.

BREAKING NEWS! Crabtree very close to signing! Most likely tonight!!!! just saw it on the bottom of NFL network

Originally posted by ninerfan4life:
BREAKING NEWS! Crabtree very close to signing! Most likely tonight!!!! just saw it on the bottom of NFL network

You better not be joking

Originally posted by ninerfan4life:
BREAKING NEWS! Crabtree very close to signing! Most likely tonight!!!! just saw it on the bottom of NFL network

Originally posted by ninerfan4life:
BREAKING NEWS! Crabtree very close to signing! Most likely tonight!!!! just saw it on the bottom of NFL network

If this is a lie, this guy needs to be banned... if it is not, give him a red bar for breaking the news

Originally posted by ninerfan4life:
BREAKING NEWS! Crabtree very close to signing! Most likely tonight!!!! just saw it on the bottom of NFL network

I bettah have Crabz tonight dammit.

Originally posted by 49oz2superbowl:

Originally posted by ninerfan4life:
BREAKING NEWS! Crabtree very close to signing! Most likely tonight!!!! just saw it on the bottom of NFL network

If this is a lie, this guy needs to be banned... if it is not, give him a red bar for breaking the news

lol. all or nuthin huh??

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by ninerfan4life:
BREAKING NEWS! Crabtree very close to signing! Most likely tonight!!!! just saw it on the bottom of NFL network

i wish i had nfl net to see for myself but it honestly wouldnt surprise me if true because crab would benefit from getting in all the preseason games and its a pr mess for him after what his cousin said.