Looking back, Crabtree or an Offensive Lineman?

No doubt you take Crabtree. He was a steal and it shows by how quickly he was able to adapt to the NFL and impress the coaching staff enough to start him right away after missing all off-season and pre-season work.

Wow, am I the only one amazed at the complete 180 of this board?

As someone who did not get his panties in a knot, I am still glad we got Crabtree.

Originally posted by dedfischer:
Hey, I'm somewhat of a new 49er fan being a Crabtree follower. There's a story floating around that back when Welker would come back to work out at Tech in the summers, he played 7-on-7 with Crabtree the year he signed. Privately, Welker was quoted as saying he was better than half the guys starting in the NFL right then. Of course, there was an eligibility issue and we had to wait through a redshirt year, but I don't think he was lying. I've seen two guys play live I thought could have played in the NFL straight out of high school. The first was Adrian Peterson and the next was Crabtree. I'm not sure how good he can be, if he stays healthy, but he'll always be a little bit better than the guy who is guarding him in every game. You're going to come to love how hard this guy fights every play and don't think of him as a finesse guy. He will run people over if it's the right thing to do. All you've got to do is start throwing the ball his direction. He'll make the play.

I wrote a little homer diatribe to him, but I really believe this:
http://tortillaretort.barkingcarnival.com/2009/10/26/crabtree-makes-debut/

Wow. Loved the "diatribe." Welcome aboard.

Well this is a tough call for me. Crabtree is a #1 reciever that we have not had since TO. But Michael Ohre has been solid for the Ravens and would probably have been good for Gore to run behind.

But Crabtree is a niner just like Alex Smith was chosen over Aaron Rodgers, so I will root for Alex and Crabtree to become the next great reciever qb combination.

Originally posted by GORO:
Well this is a tough call for me. Crabtree is a #1 reciever that we have not had since TO. But Michael Ohre has been solid for the Ravens and would probably have been good for Gore to run behind.

But Crabtree is a niner just like Alex Smith was chosen over Aaron Rodgers, so I will root for Alex and Crabtree to become the next great reciever qb combination.

Oher was a great pick for the Ravens. But I get the feeling Crabtree is going to end up playing way beyond "solid." If that is the case, Oher is going to have to play like Orlando Pace for this to be a debate.

Crabtree, no question.

I went to Subway the Oher day.

Golden rule: build the lines first, and build the OL first so that you don't get the QB killed as happened to alex the first 3yrs. Maybe if we had a real OL coach, things wouldn't be so grim. But right now our OL coach grades out F-

Oh, and about those OL that are always available in the draft? Let's see, we lost D'Brickshaw to the Jets, and we got staley and chilo. The rest have been here long enough to be starters, and they aren't...not heitmann, snyder, wragge, baas, sims, nor Pashos, now out. Maybe with a decent OL coach, and we haven't had one in 5 yrs plus, we could pull OLs out of a hat. But with current coaching situation, we need starting OLs, 2 of them, and we need an all pro FA OG or OT, and that is just to make our OL have only one liability, not 4.

I was sick we didn't take Oher. He was there, and yes, someone stole him at 23.

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:
Golden rule: build the lines first, and build the OL first so that you don't get the QB killed as happened to alex the first 3yrs.

True that, but the Steelers didn't have the greatest OL last year. Sometimes you just need a QB that can avoid the pressure and get rid of the ball quickly to make your OL look better. I guess you can get away with it more if you have a veteran QB like Big Ben.

if a team this starved for offensive play makers passed on crabtree their headquarters would have been burned to the ground by angry fans

I think everyone agrees, our OL really needs help...and it's easy to look back and say we should've taken this guy or that guy. However, when the hands-down best WR falls into your lap, you take him. Crabtree has the stuff legends are made of...he's just beginning his career, but if you look at his abilities, they are mind-boggling. You can't second guess taking arguably the best player in the draft.

Now, next draft...it must be OL-heavy. We should take at least three OL...a top OT in the 1st rd, and if neither Berry nor Mays are available, go ahead and grab another. If we end up w/9 or 10 picks (we stand to get a good one from Jets tampering), I'd have no problem if we drafted 4 OL. 3 is more likely, as there are other needs, but we simply have to make a BIG investment in the OL.

Originally posted by CorvaNinerFan:
I think everyone agrees, our OL really needs help...and it's easy to look back and say we should've taken this guy or that guy. However, when the hands-down best WR falls into your lap, you take him. Crabtree has the stuff legends are made of...he's just beginning his career, but if you look at his abilities, they are mind-boggling. You can't second guess taking arguably the best player in the draft.

Now, next draft...it must be OL-heavy. We should take at least three OL...a top OT in the 1st rd, and if neither Berry nor Mays are available, go ahead and grab another. If we end up w/9 or 10 picks (we stand to get a good one from Jets tampering), I'd have no problem if we drafted 4 OL. 3 is more likely, as there are other needs, but we simply have to make a BIG investment in the OL.

all the underclassman playmakers should come out next year to get paid in anticipation of a rookie cap so the OL guys will get pushed back. we can afford to wait till 2nd or 3rd round for OL, maybe even get an FA lineman that is proven to take advantage of this draft. we need a safety, OLB/DE and a RB/PR/KR like Spiller or Best.

Originally posted by CorvaNinerFan:
I think everyone agrees, our OL really needs help...and it's easy to look back and say we should've taken this guy or that guy. However, when the hands-down best WR falls into your lap, you take him. Crabtree has the stuff legends are made of...he's just beginning his career, but if you look at his abilities, they are mind-boggling. You can't second guess taking arguably the best player in the draft.

Now, next draft...it must be OL-heavy. We should take at least three OL...a top OT in the 1st rd, and if neither Berry nor Mays are available, go ahead and grab another. If we end up w/9 or 10 picks (we stand to get a good one from Jets tampering), I'd have no problem if we drafted 4 OL. 3 is more likely, as there are other needs, but we simply have to make a BIG investment in the OL.

Agreed. Plus, if you have talent at your skill positions, you can overcome a bad OL sometimes (Pittsburgh, last year). What good is an OL if you have no talent to make plays? I know you need both to win consistently, but I'd take great talent at the skill positions with an average OL over a great OL with average talent at the skill positions.

We'd be calling for Scotty's head if he didn't take Crabtree.

Regardless of whether we needed an OT or not, nabbing a once in a lifetime talent like Crabs will pay dividends for us in the future once we draft o-linemen next year in a quality linemen-filled draft. -You put the car together one piece at a time.