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

I wish he got the Alex treatment from some of you

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by dj43:
Well, he is on top of this list: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/lists/NFLs_top_10_divas#photo-title=Michael%20Crabtree&photo=30051856

...that is an article from a guy who doesn't cover the team and was written BEFORE the season. Everyone who doesn't know anything about him calls him a Diva because that is his public perception. How about this one from a guy who DOES cover the team....

http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/niners-talk/post/49ers-Mailbag-Whats-Crabtrees-future?blockID=650394&feedID=5884

"Any chance of Crabtree getting traded for a pick or player? Seems to be only player who doesn't fit Harbaugh's team 1st mentality. (@Mike Spediacci)

The 49ers ended the season so short on wide receivers that on third downs in the NFC Championship Game they went with tight end Delanie Walker, playing for the first time after missing a month with a fractured jaw, instead of their No. 3 wide receiver, Brett Swain.

The 49ers need a wide receiver or two. So there is no reason for them to get rid of their best receiver -- the player who led the league's No. 29-rated passing game with 72 catches for 874 yards. (Vernon Davis had 67 receptions for 792 yards.)

Coach Jim Harbaugh would definitely challenge you on your statement that Crabtree does not fit into his team-first mentality. Crabtree turned a lot of heads this season with his willingness and effectiveness as a blocker.

Crabtree, on more than one occasion last season, said he was willing to do whatever it took to win. He said he doesn't look at his stats because he only cares about winning.

When he failed to catch three passes that hit his hands in the playoff game against the Saints, he said "it haunted me."

And after the NFC Championship Game against the New York Giants, in which he caught just one pass for 3 yards, Crabtree showed his frustration more than anybody on the team. He said he saw other teams throwing passes to receivers who weren't wide open, allowing them to make plays. He said he wanted some of those chances, too.

Crabtree is signed through 2014, and he figures to be an important piece of this offense at least through then."

There-in lies the problem with our passing game.

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by dj43:
Well, he is on top of this list: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/lists/NFLs_top_10_divas#photo-title=Michael%20Crabtree&photo=30051856

...that is an article from a guy who doesn't cover the team and was written BEFORE the season. Everyone who doesn't know anything about him calls him a Diva because that is his public perception. How about this one from a guy who DOES cover the team....

http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/niners-talk/post/49ers-Mailbag-Whats-Crabtrees-future?blockID=650394&feedID=5884

"Any chance of Crabtree getting traded for a pick or player? Seems to be only player who doesn't fit Harbaugh's team 1st mentality. (@Mike Spediacci)

The 49ers ended the season so short on wide receivers that on third downs in the NFC Championship Game they went with tight end Delanie Walker, playing for the first time after missing a month with a fractured jaw, instead of their No. 3 wide receiver, Brett Swain.

The 49ers need a wide receiver or two. So there is no reason for them to get rid of their best receiver -- the player who led the league's No. 29-rated passing game with 72 catches for 874 yards. (Vernon Davis had 67 receptions for 792 yards.)

Coach Jim Harbaugh would definitely challenge you on your statement that Crabtree does not fit into his team-first mentality. Crabtree turned a lot of heads this season with his willingness and effectiveness as a blocker.

Crabtree, on more than one occasion last season, said he was willing to do whatever it took to win. He said he doesn't look at his stats because he only cares about winning.

When he failed to catch three passes that hit his hands in the playoff game against the Saints, he said "it haunted me."

And after the NFC Championship Game against the New York Giants, in which he caught just one pass for 3 yards, Crabtree showed his frustration more than anybody on the team. He said he saw other teams throwing passes to receivers who weren't wide open, allowing them to make plays. He said he wanted some of those chances, too.

Crabtree is signed through 2014, and he figures to be an important piece of this offense at least through then."

Notice the The author is nuts.

MC has certainly not lived up to expectations but he has also been the victim of circumstances, as we all know. I fully expect him to come back with his best year ever next season. The guy has talent but just needs to be healthy long enough to put it into play in the system.

he's a #2 at best

we need a bonafide #1 and for our #2 TE to stay healthy and for Morgan to come back healthy. that will greatly improve our offense

I saw plays where he would run his route, look back for the ball, and if it wasn't there, he just stopped. Even if the play was still "alive" and AS was scrambling to extend the play.

He did not keep working to get open and give AS a target.
He did not "come back to the QB".
He didn't look for somebody to block in order to give AS a lane to run in.

He just quit on the play.
This wasn't all the time, but I saw it a few times.

Hopefully at some point, he realizes that you never give up on a play until it is OVER. If this happens, he can still become a better than average NFL receiver.

He drops way too many passes to be a possession receiver. He is not a "deep threat". He does not run great routes.

Every now and then he manages a good catch or to break a decent tackle, but most NFL caliber receivers do that from time to time. Nothing special at this point.

He just needs a better QB.

Originally posted by theGOAT:

He just needs a better QB.

He was missed quite a few times in the end zone

Move him to OLB

Originally posted by JerryRice1848:
Move him to OLB

loaded topic, needs its own thread

we either need an elite QB and the same WR core

OR

Alex Smith and an andre johnson type of WR.

Crabtree is fine. Was our best WR at the end of the year.

Keep in mind that most WRs struggle to adapt to the pro game and don't show results until their 3rd or 4th year.

Recall that Vernon Davis was widely panned as a bust after putting up 31 catches for 2 TDs his 3rd season.

It doesn't help that he was hurt coming into the NFL, missed most of year 1 with a contract dispute, and missed most of his first offseason.

We really won't have much of a read on if he's for real or not for at least another year maybe more. IMO, this is a good argument against drafting a WR as most WRs in the draft take years to reach their full potential.

Originally posted by JustinNiner:
Both

yes

"Lazy", "Diva", and "Bust" are all complete nonsense.

Hey, I was excited when we signed him, but was really hacked off when he held out half a yr, then didn't bother to learn playbook for 2nd half. Seems like a guy who thot he could get by on talent alone, and gave short shrift to running crisp routes, running comebackers when Qb was in trouble, and didn't seem as interested in team as the other 51 guys. Loved his circus catches, and I hope other teams focus on those, as craps just seems like a guy who isn't thrilled about being here, and would love to be somewhere else.

Problem for him is, in pros, you HAVE TO run crisp routes, you HAVE TO work to get open, you have to come back to QB if he is in trouble, and you have to have a team mentality. When craps gets over the above i'd love to see him play for us, but frankly, he is one of the few guys on the squad who just doesn't seem to be the team player you need to have, esp. for your #1 WR. Yes, he makes #1 money, but my bet is he gets traded, in that we can't afford paying a #1 playing like a #4 or #5 WR. I didn't see any appreciable improvement in him this yr, in spite of a team that improved mightily.

Load him up with our first pick(#30) , or our 2nd and see if we can get a true #1 WR. Nobody will defend him as playing as #1 this yr. He has been a huge disappointment, and with his holdout history, disappearance at end of season (3 incomplete passes in Saints game, and they all hit him between the 1 and 5), and then 1 catch for 3 yrds in NFC title game....well, that pretty well caps it for me. I wish craps good luck elsewhere where he can thrive. Here he is probably only guy on team (who except for a handful of midseason games filled with circus catches), showed no improvement, and just looks like he isn't all that happy here.

The guy has the best coach in the nfl and it didn't apparently "take" on him. Adios, muchacho. I just hope we can get equal value for him....Williams at steelers comes to mind.

Originally posted by socal9er42:
I saw plays where he would run his route, look back for the ball, and if it wasn't there, he just stopped. Even if the play was still "alive" and AS was scrambling to extend the play.

He did not keep working to get open and give AS a target.
He did not "come back to the QB".
He didn't look for somebody to block in order to give AS a lane to run in.

He just quit on the play.
This wasn't all the time, but I saw it a few times.

Hopefully at some point, he realizes that you never give up on a play until it is OVER. If this happens, he can still become a better than average NFL receiver.

He drops way too many passes to be a possession receiver. He is not a "deep threat". He does not run great routes.

Every now and then he manages a good catch or to break a decent tackle, but most NFL caliber receivers do that from time to time. Nothing special at this point.

Add to that he fails to recognize the blitz and adjust for hot routs. This shows a lack of commitment (lazy) to the playbook (this was a problem that expressed itself all season). And this is why I do not feel he's #1 or #2 on our depth chart. I don't care how talented he is, if he won't do the things required of him for this offense what good to us is his talent? Maybe our WC system don't fit him. Either way he isn't the answer for us.