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

I dont Michael is lazy or overrated. His biggest setback for us has always been his health. We always complain that he doesnt want to practice but in the end he has had a major injury. Having a chronic bad wheel for a WR, i think we can agree that this is a pretty big deal. He just isnt the same WR he was at TT. No matter how talented you are sometimes the body just fails you. As for saying he "obviously didnt learn the playbook" that is just flat out wrong. Firstly no one has ever said he didnt know it and to make the statement is ridiculous. Anyone who follows Big 12 football and has followed his career knows that MC is a football junky and thats all he really knows. JH praised him immensely for his study and work ethic. I hope he is able to stay healthy for a whole offseason, hes only 23 i think. Now he does have his limitations, he absolutely disappeared in the playoffs. That to me speaks volumes of whether he can ever be Elite. I mean you wouldnt even have known he was in the game had he not complained afterword about not getting the ball. There is no way i trade him though, MC is the best we have on the roster. I would rather sign another really good WR to compliment him. Heres hoping MC takes another major step in the right direction for the Niner Nation!

Originally posted by ayleswbj11:
I dont Michael is lazy or overrated. His biggest setback for us has always been his health. We always complain that he doesnt want to practice but in the end he has had a major injury. Having a chronic bad wheel for a WR, i think we can agree that this is a pretty big deal. He just isnt the same WR he was at TT. No matter how talented you are sometimes the body just fails you. As for saying he "obviously didnt learn the playbook" that is just flat out wrong. Firstly no one has ever said he didnt know it and to make the statement is ridiculous. Anyone who follows Big 12 football and has followed his career knows that MC is a football junky and thats all he really knows. JH praised him immensely for his study and work ethic. I hope he is able to stay healthy for a whole offseason, hes only 23 i think. Now he does have his limitations, he absolutely disappeared in the playoffs. That to me speaks volumes of whether he can ever be Elite. I mean you wouldnt even have known he was in the game had he not complained afterword about not getting the ball. There is no way i trade him though, MC is the best we have on the roster. I would rather sign another really good WR to compliment him. Heres hoping MC takes another major step in the right direction for the Niner Nation!

his biggest setback is playing on a running team, who when they throw its to te's more than wr's and a qb with some accuracy issues. its the perfect storm for a let down. any of those wr's drafted after him who've been more productive would have lesser numbers if they changed spots with him. he can get better, work harder and strive to achieve more, theres no doubt on that, but he hasnt been in the ideal spot to suceed. i dont look at him and think wow he sucks what a bust, i look at him and say i can see the talent there, just needs to be more re-fined, not unlike vernon davis circa 2008

This board is pretty fickle because Crabtree didn't have huge games in the postseason. But he took positive steps in the regular season. 874 yards in 15 games is nothing to sneeze at especially when our passing offense is ranked in the bottom 5 in passing attempts. It's not the end of the world he's not a true number one Wr.

Funny how people were praising his improvement, work ethic, team awareness, and blocking ability as the season went on. he was also getting deep consistently and he was open but there were many times when Smith overthew him. There were also times when the two connected for big plays, such as the plays vs Philly, Arizona, St.Louis, and Seattle ( the clutch 41 yarder to set up the game winning kick)

Oh, how easily people forget. I guess there can't be any logical excuses made for Crabtree. His production for a player who had no preseason, missed 2 games and was in on a run first/heavy team was exceptional.

And maybe, just maybe, Smith should try and give his #1 receiver a shot. How can people judge Crabtree off of the playoffs? He had his fair share of drops vs the Saints ( 3), but he also wasn't given much of a shot to make any plays vs the Giants. Each time Smith threw it to him, the ball went straight into the dirt, and the one catch that he did make, he had to reach way above his head for the ball on a 3 yard route.

The same way people like to analyze Smith's play with the fact in mind that he hasn't had the ideal situation to succeed, the same assertion can be made about Crabs. This has not been a very WR friendly offense...

Originally posted by niner4life21:
Funny how people were praising his improvement, work ethic, team awareness, and blocking ability as the season went on. he was also getting deep consistently and he was open but there were many times when Smith overthew him. There were also times when the two connected for big plays, such as the plays vs Philly, Arizona, St.Louis, and Seattle ( the clutch 41 yarder to set up the game winning kick)

Oh, how easily people forget. I guess there can't be any logical excuses made for Crabtree. His production for a player who had no preseason, missed 2 games and was in on a run first/heavy team was exceptional.

And maybe, just maybe, Smith should try and give his #1 receiver a shot. How can people judge Crabtree off of the playoffs? He had his fair share of drops vs the Saints ( 3), but he also wasn't given much of a shot to make any plays vs the Giants. Each time Smith threw it to him, the ball went straight into the dirt, and the one catch that he did make, he had to reach way above his head for the ball on a 3 yard route.

The same way people like to analyze Smith's play with the fact in mind that he hasn't had the ideal situation to succeed, the same assertion can be made about Crabs. This has not been a very WR friendly offense...

LOL. You gotta be kidding me. If he was good enough for 874 yards he was good enough to come to play in the playoffs. But he didn't. Instead of stepping up. He stepped DOWN huge! VD stepped up his game huge in the playoffs. What good players do. In the same offense and with the same QB. He disappeared in the playoffs completely. The throws were in the dirt because he's not open. 3 drops vs. N.O. Never open vs. the Giants. Not what I expect from a #10 overall pick.

This idea of Crabtree getting open deep "consistently" is laughable. Crabtree is nowhere near a big play threat or a burner.

Originally posted by 9erfanAUS:
This idea of Crabtree getting open deep "consistently" is laughable. Crabtree is nowhere near a big play threat or a burner.

Was he ever in college? I just don't understand how his stock got so high since he's not big and he didn't even run in the combine.

Originally posted by mike:

Originally posted by 9erfanAUS:
This idea of Crabtree getting open deep "consistently" is laughable. Crabtree is nowhere near a big play threat or a burner.

Was he ever in college? I just don't understand how his stock got so high since he's not big and he didn't even run in the combine.

he played in the big 10 in a spread offense

obviously he got open against those crappy Ds in a spread offense

Originally posted by mike:

Originally posted by 9erfanAUS:
This idea of Crabtree getting open deep "consistently" is laughable. Crabtree is nowhere near a big play threat or a burner.

Was he ever in college? I just don't understand how his stock got so high since he's not big and he didn't even run in the combine.

Because he put up big #'s. But it was a gimmick offense and not the best conference. And we were WR desperate. IMO #10 in THE SECOND ROUND would have made more sense.

Michael Crabtree played in the Big 12, You must be delusional to say he didnt play in a good conference. A Big 12 team has represented in the National Championship game 7 of the past 12 years. Maybe the Best conference in the Nation. He scored 41 Td's in just 2 seasons. Yea he played in the spread, as do most players these days. MC is legit. He is not a burner but more of a Michael Irvin type. The kid has real talent, just needs to be fully healthy.

I think he's just been hurt. Glass half full. He has gotten better and healthier every season. Perhaps this is the year when a full offseason finally realizes his potential. Getting him some help will make him better as well. He's very good when not matched up on the elite speed guy from another team. If we can get someone to stretch the field and get Alex TWO legit options at reciever plus morgan, ginn, and williams when needed then Crabs will look better as either a #1 or solid solid #2.

Alexcuses, to Crabscuses... what's this fanbase come to?

Originally posted by redmanc07:
Wow. So a defense makes him disappear because we only have VD and Crabs to throw too and suddenly he is lazy and overrated. The dude can play OBVIOUSLY but he needs to work with Smith, stay after practice and play some pre-season snaps next year. We don't see Smith miss Vernon or Morgan too much but he struggles hitting Crabtree. Take a look back at the Steeler game (#1 pass defense) and you will see the dude gets open. He is more part of the solution than the problem around here.

Agreed, I don't think he is lazy or lacks motivation. Alex and Vernon are on the same page most of the time...... Crabs has to develop the same chemistry with Alex as well........ Alex and Crabs will never be on the same page without time during TC and Preaseason games...........

Originally posted by lssanjose:
Alexcuses, to Crabscuses... what's this fanbase come to?

At least we are running out of excuses