Considering our additions at W.R. How would you rank Crabs as our W.R?

Originally posted by IdahoNiner:

Originally posted by JustinNiner:
[1] Jenkins [2] manningham [3]crabs [4]moss [5] owusu

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Would you place Crabtree in the slot?

Just curious. This is the problem im having with placeing crabtree. I think he is ultimately in a battle for the number two spot, But if he doesnt win the #2 over manningham i dont see room for him as the #3 WR on the roster. IMO williams would fit the slot much beter.

i think crabs would do pretty good in the slot. he isnt as fast as most slot WRs but if hes healthy he can create big mismatches.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by JustinNiner:
[1] Jenkins [2] manningham [3]crabs [4]moss [5] owusu

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Not sure why people keep rating Manningham over Crabtree. Manningham is an average receiver that should be a #3 at best, just like he was with the Giants. Put Crabtree in a pass-happy offense with Eli and his statistics surpass anything Manningham accomplished. People will see this year when the dude is f**king around and running the wrong routes and just generally doing dumb stuff like Giants fans have seen for awhile. If you think Crabtree makes you upset.....just wait.

i put manningham in the 2nd spot cause i see him playing the outside with jenkins on the other side with crabs in the slot.

Manningham is a pretty strong presence on the outside as he proved in the superbowl. I bet it was hard for him to share catches with cruz and nicks causing him to be oveshadowed but i see him contributing alot. Plus he battled injuries last year so we need to make sure he is healthy

i agree tho that crabs will probably have better stats but i feel that jenkins will come in and contribute to the offense like what aldon did last year for our defense.

Originally posted by JustinNiner:
he finally has some legit competition so i think he knows he really has to produce this year. If he doesnt reach 1000 yds...he will be gone or his contract will be restructued

well then lets hope we decide to throw the ball more with this offense because it's a little hard to get 1000 yards if the QB only throws for 3000. That would be 1/3 of the passing offense...

Crabs is fine. If he stays healthy he will light it up this year.

This whole #1/2/3 thing doesn't matter. Here's how it (likely) ends up:

Flanker - Manningham, Moss, Jenkins, Williams/Ginn

Split End - Crabtree, Manningham, Jenkins, Williams

Slot - All but Moss can/will play the slot depending on the play/situation.

If Moss makes the team, he'll most likely be the 3rd WR. He will play Flanker in 3 WR sets and certain 2 WR formations. Manningham or Crabtree will move into the slot with the other one lining up at SE. Jenkins likely works in at Slot as the season goes along, especially if Moss isn't getting many snaps/on the team.

The "#1" will be the guy Alex Smith looks to the most. Crabtree is likely that guy of the WRs. Vernon Davis is really our #1 option in the passing game, however.

I think the end-game with our WRs is to have Crabtree starting at Split End, Jenkins at Flanker, and Manningham at the slot. All 3 can move to the slot, based on machups, with Manningham and Jenkis both have Split-End ability.

#1

A lot of you will be eating his jock at the end of the year

Originally posted by ninersrule4:
#1

A lot of you will be eating his jock at the end of the year

He's actually quite awesome. I don't get the hate some have for him still. If he can be more consistent he can be a great one.

When Edwards was healthy at the beginning of last season where did Crabtree lineup? #2 sorry people. Crabtree is NOT going to be the #1 and to all of you saying you don't understand the hate some have for him, I say I don't understand the love. The guy was drafted in the top ten. He certainly has yet to live up to that status. Crabtree will be #3 at best next season.

Originally posted by jacklegniner:

Originally posted by JustinNiner:
he finally has some legit competition so i think he knows he really has to produce this year. If he doesnt reach 1000 yds...he will be gone or his contract will be restructued

well then lets hope we decide to throw the ball more with this offense because it's a little hard to get 1000 yards if the QB only throws for 3000. That would be 1/3 of the passing offense...

Crabs is fine. If he stays healthy he will light it up this year.

yea im hoping we get more pass happy given the additions we have made this offseason. The coaching staff really needs to give AS their confidence that he can throw for most of the game without giving up an interception. If not...we got a good committee of QBs who want a shot at the starting job

Manningham has never been a number #2, you guys are getting your hopes up.

If we have good Randy he will be the #1, if we have bad Randy he will get cut.

I don't understand how you have a guy as number 1 WR if people don't fear him?
1-Moss
2A-Craps
2B-superMario
3-AJ , untill he devlops and play in the NFL
4-Gin one trick pony
5-Williams
6-wusau

Man, we have to remember that this FO did not choose Crabtree. They have him rated at their own value. That said, he is a big reason we had to overhaul our entire WR group (see Giants game and playoffs)...that and the Ginn injury. We went WR #1 in the draft. We went after a ton of WR's in FA and came away with two...two that have very different skill sets from Crabtree. Harbaugh loves Alex and Crabtree isn't a fan of Alex. Harbaugh loves guys who put in hours like him. That ALL says something. I think we will see, by the end of the year, Crabtree as the #3 or #4 possibly. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see Moss/Jenkins and Manningham as your #1 & #2 and Crabs as the #3 to maximize EXACTLY how he was used in college in the spread with constant 4 WR sets (you can refer to VD as a WR in a 4 WR set as well).

PS: I even thought we might trade him during the draft!

Crabtree
Manningham
Moss
Jenkins

I love how much people on here are speaking with authority about what our receivers will do, and who can and cannot block (simply based on height/weight....lol).

Just like Colby Fleener at #30 was "a lock", I'm sure a lot of "locks" in this thread will turn out as wrong.

If we had a healthy Morgan and Edwards (and Ginn), I think we win the superbowl. A healthy Edwards made some great catches to help us beat the Giants during the regular season, and Morgan wasn't even in that game.

IMO, the WR corps is better than last year, and most importantly I think we all agree that Crabtree at #1 is not a lock like it has been his first three years. I'm not sure how Braylon was viewed last year this time, but now we have a hall of famer and recent superbowl champion in the mix. The best receiver from 2009 draft was picked at #29 (Hakeem Nicks), so AJ Jenkins at #30 can very well be just as good. If this is what it takes to elevate Crabtree to his Fred Biletnikoff status, then I'm happy.

To say I'm really looking forward to the 2012 season would be a huge understatement!

An interesting topic but if I'm not mistaken Crabtree had more yards and catches than Vernon Davis last year. This really isn't an issue.

I don't think there will be a #1 receiver on this team. Each guy brings a different sets of skills so the coaches will call plays for each one during the game. It was true last year and it will most like the same this year. What would be different is the talent is better so each of these guys may be able to get open by themselves which give Smith more open option at any given plays called. It's up to Smith to pick and choose which open option is best in that situation. They want to be the #1 guy, they better run the right route, don't drop easy ones. QBs tend to go to someone they think is reliable catching the ball on critical plays.

Originally posted by dj43:
He has the talent to be much better than he has showed. With a healthy off-season, hard work and time to learn the nuances of the system, he should be the #1 receiver. From what I have read, he has worked hard when healthy but has just not been healthy enough of the time. He has had a bit of an attitude at some points but seemed to round into a good teammate by the mid-point of the season. Where that puts him on the depth chart only time will tell. I don't see Moss or Manningham being ahead of him. The drafting of Jenkins may have an added advantage of lighting a fire under Crabtree to really crank it up now that he is healthy. If that happens, and Jenkins plays with separation and speed like he did in college, this offense will surprise a lot of people.

Another point to add is that Crabtree is no longer the best WR on a crappy team. He's an average WR on a very good team with potential to be great so he BETTER step it up and work his azz off. Even then, if he's not in the slot. I'm not sure we'd be playing to his strengths.