Is It Time To Identify A Franchise WR ?

Originally posted by NinerG94:

Listen, I like Crabtree as much as the next 49ers fan but lets be honest here. This thread is discussing elite #1 WR's and a move to get one whether it be draft or FA or whatever. Anyone actually considering Crabtree in the same category as Johnson, Greene, Jones and White are fooling themselves. He's nowhere near that type of player. He excels at underneath routes, positioning himself to make the catch while shielding himself from defenders and last but not least yards after catch. The part of his game that is non existent is his deep game which all of those elite WR's have. I'm sorry but Crabtree does not fit that bill. Yes he's a number 1 WR on this team but he's not the prototypical big play receiver that those other guys are. I'm sorry but he's probably the best #2 in the game playing the #1 spot. Just how I see it.

EXACTLY! Thank you!
And once again, were not going to resign him for top dollar as I'm sure he'll want. He's been injured now 4 out of 5 years. Still, some crap team with tons of cap space will throw enough money and Crabtree will leave. It's time for the 49ers and their fans to move on as well.

Originally posted by Rascal:
For me, is measurables + film (for the eye test) + production. But, of course the kid can't be a jerk.

I do not have any reasonable access to film, so I can not make an eye test .

Drive and determination is something quite different than not being a jerk.

All of the top receivers in the NFL, no matter what how big or small they are, have drive and determination.

edit: I will argue that drive and determination is what makes Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Julio Jones, Roddy White and Larry Fitzgerald the receivers that they are.

Drive and determination was what made Jerry Rice the GOAT.

Originally posted by SaksV:

When Dwight Clark began to fade, Jerry Rice and John Taylor stepped up.
When Jerry Rice went down in 1997, Terrell Owens and J.J. Stokes stepped up.
When Michael Crabtree goes down, Anquan Boldin and Ricardo Lockette will step up.

JJ Stokes stepped up?

Fitz and Johnson are the highest paid in the game with Julio soon to follow. I doubt they have a good team around them. We should draft a stud next season though because it is cheaper

Originally posted by Olejohnnyboy:

Originally posted by NinerG94:
Listen, I like Crabtree as much as the next 49ers fan but lets be honest here. This thread is discussing elite #1 WR's and a move to get one whether it be draft or FA or whatever. Anyone actually considering Crabtree in the same category as Johnson, Greene, Jones and White are fooling themselves. He's nowhere near that type of player. He excels at underneath routes, positioning himself to make the catch while shielding himself from defenders and last but not least yards after catch. The part of his game that is non existent is his deep game which all of those elite WR's have. I'm sorry but Crabtree does not fit that bill. Yes he's a number 1 WR on this team but he's not the prototypical big play receiver that those other guys are. I'm sorry but he's probably the best #2 in the game playing the #1 spot. Just how I see it.

EXACTLY! Thank you!
And once again, were not going to resign him for top dollar as I'm sure he'll want. He's been injured now 4 out of 5 years. Still, some crap team with tons of cap space will throw enough money and Crabtree will leave. It's time for the 49ers and their fans to move on as well.

I agree. I think that is probably what will happen to Crab. Someone will pay him Harvin type money and if the difference is more than say $2 mil a year, I think he will be a goner.

But, more importantly what I meant by the thread is exactly what NinerG94 said, I believe we should go out and get that top wideout from the draft, our own version of Megatron, Julio Jones or Roddy White. Money aside, that level of wideout is beyond Crab in any case.

Originally posted by Pillbusta:
Fitz and Johnson are the highest paid in the game with Julio soon to follow. I doubt they have a good team around them. We should draft a stud next season though because it is cheaper

That is exactly what I am thinking about. I am looking at a Brandon Coleman type guy from next year's draft class.

Originally posted by Rascal:

Originally posted by Olejohnnyboy:

Originally posted by NinerG94:

Listen, I like Crabtree as much as the next 49ers fan but lets be honest here. This thread is discussing elite #1 WR's and a move to get one whether it be draft or FA or whatever. Anyone actually considering Crabtree in the same category as Johnson, Greene, Jones and White are fooling themselves. He's nowhere near that type of player. He excels at underneath routes, positioning himself to make the catch while shielding himself from defenders and last but not least yards after catch. The part of his game that is non existent is his deep game which all of those elite WR's have. I'm sorry but Crabtree does not fit that bill. Yes he's a number 1 WR on this team but he's not the prototypical big play receiver that those other guys are. I'm sorry but he's probably the best #2 in the game playing the #1 spot. Just how I see it.

EXACTLY! Thank you!
And once again, were not going to resign him for top dollar as I'm sure he'll want. He's been injured now 4 out of 5 years. Still, some crap team with tons of cap space will throw enough money and Crabtree will leave. It's time for the 49ers and their fans to move on as well.

I agree. I think that is probably what will happen to Crab. Someone will pay him Harvin type money and if the difference is more than say $2 mil a year, I think he will be a goner.

But, more importantly what I meant by the thread is exactly what NinerG94 said, I believe we should go out and get that top wideout from the draft, our own version of Megatron, Julio Jones or Roddy White. Money aside, that level of wideout is beyond Crab in any case.

But it just isn't that simple. For every name that you put forward as a franchise receiver there are dozens of high picks who just didn't make it or were not franchise calibre.

If it were that easy, we would have done it.

Originally posted by 60sfan:
Philosophically speaking, Since the managing of the cap is crucial in fielding a good team, I like the biggest part of the 9er budget to go towards, OL, DL, QB and Pass Rushers. I am in the camp of having 3 good receivers vs 1 great receiver. Especially with Kaep. Should he become elite, and I think he will, he will make average receivers good and good receivers great. Without a great QB and OL, it won't matter who your receiver is. This theory should play out this year. We'll see.

I am from an entirely different school of thought. While I agree Kaep will become elite, I wouldn't take that for granted and only give him a half decent receiving corps and expect him to perform miracles.

Originally posted by Rascal:
OK and are you confident the 9ers will be happy to pay him $10-12 mil a year come contract time or do you think they will try to look for a potentially even better wideout to groom in the draft ?

There's alot of guys getting paid in excess of $5 million per year who may not be on the roster after this season. Justin Smith is in the final year and is getting $8 million. Anquan Boldin is getting $6 million. Donte Whitner is $4.9 million. Carlos Rodgers is getting paid $7.4 million this year and is scheduled to be our highest paid player at just over $8 million next year. Thats alot of $$$, and I'm sure we would all agree some of those guys will be gone or restructure after this year. It would probably require a home team discount but keeping Crabtree isn't out of the realm of possibilities, even after we extend Kaep's deal and redo Iupati's contract.

Originally posted by English:

Originally posted by Rascal:

Originally posted by Olejohnnyboy:

Originally posted by NinerG94:
Listen, I like Crabtree as much as the next 49ers fan but lets be honest here. This thread is discussing elite #1 WR's and a move to get one whether it be draft or FA or whatever. Anyone actually considering Crabtree in the same category as Johnson, Greene, Jones and White are fooling themselves. He's nowhere near that type of player. He excels at underneath routes, positioning himself to make the catch while shielding himself from defenders and last but not least yards after catch. The part of his game that is non existent is his deep game which all of those elite WR's have. I'm sorry but Crabtree does not fit that bill. Yes he's a number 1 WR on this team but he's not the prototypical big play receiver that those other guys are. I'm sorry but he's probably the best #2 in the game playing the #1 spot. Just how I see it.

EXACTLY! Thank you!
And once again, were not going to resign him for top dollar as I'm sure he'll want. He's been injured now 4 out of 5 years. Still, some crap team with tons of cap space will throw enough money and Crabtree will leave. It's time for the 49ers and their fans to move on as well.

I agree. I think that is probably what will happen to Crab. Someone will pay him Harvin type money and if the difference is more than say $2 mil a year, I think he will be a goner.

But, more importantly what I meant by the thread is exactly what NinerG94 said, I believe we should go out and get that top wideout from the draft, our own version of Megatron, Julio Jones or Roddy White. Money aside, that level of wideout is beyond Crab in any case.

But it just isn't that simple. For every name that you put forward as a franchise receiver there are dozens of high picks who just didn't make it or were not franchise calibre.

If it were that easy, we would have done it.

I maybe wrong, but the thread seems to assume that we have not been looking for a franchise wide receiver.

Asking the question Is it time to identify a franchise wide receiver seems to indicate that the team has not been attempting to do that.

Although in fact, we do not know if the team has identified such as wide receiver, but was unable to draft him.

It is the off season, and the thread surely has its value. No harm, no foul.

Originally posted by NinerG94:

Listen, I like Crabtree as much as the next 49ers fan but lets be honest here. This thread is discussing elite #1 WR's and a move to get one whether it be draft or FA or whatever. Anyone actually considering Crabtree in the same category as Johnson, Greene, Jones and White are fooling themselves. He's nowhere near that type of player. He excels at underneath routes, positioning himself to make the catch while shielding himself from defenders and last but not least yards after catch. The part of his game that is non existent is his deep game which all of those elite WR's have. I'm sorry but Crabtree does not fit that bill. Yes he's a number 1 WR on this team but he's not the prototypical big play receiver that those other guys are. I'm sorry but he's probably the best #2 in the game playing the #1 spot. Just how I see it.

THANK YOU!!! That's EXACTLY how i c him. Couldn't agree with you more.

Originally posted by English:

Originally posted by Rascal:

Originally posted by Olejohnnyboy:

Originally posted by NinerG94:
Listen, I like Crabtree as much as the next 49ers fan but lets be honest here. This thread is discussing elite #1 WR's and a move to get one whether it be draft or FA or whatever. Anyone actually considering Crabtree in the same category as Johnson, Greene, Jones and White are fooling themselves. He's nowhere near that type of player. He excels at underneath routes, positioning himself to make the catch while shielding himself from defenders and last but not least yards after catch. The part of his game that is non existent is his deep game which all of those elite WR's have. I'm sorry but Crabtree does not fit that bill. Yes he's a number 1 WR on this team but he's not the prototypical big play receiver that those other guys are. I'm sorry but he's probably the best #2 in the game playing the #1 spot. Just how I see it.

EXACTLY! Thank you!
And once again, were not going to resign him for top dollar as I'm sure he'll want. He's been injured now 4 out of 5 years. Still, some crap team with tons of cap space will throw enough money and Crabtree will leave. It's time for the 49ers and their fans to move on as well.

I agree. I think that is probably what will happen to Crab. Someone will pay him Harvin type money and if the difference is more than say $2 mil a year, I think he will be a goner.

But, more importantly what I meant by the thread is exactly what NinerG94 said, I believe we should go out and get that top wideout from the draft, our own version of Megatron, Julio Jones or Roddy White. Money aside, that level of wideout is beyond Crab in any case.

But it just isn't that simple. For every name that you put forward as a franchise receiver there are dozens of high picks who just didn't make it or were not franchise calibre.

If it were that easy, we would have done it.

I am not saying is "simple" or "easy" per se. The point is if Detroit can land Megatron or Atlanta can find a Julio Jones, surely the 9ers can do the same unless our talent evaluation capability is somewhat below par.

That is perhaps something we need to look into. Sometimes, I do get a feeling that Baalke gets a little cute with some of the picks at times, case in point AJ Jenkins. Sometimes, great players are exactly that and will be both rated high and projected to be drafted high. You don't always have to prove a point by going against the grain. Julio Jones was rated and projected to be drafted high and that was what happened and he is easily a top 5 wideout now.

No matter what, there is always going to be a level of risks involved in any high draft whether his name is Julio Jones or Eric Reid. There are no 2 ways about it, you just have to make the call and go for it. That was what the Rams did this year, traded all the way up to 8th to get Tavon Austin. As the saying goes, no risk no gain. You just can't get away with it, it comes with the territory.

The OP is right except for the fact he has to be a certain weight/size combo. Next years draft is ripe with talented number ones imo, with all the Pass Rush specialist, Qb's, and Lineman that are expected to go early one of them will surely fall to the 10-20 area. We are loaded with picks give up a 2nd and our last 4th and go get who Harbalke wants, Lee or Watkins or wait and we could prob get Mathews or Hoffman hopefully when we pick. Now that Crabs is hurt I wish we would have traded up to get Hopkins this year... Motherf-ing hindsight.

Originally posted by buck:
I maybe wrong, but the thread seems to assume that we have not been looking for a franchise wide receiver.

Asking the question Is it time to identify a franchise wide receiver seems to indicate that the team has not been attempting to do that.

Although in fact, we do not know if the team has identified such as wide receiver, but was unable to draft him.

It is the off season, and the thread surely has its value. No harm, no foul.

I don't know whether we have attempted to before or not. I guess my point is bottomline we don't have that guy right now. We don't have our own version of Megatron or Julio Jones. That is what I am hoping we can attain.

Originally posted by AZ9erfan520:
There's alot of guys getting paid in excess of $5 million per year who may not be on the roster after this season. Justin Smith is in the final year and is getting $8 million. Anquan Boldin is getting $6 million. Donte Whitner is $4.9 million. Carlos Rodgers is getting paid $7.4 million this year and is scheduled to be our highest paid player at just over $8 million next year. Thats alot of $$$, and I'm sure we would all agree some of those guys will be gone or restructure after this year. It would probably require a home team discount but keeping Crabtree isn't out of the realm of possibilities, even after we extend Kaep's deal and redo Iupati's contract.

And Aldon ?