As PRO FOOTBALL TALK mentioned today, the situation with Michael Crabtree’s holdout is steadily declining into “disaster” territory. Now, according to his agent Eugene Parker, Crabtree is planning to sit the entire season out, then join the 2010 NFL Draft (in prime time!) in search of a new team.
(This is Michael Crabtree catching a football during a football game. Just keeping it fresh in your mind, since you’re not going to be seeing it for a good, long while.)
Crabtree, the phenomenally productive and talented receiver out of Texas Tech (best known for driving a wooden stake through Texas’ season), was the 10th pick of the draft. Obviously, he thinks he should have gone higher - or should be paid as such, anyway. Never mind that the “big” money comes from the second contract, not the rookie contract.
But if there’s some chuckling you hear, it’s probably coming from Cleveland. That’s because during the draft process, Tech’s head coach Mike Leach was adamant that Browns head man Eric Mangini was behind the rumors dogging Crabtree - namely that he’d been exhibiting diva-like qualities. Remember this?
“Michael Crabtree has been more successful as a receiver than that guy has a coach at this point,” Leach said. ” … Part of the reason is he’s (Crabtree) too shy to be like that.”
Said Leach: “My definition of a diva is someone who’s loud and self-absorbed. Michael Crabtree is the furthest thing from loud that I’ve seen.”
You can be quiet and still submarine your own career out of greed, I guess.
The tactic seemed to have worked for John Elway back when he was drafted; he was picked first by the Baltimore Colts against his wishes, so he sat out and waited for Denver to select him the next year. Ta-da? He’d have been successful no matter where he went, really. Hall of Famers are like that.
Less sure, though, is that Michael Crabtree is good enough to pull a stunt like this. Wide receivers are notoriously unreliable when it comes to pro success (for example, we were telling anyone who would listen 10 years ago that David Boston would be a perennial All-Pro. Whoops). And so at a position where the learning curve is usually two seasons long (highly drafted, 3rd-year receivers are great late-round sleepers in fantasy football, by the way), Crabtree’s just delaying that lengthy process by a year for a difference in money that works out to pennies in the long run of an NFL veteran’s career. Why?
3:33 pm on August 6th, 2009
Any one out there been to C Town? I would hold out too!
3:47 pm on August 6th, 2009
Ask Mike Williams how that strategy turned out for him.
4:10 pm on August 6th, 2009
Let him sit out. He’s not worth more than 5 years, 20 mill.
4:20 pm on August 6th, 2009
Elway’s rights were traded to Denver after he told Baltimore no way to playing in Charm City–he didn’t sit out….
4:23 pm on August 6th, 2009
In SF with a good running game already established and Alex Smith under center? Where else does this guy expect to play? Detroit? Good Luck crabby
4:25 pm on August 6th, 2009
NFL careers are already short this guy wants to cut it off by a year? Obviously Mike Leech has been in this guys head. Good coach but no common sense outside of the game.
4:36 pm on August 6th, 2009
Crabtree will sit out, and the 49ers will draft him again next year. That’ll teach him.
Sweet J.J. Stokes, will the Niners ever win?
4:53 pm on August 6th, 2009
“The tactic seemed to have worked for John Elway back when he was drafted; he was picked first by the Baltimore Colts against his wishes, so he sat out and waited for Denver to select him the next year. Ta-da? He’d have been successful no matter where he went, really. Hall of Famers are like that.”
Wrong. John used his leverage as a signee of the Yankees farm system. He simply told the Colts “trade me or I’ll play baseball”.
5:03 pm on August 6th, 2009
Crabs would be an idiot to sit out this year… It’s not a very good attitude to have as a rookie. He won’t even be that good.
5:42 pm on August 6th, 2009
As stated before. Elway did not “re-enter” the draft. His rights were traded. The NFL is different from MLB. You cannot re-enter the draft. Your playing rights remain with the team you were drafted by. Only way to play in the NFL is to either a) sign with the team that drafted you or b) strong arm them into trading your rights (like Elway).
5:37 am on August 7th, 2009
Waiting for Harrell?
2:02 pm on August 7th, 2009
The Elway comparisons are laughable. Crabs isn’t refusing to play for the 49ers, he’s refusing to sign a contract for less money than the receiver picked AHEAD of him received. Bottom line here is, he’s walking the plank and I hope this whole tactic blows up in his face. Him and his posse of family and advisors are trying to get more money so they can ALL feed off of it, and in the end they’re going to get nothing. If he ever plays in the NFL, I’ll be glad to watch him get tattooed by a surly linebacker jumping a crossing route.