Good stuff as always Matt -

2 new questions on the Crabtree issue -

1) Can he be dealt in March without being signed?
2) Does the Uncapped year hold any potential for he and Parkers' position if they opt to sit this one out?

Lots of Draft boards had Niners taking Maybin at number ten. From yesterday's NFL.com:
"The former Penn State standout showed the off-the-edge speed the Bills were seeking when they took him 11th overall in the draft. With offensive starters Trent Edwards and Terrell Owens sitting out, the Bills got much of their excitement from the defense. Maybin burst off the line to beat veteran OT Jeff Backus, sacking Stafford and forcing a fumble to end a scoring chance on the Lions' first drive."

So is it true that Crabtree could sign on Saturday night before the Cardinals game and still receive his game check for that game even though he probably would'nt even suit up?

So Matt when would be the cut off day that Crabtree would mss a game check if he hasnt signed? Monday or up to Saturday right before the game?

I cannot stand when I hear people start blame the Niners for this mess. This ridiculous situation is all on the Crabtree camp. As much as I want to see him play for the niners, I dodn't want to see them give in to this guy who didn't even work-out...talk about a leap of faith. It's time for him to trust his skills to get him a bigger contract when he proves it on the field.

Question: when would be the cut off day that Crabtree would mss a game check if he hasnt signed?

My response: Let me check on that one. Good question. --Matt M.

Comment: Lots of Draft boards had Niners taking Maybin at number ten.

My response: After doing the homework on Maybin, the 49ers never considered him for the No. 10 pick. --Matt M.

Questions: 1) Can he be dealt in March without being signed? 2) Does the Uncapped year hold any potential for he and Parkers' position if they opt to sit this one out?

My response: Hey, Marc, hope all is well with you and your family. Your answers . . .

1) Yes, the 49ers can trade the rights to Crabtree, beginning March 1, and ending at the 2010 draft when they must relinquish those rights.

2) That is yet to be determined. Of course, there is a lot of talk in the NFL about limiting the dollar amounts of the rookies chosen high in the draft and dispersing that to the veterans. That probably would not happen until 2011. Projections I've seen are that Crabtree would have to be picked No. 7 overall (or earlier) in 2010 for him to make up the money he would've lost by not signing this year. --Matt M.

What are the odds that we're looking at a giant conspiracy between 49ers mgmt and Crabtree, say maybe to cover up an issue with his foot injury??? The reason I mention this is that the silence from both camps is deafening. Normally the disgruntled player would be using the media to plant stories, justify his case, and overall increase pressure on the team to meet his demands, yet the Crabtree camp is doing nothing of the sort. Everything seems so complacent about this holdout....no one seems to be upset with the other. Thus I think that there might be something else going on but what it is I do not know. Could Crabs really just not want to play for the 49ers?

Again, the silence on both sides is deafening, especially from the Crabtree camp.

Question: What are the odds that we're looking at a giant conspiracy between 49ers mgmt and Crabtree, say maybe to cover up an issue with his foot injury? Could Crabs really just not want to play for the 49ers?

My response: I saw him running in June. He rehabbed at the 49ers' practice facility, and the club says he's healthy.

On your second question, if Crabtree did not want to sign with the 49ers, then why is he living in the Bay Area? He's a Texas kid. He has no ties to the Bay Area. If he didn't want to be here, he wouldn't be here.

I would not read much into the silence from Crabtree's camp. Agent Eugene Parker kept silent and inactive during the lead-up to the draft when his client could have benefitted from people (Crabtree included) dispelling the sentiment that Crabtree is a "diva" and has attitude problems. --Matt M.

Are you hearing anything from other teams that are following this situation closely with an eye on potentially snapping him up if he becomes available next year?

the reason crab was slotted #10, instead of the top 3 was the attitude he is now showing. Scouts saw the talent but heard the stories. Still, since the situation does not add up, even for him, it appears that other facors, including the foot are in play. The behavior is strangely reminiscent of Deion Sanders, a brilliant athlete, who thought he was smarter than everyone else. Maybe we'll see crabs try baseball for leverage. Remember sanders ended up with jones in Dallas. hmmmm

I believe Crabtree will wait to see how the 49ers offense performs during the first couple of regular season games to try and shake down an extra million or two.

If we see an 0-2 start due to an offense that can't stay on the field his leverage should build with pressure from a disgruntled fanbase desperate to add offensive firepower . . . even though that wouldn't necessarily guarantee that the Niners cave. But if the offense clicks, Crabtree's last practical leverage will be gone and he'll need to take the Niner's last best offer.

Continued offensive futility by the 49ers is Crabtree's last best leverage short of the nuclear option.

Matt,
The Niners will obviously hold a spot open for Crabtree in the WR corps-However there are three other guys fighting for a spot. Is Dominque Ziegler still practice squad eligible? I was hoping he could be stashed one more year since Bruce will most likely be gone next year and then the Niners can also choose between just Spurlock and Hill for the 5th spot...

Matt,

As always a great breakdown of the whole CrabGate situation. But it's not anything I didn't already know already. Let's see here......

1. The 49ers have ALL the incentive & leverage not to budge an INCH!

2. Crabbs is living in the Bay Area...hmmmm....Ya he'll sign within the next couple of weeks. And Crabbs you can take that to the bank!

Yes Zieg is eligible for the PS. Matt brought that up last week.

The Niners need to rescind their offer to Crabtree. He has offered them no value for this year, why should be paid what he should have been paid if he would have showed and up and contributed to this year. He can still play but his contribution will be minimal at best. They should have been reducing the offer for every week he missed camp. Face it, he needs the niners more than they need him. Also, there are going to be some good WR veterans being cut in the next week. The Niners will regret it if they sign him. He has Brandon Marshall attitude with Anthony Gonzalez performance written all over him. If he truly cared about being a good football player, he would have signed and been in camp making his mark.

Please Niners, just let him go and move on. He's not worth one dime of gauranteed money and will be a headache throughout his contract. Just consider him a bust that you didn't have to pay for.

How likely is it a team would be interested in trading for Mr. Crabs' rights when the alternative would be just to wait and draft him probably in the 2nd round?

Question: when would be the cut off day that Crabtree would mss a game check if he hasnt signed?

My response: After a little research, I've learned that Saturday is the latest a player can sign and not miss a game check. --Matt M.

And one more thing, by doing this they are telling all future first rounders, sign and come to camp. For every high priced rookie they don't sign they can use the cash to pay for a proven free agent (when they come available). Statistics show that the impact players generally come from the later rounds anyways.

Alright, thanks, I thought he was, that should work out well if he can stay there one more season...

Bonehead, I'm sure statistics don't show that. I would expect that a lower percentage of players in every successive round achieve success in the NFL. You're thinking of aberrations, not macro-level statistics.

Hi Matt, I know this is a little off topic, but could you speak to the effectiveness of Singletary's new wrinkles? I'm specifically curious about the hill, was it used for anything other than a chair for Alex Smith? And how about the Pass Rush coach? What is Al Harris doing to help Manny Lawson and Co. get to the qb? Whatever it is, it hasn't shown up in games. Finally, the Nutcracker, was it worth the injures? I'm not bashing. I can't help but love Samurai Mike. That's why I'm looking for a more objective assessment of his first preseason as a head coach. Thanks, Marc from Smoky South Pasadena, CA

Has anyone tried to speak with Douchetree, his short-bus advisors, or his bottom feeding agent? It's astonishing that there has been no public squawking from the "brain trust". I missed the ESPN rookie show that was on, did he comment at all? Apparently math is not taught at Texas Tech? The offer on the table is more money than the Douche can make in any other scenario, so what is he doing? Something else is going on I think. Sigh.

Ive been saying for awhile now that the niners should have either reduced the offer the longer he holds out or simply just give him a deadline to sign and let him screw him self . Its great that the niners are holding their ground. but i think it would have looked even better if they had showed that they will not be pushed over and to the aggressive approach but reducing the offer or giving him a deadline. I think that screams "Rooks, dont even try it. you wont win" which seems like it would totally go with the change that sing has brought to this team.

Matt: Does that mean this Saturday or next Saturday on signing the Crabbers? Thx

Hey Matt,

Tell the Niners this is their new deal for Crabtree.

$1 million signing bonus.

Year 1
$2 million base salary
$10,000 for every reception
$10,000 for every 20 yards gained
$25,000 for every TD
$5,000 for every run more than 15 yards or YAC of 15 or more; when he is on the field only (to encourage blocking)
-$5,000 for every dropped ball (-$10,000 if pass would have been greater than 15 yards)

Year 2
base salary whatever he earned in Year 1 not including the signing bonus.
+1 million for more than 99 receptions
+1.5 million for more than 999 receiving yards
+ $1 million for finishing in top 15 in yards or TD's ($2 million if both)
+ $1 million for making pro-bowl

Year 3
base salary whatever he earned in Year 2
Roster bonus of $2 million
+1 million for more than 119 receptions
+1 million for more than 1,300 receiving yards
$1.5 million for finishing in top 10 of Yards or TD's for a receiver ($2 million if both)
$1 million for the Pro-Bowl
Year 4
base salary whatever earned in Year 4 (not including roster bonus)
+$1 million for finishing in top 5 of Yards or TD's for a receiver ($2 million if both)
$1 million for making the pro-bowl.

Year 5 - no contract; restricted free agent

I know the first two years are hard to estimate for the cap, but the niner could alwasy over estimate his value to avoid be over the cap, it will still be less than what his cap numbers will be with what they are offering him now.

If he's good, we could extend and gaurantee. He plays to get paid. Also make sure there are behavorial clauses in the contract.

Alan Marks,

Yes you are correct when talking about round 4 and lower but the solid starters are generally found in the 2 & 3 rounds than in the first. Mostly because they are hungrier and have more to prove.

Matt,

Wouldn't it be great theater if Crabs sat out the year and it was later learned he was being supported by another team during his unemployment. Perhaps New England, who has a history of funny business, or maybe Dallas came in after the notion was floated that he would sit out the year and made a back room deal with Parker to keep him out with the promise of a lucrative contract next year. Follow the money Matt. Follow the Money. It's a NYT Best Seller waiting to happen!

Matt,

1. What are the chances that Crabtree gets just below the 18M that Raji at No. 9 got over 5 years (ie. $17.95) plus more contract incentives than Raji?

2. Or how about 14.3 guaranteed over 4 years?

3. At this point, are the Niners only concerned about agreeing to a higher guaranteed amount or the full contract amount incl. incentives etc. than no. 9?

4. Bottom line, how flexible are the Niners in upping their 16m offer and at the same time, meeting their goal in not paying Crabtree more than Raji got at No. 9?

The problem with that scenario, Houston, is that the conspiring team would either have to make a deal with the Niners between March 1 and April 22 next year or get improbably lucky that Crab was available at their drafting spot in the 2010 draft.

Boneheaded1 - Too many flaws in your numbers, the least of which is his year 1 salary. The rookie pool that is left over for the 49ers draft picks (after picks 3-7 have been paid) is about $+-300,000 for Crabtree's year 1 base salary. That's why these deals contain big signing bonus' etc.

I suggest we leave these contract number issues up to people that know what they are talking about.

Crabby is a bum.

The Niners should start lowering their offer each day that passes. Even if he signs, he'll be worthless this year... What a team player!

Matt - Long time reader of your blog. Lot of people are focused on the Crabtree situation, but I wanted to give some props to the 49ers organization for not caving in to his ridiculous demands. It's very disturbing to see in this day and age that rookies, who have yet to play in one NFL snap, are demanding multi-millions more than the millions they are already receiving -it's just absolutely ridiculous. Based on what I've read, the 49ers have been very generous with their offer and I commend them for their firm stance (knock on wood). There's a huge disparity between the $ top unproven rookies are earning vs the pay that the majority of vets are getting -the proven players who are working their tails off. Time for a fixed slotting system.

I don't think we need to bother considering reducing the offer or anything else punitive. The desired end of this struggle is to get him in uniform and put all this in the past. If he joins the team and develops his talent, we'd also hope to be able to re-sign him later; no sense having a bunch of hard feelings.
I think both sides have been wise to not say much in the media. Even the most well intentioned self expression by Crabs could be misinterpreted and enflame the situation. We do need it all kept professional.
He's making enough of a statement with his absence. Now in his place I might want to correct the impression left by Wells if it didn't reflect my true position, and he hasn't done that, so we fans can loosely assume that it does. Also, this differs from your generic rookie holdout given the reasoning that has been expressed. I think the unusual argument made for his case is what fans didn't buy. Who really wants to defend the rights of millionaires OR billionaires? And how many of us are truly fans of the Yorks? Its about getting in the foxhole with your teammates and trying to wrestle some wins away from the other teams.
I'll still exercise my right to Boo Crabs when I see him because he's seemed selfish to me in this process. We got more than enough of that with T.O., but if it were my choice, I wouldn't want TO back here no matter how many TDs he might catch. So, like Sing says, let that stuff work out and let's get to WORK. If Crabs stays out, that's his choice, but leave the #10 slot offer on the table even though he won't be worth it this first year. Amen.

hack | September 4, 2009 7:17 AM | Reply
the reason crab was slotted #10, instead of the top 3 was the attitude he is now showing.

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No Hack,not at all. The main reason he fell is because he had an injury that made him unable to run at the combine and put doubts in GM's minds about his long term health. Then the new,immature,HC of Cleveland shot his mouth of about something he knew nothing about (Diva comment) and those two things together had crabs drop to #10. Mostly the injury.

Good blog Matt ! Just about what I and most reasonable fans have been saying all along about Crabs and the negotiations. He is not a bad kid and has been a good team mate and good citizen and certainly not a Diva.(according to team mates and his coaches etc).
Just business. But I will be very interested to see if we ever find out just what Parker has been telling the kid all this time that made him go along with this foolish strategy.(if there is some strategy?)

Brothertuna: After Wells made his statements,the agent came out the next day and said Wells did not speak officially for the Agent and they have never made a statement saying they are considering sitting out the entire season. He made it clear (on behalf of his client Crabs),that the Cousin's statements were hot air.

Houston: I heard that it is common for the Agent to advance the client cash and clothes and cars etc,so he will feel more secure in a hold out. I am pretty sure Crabs family is beingtaken care of by Parker or at least that Parker has seen to it that they have been provided with some sweetheart loan packages with good interest rates etc. These shark agents know their stuff.

I know my conspiracy theory is full of holes but it would be very entertaining if it were true. Yes, Agents do support clients up to their signing with living expenses and hooking them up with trainers so they perform well at the combine. I also know the conspiring team would be taking a calculated risk that Crabs would not be taken before said team picks in the next draft. It isn't that far fetched though. We've all cited the Bo Jackson scenario so odds are that he won't be picked in the 1st round of the next draft. Unless, of course, a team conspired to get him into the next draft.

Hey Matt, here's my question for you; it's a scenario that has never really played out (to my knowledge), so I'm just asking for your best guess opinion here...so what happens if both camps refuse to budge, Crabtree sits out the whole season, can't workout at the combine or for any other teams, doesn't get traded, and re-enters the draft next year?

Would he be maybe a 2nd round pick at best, and get about 1/2 or less than his current "slot"? that would be my best guess.

While I really hope he signs and gets his butt in here, a little part of me wouldn't mind seeing his greedy self taking a huge financial hit here. He clearly doesn't see the big picture...maybe Mangini knew something after all...

Eric Mangini might be new in Cleveland but he's not exactly new to being an NFL head coach. I believe he spent a couple years as head coach of the Jets prior to getting the Browns gig and so he's probably spent some time dealing with college prospects before he first met Michael Crabtree. Your attempt to write off his opinion just because he's new to Cleveland is..... interesting.

And even if Mangini was brand new coach in his first job the fact is he seems to have had some solid basis for the comments he made. Everything that's Crabtree's done since draft day has only served to back up Mangini's assessment and Crabtree's subsequent fall in the draft. Frankly if he wants to be paid based on what he's worth as opposed to where he was slotted in the draft the Niners ought to cut his contract to be in line with a much later pick; before he just had questions about his character, now we know. Even if he does have multimillion dollar talent (which I don't think he does but we won't know until some team gets him on the field) the ten cent head he's shown us all he has more than justifies letting him continue to sit.

Mangeni was THE only HC or GM to say anything about the family members that were traveling with Crabs. I know if I were 21 years old and had to travel all over the Country to have meetings with GM's and HC's,that I would want some company.I would also love the fact that I could now afford to bring several of my family members with me (the agent advanced him big bucks)so they could have a nice vacation and see all those places I was going.(not exactly a prime vacation spot,the Mistake on the Lake,lol,but there were plenty of places that are vacation destinations(like SF,etc).
As far as I am concerned,I believe people who have known Crabs for years,his coaches and team mates etc,who say he is a shy young man with character and a good citizen on and off the field(with the required ego and drive,to be the best),over one HC who might have been having a bad day and stuck his foot in his mouth.
I will give Crabs the benifit of the doubt until hye does something to disprove what those who know him say about him. And I will believe the barraccuda of an agent is at fault for most of this mess,until other facts come to light. The agent really dropped the ball for the kid,big time. First he promised he would go in the top 2-5 and couldn't deliever because when the injury and the ignorant diva comment came out before the draft,the agent did no PR in the media for the kid to counteract the negative press he was getting daily.Then when he slipped to 10,he promised him that he would still miraculosly get him top 5 money,again he has failed.
Who should we blame ,knowing as little as we know now about the facts,the young kid ,who everyone who knows him says is good hearted and not a Diva at all but is a good citizen and team mate,or a barraccuda of an agent with a reputation for having players hold out unnessarily? Until further notice,I support the naieve kid over the high powered shark of a lawyer,agent.
Crabs got on the Parker train and probably knows that he made a big mistake. But maybe he figures he might as well just hang on and finish the ride,since the train is almost to the station now and nothing can be done to change what has happened up til now.(except fire the barraccuda if he doesn't bring you a contract to sign by early next week !).

Parity equals mediocrity. And boy have we been mediocre for the last six years!

Eddie D spent the money in the 80's & 90's and we won five super bowls. He opened his pocketbook and brought us players. Playing the "NFL" way won't bring Jed the success his uncle had. And yes the "NFL" didn't like Eddie D, but he won! And we loved every minute while he circumvented the rules and use the DeBartolo Corporation to fund the WINNING of Super Bowls.

I thought you would all like to see recent online comments from Crabtree (Somewhat encouraging):

Aug 24th - MichaelCrabtree: Hey peps just hollaring at u i am still working hard getting stronger and faster oh yea i am ready to go so i can put on a show 4 ya
Sent 3:05:30 PM Mon Aug 24 '09

The post before that one may be more meaningful because it came on Aug. 7, a day after reports surfaced that Crabtree was threatening to sit out the entire season and re-enter the 2010 draft.

Aug 7: MichaelCrabtree: What up peps yeah this ur boy crab just want to say dont belive the hype i am ready to this thing in the bay i am putting the gym just on the low until its time to go!,do it 4 u. Sent 12:26:06 PM Fri Aug 7 '09

Here is the link to the Crabtree posts. His latest as I posted above was from last Monday (this is part of an endorsement deal he has with Mogo Txt):

http://mogotxt.com/mogotxt/crabtree

And this is ALL we know of what Crabs himself thinks,this from MB today... Crabs tweeting or on some website,speaking to his fans...
---------------------------------------
"MichaelCrabtree:Hey peps just hollaring at u i am still working hard getting stronger and faster oh yea i am ready to go so i can put on a show 4 ya
Sent 3:05:30 PM Mon Aug 24 '09

The post before that one may be more meaningful because it came on Aug. 7, a day after reports surfaced that Crabtree was threatening to sit out the entire season and re-enter the 2010 draft.

MichaelCrabtree:What up peps yeah this ur boy crab just want to say dont belive the hype i am ready to this thing in the bay i am putting the gym just on the low until its time to go!,do it 4 uSent 12:26:06 PM Fri Aug 7 '09"
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Sounds like Crabs completely refuted his Cousins foolish statements(as his agent also did). Anmd sounds like Crabs is ready to play and just as I describe him,a nice kid,who wants to play football but is leaving the business to his agent.(for better or worse).

Great minds think alike. If you go through his comments he does talk about getting ready for "training camp" back in mid July and how excited he was for Training camp. Riiiiiight!

Marco you need to go be a fan of the Redskins and/or the Cowboys and please PRETTY PLEASE tell me how happy thier fans are that the owner opens up the pocketbook. Every year the Redskins win the Super Bowl in March and then they release all these stupid high dollar deals they make and do it all over again the next season...Real teams build through the draft and do not overpay so as to put themselves in salary cap hell and also to run a good profitable business so they can have the money to build a new stadium for the most deserving fans over the past 30 years. So shut your mouth about the glory days because the rules have changed and as good of an owner as Eddie D. was perhaps if he obeyed the law and didn't try to circumvent the rules then he might still be owner. I hope Jed turns out to be nothing like John and Denise but only time will tell.

Enough already'Jeez!.Are we playing a game tonight?

Marco: Eddie couldn't do anything better than Jed these days in the NFL,period.
First of all there is a salary cap ,mostly put in place to stop Eddie from spending too much. After the cap went into effect,Eddie and Policy cheated on the cap and were fined $ and draft picks,because they were not allowed to do as they had always done anymore.
On top of the League stopping Eddie from being the Eddie you dream about,the DeBartollo Corporation also put the brakes on Eddie . The Board of directors layed down the law on Eddie and forbad him from overspending the Corp's money any longer.He was slapped down and eventually removed from any say so in spending. He had to beg the board every time he wanted to spend money on the team.His reputation of over spending Daddy's Corp money actually hurt him in getting money.After his reputation of trying to bankrupt the Corp because of over spending on the team,he had to be checked and double checked before things were ok'd,something John and Jed York do not need to do to the extent it was required of Eddie. Then of course we know Eddie was kicked out of the NFL foe being a crook ,mixed up in gambling and bribery etc etc.
We are lucky that we have Jed ,he will do everything he can to put a winner on the field(not to mention Scott and Sing !!!).

If Crabtree signs he needs to take Josh Morgan, Brandon Jones, and especially Ike Bruce out and thank them for carrying the load he was supposed to help with this season. Bruce will be gone next year so at least Crabs would have a year to digest and develop before he would actually be counted on. It will also give some more time to train and get his body NFL ready because I don't think hitting a heavy bag will do it and I don't think this kid has the best work ethic. I am ready to get the deal, get him in Santa Clara, and hope no crazy stress fractures happen.

Hightop: I guess we all know the only real interesting thing about tonights game is watching Davis(the future) play for 3 quarters.
More interesting than the game is Sat.,when the cuts come out. and then the next few days when we adjust the roster to possibly add a vet RT etc. And then hopefully the signing of Crabs soon after that.
I will watch the game tonight and then will watch it at least 2 more time during the week sometime,but I am a nut and don't expect much interest in tonight from most fans.

Jed, McGM, Paraag--DON'T BLINK

I heard Crab's college HC say just the other day that if he knows Crabs,he is just working out hard and not even checking in with his agent on a regular basis. He said Crabs will probably just keep in great shape and wait until his agent calls and says for him to sign.
As I have been saying about Crabs all along,he seems to want to play and to come in ,he is even living in the Bay Area ,just waiting. Sounds like a good kid ,getting some bad representation.

MM rebuttal:

1. 5 players in the years draft got better contracts that the guy above. Slotting has and always has had exceptions.

2. Half of the contracts are signed without knowing the "slotted" amount so clearly other criteria are used to establish player value.

3. More valuable players (QB) break slotting practice.

4. Staley's contract negotiations will in no way be influenced by WR salaries. That's not how it works. He will compare himself to market value of others playing his position.

5. Rookie pool is totally irrelevant because it only applies to year one salaries.

6. Every other agent and every other team agree that the Niners shouldn't sign Crabtree? Wow I am soooo surprised. A little bit of bias there maybe?

Crabtree's argument might be (and it's pure speculation on my part) that he's worth more to the Niners than the players immediately drafted above him. He could point to the comments of NFL draft experts & the Niners themselves that they thought he was worth a higher pick. He could point to his college record which is exemplary.

Without getting into the rights and wrongs, this would not be the first time that argument has been used. And it will not be the first time it's been successful. Even MM admits it usually works when the player is a QB. Slot busting deals have been signed and the NFL sky did not fall, the teams didn't go belly up and no fan was hurt. All that happened was that some billionaire owner's huge profit margin was a tiny bit smaller.

I have no problem at all with folks arguing he isn't worth top dollar because of flaws in his college statistics or his physique or whatever but to argue that a shaky, often ignored, never written down, never agreed, "practice" is being broken seems so weak to me.

It's like when my boss tells me I can't have a pay raise because all the other companies are not paying their guys who do similar jobs more. I say, WTF has that got to do with me and the way I do my job? Look at my record & accomplishments and not theirs.

Couldn't agree with you more hightop,

Enough of the "what if's" already. As for tonight's game Hill has to show me something. I know he's only going to play 1 drive maybe 2 but it would be nice if he threw the ball down the field with conviction for god sakes! And the pass rush....it would be nice to see a resemblance of anything close to a PASS RUSH!

I don't really care what the reason is, how nice he is or who is telling him to stay away. Fact is he's allowed the entire preseason to slip away and will have zip value for the 9ers this year. He'll end up a negative as I'm sure he'll eventually sign and will do so at the contract the 9ers have extended (they will not reduce it); this will result in him taking a roster spot, thus bumping someone who has fought to be with this team.

Your boss is telling you he can replace you for less than you're asking. Ask Ulbrich why he reduced his contract and he'll tell you it was to match his value; that he knew he would not be retained at the higher contract.

Rick: So what,he was always going to be on the roster no matter what. He will get ready and will contribute something this year.Rookies don't usually contribute much anyway,so no really big deal .
And Jones will probably take up a roster spot too,and he is not going to contribute anything early on either,so should we cut him,no of course not.
Crabs will sign and things will eventually be fine.Enjoy the season !

SC Rick replied to comment from Realfan49 | September 4, 2009 1:07 PM | Reply
Your boss is telling you he can replace you for less than you're asking. Ask Ulbrich why he reduced his contract and he'll tell you it was to match his value; that he knew he would not be retained at the higher contract.
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Same situation as alex .He had to reduce his salary number to match his skill level or he would have been cut.(as Scotty said).

"It's like when my boss tells me I can't have a pay raise because all the other companies are not paying their guys who do similar jobs more. I say, WTF has that got to do with me and the way I do my job? Look at my record & accomplishments and not theirs."

A more appropriate analogy would be, when seeking a job for the first time, you're offered a contract because other companies aren't paying their guys who do similar jobs more. This is because, like Crabtree, you're trying to get a job with a company with which you've no history, and even if you've a portfolio of previous works to show your prospective employer, your past success doesn't necessarily equate to future success, even if it gives a good indicator of what you might be able to achieve.

Oh I am looking forward to this season, I do have high hopes. My beef is that, IMO, our team has been fair and we have a player who is not being realistic. Jones demonstrated value in this preseason, the 9ers have first hand observations to base decisions on him. With MC it's all in the future, maybe he's the next Jerry Rice, maybe the next Mike Williams.

Yep,Rick,No guarantees,we saw that first hand with Alex etc.
Hopefully he will be as hoped,but it is only hope until he does it and not really even hope until he signs.

Spot on-Shaun Hill needs to bring it and show something this time and ok we don't want to show our cards(we get the idea) but how about a couple of sacks for a change. Coach Singletary wants improvement at every turn -these areas would be a good indicator that the goals are being fulfilled!

You mention that the Niners can trade Crabtree between March and April to get their own compensation in case they cannot reach a deal with Crabtree. Profootballtalk.com had an article written as follows:

"As we recently pointed out for SportingNews.com, the drop-dead date for doing a deal is November 12. After that, Crabtree can't sign until after the 2009 season. And once the 2009 season ends, it likely will make much more sense for him to re-enter the draft.

The problem is that the rookie pool will still apply next year, even if there's no salary cap. As a result, neither the 49ers nor anyone else to whom they trade his rights would get extra rookie pool space for signing the tenth overall pick in the 2009 draft."

Do you know if it is true that the next year's rookie draft cap pool would applied to Crabtree? If yes, would you agree that it would be very unlikely that any team will acquired Crabtree and will be willing to give Crabtree a contract that he would accept?

He will never sit out the year and we should stop talking as if that was a serious option for him(unless he wants to be certain to lose many millions of dollars).

He will never sit out the year and we should stop talking as if that was a serious option for him(unless he wants to be certain to lose many millions of dollars).

A last thought on Crabs: Even if he is this good model citizen being lead astray by his agent, he's still responsible for his agent's strategy and actions. Parker didn't steal Power of Attorney, it was granted to him by MC for better or worse.
Retrospective on the Off Season moves:
Evans- We need to give him time to prove himself. If he was a dominant player the Skins wouldn't have let him get away. He was brought in to contribute, let's see.
RT Marvel Smith- OK, this one failed for us, but doctors thought he could come back and he thought he could finish out here as Homeboy with a couple years of earning power. He's more disappointed than we are. If Snyder has progressed we could be OK, just no depth. They didn't go after OT high in draft 'cuz they thought they had it covered.
WR-Crabs As I've stated before, if this was a mistake, its one I would've made too. After getting Jones this wasn't as high a need, but a BPA pick and adding a likely Playmaker.
Pass Rush- Now this is where I get cranky. I love Lawson as a guy and a team guy and a WLB, but we drafted him as a pass rusher and he was never able to get it done. I fail to understand what woulda/shoulda happened in the Off Season to change that, but I withheld judgement in case coaching and personnel staff knew something I didn't. I hate to be a whiner, but I haven't seen diddley squat yet to convince me he's the answer on third down. I also don't see Brooks being able to move over opposite to Parys to make an impact either. I'm HUGELY concerned about our third down effectiveness. Manusky, prove me wrong, please!

The NFL is changing and I am hoping for Jed to be out front as a new bold innovative leader. Or we can be part of the pack like we have been for the last 6 sub .500 years. The stinking world of NFL Parity.

Sign Crabtree, Make the Deal

Again with this Marco, "stinking world of NFL Parity." I had you all wrong and I apologize. See I thought you simply needed a new team to cheer for..one that matched the sort of spending philosophy that would quench your thirst for the owner being out there laying his money on the line for everyone to see and as I said earlier winning this March Super Bowl..but I was wrong and I sincerely apologize..I know what you need now though and that is to go watch baseball where there is no parity based on stupid things like salary caps which keep all teams equal no matter the size of thier market. See Marco in baseball I think you will find that you would identify with a team called the New York Yankees..you might have heard of them..but you can see your philosophy in motion and suffer and whine when your checkbook doesn't automatically put another trophy in the case.

You and the other 2 are dead wrong. My boss said let's talk about it so we sat down and worked it out. I got a raise, not as big as I initially wanted but I got one.

Key was we were both willing to sit down and talk it out.

If the Niners were willing to give a bit on their offer, do you think the Crantree side would too? I do.

According to MM, the Niners say they made an offer at the start of the process and are not willing to budge one inch. It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn it was a low ball offer given so few players had signed back then.

Then you probably missed when it came out a few days ago that Parker said the Niners offer is fair and if that offer has not budged an inch (like you claim) then that pretty well nukes your idea the Niners are trying to low ball him.

Next?

Deion Sanders is saying that the crabtree camp has told him they are still ready to sit out the year and that there are at least 2 teams that are willing to give Crabs the big bucks he is looking for. Sounds like a bunch of baloney to me ,either that or it is big time tampering by those teams who have had contact with Crabs agent.
Hopefully this is a last gasp propaganda media blitz to try to worry the Niners. They are not worried.

According to Jed,they have offered a more than fair offer in line with the 10th spot. MORE than fair.Jed also said the team is keeping in mind that they want a happy player in camp,so they are trying to make sure Crabs is happy when he signs(so it is not a low ball offer at all,not even close). Jed also said they are in touch with Parker daily(Paraag).He also said there is nothing contentious going on,the team wants Crabs and he want s to come in and play.