Give McCloughan an 'A' on this - well done. This is another very firm step towards respectability for the 49ers franchise.

Give McCloughan an 'A' on this - well done. This is another very firm step towards respectability for the 49ers franchise.

I definately think there is a correlation between Braylon Edwards getting traded to the Jets and Crabtree finally signing. Eugene Parker did not gain anything from this and he made his client look bad. If I was Crabtree I would of gotten rid of him a long time ago.

Amen to that. And Parker is a certifiable douchebag. I'm not in the least surprised he would skip the press conference after getting his a$$ handed to him during negotiations. Well done, McC and Paraag.

I predict Parker will get 0 clients from next year's draft. after tax, mr. crabtree will make less than 1.4 million a year. wow, what an idiot agent.

Yes - credit Paraag Marathe too, after all the flak the guy has unfairly collected over the years.

Honestly I was hoping Crappee would sit out the entire season and reenter the draft. Would have loved to see this cack with more egg on his face next year than he already has right now. And before the rest of you start calling me out for not being a true fan, let me tell you that I root for the team, not the individual players. And I'm certainly not rooting for this dumbass until he actually consistently proves himself on the field. Let's see him earn his respect now.

Seriously, does anybody else find it shady that the Jets traded for Braylon Edwards just hours after Crabtree went off the table?

-Maybe the Jets know they're going to get burned by Goodell so they got this deal done ASAP, and traded away any 'possible' late round picks to the Browns (along with those other scrubs) before the NFL would have rewarded them to us.

the Edwards deal had nothing to do with the Crabtree deal. Mangini wanted Edwards out badly. him punching out Lebron's buddy was just the last straw. it's no secret the Jets wanted a #1 receiver... but their interest in Crabs was always about next year, since he could never play for another team this season. The Jets are just making a run this year. besides, their interest in crabs ended the day the tampering charges were filed.

I have to say again that I am very impressed by the class shown by all parties and may it always be this way with our team. As far as Braylon Edwards, it does seem a slight bit shady but I think it has more to do with Braylon not catching a pass last week, his expiring contract, and the allegations that he punched a midget friend of Lebron James.

I guess I should be politically correct...little person

GREAT REPORTING MATT!

BETTER JOB 49ERS FRONT OFFICE!!

EVEN BETTER JOB SING/TEAM FOR STAYING FOCUSED AND WINNING!!!

Three stars for everyone except Parker and Crabtree. I just love McC's response and attitude. Not sure if this is just bliss, but I think the Niners organization is really onto something special here. We need to cap off this first 5 weeks with a dominating win against a formidable opponent this weekend.

Hey everyone,

Been reading the blog for some time now and Matt really does a great job with the coverage (really good stuff Matt!)...we should feel lucky to have this kind of everyday news coming in about our favorite team. I am not much on posting since I am at work most of the time but I had to add my .02 to this one.

I know there will be many slamming Crabbs for holding out like he did and I too grew tired of waiting but I know from experience that this is a business and as much as we would like to believe otherwise, the players are in it to make $$$....period. No one in their right mind would put their body though a career in pro football because it is fun and they look cool in tight pants. Just like all of us, they want to be paid the most money for the job and they have to make sure they get it as soon as possible because it could all end at any moment on the field of play. We have all seen players careers' cut short due to injuries all the way back to Daryl Stingley (probably spelled that wrong but you get the point) which I know Raider fans remember...right?

So Mikey got his money and we get our top pick on the team...finally. Business talk is done now let's get him on that field and be the player we all wet ourselves over after Green Bay passed him up. You know....that moment we began to realize that the Messiah of receiving was still in the green room wondering what the hell was happening to him and if his agent forgot to send in his draft paperwork!!!! This is still a good thing for 49er football so let's not get caught up in hating....let's just say "welcome Michael, not start working your butt off rookie...you got a lot'a catching up to do"!!!

This makes very good sense. Nonetheless, it is great theatre for it to happen so close to the Crabtree signing and probably a PR loss for the Jets.

Great job standing your ground, 49ers!!! This is a message to all players and agents that we won't be pushed around!

Totally agree with you Ike,

I thought the Presser was very proffessional on all sides. Crabtree seemed genuilly humbled by the whole situation. More importantly the 49er Brass looks to be very stable thru out this ordeal. They never waivered & they stuck to their guns. Now that it's over the 49er coaching staff can concentrate on getting Crabtree up to speed so they can have at least a few packages for him come the Texan game in a few weeks.

oneniner still hates McCloughan

Hypothetically, if the Jets traded for Edwards with lower round picks to thwart the league from punishing them, shouldn't the league just punish them even harder by taking away the higher round picks?

Did the hold out accomplish anything? It sure gave us a lot to bitch about. Beyond that, I'd say, hmmm, let me think about it, almost nearly something buuuuuut...nothing. It accomplished nothing.

Parker is a doo doo. The 49ers organization is definitely going in the right direction. Well done guys.

Good post and well said 4t9rfan. I think the kid learned some lessons. For the sake of future players, I hope Parker did too.

When can we start talking about the Atlanta game? Let's face it, we are going to have to "prove" ourselves every game we play, until we have truly accomplished something. That said, welcome to GPS game 5...

Don't forget, the Jets still have first & second round picks in 2011. There's nothing that says that just because they traded away picks this year that they otherwise may have been penalized that they can't get hit on those picks for '11. And the Jets or the league also can't argue that Crabtree being signed lessens any impact here...who knows what we would've been as a team if he had signed and played right away versus waiting till game 6 or 7!! In other words, this signing has no impact on the Jets penalty...if they are found guilty they still should be SLAMMED!!

BTW, Is Brandon Jones finally back this week? I can't wait to get him back on the field....our best WR in all the camps and a proven downfield threat....

I love my team. Sorry, I had to get that out of the way first. They have definitely gained some respect throughout this situation. I'm very happy with this signing. We got one more year (hypothetically) for not much more money. We didn't lose any face with the league and we sent a message to next year's two (or more) first rounders that we draft. I really hope Crabtree works out. The only way he gets respect now is by performing in whatever fashion the coaches ask him too. I was impressed by the presser as well. Good on the team for getting this done. IMO, Parker has replaced Rosenhaus as the scum at the bottom of the agent pool.

On topic, the only thing the holdout accomplished was keeping our first round draft pick out of the game for 72 days, greatly hindering his development as a professional football player. No way he catches up until at least the playoffs (which would be fine), if not next year.

Parker is the worst agent in the NFL. He makes my list as one of the all time slime balls. But he is now in the company Drew Rosen, Tom Condon. He tried to change a system that was flawed and he wanted to make it worse. We to put in a rookie salary cap. VETS get the shaft while the J. Russel, Alex Smith, Joey Harringtons and Ryan Leaf's handicap their teams for at least 5 to 10 years. If parker would have succeded to get more it would have been for the league. Why in god's green earth is MC Hammer or Peon Sanders in Crabtree camp ?

Actually Condon is considered to be a pretty fair agent by owners as well as players. He certainly has the respect of GMs around the league. He's known for getting his players into camp as far as I remember from one of Matt's previous articles.

I totally agree that parker is a sleaze ball. he just ruined crabtree's rookie year, look how fast it took to hammer out a contract when they finally meet. that sort of practice is just disgusting.

As far as crabtree's relationship to sanders, sander's has a program that helps to develop athletes that are bound for the NFL to develop skills to make them coveted by NFL teams. unfortunately for crabtree, Parker is the main agent associated with this program. I don't think having a relationship with sander's is such a negative, he has been around the NFL in alot of capacities and knows how to handle the spotlight with much success. it's just this situation made sanders out into a douchebag.

Hahaha you said "Hammer" out a contract OMG this whole thing has made my week. Funny Shyt right there. SNL could have a ball with this one!!!

doesn't the agent listen to the client? Parker even said it was a good offer. I don't think Eugene is the criminal here.....

OK MATT... since the 49rs filed tampering charges against the jets ...lets just suppose that we get a compensatory pick, and that pick turns out to be one the ones they traded to the Browns for Braylon Edwards..what happen next?? Would the Browns have to relinquish that pick to the niners??

I personally think Sanders is a leach. He was sticking his nose in a situation that hurt 49ers and the Jets. Crabtree is now so far behind that we can only hope he will be able to produce in the playoffs. As far Condon he was behind the Larry Fitzgerld deal that cash straped the Cards. He is also the agent for Boldin. Who has had contract issue become a year round problem. The Jets now look like the kid who had his hand in the cookie jar. But at least we arent the Raiders. Has anybody seen Heyward Bey ? I think he fell in the black whole.

I still think the player is primarily responsible for this mess. I get the impression that Parker is angy this kid jerked him around and made him look stupid. Crabtree had too many people whispering in his ear and had his head all screwed up. Parker is probably embarrassed because the kid wants to hold out and then totally caved and came crawling back with Parker in tow... It's unfortunate that this wasn't done sooner so he could contribute to their current success but at least they got the extra year tacked on. I love the way the front office handled this.

This just in: Stupid Sanders strikes again...
Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant has been ruled ineligible for violating an NCAA bylaw, the school announced Wednesday.
Bryant, an All-American who is ranked ninth overall on Mel Kiper Jr.'s most recent Big Board, was ruled ineligible by the school after lying to the NCAA when he was asked if he had visited Deion Sanders' home and had worked out with him.

Does this smell like a rotten smelly sulpher Parker- Sanders anal extraction? The NFL should ban these criminals. I wonder if Crabs was invited?

Hey Matt,With the PS spot now filled. where does that leave The WR (id imagine) that will be cut now that crabs is signed? Or do you think they will release some one else on the PS to make room again?

I suppose you could put the blame on Crabtree. Anyone on this blog have a 20 year old kid that you'd tell to go negotiate a multi-million dollar/multi-year contract for you? MBA's from Stanford aren't given this level of responsibilty, that's why you hire an agent.

As for conspiracy theories, how about the Jets got the suggestion to Parker to get the deal done, because if they don't then their penalty gets far worse, maybe costing them a first rounder next year. And oh, if you don't get it done there will be precious few GM's in the league that will ever work with - EVER!

Yea, that's the ticket!

Matt-

I'm really curious to get your perspective on how the Crabtree fiasco will effect Parker's reputation around the league? I know that the agent ultimately works for the player, but listening to Crabtree in his press conference today he sounds like exactly what he is, a 22 year old kid who I find it extremely hard to believe masterminded this whole ordeal. As someone who observed the situation from afar, I can't see anything that Parker did to earn his commission in this case. His pre-draft damage control around the injury and rumors of his client being a "diva" was virtually non-existent. His post-draft contract negotiations brought national ridicule and made his client the poster child for everything that's wrong with the NFL ... and if that wasn't enough, his client's development has been delayed and his rookie season put in jeopardy. All of this for a contract that could have been signed in July. And after all of this, Parker sends the kid out to the podium alone and doesn't even have the balls to face the press. I find this whole thing unbelievable. Don't get me wrong, I have no sympathy for Crabtree in all of this. I'm just shocked that a guy as accomplished as Parker would mismanage a situation in such dramatic fashion.

Thanks.

The hold out accomplished nothing at all for Crabtree and was a huge minus for Parker.

BUT it accomplished quite a bit for the Niners ownership and the GM.It showed that they can play with the big boys and it has earned them a reputation among everyone in the NFL as solid and principled people who should be respected.
This was huge for the Niners new regime of Jed and Scott and even sing !!! They passed the test with flying colors !
So,even though Crabs didn't get 1 cent more because of the hold out (he actually probably lost money and got a worse deal than he would have got if he signed on day 1),he is well off ,being a millionaire now and being with a team with a great future and a perfect HC for this team and this time in the League.
So the holdout acomplished quite a bit for the team but nothing for Crabs and was quite harmfull to Parker's reputation.

Alright! It's over! I have to admit that I became negative towards Craps and his Agent Parker. At first I believed business is business, and it is. But it seemed after a while Craps let Parker loose and what was it giving to him? Not much. I now think Craps did learn some things from all this.
I hope he learned #1, he has a lot to learn. #2, he's just a kid who trusted a hard core money man and has to realize the hard core money guys care about themselves and what they can make before they think about you! Hell! We all know that! Unless your a trusting young person who tries to trust the world! At my age I know that's a BIG MISTAKE!
#3, He's going to learn what pressure will come to him when none was necessary! Or should I have done this a different way?
But now I'm going to cheer for the kid and hope he brings a better player to an already good team!
And the nay sayers can write what they want about me! I don't really give a damn! Craps is wearing red and gold just like I will Sunday at 1:15 pm!

Sanders sucks !

Now that's what's up Terry! I was weary about drafting him in the first place, I thought we needed to address other areas like d line and o line. While the d line is doing good, the o line not so much. I for one am glad that we finally signed him, IF he is anything like he was in college and is a good kid like coach Sing has stated, I welcome him to the 49er family! As a season ticket holder I look forward to seeing him play from the sidelines! And I have to give MAJOR props to the organization on how they handled it. We will not be pushed around in the front office or on the football field. The league should thanks us for holding to our guns and not busting up the slotting system. GO NINERS!! !

Wow 16280! If you've got this story right, this is UNBELIEVABLE!
WTF is Deion thinking? This Dez kid is a remarkable talent and this event will hurt him significantly in his potential earning power.
Make no mistake, he'll still be drafted high, but not AS HIGH. His association with Sanders may have just cost him million$. Getting caught lying is on him.
Deion is now The Kiss Of Death. Friendship with him for a 20 year old is more dangerous than a sleepover at Michael Jackson's house for a 10 year old; Parents Beware!

Great job Jed and Paraag! Jed, you are really winning over the niners fans. Now all we need you to do is to take your mother's last name.
Jed DeBartalo. That sounds right.

One more thing, THE TAMPERING CHARGES ARE NOT OVER!! The niners got nailed for calling a guy one day early. What the Jets did essentially ruined Crabtree's rookie year. We need to be made whole.

GREAT REPORTING MATT!

BETTER JOB 49ERS FRONT OFFICE!!

EVEN BETTER JOB SING/TEAM FOR STAYING FOCUSED AND WINNING!!!

Three stars for everyone except Parker and Crabtree. I just love McC's response and attitude. Not sure if this is just bliss, but I think the Niners organization is really onto something special here. We need to cap off this first 5 weeks with a dominating win against a formidable opponent this weekend.

The agent is there to advise the client as well as do what the client wants. That's why he's hired in the first place, for his expertise. Parker isn't new to the process, so if it was Crabtree that really wanted top 5 money it was up to Parker to tell him he was out of line on his demands and he wouldn't get it. Plus, he'd be delaying his development as a player by holding out. Parker had to be the one who thought holding out was a very viable option.

Two things:

First, in case you haven't seen this, it's a pretty good article. It's worth clicking on the link only to see Singletary in the photo that accompanies the article:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ann_killion/10/07/niners/index.html

Second, at the Rams game this weekend I did see several fans wearing Crabtree 49er jerseys. But I got a bigger kick out of a guy who was wearing a McCoy 49er jersey!

Coach Singletary told the Press!

"We look forward not back!"

Awesome picture - should be on that little CNN pic of the day thing they do.

And I didn't realize S. Hill was a funny guy;
"Quarterback Shaun Hill joked about his own rookie holdout. "Yeah, I held out for the first seven rounds of the draft," said Hill, who signed with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent in 2002."

Tuna, I pulled it off ESPN, Good one with the Gloved one reference...LMAO

Good for everyone.

Florio’s breakdown means the Niners held their ground on the salary issue. And since MC’s largely burned his first year, the six year deal is sweet.

If he works hard and keeps his nose clean, this should work out well. We’ve seen the OL generally can’t protect Hill long enough for deep patterns, as we’ve watched Raye call more quick slants, etc., off short drops — and Hill has shown he’s got a pretty quick read-release.

This, then. becomes the perfect offense for a kid who’s only played spread in college, and has made his bread and butter off such slants. He’s big, has good hands, and can take the punishment of crossing patterns. Paired with Morgan, he (and we) should have a bright future.

I can’t wait for October 25.

I don't know Ronnie. Certainly looks like it did. Comes out that Crabtree won't be re-entering the draft and won't be available for cheap leading up to the draft. So they go get Edwards instead. Edwards has been available since the beginning of training camp. The Jets may have got him at a little more of a discount. But they did give up two capable players and anything above a 5th round pick is still a guy who is one of the top 10 at his position. So they certainly didn't give up peanuts. But for a talent like Braylon it's worth it only if he decides he wants to make his mark on the field and not in the National Enquirer.

The timing is funny for sure considering the tampering charges. It may just be coincedence, but considering all the factors . . .

I mean, they could have gotten Crabtree cheaper (after sitting out so long) and without giving up much of anything had he held out the year. If they REALLY wanted Edwards, they would have had him by now.

So the timing certainly is suspect.

it's about time McC stuck it to parker. i'm glad to see that crabtree didn't SEEM to have much say in the matter. in a way, it's a positive as he doesn't seem to have any animosity towards not being paid as much as he thought he would have.

if he actually does work hard and ends up becoming a top 10 receiver, then i'll take back my wariness gladly. until then, he's got much to prove in the big leagues.

MM.....

"Mike Florio of PFT concludes, it was a contract "that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year."

this is not news, almost everyone knew this was going to happen

Mike Florio is phony....fraud....charlatan

Mike Florio is a goon......

Damn. Crabtree 49er jerseys aren't on sale anymore.

i bought them all

Uuugh!! Cabfee signed, now get to workin on that hill sucka!

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/10/07/crabtrees-base-deal-six-years-32-million/

Parker was taken to the woodshed by Scotty !!!
No wonder Parker was so embarrased to come to the press conference. Hopefully Crabs fired his butt the moment the deal was inked !

Parker could have had the same deal ,or better,in July !!!

For all those that are saying that it is Crabtree, not Parker who is primarily responsible for this fiasco, I ask you to google Andrew Brandt and Crabtree. Brandt wrote a series of very knowledgeable articles (I believe he has worked in the negotiation process for NFL teams in the past) about the very complicated nature of contracts, and in particular, the primary motivations and strategies that Parker was in all likelihood employing.

If after reading those, you still think that this 20 nothing year old kid was the mastermind behind it all, then so be it. But do a little research and dig in a little before expecting this situation to be so patently simple. It was not.

Parker drove this. I am absolutely convinced. That certainly doesn't exonerate Crabtree, but he is what he is -- an easily influenced unworldly 20 year old kid. I hope he learns what lessons he can by this and takes it out on the 49ers opponents.

I had a feeling it was his agent, but i didnt know how much control and influence they have over their clients. I guess Parker will learn the real lesson because no one will hire him anymore. Crabtree missed 4 games and training camp, but the bright side is hes happy and signed with the 49ers. But i agree he should fire his secret agent man Eugene Parker for take his potential rookie of the year award away from him, atually he might still have a chance.

I blame Parker for this mess. It's asking a lot of a 22-year old with no business experience to override his agent.

I get the impression Crabtree is kind of like Isaac Bruce: a man of few words, not overly fond of the media or of being in the spotlight away from the football field, someone who's intensely focused on his craft. I think he's gonna be real good one, and all this controversy will be soon forgotten.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Crabtree-Inside-the-details.html

Eugene Parker & Deon Sanders seem to be business partners. Next years Crabtree will be Dez Bryant.

Kind of makes me sick to think of the tampering and sleazyness that goes on with NFL contracts. I think a rookie cap will at least protect the young players and provide money to vets who earn the check.

Yes It proved the 49ers didn't need to sign Crabman to accmplish a 3-1 start.. Crabby will be hardpressed to achieve his bonus clauses The Niners are a running team..
Plus it showed ANY COLLEGE KID TO HIRE A REAL AGENT AND NOT THAT BUFFOON GENO PARKER..
I suspect he will play in 10-11 games maybe make 35 catches 3 TDS.. Oh yea Pro Bowl.. I suspect he has taken a pay cut from Texas tech too..
I wondr how much money Deon Sanders has given Cr*tchCrab while Crab salad was at Tech????

Barley: You got this thing right imho. It was Parker,not the naive kid . As a matter of fact,I wonder if Crabtree didn't finally force Parker's hand because he was tired of sitting out and not doing what he loves,playing ball? Parker certainly did not serve his client's interests well ,not at all !

Hurtinhead:
I feel compelled to remind you that the Niners are no more of a running team than they are a passing team.
So far this season,the Niners are almost exactly 50% pass and 50% run. Very well balanced and plenty of passes to go around for Crabs and all the receivers.
But I do agree that many of the phoney incentive clauses will be almost impossible to achieve ,unless we win SB's and Crabs goes to the Pro Bowl at least 2 out of the next 3 years,against all the great WR competition in the NFC. A very very very long shot.Those clauses are there to let Parker and Crabs save face ,after their fruitless hold out.