However, I absolutely despise the fact that he received the largest contract ever to a non-QB rookie (basically, he’s the most expensive rookie ever behind Matt Stafford). Curry may become a beast in due time, but I still don’t think he’ll ever become as good as, say, Julian Peterson. And yet, Julian Peterson isn’t getting paid anywhere near as much as Curry.

These rookie contracts are absolutely ridiculous, to say the least.

However, Crabtree is going down a dangerous road. This crap about him wanting to be paid not only like the highest WR drafted, but a top 5 pick in general. He’s only hurting himself with this continued holdout, but if the 49ers cave, they are responsible for making the system go KABOOM as all hell breaks loose with just about every rookie demanding to be paid far higher than their draft slot would suggest.

until he signs. When he signs I hope Isaac Bruce can teach him a thing or two.

1) He was ALWAYS going to ask for more than Heyward Bay, and he should almost definitely get it. So he was never going to sign before Heyward Bay. The 49ers knew this when they drafted him. It came with the package. If they expected to get him for LESS than Heyward Bay, they were being crazy.

2) Since Crabtree is trying to get a contract that isn’t in line with the position he was drafted in, he had to wait to see what value the positions he expected to get drafted in are getting. It was always going to take a long time to get him signed. Now that the rest of the top ten is shaping up, that only helps us!

3) When you draft in the top ten, you always risk a holdout.

Which is all to say that I don’t get what the fuss is about. The stuff with his cousin was ridiculous, but his cousin doesn’t represent him. It was always going to take a long time to sign him. It was always likely to go into a holdout situation. This was the deal when we drafted him. It was the entire trade-off for having him drop to us. And if we’re glad that he dropped to us, we should be okay with waiting to sign him. Let’s please start accepting it.

And this one is new and improved because I said something non-factual the first time(s) I posted it. Apparently, research is only for people who don’t want to sound like idiots.

My point being that I’d be very surprised if this went into the season. If you asked me on draft day if I would be surprised to see him hold out into the exhibition season, I would have said no. Crabtree being an easy sign would have been a pretty incredible thing. There was way too much going on between his predraft hype, the fact that some expected him to be a top three pick, and the problem with him falling well below that payscale in the actual draft for it to be easy.

What a douche bag!!

because NFL careers are often nasty, brutish, and short. The teams can waive a player at any time and be off the hook for non-guaranteed salary. Grabbing as much guaranteed cash as possible is the player’s only way to balance that out, particularly with a probable lockout coming in a year or two.

I’d say he has another week or two before his failure to be in camp makes it difficult for him to contribute this season. Brandon Jones’ injury means that Crabtree is missing a huge opportunity – which rookies rarely get – to solidify himself as a key rotation player. If he misses another week or two, it may be hard for him to work himself into the rotation before Jones gets back, in which case he’s behind Jones on the depth chart.

Long holdouts (which this isn’t … yet) end up hurting the player as much as the team – the threat of sitting out a year and re-entering the draft is pretty empty and petulant, because nobody’s draft position goes up when they do that. It would cost him plenty of cash in eventual salary, more cash in this year’s missed wages, and even more in postponing his eventual free agency by another year.

But there’s no reason to freak out about Crabs just yet.

Like the rest of Niner Nation, I’m getting tired of reading about MC’s holdout for money. Let him go. He’s already proved that he’s not worthy of Crimson and Gold. He’s an individual who is only out for himself. He will not be worth the headache. Those who have proclaimed “Jerry Rice 2.0” obviously have not watched Jerry. Our beloved #80 was all about the game, not about the money. He personally took pay cuts so that the team would stay under the cap to bring in more quality players. MC would never do that. MC is concerned with the bling of the contract, not the players or fans. I say let him sit out and find another team next year. We have had enough drama in the Bay Area. We’ve got the best looking recieving corps in several years, we’ve got a couple of QB’s who are actually starting to look like legit leaders on the field, we have a new offensive strategy that will allow more players the opportunity to make big plays.

Sooner or later MC will recognize that he is hurting himself, he’ll sign, make millions more than the rest of us, he’ll make a few plays..he’ll continue to show that he is a diva, rub teammates the wrong way and then he’ll complain that he’s not getting the ball enough, talk trash to the QB on the sidelines about not finding him…oh wait, that sounds like another diva we called TO. Remember how that all played out…

if this statement hadn’t come out from his “advisor” we’d be in pretty much the same situation as a lot of teams. Many of the first round picks have not signed yet and they are all working on it. He would be an absolute idiot to sit out a year and re-enter the draft. He will sign, and he’ll probably get a little more than his draft slot indicates, but probably not as much as he is asking for. This is the business of the NFL. Hopefully things will change and the rookies will stop getting so much dang money until they prove themselves.

The Crabtree holdout will likely continue into September. Your guys’ thoughts?

These ballooning rookie contracts are really beginning to worry me. A salary-capped league can’t have runaway contracts, particularly for players who have yet to take a snap in a professional game. As Niners fans, we’ve felt the burden of one of those runaway contracts (not a knock on Alex Smith, just an observation) for roughly half a decade: The system desperately needs to change.

Now, I know there are concerns that owners would simply pocket the money they save on rookie contracts, and not spend it on veterans, but — and someone please correct me if I’m wrong — I think the NFL requires that a minimum amount of a team’s earnings be spent on player salaries.

Finally, onto Michael Crabtree. I believe he will be a Niner. “Signability” has long been an MLB concern, but it isn’t in the NFL — and with good reason. It’s simply too damaging to a young player’s development. I just hope that this particular young player will be motivated to work once he puts on the Red and Gold.

Whatta douche.

if Josh Freeman, pick #17, said that he also wanted DHB money? That contract stands out pretty good around all the other 5 year less than 36 million contract!

Crabtree was a great pick, but who cares if he signs. Morgan, Spurlock, Bruce, Ziegler and Battle are good enough for now, plus you have the injured Brandon Jones. Whether Crabtree signs or not, we are going to be a better tteam than last year in recieving.

Just listen to yourself, better team than last year? (not hard) Morgan, Spurlock, Bruce, Zeigler and Battle are good enough for NOW? You sure? What about week 3 after two of them have hamstring injuries? Not wishing bad on my folk, don’t get me wrong but he was our first round pick and said to be at least our number 3 option, so yeah let’s get him signed

According to ESPN, Aaron Maybin has signed…. since he was picked at #11 we can now see how much Crabtree SHOULD receive… the only other pick left is Andre Smith at #6. The funny part is that people (I know I did) were hoping to draft Smith if he was there at #10… Which brings me to my next question, which pick would you rather have hold out longer Andre Smith or Crabtree?

of all this talk about crabtree not signing yet, SIGN THE CONTRACT! if u miss one week of the regular season i will burn your jersey you greedy bastard. I was so estatic when we drafted you. Now stop being a diva, sign the contract, and start making plays like we all know u can.

Player to not sign a contract.

The Bengals’ latest offer first-rounder Andre Smith included a base salary $4.5 million less than last year’s No. 6 overall Vernon Gholston received. For added emphasis, No. 7 overall pick Darrius Heyward-Bey received $10.25M more than the Bengals are offering the No. 6 pick. This is simply business as usual for the out-of-touch Bengals, who are genuinely shocked that the young man won’t sign for whatever pile of money of they’re offering.

At least Andre Smith has a reason for not signing. As for Crabtree is just being a primma donna.

I’ve put myself in the unenviable position of defending Crabtree because I believe in him. If I were him I would have already signed. But I’m not him so all I can do is try to understand why he’s taken the position he’s taken and explain it to you all the best way I can. Believe me when I say that I wish he’d sign the BLANKING contract and play some ball. But until he does, I’m here to stand by him and defend him. If you want to hate on me and trash talk me, go ahead. It won’t change the way I feel about Crabs…

until he signs, eff crabtree……….9ers will be a success regardless

Pre-draft the scuttlebutt was that Chiefs new GM Scott Pioli was trying like hell to trade down from #3 and looking for a team interested in Crabtree to do it. NOBODY was interested even in a time when Larry Fitzgerald is godlike in the minds of many.

I believe many teams saw too much risk with Crabtree and apparently for more reasons than just his foot.

How long will it be before GM’s realizes drafting anything other than an O or D linemen in the top of the first round is an expensive and frequently fruitless proposition?

I hope the 9ers hold their ground with Crabtree, they have enough of a running game and a strong enough defense to be a surprise playoff team without further mortgaging their future on this diva.

you know, I’d say it’s probably not an unreasonable prediction to say that #6 pick Andre Smith could end up signing for a little less than #7 pick Heyward-Bey signed for.

and if THAT happens …

Our situation/bargaining with Crabtree’s agent would suddenly look a whole lot better.

Let this moron go back in the draft and he will go late in the first round or early second and he can then try to get top five money from there..He must be one of the stupidest players ever to come out of the draft..Do the 49ers want a guy who only cares about himself?? Do they want a player who obviously is dumb?? Let this moron sit out the year..

Your out on the ledge by yourself..This guy was a good college receiver, but he isn’t fast, he isn’t big, he played in an offense that gave him huge numbers..He would be lucky to get 10th pick money..When guys overrate themselves, I don’t want them on my team..The 49ers didn’t do their homework on an overrated prima donna with questionable speed, who is totally selfish and puts himself above everything else..As bad as the 49ers are, they don’t need this headache..

I don’t think this even matters.

It doesn’t change Crabtree’s reasoning.

I wonder how he’s going to get through the year without any income?
I’m sure he probably went out and spent a load of money on random stuff before the draft…how is he going to pay for it?

That something is real close between the two sides. I don’t have any inside information just call it a gut instinct!! Also York seemed really upbeat about him signing the other day!!

Crabtree was the right move at the time. Hopefully all this nonsense will be erased by his performance when he FINALLY hits the field………..

Andre smith breaks a foot in non contact drills.. maybe that shouldve been crabtree?
he’ll sign by Friday!! guaranteed!!!

tonight was quoted as saying “If The 49ers don’t draft me then i am lost” during the draft. At first glance one’ would think that is because he wanted to be a 49er but 4 months last it seems because then he couldn’t ask for 30 million guaranteed. Now i am truly lost regarding that quote. Someone want to chime in?

I currently make mo’ money than crabs!!
I work at IKEA

What a beaver taint

I know this as an almost certainty.

1. Why ask for something that cannot be done under the CBA?

1. People are forgetting that this has nothing to do with him not wanting to play with the 49ers, rather it’s a business decision, granted a bad one.

1. Right before he was draft he was quoted as saying “I am lost if the niners don’t pick me”

1. Russell didn’t sign until 8 days before opening day in 2007.

1. “Rumblings” Are you serious? I wonder if it came from the same BS source that said he was prepared to sit out the entire season

1. The 49ers have all the leverage right now so expect him to sign within the next week or so.

1. The CBA is pretty clear on the rules when it comes to unsigned rookies and under those rules Crabtree really has no ground to stand on

Well it’s pretty much official (not really, but still) Michael Crabtree is never going to play for the 49ers.

Oh well, at this point I just don’t care anymore.

I will say this:
Deion Sanders is WRONG, the 49ers do NOT need Crabtree…..they can trade him in March to one of those two teams that are supposedly WILLING to pay the kid.