Ronniemac03 (ode to Bobby Kielty?) posted an interesting FanShot earlier today that I wanted to discuss in a little more depth here and open it up for some discussion. It points to a Yahoo article (which points to a Pro Football Talk article) which claims dissension in the Crabtree/Parker ranks:
Meanwhile, we're hearing that Parker is dealing with the Crabtree conundrum on the recruiting trail by blaming the holdout on the player. Parker, we're told, is pointing to the deal he negotiated for defensive end Tyson Jackson at the third overall slot as proof that Parker is willing and able to negotiate a fair deal for a first-round pick.
I made a comment in the FanShot but wanted to open it up for all to see. First off, Parker likely promised great things in the draft to Crabtree and cannot deliver on those promises. That is certainly no excuse for an extended holdout from Crabtree.
However, more importantly and assuming Crabtree made the statement, I call BS on Parker's comments about his deal for Tyson Jackson. The Chiefs reached for Jackson with the third pick. While he might pan out as a great player, he was not expected to go that high. Thus, there's no reason for Parker to demand more than slot money. He's already getting more than he was probably expecting. In reality one could argue the situations are diametrically opposed.
I'm not here to make excuses for Crabtree. The whole situation has spiraled out of control and nobody should be surprised that the blame game has begun. What I like about all this is that the 49ers really do come out smelling like roses. They've stuck to their guns and are not being pushed into a particularly bad contract because one person demands it. I'm curious though if the 49ers might go a little more in a deal than what Raji got at 9. QBs usually get more than slot, so maybe another skill position could find it as well. Would you go a little more than 9 and would Crabtree even accept that?