Trent Baalke talks Michael Crabtree, wide receiver prospects

The San Francisco 49ers have a variety of question marks at the wide receiver position, so it should surprise nobody that Trent Baalke's press conference opened with a question about the position. We'll have a look at the transcript in a bit, but in the meantime you can watch the full press conference HERE.

The first question was what kind of attributes Baalke looked for when evaluating wide receivers. He went for the easy joke saying he wanted guys who could catch the ball. He talked about finding receivers that could match up with the team's quarterback. And he was pretty general initially, talking about how different teams value size or speed or whatever attribute.

However, when asked a follow-up question about what kind of receiver matches up with Colin Kaepernick, he first deflected, and then provided at least a modicum of insight. He talked about drafting Bruce Ellington last year, and having Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson to give them a "mix" of receivers. He wrapped up that topic with his most direct answer:

"I think it's no mystery, we're looking for guys that can run, get down the field."

This is not a huge answer, but it is interesting that Baalke would make this point. He's always preferred to keep things fairly close to the vest, so to hear him say this is a bit of a change. It's not a huge change, but it is still something to take note of at this point in the preparation process. There is probably some measure of strategy involved. It's not like he was breaking some shocking news, but again, he is not the kind of guy to give up anything if he does not have to.

He was also asked about Michael Crabtree, who will hit free agency next month. Baalke said he will meet with Crabtree's agent this week for some discussions. He has other agents to meet with for guys like Mike Iupati and Frank Gore, but acknowledged the team has its work cut out for it with the numerous significant free agents.