A case for why Michael Crabtree will NOT play at all in 2013 (1 Viewer)

[Shutout]

One of the disucssions seen commonly around the boards right now are topics regarding if/when you draft players like Crabtree, Harvin, Nelson, etc who are injured now and may or may not come back and provide a big boon for their owners later in the season.

One view of this that really gets away from the minutia of looking at Crabtree individually is to take a step back and look at the Niners as an organization. Their common practice in recent times has been to not rush players back at all and to also openly state that they are not rushing players at all.

That is a nice luxury for a team that is good and can afford to do so and the Niners are, of course, a good team. While it is true that they could sure use Crabtree in the WR position, as a whole, they can likely not rush Crabtree at all.

To underscore this thought, we can look no further than Kendall Hunter. He is now 8 1/2 months removed from a partial achilles injury of his own and the team is clearly being cautious with him. It probably stands to reason that the Niners will adopt a similar approach to Crabtree as they have Hunter and a few others with significant lower leg issues.

I don't think we see Crabtree play at all this year.

 

[Keith Lewis]

Simply put if the 49ers feel they can make a run at a Super Bowl win and Crabtree can play and help the team then he will play. If he can't or won't help their chances then he won't.

 

[Keith Lewis]

One more thing, Crabtree is way more valuable to the 49ers success than Hunter.

Think about this, if Gore and James got IR'd today do you think they would take it nice and slow with Hunter.

 

[Hoosier16]

To underscore this thought, we can look no further than Kendall Hunter. He is now 8 1/2 months removed from a partial achilles injury of his own and the team is clearly being cautious with him. It probably stands to reason that the Niners will adopt a similar approach to Crabtree as they have Hunter and a few others with significant lower leg issues.

Everyone heals differently. If Crabtree is ready, and they're making a Super Bowl run, he'll play.

 

[TheFanatic]

One more thing, Crabtree is way more valuable to the 49ers success than Hunter.

.

This. Terrible comparison.

Crabtree and Kaep have some serious chemistry. When he is healthy, he plays.

 

[Shutout]

One more thing, Crabtree is way more valuable to the 49ers success than Hunter.

Think about this, if Gore and James got IR'd today do you think they would take it nice and slow with Hunter.

Actually, I would expect the team to look at available FAs. Teams are not limited by anything preventing them from looking outside the organization.

 

[Shutout]

One more thing, Crabtree is way more valuable to the 49ers success than Hunter.

.

This. Terrible comparison.

Crabtree and Kaep have some serious chemistry. When he is healthy, he plays.

It's pretty obvious that the only people that look at these threads are the Crabtree owners with biases. How in the world can you base your entire counterpoint on the statement that serious chemistry exists? Serious chemistry exists between Brady and gronkowski and Hernandez too but it's obvious that other factors are going to prevent those players from playing. There are factors outside of our desire to have them help our fantasy teams that drive real life decisions: like actual long term health ramifications of a player.

 

[msudaisy26]

If I was running the 49ers he wouldn't play until be showed he was 100 percent healed. This is a young team with a 3 to 5 year window as a contender.

 

[Beerguzzler]

Hope he's pumping that HGH before it's officially tested for. Only way he gets back on the field this season.

 

[johnadams]

This has everything to do with the doctors. If the doctors give him a green light, he'll be out there. If not, he won't. Hunter's situation is not analogous until the games matter. They are being cautious now because there's no real win in moving him faster. It would be very different if tonight's game was the opening of the regular season.

 

[thecatch]

If I was running the 49ers he wouldn't play until be showed he was 100 percent healed. This is a young team with a 3 to 5 year window as a contender.

Good chance they can't afford Crabtree when he hits FA after next year, so I'm not sure he specifically is in their long term plans.

 

[TheFanatic]

One more thing, Crabtree is way more valuable to the 49ers success than Hunter.

.

This. Terrible comparison.

Crabtree and Kaep have some serious chemistry. When he is healthy, he plays.

It's pretty obvious that the only people that look at these threads are the Crabtree owners with biases. How in the world can you base your entire counterpoint on the statement that serious chemistry exists? Serious chemistry exists between Brady and gronkowski and Hernandez too but it's obvious that other factors are going to prevent those players from playing. There are factors outside of our desire to have them help our fantasy teams that drive real life decisions: like actual long term health ramifications of a player.

And when Gronk is healthy he will play. In fact, it would seem he might've rushed back a couple times last year only to go down with another injury. When the guy is healthy, he will play. If that is week 8, week 12, or the playoffs. You can mock the chemistry thing, but when the QB likes a guy that guy is going to play. This is not rocket science here.

 

[Shutout]

One more thing, Crabtree is way more valuable to the 49ers success than Hunter.

.

This. Terrible comparison.

Crabtree and Kaep have some serious chemistry. When he is healthy, he plays.

It's pretty obvious that the only people that look at these threads are the Crabtree owners with biases. How in the world can you base your entire counterpoint on the statement that serious chemistry exists? Serious chemistry exists between Brady and gronkowski and Hernandez too but it's obvious that other factors are going to prevent those players from playing. There are factors outside of our desire to have them help our fantasy teams that drive real life decisions: like actual long term health ramifications of a player.

And when Gronk is healthy he will play. In fact, it would seem he might've rushed back a couple times last year only to go down with another injury. When the guy is healthy, he will play. If that is week 8, week 12, or the playoffs. You can mock the chemistry thing, but when the QB likes a guy that guy is going to play. This is not rocket science here.

Sounds like you have proclaimed Kaep an MD. We can agree to disagree but I don't think its as simple as the good ol' boy thought of "Dangit SOn, we need you! You can't let the team down, now can you? I like you. Get out there so I can throw you the ball."

We've come a long way in recent years in sports; especially in the NFL. My whole point in this is that I think the Niners have shown a pattern of being cautious with players and I think they will again, given this tendency as the entire NFL is a bit more concientious of injuries these days. Yes, he will play when he is healthy but its not like the old days where the media fans the flame of courageousness citing how much a player wants to help his team out. These days the media fanst he flames of reporting on concussions and precautions and, given how the Niners med staff have handled players, I'd say he will "be healthy" when they are good and ready to say he is and I don't think that will be in any fantasy footballer's 2013.

 

[Adam Harstad]

One view of this that really gets away from the minutia of looking at Crabtree individually is to take a step back and look at the Niners as an organization. Their common practice in recent times has been to not rush players back at all and to also openly state that they are not rushing players at all.

The organization also openly stated that Crabtree would be back this year. Even the optimistic timetables have his return several months out, and a lot can happen between now and then, so I wouldn't be surprised if Crabtree's recovery ran slow and he didn't make it back. As of this moment, though, the only people with specific knowledge of his medical status have said that he'll be back. That's all I have to go on, so I take it at face value.

With that said, whether he's back or not, there's no way I want to rely on him in the fantasy playoffs. Suggs made it back, but he was a shadow of his normal self. There's no way I want to be relying on an untested receiver in his first week back from a major injury to carry me through the playoffs. I'm more happy about it as a dynasty owner because if he can make it back at part strength this season, then that means he'll almost certainly be back at full strength next season.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Simply put if the 49ers feel they can make a run at a Super Bowl win and Crabtree can play and help the team then he will play. If he can't or won't help their chances then he won't.

Making a run to the Super Bowl happens in the playoffs. Crabtree may play this season, but I think he's almost worthless when it comes to fantasy this year.

 

[Keith Lewis]

Simply put if the 49ers feel they can make a run at a Super Bowl win and Crabtree can play and help the team then he will play. If he can't or won't help their chances then he won't.

Making a run to the Super Bowl happens in the playoffs. Crabtree may play this season, but I think he's almost worthless when it comes to fantasy this year.

I don't disagree with this at all.

 

[cstu]

Simply put if the 49ers feel they can make a run at a Super Bowl win and Crabtree can play and help the team then he will play. If he can't or won't help their chances then he won't.

Making a run to the Super Bowl happens in the playoffs. Crabtree may play this season, but I think he's almost worthless when it comes to fantasy this year.

Even if he does return in December, no one is going to want to start him in the playoffs against the Seahawks, Bucs, and Falcons.