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Player Spotlight: Michael Crabtree (1 Viewer)

Jason Wood

Zoo York
2009 Player Spotlight Series

One of Footballguys best assets is our message board community. The Shark Pool is, in our view, the best place on the internet to discuss, debate and analyze all things fantasy football. In what's become an annual tradition, the Player Spotlight series is a key part of the preseason efforts. As many of you know, we consider the Player Spotlight threads the permanent record for analyzing the fantasy prospects of the player in question. Last year, we published more than 120 offensive spotlights covering the vast majority of expected skill position starters. This year will be no different.

Each week we will post a list of players to be discussed. Those threads will remain open for the entire preseason, and should be a central point to discussion expectations for the player in question. Importantly, analysis done in the first week of posting will be part of the permanent record in two ways. 1) At the end of the week, we will tally the projections into a consensus. 2) We will select a number of pull quotes from forum contributors who make a compelling statement or observation. Both the projections and pull quotes will be part of a published article on the main website.

Thread Topic: Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Player Page Link: Michael Crabtree Player Page

Each article will include:

Detailed viewpoint from a Footballguys staff member
Highlighted member commentary from the message board threads
FBG Projections
Consensus Member ProjectionsThe Rules

In order for this thread to provide maximum value, we ask that you follow a few simple guidelines:

Focus commentary on the player in question, and your expectations for said player
Back up your expectations in whatever manner you deem appropriate; avoid posts that simply say "I hate him" or "He's the best"
To be included in the final synopsis and consensus outlook, you MUST provide projections for the playerProjections should include (at a minimum):

For QBs: Attempts, Completions, Passing Yards, Passing TDs, Ints, Rush Yards, Rush TDs
For RBs: Rushes, Rushing Yards, Rush TDs, Receptions, Receiving Yards, Receiving TDs
For WRs & TEs: Receptions, Receiving Yards, Receiving TDsNow let's get on with the conversation! We look forward to your contributions and let me offer a personal thanks in anticipation of the great debate and analysis.

 
While I'd like to see Crabtree come out like gangbusters I think his health(foot) is going to hamper the start of his 49er career.The dude ,IMO,has the makings of being an elite stud in the NFL and I'm sure the Niners don't want to take any chances on hindering his progress just to get him in the game.I don't think he'll even play until the 4th or 5th game, spot duty if that much, as they want to make sure he's completely healed.The one thing that bothers me that could keep him from elite status is the QB situation. I'm not convinced Hill or Smith is the long term answer. Neither is Nate Davis with his bad mechanics and learning disability. Not saying they can't be overcome but it's going to hard and he's going to be a project. If the Niners were smart they'd use their 2 first round picks next year and go get the best QB prospect available inthe draft. At this point is looks like either Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy. I know, I know, we all see how Alex Smith turned out. Smith was an intelligent QB that didn't transfer into being a smart QB in the NFL. If not they better find a young FA QB somewhere. Hell, Derek Anderson would be better than what we have now. So, there will be no ROY for Crabtree but if they put people around him to help him succeed he'll do just that. 4 to 5 years down the road Crabtree will be the WR people are looking to draft #1 on their fantasy team So for his lackluster 2009 season I see:

2009 projection:(Hill or Smith)

52 receptions/ 560-620 yds/ 4-5 tds

2010 projections:(new QB)

78-80 receptions/ 1,000- 1100 yds/ 8-9 tds

 
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Crabtree won't set the world on fire in his rookie season. A new offensive coordinator, an unsettled starting Quarterback, a bum foot and a shaky offensive line have to temper expectations in 2009.

Crabtree will develop into one of the games best, just not in 2009 for Redraft leagues.

42 Catches, 550 yards and 4 TD's

 
4 to 5 years down the road Crabtree will be the WR people are looking to draft #1 on their fantasy team.
Uhhhh, probably not.I believe Crabtree may turn out to be a good player, but not great like Fitzgerald/Calvin. I don't see the explosiveness in his game, and yes, Fitz is very explosive in snaring the ball out of the air vs any coverage as well as his new and improved RAC ability. '09 numbers should come in around89 targets, 49 receptions630 yds3 TDs
 
50 600 and 4 tds
I am thinking along these lines for him too, maybe this is his ceiling this year due to the adjustments he has to overcome. I am not sure his injury (foot) is such a non-issue. I don't see him being the Week 1 starter, but to evolve as a solid contributor as the season plays out. The soft SF defense will mean more passing. If you do a rough breakdown of the SF offense.... 3379 passing yards last year on 309 completions of 509 attempts with 21 TD, expect a nice 12% improvement = 3785 yards, 340 completions and 24 TD's. THESE ARE ROUGH PROJECTIONS.

Morgan is currently WR#1, I Bruce is WR2 and Gore/V Davis as 3rd target, the rest split with Crabtree, Jason Hill & Brandon Jones. Assume a rough breakdown on targets/completions:

Morgan 23%

Bruce 18%

V Davis 17%

Gore 15%

Crabtree 14%

B Jones 8%

J Hill 5%

Crabtree will get fewer looks at the start, but increase later. I see him displacing I Bruce about Week 7-10

Crabtree ==> projected for 41 rec with 530 yards and 3 TD

 
55 catches, 840 yds, 8 TDs

Great red zone target. Won't be great his first year but I think he will blossom into a top 10 WR in the next couple of seasons.

 
Morgan is currently WR#1, I Bruce is WR2 and Gore/V Davis as 3rd target, the rest split with Crabtree, Jason Hill & Brandon Jones.
It's early. Don't put too much stock into that. He may end up as the #1 wr, but by no means is it so sure a thing you should make projections based upon him retaining that spot.
 
#1 will he sign before camp.

#2 will he be healthy.

They obviously drafted him to eventually be the guy, but I don't think he will be the guy this year, anytime missed because of the above and it will only set him back.

34-475 3tds

 
Crabtree has the talent and opportunity to produce right away as a rookie. Yes there will be a learning curve and the WR corp. is a little crowded, but while guys like Hill, Jones, Morgan and Battle have flashed talent they haven't exactly shown any consistent production and Isaac Bruce's age has to be considered a neagtive.

Shaun Hill looked good in the second half of the season and with some experience under his belt and with Frank Gore still being the focus of opposing defenses’, Hill could be in for a fine season. Crabtree should end up being the top WR in the bay area in 2009 when all is said and done - but he is still a rookie so we can't expect "stud" numbers.

57 receptions, 745 yards, 6 TDs

 
4 to 5 years down the road Crabtree will be the WR people are looking to draft #1 on their fantasy team.
Uhhhh, probably not.I believe Crabtree may turn out to be a good player, but not great like Fitzgerald/Calvin. I don't see the explosiveness in his game, and yes, Fitz is very explosive in snaring the ball out of the air vs any coverage as well as his new and improved RAC ability.

'09 numbers should come in around

89 targets, 49 receptions

630 yds

3 TDs
I concur. 34 catches

398 yards

1 touchdown

 
4 to 5 years down the road Crabtree will be the WR people are looking to draft #1 on their fantasy team.
Uhhhh, probably not.I believe Crabtree may turn out to be a good player, but not great like Fitzgerald/Calvin. I don't see the explosiveness in his game, and yes, Fitz is very explosive in snaring the ball out of the air vs any coverage as well as his new and improved RAC ability.

'09 numbers should come in around

89 targets, 49 receptions

630 yds

3 TDs
I guess you have not seen much of Crabtreehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aJZsjImymc

 
4 to 5 years down the road Crabtree will be the WR people are looking to draft #1 on their fantasy team.
Uhhhh, probably not.I believe Crabtree may turn out to be a good player, but not great like Fitzgerald/Calvin. I don't see the explosiveness in his game, and yes, Fitz is very explosive in snaring the ball out of the air vs any coverage as well as his new and improved RAC ability.

'09 numbers should come in around

89 targets, 49 receptions

630 yds

3 TDs
I concur. 34 catches

398 yards

1 touchdown
If he has 34 catches he's going to have more than 1 TD. He's pretty much a touchdown machine.The following numbers are a worse case scenario if healthy:

64 Catches

867 Yards

7-9 TD's

 
4 to 5 years down the road Crabtree will be the WR people are looking to draft #1 on their fantasy team.
Uhhhh, probably not.I believe Crabtree may turn out to be a good player, but not great like Fitzgerald/Calvin. I don't see the explosiveness in his game, and yes, Fitz is very explosive in snaring the ball out of the air vs any coverage as well as his new and improved RAC ability.

'09 numbers should come in around

89 targets, 49 receptions

630 yds

3 TDs
I guess you have not seen much of Crabtreehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aJZsjImymc
No offense but that is college. He may be great or he may be a flop in the NFL . Only time will tell. Remember all the hype surrounding Reggie Bush...how has that worked out.
 
If he has 34 catches he's going to have more than 1 TD. He's pretty much a touchdown machine.The following numbers are a worse case scenario if healthy:64 Catches 867 Yards7-9 TD's
WOW!! ROY potential there.... I agree he has potential, but he is in a new situation with competition of a caliber he has not faced before. Speed of the game is only part of it. The Def will be faster, stronger and smarter than anything he has seen before. Add the psychological factors and the learning curve, and his prospects are not as bright. Those # would be a ceiling if EVERYTHING FELL IN PLACE for him... sign early, no issues with foot (100% healthy), win the starting WR role and have the OL & QB step up to a higher level. Possible, yes. Likely, no. He just startewd running full speed last week.
 
Rookie WR on a run 1st team with suspect QB. Don't get too excited. He better be able to block for Gore or Singletary won't let him see the field as much as you think. He already showed the one time overhyped Vernon Davis who is boss.

50 catches would be a miracle. Calvin Johnson could only muster up 48 his rookie season on a pass crazy 'O'.

45-650-4 TD's and be happy you got that.

 
Interesting projections by many members here. Josh Morgan missed 4 games last season in his rookie year, had 20 catches, 320 yards, and 3 TDS. Very interesting that many are projecting the same numbers for Michael Crabtree, the best WR prospect in the last 3 years to put up the same numbers as a 6th round pick who missed 4 games last season on the same team.

 
Two Deep said:
4 to 5 years down the road Crabtree will be the WR people are looking to draft #1 on their fantasy team.
Uhhhh, probably not.I believe Crabtree may turn out to be a good player, but not great like Fitzgerald/Calvin. I don't see the explosiveness in his game, and yes, Fitz is very explosive in snaring the ball out of the air vs any coverage as well as his new and improved RAC ability.

'09 numbers should come in around

89 targets, 49 receptions

630 yds

3 TDs
I guess you have not seen much of Crabtreehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aJZsjImymc
No offense but that is college. He may be great or he may be a flop in the NFL . Only time will tell. Remember all the hype surrounding Reggie Bush...how has that worked out.
Completely different players playing different positions. Tell me what do WR's and RB's have in common?
 
FavreCo said:
Rookie WR on a run 1st team with suspect QB. Don't get too excited. He better be able to block for Gore or Singletary won't let him see the field as much as you think. He already showed the one time overhyped Vernon Davis who is boss. 50 catches would be a miracle. Calvin Johnson could only muster up 48 his rookie season on a pass crazy 'O'. 45-650-4 TD's and be happy you got that.
The offense is changing this year. Haven't you kept up with those reports? You can't take last years tendencies and project them this year. One guy says Hill is the #1 WR, then Crabtree's compared to Bush now this. We need to use vision to see how the season unfolds. Jason Hill is not going to keep Crabtree off the field.
 
Two Deep said:
4 to 5 years down the road Crabtree will be the WR people are looking to draft #1 on their fantasy team.
Uhhhh, probably not.I believe Crabtree may turn out to be a good player, but not great like Fitzgerald/Calvin. I don't see the explosiveness in his game, and yes, Fitz is very explosive in snaring the ball out of the air vs any coverage as well as his new and improved RAC ability.

'09 numbers should come in around

89 targets, 49 receptions

630 yds

3 TDs
I guess you have not seen much of Crabtreehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aJZsjImymc
No offense but that is college. He may be great or he may be a flop in the NFL . Only time will tell. Remember all the hype surrounding Reggie Bush...how has that worked out.
No offence but he said he did not see "explosiveness in his game".....to this point his game has been played in college....and he was explosive and he did get a lot of YAC.....
 
Just addressing a few points mentioned in this thread:

Calvin started off big, then was injured in his rookie season. Had he stayed healthy, he looked as though he would have had a big season.

Shaun Hill had a ridiculously easy schedule last season. Alex Smith has looked much better than him in camp, and I expect Smith to win the job.

FWIW, Singletary has not said he's going to become a running team...he said he wants to be able to run the ball whenever he wants. That doesn't mean what everyone has assumed. It may turn out they run every down, but his remark has been taken out of context.

 
FavreCo said:
Rookie WR on a run 1st team with suspect QB. Don't get too excited. He better be able to block for Gore or Singletary won't let him see the field as much as you think. He already showed the one time overhyped Vernon Davis who is boss. 50 catches would be a miracle. Calvin Johnson could only muster up 48 his rookie season on a pass crazy 'O'. 45-650-4 TD's and be happy you got that.
Not sure on the specifics but I'm pretty sure the Calvin came down with a back injury about week 4, hampering him most of the season. I'm pretty sure he'd have "mustered" more than 48 catches. Outta curiousity, how'd Bowe do that season? Pretty sure he out performed the mighty Calvin. As for crazy pass-happy offence, a Martz offence is one of the most complex playbooks to learn. Neither of these issues that hampered Calvin should plague crabtree, so why project off what Calvin was capable of in his rookie season?
 
FavreCo said:
Rookie WR on a run 1st team with suspect QB. Don't get too excited. He better be able to block for Gore or Singletary won't let him see the field as much as you think. He already showed the one time overhyped Vernon Davis who is boss.

50 catches would be a miracle. Calvin Johnson could only muster up 48 his rookie season on a pass crazy 'O'.

45-650-4 TD's and be happy you got that.
The offense is changing this year. Haven't you kept up with those reports? You can't take last years tendencies and project them this year. One guy says Hill is the #1 WR, then Crabtree's compared to Bush now this. We need to use vision to see how the season unfolds. Jason Hill is not going to keep Crabtree off the field.
:lmao: Yeah, I have. Have you? They are going to run EVEN MORE than last year.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true

Singletary, beginning his first full season as head coach after taking over for the fired Mike Nolan last October, is overhauling the 49ers' offense with a philosophy heavily committed to the running game.

 
FavreCo said:
Rookie WR on a run 1st team with suspect QB. Don't get too excited. He better be able to block for Gore or Singletary won't let him see the field as much as you think. He already showed the one time overhyped Vernon Davis who is boss.

50 catches would be a miracle. Calvin Johnson could only muster up 48 his rookie season on a pass crazy 'O'.

45-650-4 TD's and be happy you got that.
The offense is changing this year. Haven't you kept up with those reports? You can't take last years tendencies and project them this year. One guy says Hill is the #1 WR, then Crabtree's compared to Bush now this. We need to use vision to see how the season unfolds. Jason Hill is not going to keep Crabtree off the field.
:popcorn: Yeah, I have. Have you? They are going to run EVEN MORE than last year.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true

Singletary, beginning his first full season as head coach after taking over for the fired Mike Nolan last October, is overhauling the 49ers' offense with a philosophy heavily committed to the running game.
Every year coaches say the same thing, "We are going to commit ourselves to the run." This rarely happens to the level of making the passing game non-existent.
 
4 to 5 years down the road Crabtree will be the WR people are looking to draft #1 on their fantasy team.
Uhhhh, probably not.I believe Crabtree may turn out to be a good player, but not great like Fitzgerald/Calvin. I don't see the explosiveness in his game, and yes, Fitz is very explosive in snaring the ball out of the air vs any coverage as well as his new and improved RAC ability.

'09 numbers should come in around

89 targets, 49 receptions

630 yds

3 TDs
I guess you have not seen much of Crabtreehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aJZsjImymc
Still waiting to see explosiveness from Crabtree...... :thumbup: This video and all other Crabtree video is simply the spread offense in effect. I've seen a few of his games on TV from start to finish and watched him closely. I just haven't seen the necessary quickness/explosion off the snap nor the quicks in and out of breaks nor elite leaping ability in traffic. Pretty good leaping ability, but certainly not the caliber of Fitz/Calvin, or even Dez Bryant, for that matter, as far as leaping ability, that is. We'll see what the kid brings to the table soon enough though, I could be somewhat wrong, and if he turns into a superstar, then yes, I was dead wrong. I see a good player, just not a superstar.....

Best Case: Anquan Boldin

Worst Case: Reggie Williams

(My) Consensus: Antonio Bryant (the good A.Bryant)

Edited to reflect my stance that Crabtree will not reach Greg Jennings' level.....

 
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4 to 5 years down the road Crabtree will be the WR people are looking to draft #1 on their fantasy team.
Uhhhh, probably not.I believe Crabtree may turn out to be a good player, but not great like Fitzgerald/Calvin. I don't see the explosiveness in his game, and yes, Fitz is very explosive in snaring the ball out of the air vs any coverage as well as his new and improved RAC ability.

'09 numbers should come in around

89 targets, 49 receptions

630 yds

3 TDs
I guess you have not seen much of Crabtreehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aJZsjImymc
Still waiting to see explosiveness from Crabtree...... :confused: This video and all other Crabtree video is simply the spread offense in effect. I've seen a few of his games on TV from start to finish and watched him closely. I just haven't seen the necessary quickness/explosion off the snap nor the quicks in and out of breaks nor elite leaping ability in traffic. Pretty good leaping ability, but certainly not the caliber of Fitz/Calvin, or even Dez Bryant, for that matter, as far as leaping ability, that is. We'll see what the kid brings to the table soon enough though, I could be somewhat wrong, and if he turns into a superstar, then yes, I was dead wrong. I see a good player, just not a superstar.....

Best Case: Terrell Owens

Worst Case: Reggie Williams

(My) Consensus: Greg Jennings (maybe, still not 100% sold that he gets this good)
Disagree on this, though I respect the opinion. He's one of the best I've ever seen at coming down with the ball. Say what you will about him lacking explosiveness etc, but the guy is an absolute beast when the ball is coming to him.
 
Crabtree is elite at two specific skills: 1) tracking the ball 2) catching the ball. Guys who can do those things extremely well have a high chance at success. I don't understand how you can watch his highlights and criticize his explosiveness. He is not a rocket ship, but neither is he a dump truck.

 
4 to 5 years down the road Crabtree will be the WR people are looking to draft #1 on their fantasy team.
Uhhhh, probably not.I believe Crabtree may turn out to be a good player, but not great like Fitzgerald/Calvin. I don't see the explosiveness in his game, and yes, Fitz is very explosive in snaring the ball out of the air vs any coverage as well as his new and improved RAC ability.

'09 numbers should come in around

89 targets, 49 receptions

630 yds

3 TDs
I guess you have not seen much of Crabtreehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aJZsjImymc
No offense but that is college. He may be great or he may be a flop in the NFL . Only time will tell. Remember all the hype surrounding Reggie Bush...how has that worked out.
No offence but he said he did not see "explosiveness in his game".....to this point his game has been played in college....and he was explosive and he did get a lot of YAC.....
:hifive: I was just going to post this.

 
He's going to impress people, and he's seriously underrated right now. Everyone is worried about the Niners QB situation. But the Niners have never had a WR as talented as Crabtree since TO.

75 receptions 1100 yards 9 tds

 
Crabtree doesn't have the brain to make a huge impact his rookie year. I love his talent, but he isn't a Fitz/CJ mental wise. He will need time to learn how to be an NFL WR.

600 yards/4 TD's.

But by his 3rd year he'll be a top 5 fantasy WR.

 
Crabtree doesn't have the brain to make a huge impact his rookie year. I love his talent, but he isn't a Fitz/CJ mental wise. He will need time to learn how to be an NFL WR.600 yards/4 TD's.But by his 3rd year he'll be a top 5 fantasy WR.
Michael Crabtree started paying WR in college. I don't think i'd question his brain for football when he goes from a QB in high school to winning every award, record for a WR as a Freshman. Here is Crabtrees overview from nfl.com draft report - In just 26 games at the university, Crabtree rewrote school and Big 12 Conference records, while also etching his name in the NCAA books. His success on the football field saw him receive Fred Biletnikoff Award honors in each of his two college seasons. A model of consistency, he put together a string of 13 consecutive games with at least one touchdown and five receptions, tying an NCAA mark.Crabtree's 231 receptions in his first two seasons topped the old college record of 227 catches over a two-year span that was previously held by Nevada's Alex Van Dyke (1994-95). He ranks tied for sixth in NCAA annals with 41 touchdown catches, an average of 1.58 scores per game. That total also set a collegiate record for most touchdowns during a two-year span, surpassing the previous mark of 34 scoring catches by Larry Fitzgerald of Pittsburgh (2002-03).Being a featured receiver was something new for Crabtree when he arrived at Texas Tech. During his prep days at Carter High School, he competed as a quarterback, where he was ranked as the nation's 16th-best overall athlete and received a four-star rating from Rivals.com. The member of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Fab 44 team, he also earned All-Area accolades from the Dallas Morning News.Crabtree threw for 870 yards and 11 touchdowns on 45 of 100 passing in his final season. That year, he also ran for 646 yards and nine touchdowns on 100 carries. As a junior, he completed 30 of 67 passes for 897 yards and eight touchdowns with just one interception.In addition to excelling in football, Crabtree was also a nationally-ranked basketball player at Carter High. He was rated among the top 50 hoops prospects in the state and received several scholarship offers in that sport from major colleges.However, Crabtree was determined to play football, accepting a scholarship from Texas Tech while bypassing offers from Baylor, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Kansas. He spent the 2006 season performing on the scout team, acclimating to life as a wide receiver. He was on a two-sport scholarship, but dropped basketball due to the grueling football schedule.Texas Tech featured three seniors ahead of Crabtree on its 2006 depth chart entering fall drills, but the redshirt freshman beat out Joel Filani for the "Z" receiver position, starting every game. He earned Biletnikoff Award honors, given to the nation's top receiver, the first time a freshman ever captured that award. The unanimous All-American and All-Big 12 Conference first-team choice set NCAA freshman records, leading the nation with 134 receptions for 1,962 yards (14.6 avg) and 22 touchdowns, as he also led the major college ranks with an average of 10.31 receptions and 150.92 yards receiving per game.While Crabtree did not match his lofty 2007 totals in 2008, he still had a banner sophomore campaign. He was again the Biletnikoff Award recipient, in addition to garnering first-team All-American and All-Big 12 recognition. He ranked sixth in the nation with a team-high 97 receptions, good for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns, despite battling late season ankle issues.
 
50 600 and 4 tds
I am thinking along these lines for him too, maybe this is his ceiling this year due to the adjustments he has to overcome. I am not sure his injury (foot) is such a non-issue. I don't see him being the Week 1 starter, but to evolve as a solid contributor as the season plays out. The soft SF defense will mean more passing. If you do a rough breakdown of the SF offense.... 3379 passing yards last year on 309 completions of 509 attempts with 21 TD, expect a nice 12% improvement = 3785 yards, 340 completions and 24 TD's. THESE ARE ROUGH PROJECTIONS.

Morgan is currently WR#1, I Bruce is WR2 and Gore/V Davis as 3rd target, the rest split with Crabtree, Jason Hill & Brandon Jones. Assume a rough breakdown on targets/completions:

Morgan 23%

Bruce 18%

V Davis 17%

Gore 15%

Crabtree 14%

B Jones 8%

J Hill 5%

Crabtree will get fewer looks at the start, but increase later. I see him displacing I Bruce about Week 7-10

Crabtree ==> projected for 41 rec with 530 yards and 3 TD
Interesting projections by many members here. Josh Morgan missed 4 games last season in his rookie year, had 20 catches, 320 yards, and 3 TDS. Very interesting that many are projecting the same numbers for Michael Crabtree, the best WR prospect in the last 3 years to put up the same numbers as a 6th round pick who missed 4 games last season on the same team.
I'm not sure about the WR depth chart projection. Morgan is by no means the #1 WR at this point. We'll see how camp shakes out but I'd expect Bruce to remain the #1 with Morgan Battle and Crab rotating at #2 throughout the season. I think Crab is the undisputed #2 after Thanksgiving, with Morgan Battle and Hill rotating in the slot based on the situation. Battle is way off the radar because people who don't seen a lot of 9ers games don't realize how clutch he is on 3rd down. I'm not saying Battle deserves FF consideration but he will be in the mix and on the field in key situations, taking touches from guys who will be on FF rosters (Bruce, Morgan, Crab). I also agree that projecting Crabtree's numbers to be so similar to Morgan's rookie season is silly. As 'Multiple Scores' points out, Crabtree is the best WR prospect in the last 3 years while Morgan nearly went undrafted. There is a huge gap in talent between these 2. Granted, Crabtree may not have the kind of rookie season Fitz of Calvin had due to his situation. Both of those guys came in to a pass first offense with a stud lined up across the field. Crab simply won't have the same opportunities to make plays.

I think (and hope) Crabtree will make his living in the red zone. He does a great job tracking and making a play on the ball. He has the ability and the frame to out jump and out muscle defenders in close quarters.

I see 50/550/10.

 
J-Rock said:
Interesting projections by many members here. Josh Morgan missed 4 games last season in his rookie year, had 20 catches, 320 yards, and 3 TDS. Very interesting that many are projecting the same numbers for Michael Crabtree, the best WR prospect in the last 3 years to put up the same numbers as a 6th round pick who missed 4 games last season on the same team.
I'm not sure about the WR depth chart projection. Morgan is by no means the #1 WR at this point. We'll see how camp shakes out but I'd expect Bruce to remain the #1 with Morgan Battle and Crab rotating at #2 throughout the season. I think Crab is the undisputed #2 after Thanksgiving, with Morgan Battle and Hill rotating in the slot based on the situation. Battle is way off the radar because people who don't seen a lot of 9ers games don't realize how clutch he is on 3rd down. I'm not saying Battle deserves FF consideration but he will be in the mix and on the field in key situations, taking touches from guys who will be on FF rosters (Bruce, Morgan, Crab). I also agree that projecting Crabtree's numbers to be so similar to Morgan's rookie season is silly. As 'Multiple Scores' points out, Crabtree is the best WR prospect in the last 3 years while Morgan nearly went undrafted. There is a huge gap in talent between these 2. Granted, Crabtree may not have the kind of rookie season Fitz of Calvin had due to his situation. Both of those guys came in to a pass first offense with a stud lined up across the field. Crab simply won't have the same opportunities to make plays.

I think (and hope) Crabtree will make his living in the red zone. He does a great job tracking and making a play on the ball. He has the ability and the frame to out jump and out muscle defenders in close quarters.

I see 50/550/10.
Thought I read somewhere that Battle was in a struggle to make the team. They signed Brandon Jones for a pretty high price this offseason - is he going to factor in at all?
 
Good point about Jones. I forgot about him. What a crowded mess of medicore talent in the 9ers recieving corps this season. I think Hill becomes the odd man out with Jones taking his role.

They did pay a price for Jones but that was before Crab fell to them in the draft. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in camp.

:moneybag:

 
Multiple Scores said:
moderated said:
Crabtree doesn't have the brain to make a huge impact his rookie year. I love his talent, but he isn't a Fitz/CJ mental wise. He will need time to learn how to be an NFL WR.

600 yards/4 TD's.

But by his 3rd year he'll be a top 5 fantasy WR.
Michael Crabtree started paying WR in college. I don't think i'd question his brain for football when he goes from a QB in high school to winning every award, record for a WR as a Freshman. Here is Crabtrees overview from nfl.com draft report -

In just 26 games at the university, Crabtree rewrote school and Big 12 Conference records, while also etching his name in the NCAA books. His success on the football field saw him receive Fred Biletnikoff Award honors in each of his two college seasons. A model of consistency, he put together a string of 13 consecutive games with at least one touchdown and five receptions, tying an NCAA mark.

Crabtree's 231 receptions in his first two seasons topped the old college record of 227 catches over a two-year span that was previously held by Nevada's Alex Van Dyke (1994-95). He ranks tied for sixth in NCAA annals with 41 touchdown catches, an average of 1.58 scores per game. That total also set a collegiate record for most touchdowns during a two-year span, surpassing the previous mark of 34 scoring catches by Larry Fitzgerald of Pittsburgh (2002-03).

Being a featured receiver was something new for Crabtree when he arrived at Texas Tech. During his prep days at Carter High School, he competed as a quarterback, where he was ranked as the nation's 16th-best overall athlete and received a four-star rating from Rivals.com. The member of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Fab 44 team, he also earned All-Area accolades from the Dallas Morning News.

Crabtree threw for 870 yards and 11 touchdowns on 45 of 100 passing in his final season. That year, he also ran for 646 yards and nine touchdowns on 100 carries. As a junior, he completed 30 of 67 passes for 897 yards and eight touchdowns with just one interception.

In addition to excelling in football, Crabtree was also a nationally-ranked basketball player at Carter High. He was rated among the top 50 hoops prospects in the state and received several scholarship offers in that sport from major colleges.

However, Crabtree was determined to play football, accepting a scholarship from Texas Tech while bypassing offers from Baylor, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Kansas. He spent the 2006 season performing on the scout team, acclimating to life as a wide receiver. He was on a two-sport scholarship, but dropped basketball due to the grueling football schedule.

Texas Tech featured three seniors ahead of Crabtree on its 2006 depth chart entering fall drills, but the redshirt freshman beat out Joel Filani for the "Z" receiver position, starting every game. He earned Biletnikoff Award honors, given to the nation's top receiver, the first time a freshman ever captured that award. The unanimous All-American and All-Big 12 Conference first-team choice set NCAA freshman records, leading the nation with 134 receptions for 1,962 yards (14.6 avg) and 22 touchdowns, as he also led the major college ranks with an average of 10.31 receptions and 150.92 yards receiving per game.

While Crabtree did not match his lofty 2007 totals in 2008, he still had a banner sophomore campaign. He was again the Biletnikoff Award recipient, in addition to garnering first-team All-American and All-Big 12 recognition. He ranked sixth in the nation with a team-high 97 receptions, good for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns, despite battling late season ankle issues.
Some smokin' stats as a high school QB.45 of 100 for 870 yards (as a Senior)? That's 19.333 yards/completed pass.

30 of 67 for 897 (as a Junior)? That's 29.9 yards/completed pass.

I'm in the "I doubt that" group.

 
Multiple Scores said:
moderated said:
Crabtree doesn't have the brain to make a huge impact his rookie year. I love his talent, but he isn't a Fitz/CJ mental wise. He will need time to learn how to be an NFL WR.

600 yards/4 TD's.

But by his 3rd year he'll be a top 5 fantasy WR.
Michael Crabtree started paying WR in college. I don't think i'd question his brain for football when he goes from a QB in high school to winning every award, record for a WR as a Freshman. Here is Crabtrees overview from nfl.com draft report -

In just 26 games at the university, Crabtree rewrote school and Big 12 Conference records, while also etching his name in the NCAA books. His success on the football field saw him receive Fred Biletnikoff Award honors in each of his two college seasons. A model of consistency, he put together a string of 13 consecutive games with at least one touchdown and five receptions, tying an NCAA mark.

Crabtree's 231 receptions in his first two seasons topped the old college record of 227 catches over a two-year span that was previously held by Nevada's Alex Van Dyke (1994-95). He ranks tied for sixth in NCAA annals with 41 touchdown catches, an average of 1.58 scores per game. That total also set a collegiate record for most touchdowns during a two-year span, surpassing the previous mark of 34 scoring catches by Larry Fitzgerald of Pittsburgh (2002-03).

Being a featured receiver was something new for Crabtree when he arrived at Texas Tech. During his prep days at Carter High School, he competed as a quarterback, where he was ranked as the nation's 16th-best overall athlete and received a four-star rating from Rivals.com. The member of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Fab 44 team, he also earned All-Area accolades from the Dallas Morning News.

Crabtree threw for 870 yards and 11 touchdowns on 45 of 100 passing in his final season. That year, he also ran for 646 yards and nine touchdowns on 100 carries. As a junior, he completed 30 of 67 passes for 897 yards and eight touchdowns with just one interception.

In addition to excelling in football, Crabtree was also a nationally-ranked basketball player at Carter High. He was rated among the top 50 hoops prospects in the state and received several scholarship offers in that sport from major colleges.

However, Crabtree was determined to play football, accepting a scholarship from Texas Tech while bypassing offers from Baylor, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Kansas. He spent the 2006 season performing on the scout team, acclimating to life as a wide receiver. He was on a two-sport scholarship, but dropped basketball due to the grueling football schedule.

Texas Tech featured three seniors ahead of Crabtree on its 2006 depth chart entering fall drills, but the redshirt freshman beat out Joel Filani for the "Z" receiver position, starting every game. He earned Biletnikoff Award honors, given to the nation's top receiver, the first time a freshman ever captured that award. The unanimous All-American and All-Big 12 Conference first-team choice set NCAA freshman records, leading the nation with 134 receptions for 1,962 yards (14.6 avg) and 22 touchdowns, as he also led the major college ranks with an average of 10.31 receptions and 150.92 yards receiving per game.

While Crabtree did not match his lofty 2007 totals in 2008, he still had a banner sophomore campaign. He was again the Biletnikoff Award recipient, in addition to garnering first-team All-American and All-Big 12 recognition. He ranked sixth in the nation with a team-high 97 receptions, good for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns, despite battling late season ankle issues.
Some smokin' stats as a high school QB.45 of 100 for 870 yards (as a Senior)? That's 19.333 yards/completed pass.

30 of 67 for 897 (as a Junior)? That's 29.9 yards/completed pass.

I'm in the "I doubt that" group.
NFL.com seems to support this.
 
toxicbees said:
He's going to impress people, and he's seriously underrated right now. Everyone is worried about the Niners QB situation. But the Niners have never had a WR as talented as Crabtree since TO.75 receptions 1100 yards 9 tds
I certainly hope you are right, but that would probably land him in the top 10 this year. I don't find that likely
 
interestingly, in the last several seasons (8+), the top producing rookie WR has not been the one with the highest ADP ... this has happened for several reasons and I expect it to continue.

 
I don't think any rookie can be counted on to be great right out of the gate. I do think Crabtree will develop into an excellent WR, but it may take a couple of years. This year I think a reasonable expectation is something like 48 catches, 630, 5 TDs. TDs could be higher as he is going to be a great red zone threat.

 
When I did my projections I was considering his foot and how or if it'll affect him. We should definitely know more by training camp and how he does in pre-seasons game. I have no doubt he'll be their leading receiver come year two so I don't want to go overboard on his production year one. If he's healthy and shows it he's gonna get plenty of playing time. He's gonna get a lot of coverage I would expect too. Then we'll see how he handles that. IMO, he's still the best receiver in this rookie class. He might not end up with the best numbers as some of the other rookie receivers but it'll be close.I think I could give him an upgrade from my original numbers. Singletary's gonna find ways to put him in postion to succeed. So I say it's quite possible he could have 7-8 tds. He has inate abilities as a playmaker and he'll figure out how to show that against the NFL. Crabtree's already the closet thing we've had to Jerry Rice in a long time, NO T.O doesn't count,so it'd be nice to see Jerry take a vested interested in the kid and help him out a bit, in true 49er fashion.

I'm still a little worried about Michaels development with the stable of QB's we have. They don't exactly strike fear in anyone. Hopefully the new Singltary regime can right the ship after all the years of putrid sub-par performance. Time will tell. They drafted the best WR this year so why don't they take a chance and use their 2 first round picks to get who they think is the best QB in the 2010 draft.

Revamped 2009 projections based on devoted faith to the 49ers orginization(minus the Yorks one day)

57 receptions/710 yds/ 7tds.

A lot of receivers on the roster right now to filter through and as much as I've like Ike Bruce over the years I'd love to see Crabtree and Josh Morgan as the starting WR's. I know they'll have to find some room for Brandon Jones after the contract(pre-Crabtree) they gave him.If Ike doesn't get much playing time I hope they keep him around to help teach and mentor the young guys. He has a lot to offer in that area.

If we get a franchise QB in the near future I think you're gonna see Crabtree as one of the top receivers in the game. Just my opinion and it's ok if others disagree. The way he fell into our laps good things are bound to happen. I'm sure they didn't think they had a snowball's chance in hell of getting him after the contract they gave Brandon Jones prior to the draft. It all boils down to Michael Crabtree is a San Franciso 49er and he's gonna help us get back on top and return to being a winning franchis again.

 

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