Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes that the 49ers recent decision to trade for veteran WR Stevie Johnson could be an indication that they will not sign WR Michael Crabtree to a long-term extension.
Barrows mentions that Johnson is already under contract for another three years at base salaries that could end up being much less than what Crabtree could ultimately command.
The 49ers reportedly showed a lot of interest in trading up for one of the top receivers in this year’s draft class including Mike Evans and Odell Beckham Jr, but they were unable to strike a deal and wound up selecting Northern Illinois S Jimmy Ward at No. 30 overall.
San Francisco did come away with South Carolina WR Bruce Ellington in the fourth round and there is at least a chance he could carve out some playing time this season, depending on how things go during training camp.
Crabtree, 26, is entering the final year of his six-year, $32 million rookie contract and is set to make $3.5 million for the 2014 season. It’s definitely not out of the realm of possibilities that he’ll command around $10 million per season in his next contract, especially if he makes to free agency.
The 49ers have some tough calls that will need to made regarding QB Colin Kaepernick and OLB Aldon Smith among others that could compliment their financial situation moving forward.
Last year, Crabtree was limited to playing just five regular season games due to an Achilles injury he suffered. He finished the year with 19 receptions for 284 yards receiving and a touchdown.
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Michael Crabtree has always been overrated. This was clearly evident when Sherman shut him down, and Sherman is right about him. He’s a sorry Receiver, who derived the most benefit from a good system. He was never worth the money he held out for at the beginning of his career. He usually is hurt for part of the season to preserve himself, so that he can try to steal the glory in the big games late in the season and the playoffs. The problem is that he is not the kind of talent who excels when it counts. I think he lacks character and is essentially a prima donna pretender from Texas. This is a man who demanded a certain salary before he played in the NFL. Once he did pay, he proved that he was not worth it. If the Niners get rid of him, this will be a significant step in the right direction.
Let him go… He’s not worth 10 mil. Besides, the 20 mil they give Keapernick will leave the cupboard bare!