Posts Tagged ‘Michael Crabtree’

After months of holding out, wide receiver Michael Crabtree has agreed to a contract with the San Francisco 49ers, league sources tell ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Crabtree will get a six-year deal that he can void to five years if he meets undefined performance clauses, a league source told ESPN’s Michael Smith.

The 22-year-old Crabtree is expected to report to the team’s training facility Wednesday.

Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker met into the early-morning hours Wednesday with 49ers owner Jed York, general manager Scot McCloughan and Paraag Marathe, vice president of football operations. The two sides had gone almost three weeks without talking.

San Francisco selected Crabtree with the 10th pick in this year’s draft and could use the wideout’s game-breaking ability in the passing game. That said, he has a lot of catching up to do to learn the offense after missing all of training camp.

He also sat out the 49ers’ offseason minicamps and organized team activities while recovering from a foot injury, but was a regular presence for rehabilitation and strengthening workouts at the team’s training facility.

Coach Mike Singletary, whose 49ers lead the NFC West and at 3-1 are off to their best start since 2002, said Monday he would welcome Crabtree whenever he joins the team.

Crabtree caught 97 passes for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns last year during his sophomore season at Texas Tech. He finished his college career with 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 TDs.

Michael Crabtree and his agent, Eugene Parker, met with San Francisco 49ers front-office personnel for an hour Tuesday in the Bay Area.

Team spokesman Bob Lange confirmed the Tuesday meeting to The Associated Press but said the 49ers would not get into particulars of discussions or negotiations.

“The 49ers were pleased to meet with Michael and Eugene in person,” Lange said.

Crabtree and Parker met with VP of football operations Paraag Marathe, owner Jed York and GM Scot McCloughan.

Indications are that Crabtree wants to play football for the 49ers this season, but there was no word on what kind of progress, if any, was made on a possible contract. Parker and Marathe continued to negotiate on Tuesday night, sources familiar with the negotiations told ESPN’s Michael Smith.

The two sides had gone almost three weeks without talking.

The 49ers must sign Crabtree by Nov. 17 for him to remain eligible to play this season. The team would have a seven-week window before the 2010 draft to trade Crabtree if he doesn’t sign. If Crabtree is not traded, he would go back into the draft next April.

San Francisco’s early season success could be enticing.

The 22-year-old Crabtree hasn’t accepted the 49ers’ long-standing offer for approximately five years and $20 million with a reported $16 million guaranteed — instead seeking money comparable to the higher picks.

Coach Mike Singletary acknowledged last month that the 49ers discussed changing their offer to Crabtree.

And York said in mid-September the team hoped for a face-to-face meeting with Crabtree but hadn’t heard back from Parker. So, this marked the first session with all the major parties involved at the table.

They met at an undisclosed spot in the Bay Area away from the team’s Santa Clara headquarters.

The 49ers selected Crabtree with the 10th pick in this year’s draft and could use the wideout’s game-breaking ability in the passing game. That said, he has a lot of catching up to do to learn the offense after missing all of training camp.

He also sat out the 49ers’ offseason minicamps and organized team activities while recovering from a foot injury, but was a regular presence for rehabilitation and strengthening workouts at the Niners’ training facility.

Singletary, whose team leads the NFC West and at 3-1 is off to its best start since 2002, said Monday he would welcome Crabtree whenever he shows up to join the team.

Crabtree caught 97 passes for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns last year during his sophomore season at Texas Tech. He finished his college career with 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 TDs.

DALLAS — First-round draft pick Michael Crabtree left for San Francisco from Tampa, Fla., on Monday to renew contract talks with the 49ers, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

Crabtree was unavailable for comment. The Dallas native and former Texas Tech receiver has been training in Tampa the past few weeks.

Eugene Parker, Crabtree’s agent, is scheduled to arrive in San Francisco on Tuesday. Parker declined comment when reached.

Niners coach Mike Singletary said Monday that he would still like to have Crabtree play for the team this season.

“Any guy that can play and help us win, I would never say, ‘No, we don’t need him,’ ” Singletary said. “We need all the good football players we can get.”

Crabtree, the 10th overall selection in last April’s draft, is the only unsigned first-round pick. He has missed the first four weeks of the regular season.

The 22-year-old Crabtree is seeking money comparable to higher picks and has turned down the 49ers’ offer for approximately five years and $20 million, with a reported $16 million guaranteed.

The 49ers have until Nov. 17 to sign Crabtree in order for him to play this season. If Crabtree is not signed and he is not traded, he would go back into the April draft.

The first-place 49ers are off to a 3-1 start without Crabtree, but their offense ranks 28th in the NFL. San Francisco’s passing game also ranks 28th and none of the team’s wide receivers rank among the league’s top 50 in receptions.

49ers head coach Mike Singletary is not expressing the same optimism as his boss that the team will bring 10th overall pick Michael Crabtree into the fold.

Crabtree is the only first-round pick that remains unsigned, and Singletary said Thursday he is casting aside concerns about the Texas Tech product.

“At this point, and ever since the very beginning, my response has not changed,” Singletary told reporters, via NFL.com. “These guys out here have been busting their tails and doing their job. It is the same scenario. If it happens, fine. If it doesn’t, we are going to keep moving forward. I’m not looking back.”

Earlier this week, 49ers GM Scot McCloughan said he was confident a deal with Crabtree would “get done.”

A rep for Crabtree, David Wells, said in early August that Crabtree would consider sitting out the entire season and re-entering the NFL draft next year.

Having missed all of the preseason now, Crabtree’s potential to make an impact as a rookie is dwindling by the day. He would not be able to play if he doesn’t sign by Week 10.

Singletary said the 49ers won’t be holding anything up for him.

“As far as Crabtree is concerned, I said it all along: He has to do what he has to do,” Singletary said.

“We’re not sitting here contemplating, waiting or anything. We’re not blinking. We’re not flinching. We are just doing what we have to do. We will let that take care of itself.”