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San Francisco 49ers, Michael Crabtree split best for both sides

By Kevin Parvizi

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The San Francisco 49ers stocked up on wide receivers last offseason, but it didn’t seem like they did a good job of finding the right receivers to add to their offense. In retrospect, we shouldn’t have been as enamored with their additions as we were, since they didn’t add any unique players to the table. Already stocked with possession-type guys, the 49ers failed to bring in a true deep threat, and they didn’t use slot man Bruce Ellington in his rookie season.

Michael Crabtree currently stands as an impending free agent, and the 49ers former No. 1 receiver is clearly done with the organization after removing mentions of the team’s name from his Twitter bio. He was frustrated with his lack of targets last year, and the 49ers were frustrated with his poor performance. Per Advanced Football Analytics, Crabtree averaged just 6.5 yards per target and was far too inconsistent for someone who purely played as a possession receiver in the offense.

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According to the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows, Crabtree is “unlikely” to return to the 49ers this offseason, and the writing has been on the wall ever since the 49ers incredibly disappointing 2014 season ended. It’s hard to rule anything out, but I think it’s safe to say that the 49er will take this opportunity to let go of one of their three possession receivers.

Crabtree was far from the only disappointing player on the 49ers offense, and that award goes to Vernon Davis, who averaged less than ten yards per reception and a 52% catch rate as one of the NFL’s worst pass-catchers in terms of production. It’s no wonder why Kaepernick struggled last season; the 49ers offense didn’t have a receiver who could threaten defenses with speed, and his only two legit targets were pure possession wideouts.

Stevie Johnson turned out to be a great offseason addition and teamed up with Anquan Boldin to help try and salvage Kaep’s disappointing 2014 season. Outside of them, the 49ers had nothing else in the passing game, and there’s a reason why many mock drafts have the team reaching for a deep threat like Devin Smith; they desperately need someone who can make plays and take advantage of Kaepernick’s arm strength.

Despite Crabtree’s poor numbers last season, it’s possible that his struggles were mostly due to his role and the play-calling from Greg Roman. There are plenty of factors involved in the 49ers struggles last season, but it’s telling that both Boldin and Johnson were able to succeed whereas normal mainstays Crabtree and Davis flat-out sucked. Crabtree played better just after his injury in 2013, so it’s not like that’s a viable explanation for his struggles.

He’ll have no trouble finding work on the free agent market as a good No. 2 receiver who runs clean routes, but it’s crazy just how far he fell in a single season. The last time he was fully healthy for a season, Crabtree was a breakout star with 85 receptions for over 1,100 yards and nine TDs as Kaep’s go-to guy in the QB’s first season as a starter (this was after he caught 70 passes from Alex Smith in 2011).

Crabtree was once an excellent receiver for the 49ers and was briefly regarded as a true star who finally fulfilled his potential as a top-15 player at the position, but there’s little doubt that both sides must move on this offseason. Even though Crabtree is still just 27 and has more talent than any other pass-catcher on the 49ers roster, he’s the odd-man out. Not only is he the one hitting free agency and the easiest one to cut ties with as a result, but he’s also disgruntled. Moreover, Crabtree is the one who struggled in 2014, whereas Johnson and Boldin both averaged over eight yards per target.

Davis isn’t safe and appears to be on the chopping block, but it’s Crabtree who is the near-lock to leave this offseason. Even if the San Francisco 49ers decided that they wanted to keep a third veteran possession WR on the roster, I highly doubt he would want to return.

We’ll see how much his poor 2014 season affects his free-agent stock, and it’s possible that he’ll have to bet on himself by taking a one-year, prove-it deal. There’s reason to believe that he’ll make good on that contract in the right situation, because he did catch 85 passes a couple of years ago, his struggles may have been more about the offense than him, and he was the team’s leader in WPA at 1.48 due to all of the plays he made when utilized in key situations.

Nov 23, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) carries the ball during warm ups before the game against the Washington Redskins at Levi

Quinton Patton and Ellington are two young receivers to watch for going forward, and hopefully the 49ers new coaching staff will give them plenty of opportunities to showcase their skills, as both can add different elements to the passing game (Ellington is a jack-of-all-trades type). Adding a true deep threat is likely near the top of the wish list for 49ers fans, and I’m sure Kaepernick feels the same way now that his arm strength is going unused.

The 49ers received some strong play from Michael Crabtree at points during his time with the organization, but it’s time to part ways. There’s bad blood between them, as evidenced by what Crabtree did on his Twitter profile, and he doesn’t fit this team anymore.

He wouldn’t be overly expensive to re-sign, but that money would be better spent on someone who is significantly more different in skill-set than Boldin or Johnson. Crabtree is a very good player and isn’t exactly the same as either of those two wideouts, but the 49ers can’t afford to feed three possession receivers. I mean, Crabtree needs the change of scenery anyway.

It’s not that Crabtree can’t help the team and be their top wideout again, it’s just that the money would be better spent elsewhere. They’ll need to find a new top receiver, and they should be able to based on their draft pick or if a good enough WR hits the free agent market.

Next: Where do the 49ers rank among the best franchises in history?

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