Michael Crabtree on the way back with Stevie Johnson gone?

ByKevin Parvizi|

The San Francisco 49ers didn’t get the most out of their pass-catching talent last season, as the additions of Stevie Johnson, Brandon Lloyd, and Bruce Ellington in the 2014 offseason did not yield results in a truly disappointing season for Colin Kaepernick and the Niners offense. Michael Crabtree had a down year, Vernon Davis disappeared, and it seemed like only Anquan Boldin looked like anything resembling a starting-caliber receiver for this team.

Based on the rumors that have been circulating this offseason, the expectation is that Crabtree will hit the free agent market after being upset with his role last season, as he caught just 68 passes for under 700 yards. I wrote that it would make sense for both parties to split, because while Crabtree is a good WR who can help this team, he’s one of three veteran possession-type receivers on the roster along with Johnson and Boldin.

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And now the 49ers are down to two. Per sources close to NBC’s Diana Marie Russini, the 49ers are expected to part ways with Johnson, which will clear out about $5.5 million in cap space for the impact WR-needy 49ers. The news of Johnson’s expected release isn’t truly surprising, but is interesting to hear word of his release before hearing word of contract restructure talks, since many of us believed that the Niners would actively seek to restructure his deal first.

Assuming Johnson has indeed been released, it will be interesting to follow which teams go after him, and the Chan Gailey-New York Jets link is one worth exploring. However, it’s even more interesting to take a look at what this release means for the 49ers, since Boldin is their only known commodity at WR who isn’t an impending free agent.

Earlier this month, the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows, who reported that it would be “unlikely” for the Niners to re-sign Crabtree, tweeted that GM Trent Baalke planned to meet with Crabtree’s agent at the Combine. That made it clear that the 49ers aren’t willing to let Crabtree go without negotiations, and I wonder if those negotiations could be ramped up after the Johnson release.

It’s true that all of the Crabtree talk could be empty statements, but head coach Jim Tomsula stated that he “absolutely” wants to keep Crabtree and added that “talks are ongoing”. Again, this was about two weeks ago, and many are skeptical that Tomsula and Baalke actually do want the disgruntled receiver back.

Of course, it all depends on cost, and it’s important to keep in mind that it’s hard to fairly evaluate anybody on the 49ers offense after the dysfunction that took place last season. There were so many rumors, coaching issues, play-calling debates, and disappointing performances that it’s difficult to pin the problems on one player.

It’s also easy to forget that in Kaepernick’s breakout 2012 season, Crabtree was easily his top target with 85 receptions for over 1,100 yards. Moreover, Crabtree also averaged 13.0 yards per reception that season and 14.9 yards per reception in five solid, post-injury performances in 2013. When Crabtree returned from his injury, Kaep played much better, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

Michael Crabtree understandably felt phased out by Greg Roman last season, but he must shoulder the blame for an uncharacteristic season that included plenty of dropped passes when he was targeted. That said, it seems like most of his struggles are on the offense itself, since it’s hard to blame a receiver for not making an impact when they’ve been marginalized in an offense that can’t move the ball as a whole.

After all, Crabtree was one of the best receivers in the NFL in 2012 and had a 70-catch season the year before that, so he has proven to be a valuable possession receiver with a little more playmaking ability than others.

At this point, it’s impossible to tell how interested the 49ers are in Crabtree and how interested in the WR is in re-signing, since it’s unclear how much bad blood is in between both parties, especially since it’s all complicated by the coaching overhaul. What’s clear is that the San Francisco 49ers desperately need help at the position after cutting Stevie Johnson, and even re-signing Crabtree wouldn’t fix that; they need a true playmaking “X” guy.

If someone like Torrey Smith were to hit the free agent market, then I could see the Niners making a very competitive offer for the Baltimore Ravens scorching deep threat. They could use someone like him to open up the offense, and they’d still have plays left over for Vernon Davis, the running game, and, perhaps, young WRs Quinton Patton and Ellington who deserve a chance to show their talents.

We’ll see if Johnson’s release leads the 49ers to make a more concentrated effort to re-sign Crabtree, and it’s possible that positive negotiations with Crabtree have made it easier for the team to make Johnson a cap casualty. There’s also a chance the 49ers would be interested in bringing Johnson back at a reduced number if he finds the free agent waters to be colder than expected, but I have a feeling both sides are done.

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

The 49ers need to either sign or draft a legitimate deep threat to give the offense a new element, and they need to see what they have in Patton and jack-of-all-trades sophomore Ellington.

There’s definitely an increased chance for Crabtree to return now due to the positive rhetoric from coach and GM, as well as the fact that the 49ers don’t have a gross surplus of similar, possesion receivers.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s likely for Crabtree to be back, since that all depends on whether or not the 49ers are willing to pay both Boldin and Crabtree, which would essentially force them to find their upgraded No. 1 receiver in the draft.

I still think Crabtree and the 49ers are destined to part ways this offseason, but now the odds have been upgraded from “unlikely” to “possible”, though I’m sure we’ll receive more critical information about contract talks between both sides.

What we do know is that WR has been upgraded from a “need” to a “desperate need”, since the 49ers can’t afford to trot Boldin out as Kaep’s No. 1 guy.

Major Update: The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Johnson will be asked to take a paycut, so if the wide receiver rejects the paycut, he and his $5.5 million salary will be out the door. It appears that he hasn’t been released just yet. My guess is that if Johnson takes a paycut, there’s just about no chance Crabtree is back.

Russini, however, is still reporting that Johnson will be cut.

Next: Don't count on this WR joining the 49ers

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