Michael Crabtree makes sense for San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers have been solid in free agency this offseason, making a huge move when they re-signed ace cornerback Brandon Flowers, who forms one of the league’s better duos with second-year TCU product Jason Verrett. If the Chargers decide to add a significant free agent on top of the signing of former Denver Broncos star guard Orlando Franklin, then it looks like former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree will be that guy.

According to ESPN NFL Nation’s John Keim, it seems like Crabtree going to the Chargers is a “stronger possibility” than him joining the Washington Redskins, who are shockingly interested in adding yet another big-name receiver. Crabtree’s free agent market has been horrible ever since he decided to leave the 49ers after being underused in a nightmarish 2014 season for both him and the organization as a whole.

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As I said last month, a change of scenery has always been best for Crabtree, who clearly didn’t want to keep on playing for the 49ers and needs to rehab his value elsewhere. Even though teams reportedly feel he has attitude issues and are unwilling to sign him after he struggled last season, the fact of the matter is that he has two 70-catch seasons on his resume and was once viewed as a rising star at the position in his breakout 2012 season when Colin Kaepernick first took the reigns.

An injury and flop of a season later, Crabtree has no market, but he is the best remaining free agent at the position. He’s a smooth route-runner who knows how to get open, he has past production, his talent is evidenced by the attention he received when he was first drafted, and he will most likely come on a cheap, one-year contract.

The Chargers have a No. 1 receiver in Keenan Allen, an underrated deep threat in Malcom Floyd, a talented TE duo, pass-catching backs, and the intriguing Dontrelle Inman surrounding Philip Rivers. However, they need to do a better job of surrounding him with more, especially since previous No. 2 receiver Eddie Royal is now the Chicago Bears No. 3 receiver- and he was never good enough to be the Chargers No. 2 guy to begin with.

It’s clear to me that the Chargers need to add another wide receiver to the fold, and Crabtree makes sense as long as his price tag is as cheap as we all expect it to be. He has no market, he burned his previous employers, and he desperately needs to take a one-year deal to prove himself; his situation is almost akin to Hakeem Nicks‘s in 2014. Of course, Crabtree’s next employers will hope that he can bring more to the table than Nicks did for the Indianapolis Colts, though working in Crabtree’s favor is the fact that he doesn’t look as hobbled by injuries as Nicks.

Dec 28, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) is introduced before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi

For the Chargers, Michael Crabtree would be a low-risk, cheap option under the best circumstance, and he has major No. 2 receiver upside across from Allen with Floyd functioning as the deep threat.

Allen can play in the slot on three-wide sets, while Crabtree works as the “Z” and Floyd the “X” on deeper routes. The Chargers offense is built on the intermediate passing game to cater to Rivers’s elite accuracy, anticipation, and decision-making, so it would make plenty of sense to add a guy like Crabtree who can fit that style of offense.

Last season, the Chargers targeted Allen 121 times and had three other pass-catchers with at least 90 targets, so they unsurprisingly focused on spreading the ball around.

That said, Allen averaged just 6.5 yards per target in a down year on the stat sheet from his rookie season, largely because defenses weren’t as afraid of Royal or the other pass-catchers, whose stats were inflated by the work Rivers, Allen, and Antonio Gates put in.

The San Diego Chargers don’t have a pressing pass-catching need, but it would make plenty of sense for them to replace Royal either through the draft or, preferably, by getting Crabtree to sign a low-risk deal.

This is a guy who can fit this offense well as a possession receiver, relieving pressure off of Allen and giving the team another solid weapon. Crabtree isn’t a perfect fit since he isn’t as explosive as the ideal WR for the Chargers, but if he’s inexpensive, then his overall talent would justify the signing.

Next: WR prospects for the Chargers

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