Things Going From Bad To Worse Between 49ers and Crabtree

I talked about this a couple of days ago, the more and more days Michael Crabtree is holding out the more and more that I don't like him. The 49ers usually have a good track record at signing players before camp opens. But this Crabtree situation seems to be going from bad to worse.

According to Pro Football Talk, a source has said that Michael Crabtree will re-enter the NFL Draft next season.

Per a league source, agent Eugene Parker is telling the 49ers that Crabtree will sit out the season re-enter the draft in 2010, unless the team gives Crabtree what he wants.

Of course, what Crabtree specifically wants isn't known, since Parker (as multiple sources tell us) still hasn't made a proposal.

How can the 49ers bargain with a player and his agent if they haven't even proposed an offer yet? I'm sure Jed York and Scott McCloughan would be willing to negotiate. But according to Florio, Crabtree's agent Eugene Parker wants to blow up the rookie pay scale.

There's also a growing chorus of league insiders who are speaking out against the widely-believed effort by Parker to blow up the slotting process with Crabtree. Teams obviously would contend that the unwritten rules of draft-pick negotiation ritual should be honored; however, some of the agents who arguably would benefit from the introduction of chaos privately have described efforts to blow the curve as "inappropriate" and "unacceptable" and "wrong."

And if Crabtree opts to re-enter the draft next year, the current thinking is that he wouldn't be the first receiver drafted. For now, the guy who is regarded as likely to be the first wideout (and possibly the first overall pick) is Illinois junior Arrelious Benn.

This situation is just bad for both sides. It's bad for Michael Crabtree's reputation. He would be hurting his draft stock by not playing football at all. I guess he could go to the UFL or the CFL, but his stock would drop in the draft. Also it's bad on the 49ers front. If Parker and Crabtree haven't made a proposal yet, then they should. The two sides are like teenagers afraid to ask the other if they want to go out on a date. This whole situation just stinks. But there have been other conspiracy's on why Crabtree hasn't signed a contract yet.

Matthew Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has talked about Eugene Parker wanting to make a splash with Crabtree to put his name out there as a super agent. Also Barrows is speculating that Crabtree's and Parker's pride was hurt when the Raiders selected Darius Heyward-Bey. Crabtree was suppose to be the first receiver taken and they are trying to make amends with a huge contract.

If that turns out to be true, that Parker and Crabtree were trying make amends for him not being the first receiver taken, then that's disgusting. Get over it dude, the Raiders didn't like you and choose not to select you. Remember you were hurt during the combine and no team saw one of your workouts. Your lucky that the 49ers drafted you, because you could have really fallen in the draft.

I'm starting to get the feeling that Eric Mangini was right about what he said about Crabtree. That he is a diva.

Source: Parker tells Niners that Crabtree will re-enter draft (PFT)

Agent's need for a big payday could be misleading Crabtree (Sac Bee)