PFT: Niners, Crabtree meeting today

Niners, Crabtree meeting today
Posted by Mike Florio on October 6, 2009 10:38 AM ET

Last month, ***** owner Jed York offered to have a sit-down with holdout receiver Michael Crabtree and his agent, Eugene Parker.

The only problem? Crabtree and Eugene never returned the R.S.V.P. card.

Instead, they've decided to simply show up in the Bay Area, making their intention to meet with the team via hints dropped by Deion Sanders on NFLN and leaks to the media.

All that said, a league source tells us that the ***** will indeed meet with Crabtree and Parker today.

But all signs point to Crabtree caving in.

It is well known that Crabtree and Parker want more than the Raiders paid to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft. It is equally well known that the ***** won't be deviating from the slot that applies to the tenth overall pick.

Though the details of the deal that were on the table in July will need to be adjusted in light of the fact that four games have been played, the source says that the Niners do not plan to punish Crabtree, but that the team likewise doesn't intend to reward him.

In other words, the Niners will be holding firm. Though they possibly will try to find a way to help Parker save a little face, the damage is already done.

Parker and Crabtree have blinked.

So what caused it? The 3-1 record, punctuated by a 35-0 win over the Rams likely helped. But we suspect that last week's pointed words from Hall of Famer Jim Brown had an impact on Crabtree.

This particular quote resonated with multiple league insiders: "[Y]ou don't realize that your legacy will be based upon how you perform, not how much money you made?"

The question is whether it made an impact on Crabtree.

Yea, especially when they need to resign Patrick Willis.

ive just read that he`s signed a 6 year contract with them now.

read it on USA today..i tried to copy and paste it but my right click button dont seem to be working or USA today has something in their website to block it.

First-round pick Crabtree ends holdout, signs 6-year deal with *****

NFL.com Wire Reports
The San Francisco ***** have signed wide receiver Michael Crabtree to a six-year contract after several months of difficult negotiations.

The team announced the deal in a statement early Wednesday. Terms were not disclosed. The former Texas Tech star is the only draft pick who had yet to signNFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports that if Crabtree meets certain performance goals in two of the first four years of the deal, the sixth year would void.

Crabtree could provide the game-breaking wide receiver threat the ***** have been lacking, assuming he can quickly learn the offense after missing all of training camp. The 10th pick overall, he also sat out offseason minicamps and organized team activities while recovering from a foot injury, but was a regular presence at the team's training facility.

The 22-year-old Crabtree and his agent, Eugene Parker, sat down with three top ***** officials Tuesday in an attempt to work through his contract impasse. Crabtree had balked at a longstanding offer of approximately five years and $20 million with a reported $16 million guaranteed, instead seeking money comparable to higher draft picks.

Coach Mike Singletary acknowledged last month that the ***** discussed changing their offer to Crabtree, and team president Jed York said in mid-September that the team hoped for a face-to-face meeting with Crabtree but hadn't heard back from his representatives.

That meeting finally happened Tuesday at an undisclosed spot in the Bay Area away from the team's Santa Clara headquarters. Crabtree and Parker were joined by York, vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe and general manager Scot McCloughan. It's not common for a player to join such contract talks.

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.

The ***** 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 did not sign.

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 touchdowns.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

This and the Braylon trade could make the NFL much more interesting this year. I picked up Crabtree for my fantasy team when I heard that he and the 9ers were going to meet so hopefully he has a good season because the Rams are already pretty much out of the playoffs.

6 Years, 32 million, 17 million guaranteed, Crabtree can opt out after year 5.

I really dont think this kid will be a threat to anyone. He's a product of the spread offense. From watching his tape, he has good hands yes. But face it Hill sure isn't no hall of fame type quarterback.