Michael Crabtree Should Not Listen To His "Advisers"

The people looking out for Michael Crabtree's best interests say that Michael is prepared to hold out for the entire 2009 season and re-enter the draft because in reality, they don't give a crap about Michael Crabtree's interests.

Crabtree was picked No. 10 overall by San Francisco this year, but has not signed a contract. The 49ers have offered him what tradition says that a No. 10 pick should make, yet his agent wants more. Way more. However, a ccording to ProFootballTalk, he hasn't even made a counteroffer. So now they're going to sit and stare at each other until someone blinks.

The sticking point seems to be Maryland receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. (Isn't it always?) He already signed a contract with the Oakland Raiders for $38 million ($23 guaranteed) and Crabtree wants to make more than that, because he thinks he's a better wideout. That may or may not be true, but Heyward-Bey was picked seventh by the Oakland Raiders and then grossly overpaid. So Crabtree's agent is now holding him out and attempting to "blow up" the prearranged "slotting" system for draft negotiations, simply because Al Davis is insane.

Now David Wells, an "adviser" to Crabtree who is also his cousin, is telling ESPN that Crabtree is ready to sit out the entire 2009 season and re-enter the draft just to prove his point. A point that would ruin Crabtree's entire career. He already missed all of the 49ers offseason workouts with an injury and has missed the first 10 days of camp. He can't go back to school, and when has a year of no football ever improved someone's career? (See: Mike Williams.) A holdout during a rookie season creates a chain reaction of setbacks that most players who attempt it never recover from. If he doesn't get to camp soon, this one big contract will probably be the only one he gets.

Of course, if agent Eugene Parker can somehow get No. 6 money for his No. 10 player, that would destroy the unwritten rules of rookie contracts that keep the NFL from imploding each fall. It would also make Eugene Parker extremely rich, not only now, but especially in future years. Oh, wait! Eugene Parker is already extremely rich! (Some of the rules in place to control rookie salaries are there because of him.) I think Crabtree needs a solid start to his rookie season more than Eugene Parker needs another house.

Source: Parker tells Niners that Crabtree will re-enter draft [PFT] Adviser: San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree ready to sit out, re-enter draft in 2010 [ESPN] Agent's need for a big payday could be misleading Crabtree [Sacramento Bee, via Yahoo]