Crabtree's ill-advised threat - by Matt Bowen

Michael Crabtree, the first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers, woke up a sleepy news day in the NFL when his cousin and adviser, David Wells, announced that Crabtree is willing to sit out the entire 2009 season and re-enter the draft in 2010.

This was news was to Crabtree’s agent, Eugene Parker, who has since denied that such a demand exists.

APMichael Crabtree

While the wide receiver and his people sort out the confusion, I want to re-state what I’ve written here before at the NFP: Rookie holdouts are pretty much the norm in August. We expect them, we see them, and then their teams deal with them in time. The pick eventually shows up to camp, and it becomes an old story once he starts producing in a game that means something.

But this — this latest attempt by Crabtree and/or his cousin — is going to be frowned upon by the veterans, and by the head coach of that 49ers team.

And I’m not sure if Crabtree knows what he is getting into.

Remember, this is a player who hasn’t even practiced in an NFL environment, and yet he’s making demands like this?

Trust me, from my own experience in the league, rookie holdouts who miss even a week are treated differently once they arrive in the locker room.

And rookies who threaten to hold out for an entire season because they don’t get their way? Man, that sounds, well, unprofessional. But that’s exactly what I think about the entire situation.

Because his teammates are practicing right now in Mike Singletary’s training camp, and from what I’ve heard, this isn’t the type of camp that you tip-tope around in. It’s physical, it weighs on you mentally, and coach Singletary is looking for guys to show up and compete on a daily basis when their bodies feel like they’re about to shut down.

Sure, I want ever player to get paid in this league because it’s a job, and it doesn’t last long. Get as much as you can while you can, but let’s be real, folks. What Crabtree and his adviser/cousin are doing right now is trying to get the front office to panic and give in. It’s all a ploy, a cheap ploy, and if I’m the Niners, I call their bluff.

Let’s see this rookie sit out an entire season — with no NFL paychecks.

Forget about the guys on the field right now who’ve been practicing the past week, and forget about the amount of time he’s missing (which can kill a rookie season). And forget about being a player this season.

Because if this continues, this standoff that was leaked to the media for a purpose, then Crabtree will be the equivalent of a redshirt freshman for the Niners this season. Maybe a big play here or there, but dependable? I doubt it.

But just for conversation’s sake, I asked our draft expert, Wes Bunting, to give me five names of college players who could come out in the 2010 draft and have an impact on the first round.

APArrelious Benn

Here they are:

Arrelious Benn, Illinois, junior

Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas, junior

Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State, junior

Damian Williams, USC, junior

Brandon LaFell, LSU, senior

Five names of rookies, 2010 rookies, who could actually be drafted ahead of Crabtree if he followed through on his supposed threat to the Niners.

Look, I understand that Crabtree is still upset that he slipped in the draft, and upset at the money Darrius Heyward-Bey got for going No. 7 overall to Oakland. But this in the NFL, Mike, and there will be a lot tougher things to deal with in your career than the size of your first check.

My advice: Get this done and get into camp — practice against NFL talent for the first time in your career, make some plays consistently on Sundays and then ask for some more money.

That’s what the pros do.

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