(Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

According to reports from Adam Schefter of ESPN, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, and both 49er beat writers Matt Maiocco (of the Press-Democrat) and Matt Barrows (of the Sacramento Bee), the San Francisco 49ers and their wayward rookie wide receiver Micahel Crabtree have reached an agreement.

Crabtree will finally be a 49er.

Now, while there is plenty to talk about. Negotiations started yesterday afternoon and involved Jed York, Crabtree's agent Eugene Parker and—I swear on a stack of Bibles—MC Hammer.

If they had left the bargaining table without a deal I was planning on using "Please Hammer, Just Hurt Them" as the article title today.

Alas.

The details as of the writing of this article are sketchy but it is known to be a six-year deal that can be voided to five. Glazer says that in order to void that last year, Crabtree has to have a "great two years in the first four of his career."

If not, the 49ers get him in the sixth year for just $4 million.

That's very cheap if he becomes what many of us expected from the beginning.

As this has just broken, there is plenty to talk about and plenty of questions. Here are my thoughts on a few of them.

Why Now?

Well from the standpoint of Crabtree's camp, it must have been very simple.

With the 49ers winning, every week he was losing leverage. The simple fact is, he wasn't sitting out the whole year. That was a ridiculous threat.

Despite what Deion Sanders' mouth is saying when his brain isn't paying attention, there wasn't a team out there who was going to pay him what he wanted next year. At best, he was a late first round pick.

Late first round picks don't get top 10 money, much less his desired top three.

With the 49ers winning without him, they were in a position to play hard-ball right back.

So Crabtree had to come back to the table, lest he lose a ton more money.

The 49ers, on the other hand, were gaining leverage. Every win without Crabtree was a win the team could point to and say "see, we really don't need you."

Here's a secret: They kind of do.

The 49ers haven't had a 100-yard receiver yet this season—one of 11 teams without one. They've had pass plays of more than 30 yards just twice this year, one of the fewest in the league.

With Gore out, they had to be thinking it would be nice to have Crabtree in the house and working towards being a factor later in the year.

They had the leverage and were getting more every week but they had needs, too.

What Did Crabtree Get By Signing?

Aside from some nice bonus money, he can get on with the business of playing football which whether you want to believe it or not, is something very important to him.

He can get involved in the team, try to repair things with fans and not have to worry about what could happen in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Crabtree also gets to do all of the above on a winning team, something I am sure factored into his decision to come back to the bargaining table.

A winning team means less pressure—and he's already going to be under a tremendous amount because of all the contract shenanigans.

While he is stuck for a sixth year—something an agent like Parker must have fought tooth and nail to avoid—he can void it if he plays to his potential.

As far as a guy like Crabtree is concerned, he'll easily void it and be on his way or sign for bigger bucks in San Francisco.

What Did The 49ers Get by Signing Crabtree?

Notice I did not use the word "buckling." In this staring contest, even if they coughed a little bit of "fluff money"—incentive laden cash that looks better on paper than it really is—the 49ers held their ground and won.

How do I know this? Aside from getting the guy in the fold the team got a sixth year. Getting an extra year from any agent - much less a guy like Eugene Parker—is something like a Christmas Miracle. It's rare, hard fought for and worthy of celebration.

Voidable or not, it was quite a coup.

Also as I mentioned above, the 49ers lack a 100-yard receiver this year.

Now, Crabtree is not that guy the moment he steps on the field. He could be though, and if he develops as expected he could be a factor late in the season when the team is either fighting for a playoff spot or preparing for a playoff run.

At worst, they now have him for a year where they can develop him gradually and work him into the lineup. If they continue to win—and right now it looks like they have every chance of doing so—there is little pressure to involve him too much before he is ready.

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