San Francisco 49ers Rumors: Rift Between Michael Crabtree and Alex Smith?

Alex Smith is usually a mild-mannered guy. He isn't one to make waves or take shots at his teammates, which makes his recent comments about Michael Crabtree that much more compelling.

Smith simply stated, "You're asking the wrong guy," when asked about Crabtree's absence from team workouts. If the 49ers are going to be at their best, they need their No. 1 receiver to be on the same page as their starting quarterback, which is likely going to be Smith.

Of course, there is nothing that requires Crabtree to be at player-organized workouts. Even so, it's hard to imagine that coach Jim Harbaugh is not taking mental notes of who is and who isn't in attendance.

Crabtree has underperformed thus far in his career, and Harbaugh has no allegiance to him. He's going to have to earn Harbaugh's respect, and even if he is working out in isolation, that probably doesn't best serve the team.

Crabtree took a shot at Smith's ability to play quarterback last season, before saying that his quote was taken out of context.

It's clear Crabtree isn't sold on Smith. But it's unclear at this point if the feeling is mutual. These recent comments, however, certainly add fuel to the fire.

The last thing the 49ers want is a rift to develop between their underachieving quarterback and their underachieving top wide receiver. Unfortunately, Harbaugh is not allowed to sit both guys down and ensure the transition going into next season goes as planned.

If Crabtree wants to dispel any character concerns and perceived complacency, being AWOL at player-organized workouts is probably not the best way to go about doing so.