What Does the NFL Future Hold for Michael Crabtree?

When a veteran NFL player is still on the market at this point of free agency, we have to go back to the tape, be honest about what we see, set aside the player's name value and focus on his skill set.

That's where we're at with wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

The market has been extremely chilly for the six-year NFL veteran. He visited the Miami Dolphins this week and will certainly find a new NFL home somewhere, but at this point, it doesn't look like the 27-year-old is going to command the type of deal that the top-tier free agents were getting early in the new league year.

And you can see why on the tape. Crabtree is simply no longer able to create separation within a route—the key to opening space to make plays.   

Crabtree has experienced foot issues going back to his time at Texas Tech, and he tore an Achilles in 2013. The injuries show in his tape from this past season. His burst—his sudden acceleration—was missing. He wasn't a guy who could consistently run past defensive backs or produce explosive plays.

Some cornerbacks were sitting (or squatting) while allowing Crabtree to eat up the cushion between wide receiver and defensive back. This allowed them to be in position to challenge routes without the threat of the vertical speed down the field.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

You can see it in the numbers, too. Crabtree averaged 3.9 yards after the catch in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus. He didn't have the acceleration to angle past defensive backs or expose them in the open field.

The tape tags Crabtree as a "short to intermediate" route-runner. The basic route schemes (regardless of alignment) that show up on his game film from this past season are three-step routes (hitch, slant, smoke), screens and the curl, comeback, skinny post or dig.

He can run the out route versus off-man, break inside on the slant and work the middle of the field to catch the ball on the intermediate dig (square-in) where he can sit down in a throwing window. He's a good route-runner with smooth footwork and works hard to get open with multiple releases and stems. He can weave defensive backs to create leverage and use his pre-snap split (tight, wide, slot) to gain an advantage versus both man and zone coverage.

Here's an example from 2014 with Crabtree using the release and stem to run the "dino" post (stem to the corner, break back to the post) versus the St. Louis Rams zero-pressure blitz.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

That's a pro route from Crabtree, as he forces the cornerback to widen and get back on his heels. That allows him to work back inside where there is no safety help due to the blitz scheme. This type of route-running sells in the NFL and will create opportunities for Crabtree to move the sticks on third down and compile some numbers if he catches the ball with more consistency in 2015.

But as a possession receiver, he lacks the ideal size/frame to bang, push and shove at the top of the route while working inside. At 6'1", 214 pounds, he doesn't have the size of a Brandon Marshall at the point of attack and isn't a jump-ball receiver who will consistently produce by climbing the ladder on 50-50 throws.

With any player who has suffered a serious injury, like the Achilles for Crabtree, there is always hope that the explosive power and acceleration come back in time. Similar to an ACL injury, it can take longer than a calendar year for a player to regain that same burst on the field.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

This could happen with Crabtree. He could also be re-energized by a new team with a new playbook and a more distinct offensive identity than what the 49ers had this past season.

But if that doesn't happen, the tape shows that the best fit for Crabtree would be as a No. 2 or No. 3 receiver, ideally on a team that already has legit vertical speed at receiver. 

And the contract he receives should reflect that role.

Seven-year NFL veteran Matt Bowen is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report.

Follow @MattBowen41