San Francisco 49ers: Will Michael Crabtree Blossom Into an Elite WR in 2011?

In 2011, Michael Crabtree will be entering his third season with the San Francisco 49ers. 

It's now time for Crabtree to show the 49ers the skills that led the Niners to select him No. 10 overall in the 2009 draft.

Thus far in his budding career, Crabtree has not measured up to the stats he put up in his two seasons at Texas Tech. In just two years playing in college, he caught 231 passes for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns. 

Michael Crabtree was expected to burst onto the NFL scene as an impact wide receiver for the 49ers. Although he has been adequate, he has not yet shown the consistency or the work ethic to reach his enormous potential.

Let me first mention the fact that the 49ers have not had quality quarterback play in the past two years. Poor quarterback play has held Crabtree and the entire 49er offense back.

The 49ers have tried Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, David Carr and Troy Smith at various times over these past two years. Nobody has seized the job and the lack of consistency at the position has affected the performance of Michael Crabtree.

The weak offensive line has also contributed to the struggles of the offense. Poor quarterback play and a porous offensive line have both added to the disappointing stats of the 49er pass catchers. 

Michael Crabtree held out as he tried to get a better contract, so he missed the entire preseason and the first five games of 2009. He played in 11 games for the 49ers that year, catching 48 passes for 625 yards and two touchdowns.

Crabtree showed great promise and big things were expected from him in 2010.

Unfortunately, Crabtree also missed out on much of the 2010 training camp as he claimed an injury prevented him from taking the field. Crabtree did not get reps with starting quarterback Alex Smith and the two missed connections frequently early in the season.

In 2010, Michael Crabtree played in all 16 games, but had only 55 receptions for 741 yards and six touchdowns. These numbers are hardly those of a true tier-one receiver.

Michael Crabtree has missed his only two training camps with the 49ers. He has been criticized by teammates and media members for his poor work ethic.

Crabtree and Vernon Davis got into a heated argument in training camp and the two nearly came to blows. The reason was Davis, a team captain, was upset with Crabtree's diva attitude and lack of effort in training camp.

Michael Crabtree also does not run good routes consistently. He has frequently been criticized by former NFL quarterbacks and current analysts Steve Young and Trent Dilfer. 

If Crabtree is to get the most out of his ability, he must consistently work hard and improve on the finer points of his craft. He also must develop a better relationship with his quarterback, which cannot happen when he doesn't put in the effort.

Jim Harbaugh is Crabtree's best chance at developing into an elite receiver. Harbaugh will institute a passing game that the Niners haven't had in several years.

He will undoubtedly find a decent quarterback, unless the issues with the CBA stop him from making any deals. If that happens and the 49ers are stuck with Alex or Troy Smith, the offense will still be much improved under Harbaugh.

Harbaugh will also not tolerate any lack of effort or diva-like attitude coming from Michael Crabtree. If Crabtree buys in to what Harbaugh is doing, he will excel.

I believe this will be a slow process, however, as it's really hard to change a player's attitude when they think and act like they are better than they really are. 

Do I expect Michael Crabtree to become a truly elite wide receiver in 2011? 

Honestly, no. Nevertheless, I do expect Michael Crabtree to show improvement in 2011 and continue to grow as a player and a professional.

He has all the physical tools to be an elite player, so it's all about his attitude and his work ethic. These things don't change overnight.