Offensive lineman Barry Sims was interested into the game after the first play and held his own against the defensive end Dwight Freeney.  But to lose a player like Staley for six weeks this late into the season will stall the 49ers offensive progress as the rest of the offensive line has had suspect play.  The 49ers are in a tight spot as the only other tackle available on the team is Chris Patrick who has spent almost all of his career on the practice squad on six different teams since he was signed in 2007 as an undrafted rookie free-agent by the New York Giants.  This is not good for the 49ers offensive line.  Someone needs to set-up their play on the line if they 49ers want to continue progressing their offense while Staley is out.

The replacement for Clements will be Brown who started in his place against the Colts.  It is not known if Clements had not injured himself would he have started again at cornerback.  Mike Singletary only said that Brown was named the starter because he matched up better against Colts wide receiver Pierre Garcon.  We may never know if Clements really lost his job for one game or for the rest of the season but we may have an idea at the end of the season as he will make at least $6 million in salary next year.  GM Scot McCloughan will most likely ask Clements to take a pay-cut or be released with his bad play not only this year but last season.  While Clements has had some good games as a Niner he has not been the shut down corner the 49er Faithful thought we were getting when he was with the Bills.

The 49ers suffered injuries to the two weakest parts on offense, the line, and on defense, the secondary.  Brown will be a good replacement for Clements as he almost wrestled the starting job from other cornerback Shawntae Spencer in training camp.  I hope that Sims can build on what he did last week against the Colts and provides the same protection that Staley did so successfully.

Take it or leave it Crabtree

The time has come for the 49ers to end the Michael Crabtree holdout by saying they will not over pay him more than what the number 10 slot in the draft usually gets and certainly nothing more than draft picks 1 through 9.  It has been reported GM Scot McCloughan is holding the line by not overpaying him but I think publicly this needs to be said by McCloughan.  The more pressure that is put on Crabtree the better.  If he wants to be a Niner he needs to end his selfishness and get into training camp before it ends.  Each day that he has held out means lost development which will be a lot harder when the regular season starts.  We all know Crabtree’s threat of sitting out the year and reentering the draft in 2010 will not happen.  All he has to do is see what happened to former USC star wide-out Mike Williams when he sat out for a year trying to enter the NFL draft before he was eligible.  Like Williams, Crabtree’s threat will not work out to his advantage and here is why:

• The 49ers hold Crabtree’s rights up until the beginning of the 2010 draft.  Basically this means Crabtree cannot work out for other teams before the draft if the 49ers do not give permission.  If this situation is still going on come the 2010 draft, one my head might explode and two I doubt the 49ers would allow Crabtree to work out for other teams.  His draft stock will definitely fall past number 10 and probably to the later rounds because he cannot workout for teams and show he is worth a draft pick after sitting out a full year.  This is one of the reasons why Crabtree’s draft stock fell this year because he could not work out for teams due to a stress fracture in his foot.

• In order for Crabtree to make the money that he thinks he deserves he would have to be picked 7^th or higher in next year’s draft.  I am no college expert but I would think there are seven players that are worth the draft pick more than Crabtree especially at wide receiver.

• The Patriots selected Jerod Mayo with the 10^th pick last year.  Mayo signed a five-year $22 million deal with $16 million guaranteed.  Crabtree is asking for five-years, $38.25 million deal including $23.5 million guaranteed which is what number 7^th pick Darrius Heyward-Bey signed with the Raiders this year.  The 9^th pick in the draft this year, the Packers B.J. Raji, received just under $18 million guaranteed.  I would think the 49ers will not offer Crabtree no more than that amount guaranteed.  Plus with all of the rookie holdouts this year I would not be surprised if NFL owners and players install a rookie salary scale when they negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement before the 2010 draft.  If that happens Crabtree would certainly lose money no matter where he is drafted.

• Other NFL teams are apprised of the Crabtree situation.  If he did reenter the draft next year his draft stock alone would slip because teams will not want to negotiate a contract with a “prima donna” who sat out a year just to get the money he thinks he deserves.  No team will take that chance.

What all of this comes down to his money.  The 49ers will not overpay a receiver even if he threatens to sit out because they do not think he is worth that amount.  Crabtree just wants to get paid and does not care about the team or his teammates.  Crabtree and his agent Eugene Parker have to be aware of all the potential consequences if he sits out if this is really about money.  Crabtree needs a new agent regardless but if he thinks he will make more money by sitting out the year he needs a new inner circle.  Crabtree needs step up and rise above this situation he has caused to save face with the 49er Faithful.

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Michael Crabtree Holdsout

Well, I have to say I am not surprised all of the 49ers rookies have reported to training camp with the exception of wide receiver Michael Crabtree.  After the NFL draft in April the only negative press about Crabtree was certain coaches, Eric Mangini was one, were turned off by his “diva” attitude.  Another reason is his agent is Eugene Parker who represented the Lam’s running back Stephen Jackson and the Bills Jason Peter with their holdouts last year.  Parker also represents another rookie drafted in the top ten, the Chiefs defensive end Tyson Jackson who has not signed as well.  The only positive thing right now is Crabtree is one of 28 rookies drafted in the first round who remain unsigned.  However each day Crabtree is not on the field his development of becoming an NFL wide out and an offensive force for the Niners suffers tremendously.  Crabtree needs to get into camp to learn the offense and develop a receiver-quarterback relationship with incumbent starter Shaun Hill especially because he missed the OTA’s rehabbing his injured foot and coaches have not seen him at full strength.

It is important to note that Mike Singletary held out twice in his career, once as a rookie and the other time the year before the Bears won the Super Bowl.  So, I would not expect Singletary’s usual intensity in criticizing Crabtree’s holdout.  That would be like former President Bush criticizing President Obama about starting an unnecessary war.

There have been numerous reports that Crabtree’s agent is seeking a contract for a top-five draft pick.  Was Parker paying attention at the draft?  He does realize his client was not the even the first receiver taken in the draft, right?  I understand holdouts to happen each year but with 28 of the 32 rookies taken in the first round not signed to deals is ridiculous.  I only care about Crabtree and with his agent acting like he was the best WR taken in the draft does not help him and more importantly his teammates.  GM’s and coaches have their reasons for why they did not select him.  Now I am hoping GM Scot McCloughan is not regretting drafting him with their 10^th pick because the WR position was not the most important need we had in the draft.  If Crabtree is not signed by this weekend when all players have reported the holdout distraction will be the only questions the media asks and the Hill vs. Smith QB competition, the implementation of Jimmy Raye’s new offense and Singletary’s first full season as a head coach will all be overshadowed.  The longer the holdout the more questions players will field about Crabtree which always upsets the player whether they show it or not because one man is eclipsing any other news during training camp.  The players and coaches and most importantly the fans will lose their patience.  The 49er Faithful have waited too long for another winning season and Crabtree is an important part of accomplishing the Niners rise back to prominence in the NFL.

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