San Francisco 49ers: Michael Crabtree’s Challenge is Becoming a True No. 1 Receiver

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree is entering his fourth season in the league and to this point, results have been mixed. There was a nasty 71-day contract holdout his rookie season, some injury issues and an overall sense that, “Hey, maybe this guy just doesn’t have what it takes.”

Fast-forward to this preseason, and it seems Crabtree is determined to prove he is an elite receiver in the league. He reportedly came into camp and the preseason a bit trimmer than last season, according to 49ers.com, which should help him stay healthier during the season and be more explosive off the line.

So what?

The Niners hope his production will be consistent with what he has been doing during the first three games of the preseason. Though his stats aren’t spectacular (five receptions, 28 yards), it is the preseason. The more important things to note are hustle, consistency, route-running, etc.

Crabtree has shown this preseason that he is determined to be the go-to guy. Some of the determination likely has to do with the offseason receiving threats the team added. It lured Randy Moss out of retirement, signed former New York Giant Mario Manningham and drafted speedster AJ Jenkins.

The initial thought was that the Niners wanted to open up the playbook more for quarterback Alex Smith to give opposing defenses a deep-threat attack to worry about. While that certainly is part of the case, it may not be all of it.

Coach Jim Harbaugh is the closest thing the league has to a “throwback” coach, and don’t put it past him to flood the depth chart at the position in order to motivate Crabtree to fulfill his true potential.

But forget the slight conspiracy theory, this is about production. In order for Crabtree to become a true No. 1 receiver, his statistics must improve. Last season he caught 72 passes for 874 yards and an underwhelming four touchdowns. Face facts; those numbers are not acceptable, not for a receiver of his talent with his physical attributes.

There is the reality that the team was inefficient in the red zone last year. So? If Crabtree is such an elite receiver, then he would have been targeted more as the offense neared the promised land, his touchdown total would have been higher and the Niners wouldn’t have had to rely on the medieval leg of kicker David Akers.

Crabtree must shed the first three years of his career and focus on getting the Niners touchdowns within the red zone. With the Niners possessing the fourth overall defense and a 13-3 record from last year, imagine how strong the team will be should Crabtree provide a needed presence inside the 20-yard line.

2012-08-30 04:54:05

Source: http://www.nationalfootballauthority.com/2012/08/san-francisco-49ers-michael-crabtrees.html