As pointed out by Josh Alper in Saturday’s one-liners, 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree has been a no-show for the team’s player-organized offseason activities.
The usefulness of the player-run workouts is unclear and debatable. Perhaps Crabtree would have nothing to gain from them. But they should be valuable for fitness purposes, and at the very least keep players’ minds on football.
Matthew Barrows of the Sacramento Bee recently wrote in an online Q & A that a group of 49ers has been “regularly working out together since February” in South Bay.
And Barrows has more on Crabtree:
“The current situation only reinforces the notion that Crabtree is a loner and not a team player. ... [Alex] Smith and Crabtree weren’t exactly Montana and Rice (Heck, they weren’t even Rattay and Lloyd) early last season. Getting together and developing chemistry seems like a no brainer.”
After averaging 57 receiving yards per game as a rookie in 2009, Crabtree’s yards-per-game average fell to 46.3 in his second season. Part of the statistical decline is attributable to quarterback play, but it’s fair to guesstimate that a large portion was also on Crabtree.
