Crabtree, 49ers ready to move forward

Michael Crabtree is signed and will be on the practice field this morning. He is also expected to take part – I’m told, reluctantly — in a press conference to announce his arrival.

 

The 49ers are expecting a two-week roster exemption, thus buying them some time before they are required to release a player to create a spot on the team’s 53-man roster.

 

It seems highly unlikely Crabtree will be in uniform for this week’s game against the Falcons, but look for him to have a strong chance to get on the field after the bye week, Sunday, Oct. 25, when the 49ers face the Houston Texans. (As was pointed out in scasmflop’s comment, if Crabtree were in uniform, that would end any roster exemption, as the team would have to create a roster spot for him.)

 

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The details of Crabtree’s contract have not been made public, but keep in mind that the six-year equivalent of the five-year contract the 49ers offered him in late June would be $24 million total base with $18.2 million guaranteed.

 

Most of the picks in front of Crabtree, the 10th overall selection, signed five-year deals. That’s why his contract will probably look more lucrative than the Packers’ contract with ninth selection B.J. Raji, who signed a five-year, $22.5 million deal with $17.7 million guaranteed.

 

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Now, onto this week’s matchup. We just had Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan on a brief conference call. Here’s what he had to say about watching the 49ers’ defense on film:

 

They’re very good,” Ryan said. “First and foremost, I think their front seven is as good as anybody in the league. They do a great job of disrupting the run game and getting pass rush. The linebackers are phenomenal. (Takeo) Spikes and (Patrick) Willis do a great job of coming up in the run game, dropping into coverage, blitzing the quarterback.

 

“They’re a very complete defense. I think in the secondary they’ve got guys who are physical on the edge and can make plays. Their safeties can come up and support the run, so I’ve been impressed with their defense. They’re rock solid, and playing disciplined football, and playing physical.”

 

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