Agent Eugene Parker was nowhere to be seen today when his client Michael Crabtree was at the podium, forced to answer questions about his 72-day contract impasse that ended in the wee hours.
Niners general manager Scot McCloughan was then left to try to speculate on Parker’s strategy during the holdout that lasted into its 72nd day.
According to Pro Football Talk, the prolonged holdout got Parker and Crabtree nowhere. Although Crabtree’s contract is one year longer than the deal ninth pick B.J. Raji signed with the Packers, Crabtree is still gets $700,000 less in guaranteed money.
Mike Florio of PFT concludes, it was a contract “that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.”
McCloughan said he has no idea what Parker was trying to accomplish by having his client sit out all of training camp, four exhibition games and the first four games of the regular season – while Crabtree’s public image took a beating nationally and among 49ers fans.
“It’s hard for me to really know,” McCloughan said of Parker thought process. “I’d love to find out when it’s all said and done. We came out of the gate and put a good offer on the table. They even said that, ‘For the 10th pick, that’s a solid offer.’
“It’s a funny part of the business and it’s a part I don’t like that first of all you’re paying an unproven commodity when you have players on the team who are producing and you haven’t taken care of them yet.”
McCloughan said it was very important for the 49ers to not bust out of the slot and pay Crabtree more than he was entitled to make as the No. 10 overall pick in the draft.
“Not just to prove a point, but what you do now is what happens in the future as well,” McCloughan said. “When you start setting precedent you don’t want to follow in the future, you can really handcuff your organization. There was no panic from ownership to the head coach. Not one time did they come to me and say, ‘Listen, we have to have this guy in.’ “
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McCloughan for the first time publicly confirmed the 49ers have filed tampering charges against the New York Jets.
“I don’t want to get into that,” McCloughan said. “We filed the charges. They’re in the league’s hands now. I’m just happy we finally got this (Crabtree contract) done.”
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UPDATE
The 49ers filled their vacant practice-squad spot with OLB Martail Burnett (
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