The 49ers have certainly taken the high road in the contract impasse with receiver Michael Crabtree while holding firm to the belief that the organization is treating the No. 10 overall pick fairly.
And if the Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker believe the 49ers have acted out of line in their contract dealings with the unsigned draft pick, then team president Jed York said he would like to know about it.
After all, the 49ers did not seem to offend their six previous first-round draft picks over the past four years. The 49ers have also been proactive about signing young players – including Shawntae Spencer, Michael Robinson, Frank Gore, Delanie Walker, Parys Haralson and Joe Staley – to lucrative contract extensions.
Take this as a good sign that
The 49ers want Crabtree on the team. Whether they had him rated as the top player on their board or not, there is no denying that Crabtree was not chosen within the first nine picks of the draft.
When the NFL puts together its rookie salary pool – the cap within the cap that places some broad limits what teams can spend on its rookie class – the dollar amount is derived from where each team selects.
Each draft pick is assigned a figure based on where the selection was made. Each pick is assigned a dollar amount less than the previous slot. That, in itself, does not guarantee a slotting system that teams and players much follow, but it is certainly a guideline that has been the standard for as long as anyone can remember.
I asked when he made the offer and whether he has heard back from the Crabtree camp.
“Don’t recall,”
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