Michael Crabtree - Pro Football Rumors

Michael Crabtree Signs With Ravens

March 16th, 2018 at 5:05pm CST by Micah Powell

It didn’t take long for Michael Crabtree to find a new home. Just a day after being released by the Raiders, the veteran receiver reached an agreement on a three-year deal to join the Ravens, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.

The Ravens confirmed the deal in a followup, emoji-filled tweet moments later.

The deal is worth up to $21 MM and includes $11 MM in guaranteed money, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

After long speculation, the Raiders decided to cut the nine-year wideout on Friday after it inked Jordy Nelson to a deal. Shortly after the move, the Ravens set up a meeting and were reportedly going hard to sign Crabtree.

In three seasons with the Raiders, Crabtree recorded 232 catches for 2,543 yards and 25 touchdowns. Despite having a down season in 2017, the Texas Tech product still managed to lead Oakland with eight touchdown grabs.

The Ravens have been looking for a go-to wideout for a long time and the team is hoping Crabtree can fill that role. Only three Baltimore receivers, and none since Torrey Smith in 2014, have recorded eight receiving touchdowns in a season, the amount Crabtree has logged in every season since 2015.

The team has been looking to upgrade its receiving options so far in the 2018 offseason. It added a deep threat with the addition of former Cardinals wideout John Brown earlier in the week. The team also thought it had a deal with former Redskins pass catcher Ryan Grant, but the deal was voided after he failed his physical. It was also reported the team was in the mix for Jimmy Graham and Eric Ebron.

[RELATED: Ravens Depth Chart]

WR Michael Crabtree To Visit Ravens

March 15th, 2018 at 5:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Michael Crabtree is making his first visit. The wideout is set to meet with the Ravens, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The Ravens are “going hard” after the veteran, who was released by the Raiders today, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

Following the Nelson signing, Oakland released Crabtree today. There had been whispers of Crabtree’s exit from Oakland for some time, although Jon Gruden seemed to indicate that Crabtree would be back with the team in 2018. Crabtree had been productive during his time with the Raiders, as he hauled in at least eight touchdowns in each of his three seasons. However, the 30-year-old’s production dropped in 2017, as he finished with 58 receptions and and 618 yards – his lowest totals since 2013.

Earlier today, our own Zach Links eyed Marqise Lee‘s new contract with the Jaguars as a basis for a Crabtree deal. Lee can earn a maximum of $38MM over the course of his four-year contract. Even if Crabtree’s “true” average annual value falls short of $9.5MM, it’s still a good indicator of what Crabtree can expect to get in free agency

Raiders Release WR Michael Crabtree

March 15th, 2018 at 2:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are releasing wide receiver Michael Crabtree, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). With Crabtree out of the picture, a source tells Schefter that there is a “high probability” of wide receiver Jordy Nelson landing in Oakland (UPDATE: Nelson has signed with the Raiders).

There have been whispers of Crabtree’s exit from Oakland for several months. At one point, Jon Gruden seemed to indicate that Crabtree would be back with the team in 2018. Such talk, apparently, was premature. The Raiders will move on from Crabtree’s $7MM salary and are likely to fill that void with Nelson.

Last season, Crabtree posted his worst season as a Raider, managing only 58 reception and 618 yards in 14 games. In January, his $7MM salary seemed a bit rich given his down year, but it’s not so crazy when compared to some of the free agent deals signed by other receivers this year.

Take Marqise Lee‘s new contract with the Jaguars, for example. He can earn a maximum of $38MM over the course of his four-year contract. Even if his “true” average annual value falls short of $9.5MM, it’s still a good indicator of what Crabtree can expect to get in free agency. On the other hand, many of this year’s wide receiver voids have already been filled.

Latest On Michael Crabtree, Marshawn Lynch

March 1st, 2018 at 5:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Recent comments from Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie and coach Jon Gruden have indicated that running back Marshawn Lynch and wide receiver Michael Crabtree will be with the team in 2018. However, nothing has been decided on either front, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal hears.

From a talent perspective, both players would be worthwhile contributors for the Raiders. However, their salaries are an issue. Crabtree is scheduled to earn a $7MM salary with just over $1MM in potential incentives. Lynch, meanwhile, is on the books with a $4MM salary plus up to $4MM in bonuses. Those numbers don’t sit right with the team’s braintrust, which is now headed by new head coach Jon Gruden, and it could result in one or both of the players not being a part of the team this fall.

At minimum, we should get some clarity on Lynch’s situation soon. The veteran is due a $1MM roster bonus on March 18, so the Raiders will have to make a call before that date. With free agency getting underway on March 14, it would behoove Oakland to figure things out for both players in the next two weeks.

Last season, Crabtree posted his worst season as a Raider, managing only 58 reception and 618 yards in 14 games. Lynch, meanwhile, was excellent down the stretch (perhaps as he got into better condition): the 31-year-old averaged 5.17 yards per carry over Oakland’s final five games and scored twice.

Raiders To Bring Back Michael Crabtree

February 27th, 2018 at 8:27pm CST by Micah Powell

The Raiders have decided to hold onto veteran receiver Michael Crabtree, a source told Vic Tafur of The Athletic. There were previous discussions about releasing the receiver, who is set to make $7.5 MM in salary and roster bonus in 2018.

Tafur writes that Crabtree has met with new head coach Jon Gruden in the past month and have come to an agreement that his struggles in 2017 were related to the previous regime. The problems with Jack Del Rio‘s staff were obvious in the final two games of the season when Crabtree played just 46 of 121 snaps, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Michael Gehlken (Twitter link).

At the age of 30 in 2017, Crabtree logged just 58 receptions for 618 yards but did manage to register eight touchdown grabs. The campaign followed back-to-back 85-catch seasons in his first two seasons with the Raiders. The Texas Tech product has been a force in the red zone, logging 25 receiving scores in three seasons with the Silver and Black.

Though he did have a rough season, Crabtree is a strong bounce-back candidate in Gruden’s new-look attack that prioritizes quick-hitting passes to move the chains. Crabtree is signed through the 2019 season but will not count against the cap if released.

Jon Gruden On Crabtree, Lynch, Cable

February 15th, 2018 at 9:45am CST by Zachary Links

With a non-guaranteed $7.7MM salary, Michael Crabtree is among this year’s potential high-profile salary cap casualties. However, in a recent interview, Raiders coach Jon Gruden indicated that Crabtree is a part of the team’s plans.

“I got to bump into Crabtree. Hopefully we can get the best out of Crabtree and his career,” Gruden told Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group.

Crabtree, 31 in September, turned in the weakest numbers he’s had in a healthy season since 2010. His 58 catches for 618 yards and eight touchdowns is nothing to sneeze at, but it was a drop-off from his 89 grabs for 1,003 yards and eight scores in 2016. Still, Gruden believes that he can get Crabtree back on track, which would make him worth his current contract. Alternatively, the Raiders could ask Crabtree to take a minor pay cut.

Here’s more from Gruden’s sit down with McDonald:

Do you think Marshawn Lynch will be on the roster this year?

I don’t know. I bumped into him. Some of these players that live locally do come to the facility to get a workout, see the trainer. I’ve been downstairs and met several guys. I have talked to Marshawn briefly. We’ll see. We’ll keep everybody posted. Right now, he’s our leading ballcarrier. He’s our back, and we’re counting on him. Hopefully we get an opportunity to work together. that’s a man that has a lot of respect in this league as a player and I certainly have respect for him also.

What excites you about this roster?

I think we’ve got a great young quarterback. I think that’s enough to be excited about. I think a lot of our center. I think the quarteback-center (Rodney Hudson) battery is as good as I’ve ever had in football. I’m really excited about the two guards (Kelechi Osemele, Gabe Jackson), obviously. That’s the strength of this team. And Khalil Mack, I think he’s a proven superstar football player. I think the excitement around working with Amari Cooper is just certainly pretty cool.

Does Tom Cable’s hiring mean the Raiders will be a zone-scheme team when it comes to running the ball?

No. I think Cable’s background is one of the outside zone, the inside zone, but he’s also a very versatile coach. He’s proven that. He can run gap schemes. He’s going to run what we’re good at running. If we have a good back, and some good linemen and a tight end and a fullback, we’ll have a good running game with Tom Cable. But we’ve got to get the components in place so he can be all he can be. That’s something we’re working on right now. He’s a versatile coach, certainly he’s an expert in the zone scheme and I’m excited about that, but there’s a lot of ways he’s run the ball in his background.

NFL Reduces Michael Crabtree, Aqib Talib Suspensions To One Game

November 28th, 2017 at 6:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders will have Michael Crabtree back in their starting lineup come Week 14. The NFL reduced the wideout’s two-game suspension to one on Tuesday night, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports, adding Aqib Talib‘s two-game ban has also been trimmed to one (Twitter links).

Crabtree will only miss this week’s game against the Giants. The Raiders face the Chiefs in Week 14. Talib will miss Sunday’s Broncos-Dolphins game but be back for Denver’s Week 14 game against the Jets.

The two essentially shared culpability in the widespread brawl that featured the rivals in a rare one-on-one fight scene in the end zone. But a day after the suspensions were handed out, the Raiders and Broncos received word the NFL has softened its stance upon appeals voiced from James Thrash (representing Talib) and Derrick Brooks (representing Crabtree).

Talib will save $570K as a result of Tuesday’s adjusted punishment. Crabtree will save $367K. This will be Talib’s second one-game suspension in three seasons. He missed a November 2015 game as a result of on-field actions against the Colts. Crabtree will miss his second game as a Raider. The veteran pass-catcher played in each of Oakland’s 32 regular-season games during the 2015 and ’16 seasons before missing Week 4 of this season — against the Broncos.

Both Vance Joseph and John Elway stood by Talib during his appeal hearing, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

The Raiders still could be facing the prospect of playing without Crabtree or Amari Cooper for the first time since the duo became Raiders two seasons ago. Cooper is dealing with a concussion and a sprained ankle. The Broncos will turn to Bradley Roby to start opposite Chris Harris, with third-round rookie Brendan Langley — whom Cooper scored a short touchdown against during Sunday’s Raiders win — filling in as the nickel presence.

Michael Crabtree and Aqib Talib Suspended Two Games

November 27th, 2017 at 8:32pm CST by GregGoldstein

Both wide receiver Michael Crabtree and cornerback Aqib Talib have been suspended two games for the fight that took place during yesterday’s game between the Raiders and Broncos, the NFL’s Vice President of Football Communications, Michael Signora, has announced on Twitter.

Normally when players are ejected because of personal foul penalties they are not subject to suspension of any kind. However, both players had a history of bad blood with each other that boiled over again on Sunday, even after it was reported that the refs had each given a warning to both sides before the game started, knowing that there had been prior altercations.

Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan explained the reasoning to both players in separate quotes in the press release. Runyan stated the multiple violations and excessive violence that took place after the play, which led to a team-wide brawl that could have easily been avoided.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds that both players will be appealing their suspensions in the coming days (Twitter link).

While no other suspensions were announced by the league, Raiders lineman Gabe Jackson was mentioned as being another possibility to face league discipline as well in terms of a fine for his role in the dispute.

Two games is a very serious punishment when looking at the history of fights throughout the league and will definitely stick in the mind of any player looking to start problems from past events.

The suspensions themselves affect the Raiders more than the Broncos as Oakland is still in the playoff hunt. But, without Crabtree and perhaps fellow WR Amari Cooper, who suffered a concussion, in addition to the sprained right ankle we learned about earlier today, the Raiders will need the likes of Seth Roberts, Johnny Holton and Cordarrelle Patterson to step up vs. the Giants in Week 13.

Denver has a capable backup corner in Bradley Roby, but is likely to add further depth for the next two weeks as the team only has one other backup on the depth chart.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Jags, Bengals

November 26th, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by GregGoldstein

There was a team-wide brawl that took place between the Raiders and Broncos this afternoon, started by Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree and Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib. The two have a had a go of it in the past, when both engaged each other during a game last season. However, this fight was capped off by Crabtree throwing and partly landing a punch at the head of Talib. Both players were immediately ejected from the game, which forced the veteran wideout to watch the rest of the contest from a suite, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com.

The Raiders receiving corps took a further hit in the AFC West battle as they lost Amari Cooper for the game with a concussion, Gutierrez also passes along. The 23-year-old wideout suffered the injury when he was hit in the head by Broncos safety Darian Stewart on a collision over the middle of the field. There appeared to be no malicious intent behind the play, even though there was a personal foul penalty given. Nevertheless, Oakland may be without both their top receivers for next week’s game because of what transpired today versus Denver. The Raiders would need extra contributions from the likes of Seth Roberts, Johnny Holton and Cordarrelle Patterson should Crabtree get suspended and Cooper not pass concussion protocol.
The Jaguars were hit with a concussion of their own as starting linebacker Telvin Smith did not return after suffering the injury, reports Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Smith has been one of many key contributors in what has turned into perhaps the best defense in football. This situation will certainly be worth monitoring throughout the upcoming practice week.
Bengals running back Joe Mixon had the best game of his professional career in the team’s blowout of the Browns. The second round pick tallied over 160 yards from scrimmage, while averaging exactly five yards per carry. Mixon had already been getting a lot of work in recent weeks, but finally broke through with a performance that he and the team were waiting for. “It feels great,” said Mixon, “The offensive line was great and the receivers did a great job blocking on the perimeters and we just went out and finished.” (Quote courtesy of Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com). Look for Mixon to continue to be a big part of the Cincinnati offense in the last five games of the season.
In other Bengals news, backup quarterback A.J. McCarron was seen mingling with Browns head coach Hue Jackson and owner Jimmy Haslam before Sunday’s game. This is notable considering Cleveland tried to trade for the signal caller right before the deadline, but it’s not something that McCarron really focused on when discussing the interaction after the contest. “No point talking about the trade. It didn’t happen and it’s not going to happen now,” McCarron said. “I saw Mr. Haslam just to say hey to him. I’ve known Mr. Haslam through the whole draft process. I took a visit there. He’s a good Tennessee guy and you know the love between Tennessee and Alabama.” (Quote courtesy of Hobson).

Extra Points: Broncos, Jags, 49ers, Falcons

February 8th, 2017 at 9:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Broncos have been connected to quarterback Tony Romo, whom they could pursue in free agency if the Cowboys cut him, but head coach Vance Joseph insisted Tuesday that Denver’s 2017 starter is already on its roster. On whether he’s committed to Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, Joseph said (via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com): “Absolutely, I am. They’re both smart guys. Obviously different skill sets, but I’m committed to both of those kids. They’re good football players and we’ve got to build around those guys.” Joseph’s offensive coordinator, Mike McCoy, echoed his boss, saying he’s “happy with the guys we have.”

After the Broncos hired Joseph and McCoy last month, Mike Klis of 9News reported that the club would rather start Lynch than Siemian next season. As a first-round rookie last year, Lynch sat behind Siemian – who fared OK in his first season as a No. 1 – but did see action in three games and pick up two starts.