NFL Note: The Three Teams Whispering in Michael Crabtree’s Ear – Other than the Niners

By: dwil

The San Francisco 49ers have accused the New York Jets of tampering in their negotiations with first round 10 draft pick holdout wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Of the allegations Deion Sanders said besides the Jets there are two other teams that have also involved themselves in entering into private talks with Crabtree and his agent, Eugene Parker. Sanders added:

“And he knows that.”

Those four words moved Sanders’ statement from rumor mill talk to something more serious ——— like knowledge of tampering.

In his postgame press conference after the New England Patriots game Jets head coach Rex Ryan said rumors of the Jets tampering with the Niners negotiations is fallacious. Ryan, with his usual bluster added:

I wish we played them [San Francisco].

But because of those four aforementioned words uttered by Sanders, the allegations persist; even ESPN has picked up the story.

However, if the Jets alone whispered sweet nothings in the ears of Parker and Crabtree, they probably would not be enough to keep the holdout from signing with the Niners. But with and uncapped 2010 season looming and the promise of a final go-around of ever-ballooning bonuses and with them inflated rookie contracts before the rookie salary cap hammer gets dropped through the pending CBA (collective bargaining agreement), Parker has informed his young charge that, because three teams are pining to trade for Crabtree after March 1, 2010, sitting out a season might not be such a bad move.

The question is, who are the other two teams?

According to a West Coast source the two teams that have joined the Jets in the Crabtree sweepstakes are – drum roll, please – the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins.

So, Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones, two of the new school vanguard owners who want to do away with revenue sharing because it means they continue to prop up teams in smaller markets with their money, have joined Robert Wood – “Woody” Johnson IV of Johnson & Johnson fame (think baby powder) in sniffing around the Crabtree tree.

And they have a witting co-conspirator in Parker, who seeks to use the rift between the renegade big dollar owners with the old school and small market owners like the Rooney (Pittsburgh Steelers and Mara (New York Giants) families to maximize Crabtree’s worth.

The move also has another purpose besides exacerbating the in-fighting between owners. Even with the hope of huge bonuses, a pre-draft trade for Crabtree will set the money in stone for the number 10 draft pick slot in the April 2010 NFL Draft before the picking begins. This gives the owners a baseline for negotiations with draft picks one to nine.

So, we have a soap opera, NFL – and media – style. Owner in-fighting. Owners interfering with the negotiations of another team’s draft pick. Deion Sanders acting as intrepid journalist telling the truth about the Crabtree-Parker-Niners-Redskins-Cowboys affair on the NFL’s television propaganda arm, the NFL Network. And NFL insider reporters who refuse to report the entire story.

What a tangled web they weave.

Tags: acting, contracts, dallas, dallas cowboys, deion sanders, dollar, england, fighting, final, head coach, jerry jones, levis, maxim, media, money, new england patriots, new york, new york giants, new york jets, nfl draft, nfl network, patriots, pittsburgh steelers, reporters, riots, rookie, salary cap, san francisco, san francisco 49ers, soap opera, television, washington redskins

Share This Article

No Comments

No comments yet.

Comment On This Article

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website