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Crabtree's debut puts Heyward-Bey under the spotlight
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The NFL debut of Michael Crabtree this Sunday marks the end of any grace period previously afforded to Oakland’s Darrius Heyward-Bey.
From now on, Heyward-Bey’s production will be measured against Crabtree’s, in the race to determine which receiver the Raiders should have selected in last April’s draft.
Despite missing mini-camp, training camp, the entire preseason, and the first six weeks of the regular season, Crabtree has only spotted Heyward-Bey a 2 catch, 36 yard head start.
Given that the 49ers are behaving like an overeager high schooler on a first date in trying to hurry their rookie receiver, Crabtree may catch Heyward-Bey by the first quarter on Sunday.
In the long run, much of this comparison will also be based on team success, or lack thereof. If one receiver puts up stellar numbers on middling teams while the other goes on to win championships, it will skew the perception of each player.
For example, had the Dolphins drafted Terrell Davis, perhaps Dan Marino would own a pair of Super Bowl rings and the title of greatest quarterback of all-time, and John Elway would be left to fend off cheap shots from Boomer Esiason.
Similarly, if Chicago Hope had become a national phenomenon instead of ER, maybe Adam Arkin is the one reading this next to a supermodel in Lake Como, while George Clooney is plotting new ways to bring down the Sons of Anarchy.
What makes this debate more intriguing is that it’s still unclear what the Raiders saw in Heyward-Bey that every other team missed. Just as Crabtree has refused to divulge the strategy behind his holdout, the Raiders have been equally coy in refusing to discuss Crabtree.
Entering the draft, Heyward-Bey was widely regarded as a project coming out of Maryland, while Crabtree was considered more NFL-ready. Perhaps Al Davis bought into the idea that crab cakes and football really are what Maryland does.
The conventional thinking is that the Raiders picked Heyward-Bey solely due to his speed, specifically in the 40-yard dash. Crabtree doesn’t have a recent 40 time to his name, which may be the easiest way to steer clear of an Oakland draft board.
Heyward-Bey was also much quicker than Crabtree when it came time to sign his contract, which helped the Raiders avoid a potentially ugly situation.
Given JaMarcus Russell’s lengthy holdout two years ago, another Oakland first-round pick getting off to a late start would have been disastrous. The Raiders have also been plagued with receiver injuries this season, and an absent Crabtree might have forced Fred Biletnikoff out of retirement.
Had Oakland added Crabtree’s holdout and ensuing tampering allegations to Tom Cable’s ongoing legal drama, Court TV would have handed CBS a blank check for the rights to broadcast Raiders games.
Working against the case for Heyward-Bey, however, is the fact that he’s not even the best rookie receiver on his own team. Fourth-round pick Louis Murphy has been the Damon to Heyward-Bey’s Affleck, and he may force Heyward-Bey to the bench once Chaz Schilens returns.
Schilens appears to be the one player on Oakland’s roster who can consistently corral JaMarcus Russell’s passes, and the Raiders are hoping he can share his secret with his rookie teammates. While Russell has the arm to match Heyward-Bey’s speed on deep routes, he hasn’t been able to accurately locate his new toy downfield.
Across the Bay, Crabtree has the opposite problem.
The 49ers’ Shaun Hill is an accurate passer, but his arm doesn’t allow him to throw anything faster than a change-up, which will limit Crabtree’s deep-play ability. Given that San Francisco has yet to pass for 200 yards in a game this season, Crabtree may not be used for anything more than moving the chains this season.
As the season progresses, the two receivers figure to engage in a battle of quantity vs. quality, with Heyward-Bey hitting on big plays while Crabtree is used in volume as an intermediate target.
The competition begins in earnest this weekend, with Heyward-Bey and the Raiders going up against a Jets defense that has already shut down several top-flight receivers this season. But if Crabtree performs well against Houston, it won’t matter who the Raiders played or why Heyward-Bey failed to perform.
The focus will be on Crabtree vs. Heyward-Bey, and it figures to be that way for years to come.
The Oakland Sports Examiner.
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