Crabtree's production dropping

Dec 16, 2010

Second-year wide receiver Michael Crabtree does not make himself available to speak to the media regularly. But last week he supplied one of the best quotes of the season.

"At this point, I'm pretty much done with surprises," Crabtree said.

He was asked specifically whether he was surprised with the 49ers' decision to change quarterbacks from Troy Smith to Alex Smith. But he could've been talking about any number of issues surrounding the 49ers this season.

Heck, he could've been talking about his own production.

Brian Billick, the former Super Bowl-winning coach who has called the 49ers' past two games as a FOX TV analyst, said Crabtree's route-running leaves a lot to be desired. And 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Johnson did not exactly disagree with Billick's assessment.

"That's something that a lot of the young wide receivers have to go through," Johnson said this week. "They have to go through a progression of understanding how to run routes the way true route-runners run them. That's not a knock against Crabtree, that's just a fact of him being a young football player and still learning and developing, but I think he's working hard at his craft."

Fantasy Impact:

yesterday

Chargers to sign RB J.K. Dobbins on one-year deal

Tom Pelissero

yesterday · 7:45 PM EDT

Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins is planning to sign with the #Chargers on a one-year deal. Electric when healthy, Dobbins — who averages 5.8 yards per carry in his career — reunites with OC Greg Roman and can hit the market again in March.

Related Players: Gus Edwards

Fantasy Impact:

Dobbins has had poor injury luck in his career, but has only managed 234 total rushes since being drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. This is a low-risk, high-reward move by the Chargers and might give them a runway to wait a little longer in the '24 Draft before they address the position.

Apr 16

Cowboys sign RB Royce Freeman

Todd Archer

Apr 16 · 8:15 PM EDT

The Cowboys have signed running back Royce Freeman to a one-year deal. Freeman had 319 yards on 77 carries with 2 touchdowns last year for the Los Angeles Rams. He was 3rd round pick of Denver in '18.

Related Players: Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn

Fantasy Impact:

Freeman hasn't rushed for 500 yards since 2018, his rookie season. This shouldn't have any impact on the team drafting at the position and/or bringing back Ezekiel Elliott.

Apr 15

Eagles sign WR DeVonta Smith to three-year extension

Ian Rapoport

Apr 15 · 10:45 AM EDT

The Eagles have paid another big-time, rising player. This time, WR DeVonta Smith gets a 3-year, $75M contract extension that includes $51M guaranteed.

Related Players: A.J. Brown, DeVante Parker, Parris Campbell

Fantasy Impact:

Great news for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense as a whole. Smith will continue his 1b role in which he finished the 2023 season as fantasy's WR22.