Michael Crabtree is hearing late-May hosannas from Jim Harbaugh (the best hands ever!) and now Alex Smith, who said Wednesday that hes never seen the fourth-year wide receiver with such a spring in his step.
Hes healthy and I think hes excited about that, Smith said. I think hes feeling really good. You come out and watch and hes running better than he ever has since Ive seen him. Running really well out here, making plays. Its exciting to see.
Of course, plenty of fans arent buying into Crabtrees spring stardom based his work, or lack thereof, last winter when it mattered most.
Crabtrees totals from two playoff games: 5 catches, 28 yards and at least two drops.
In the NFC Championship Game, he had one catch. His longest catch of the postseason: 9 yards.
His big-game vanishing act cant be dismissed, but it has overshadowed the fact that Crabtree, viewed by many as a top-10 draft bust, put up No. 1-wideout-worthy numbers during the final two-and-half months of 2011. In the seasons final 11 games, Crabtree had 61 catches for 742 yards and four touchdowns, which would translate to 89 catches, 1,079 yards and six touchdowns over a 16-game season.
During that stretch, Crabtree had more receptions than Arizonas Larry Fitzgerald, Kansas Citys Dwayne Bowe and then-Dolphins wideout Brandon Marshall had in their final 11 games. He also had more yards than Pittsburghs Mike Wallace and as many touchdowns as New Englands Wes Welker.
Crabtree doesnt have the size, speed or pedigree of Randy Moss. He doesnt have the big-game heroics of Mario Manningham. And he doesnt possess the promising clean slate of first-round pick A.J. Jenkins.
Still, while Moss was in retirement, Manningham was in the midst of an injury plagued 39-catch season and Jenkins was in the Big Ten, Crabtree was quietly producing like a No. 1 NFL wide receiver during the latter stages of 2011.
If he can maintain his current health, its a title he could hold in 2012, even with the added competition on the roster.
I know a lot of the new faces get a lot of the attention, Smith said. But hes doing really well here.
* Below is a look at how Crabtree ranked among the wide receivers that finished among the NFLs top 10 in receptions and yards in 2011. The numbers are from each wideouts final 11 games of the regular season:
RECEPTIONS
1. Wes Welker, Patriots, 77
2. Percy Harvin, Vikings, 69
T3. Marques Colston, Saints, 68
T3. Roddy White, Falcons, 68
5. Calvin Johnson, Lions, 67
6. Victor Cruz, Giants, 63
7. Michael Crabtree, 49ers, 61
8. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs, 58
T9. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, 53
T9. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins, 53
11. Steve Smith, Panthers, 52
YARDS
1. Calvin Johnson, Lions, 1,230
2. Victor Cruz, Giants, 1,150
3. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, 984
4. Jordy Nelson, Packers, 954
5. Roddy White, Falcons, 944
6. Wes Welker, Patriots, 829
7. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins, 792
8. Steve Smith, Panthers, 785
9. Hakeem Nicks, Giants, 780
10. Michael Crabtree, 49ers, 742]
11. Mike Wallace, Steelers, 657
