Wide receiver Michael Crabtree began his career in San Francisco, but after six seasons as a 49er, he traded in his scarlet and gold for the Silver in Black this April.
Where He's Been
After an impressive college career at Texas Tech that saw him earn unanimous All-American honors twice, in addition to two Fred Biletnikoff Awards, Crabtree was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round (No. 10 overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft.
During his six seasons in San Francisco, the former Texas Tech Red Raider appeared in 79 games for the 49ers, making 77 starts.
He also enjoyed a career year in 2012, setting a career high in both receiving yards (1,105) and touchdowns (9) as the 49ers advanced to Super Bowl XLVII.
Making an Impression on Derek Carr
While Crabtree has only been with the Raiders for a few months, he's already making an impression on his teammates – in particular quarterback Derek Carr.
"Crabtree has been awesome, not only just on the field, but in the locker room," said Carr earlier this offseason. "He's such a great teammate. One thing I've learned about him is he's so competitive. It could possibly be mistaken for a bad thing if people didn't know him, but he is so competitive and everyone on our team loves him."
The starting quarterback was also sure to start up a dialogue with his new receiver during the team's limited time on the field during the offseason program.
"I talk to him all the time," Carr said. "We stretch together. We're right next to each other. We're always taking about the game. We're always talking ball. We're always talking routes, concepts, and what we're going to do during the game, and hand signals, all those things. He is a football junkie."
The Bottom Line
Crabtree has a lot to prove in 2015.
Coming off a disappointing 2014 season, he needs to put together a quality campaign to reestablish himself as one of the better wide receivers in the NFL, and at just 27 years old, he should still have enough in the tank to do just that.
Similarly, the Raiders struggled to establish offensive weapons on the outside last season and brought Crabtree in to fill a need that became more and more apparent as 2014 progressed.
This season is setting up to be a big year in Crabtree's career, and the tandem of him and rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper should give Derek Carr reason for optimism.
