Arizona Cardinals fail to acquire free agent wide receiver
By Jim Koch
A report that veteran wide receiver Michael Crabtree had signed a contract with the Arizona Cardinals turned out to be false
It had seemed like a done deal for the Arizona Cardinals. This past Monday, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that the club had signed wide receiver Michael Crabtree. There were many who believed that the Cards were already well-stocked at the wideout spot, but it appeared to be a solid acquisition nevertheless.
Just one day later, we found out that reports of an agreement with Crabtree were premature. Arizona held a workout for the veteran, along with Terrance Williams and Kwadarrius Smith, but none of the three had been inked to a contract. Did Crabtree come to terms with the Cardinals, but then change his mind?
Apparently, the Cards and the 31-year old could not agree on compensation. According to sources, general manager Steve Keim offered Crabtree a one-year deal worth $2.5 million, with incentives that could net the player another $2 million. That actually sounds like fair money, considering the fact that the NFL season will kick off in just four short weeks, and the receiver is still unemployed.
Crabtree was hoping to mimic the kind of cash that two other free agent pass-catchers were handed back in March. Randall Cobb received a one-year contract worth $5 million from the Dallas Cowboys. The Detroit Lions will fork over $4.25 million to Danny Amendola for the upcoming campaign.
Crabtree would’ve been a nice addition to the Arizona roster. The 10th-overall pick of the 2009 draft has racked up 633 receptions, 7,477 receiving yards and 54 touchdowns during a 10-year professional career. Crabtree was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, and has also spent time with the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens.
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Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury indicated to the press that a union with Crabtree is still a possibility. Although the team appears to be deep at wide receiver, having an individual with that type of experience can only help. Stay tuned Cards fans, there’s a chance that Crabtree could still become a member of the franchise in 2019 after all.