What do you dream about? NBA Finals Game 7 with five seconds left, you catch the pass at the top of the key and…swish. Lottery numbers dropping into place on your winning ticket while you sip a martini next to Minka Kelly? Not Michael Crabtree. He doesn’t dream about being the next big NFL star or driving a Ferrari around Milan.

Michael Crabtree dreams of routes, pass coverages, and catching, catching, catching.

Growing up in Dallas, Texas, Crabtree has always had an intensity bordering on the surreal. Because of his size and physicality, Crabtree’s father chose to have him play football in leagues above his age.

“I actually cried the few times he made me play against people my age,” Crabtree said. “I was like, ‘Dad, I don’t want to hurt those little kids.”

After dominating the youth leagues, Crabtree continued showing his phenomenal ability at Carter High School by playing both basketball and football. In fact, his first scholarship offer from Texas Tech, his future university, came in the form of a basketball scholarship. In his senior year, Crabtree averaged more than 20 points a game. This is not to say he was slacking on football during his high school career. He was one of the best football players in the state as a quarterback. As a matter of fact, he only had one reception his senior year, but rushed for 646 yards and nine touchdowns on 100 total carries. He also added an interception, as well.

After high school, Illinois, Michigan State, and Kansas all offered him scholarships as a quarterback. It was Crabtree’s decision to accept the scholarship to Texas Tech after coming to the conclusion that wide receiver was a better fit. With hands nine inches across and a 34-inch vertical, he seemed to have made the right choice.

Crabtree’s style of play was perfect for head coach Mike Leach’s spread offense at Texas Tech. With four or five receivers on any given play, it’s natural that there would be a lot of passes, and that a hefty number of those would be flying towards Crabtree. Over the course of just two seasons in a Tech uniform, Crabtree had 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns. He averaged 120.3 yards and 1.6 touchdowns per game. Although he decided to enter the draft after his sophomore year, there would have been a pretty good chance that he’d have broken almost every major reception record in the NCAA. His numbers for the first two seasons alone were enough to net him a pile of awards and accolades, among them were the Biletnikoff award (for the best collegiate receiver) for two straight years, All Big 12 first team, All-American, and the Scout.com Freshman of the Year award.

Despite these incredible accomplishments, Crabtree’s best asset is his playmaking ability – something that shines through in any offense. It was this same ability that led him to make one of college football’s biggest plays last season. The play in reference was the game-winning touchdown reception he had against rival Texas at home late in the year. A game between the No.1 (Texas) and No. 2 ranked teams in the country. Crabtree caught an outside pass on the edge of the field, tip-toed along the sideline, broke two tackles, and ran into the end zone with a single second remaining in regulation. Needless to say, Tech fans went wild.

It’s that kind of clutch play that really makes Crabtree a valuable commodity. Entering the upcoming draft, most invision Crabtree as a top 10, if not top 5, selection. Only his top end speed and blocking ability have been questioned. And while speed is hard to dramatically increase, the latter can be remedied by a good pro coaching staff.

So look out NFL – here comes Michael Crabtree. People don’t often have dreams simple enough to accomplish on a daily basis like Crabtree – nor do they have the arena to change the humdrum to amazing. Crabtree has been doing it for years at the most crucial times in the biggest games. But don’t ask him about those pressure moments, heated rivalries, and upcoming games. As he said recently after a game, “I just see balls in the air.”

Latest on Michael Crabtree

Crabtree’s Stock is Dropping
It seems that despite prior announcements, Crabtree was unable to run at the NFL combine. His ranking in the top 10 picks for the draft appears to be falling.

Career

WikiCollegeFootball Michael Crabtree
For a complete list of career statistics, awards, and personal information.

News and Commentary

70 Receptions, 17 Touchdowns and 2 Sports
A great article about Michael Crabtree

Crabtree Zone
A frequently updated website devoted entirely to Michael Crabtree.

Michael Grabtree Grabs His Second Biletnikoff
The first player to ever receive the award twice.

Crabtree Says

On not competing in the Texas State Championship while in high school
“From my years in high school, I feel like I didn’t give it all I could give,” Crabtree said. “I feel like I could have gone to state if I would have given it my all. I didn’t want to feel like that again – should’ve, could’ve, would’ve. I’m at that time right now that I’m remembering that, so every time I go on the field, it’s like I’m giving it my all because I’m not going to feel that same way I felt in high school. I don’t want any regrets.”

Sources and Links

Rivals.com
WikiCollegeFootball.org
NFL.com
ESPN.com

Houshmandzadeh has averaged 89 catches for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns in five seasons as a Bengals starter. But he also will be 32 in September, which may scare some teams from offering the lucrative long-term contract Houshmandzadeh is seeking.

The Seahawks failed to have a wide receiver crack the 500-yard mark in 2008 — the first time that had happened in a non-strike season since the franchise’s inception in 1976.

Two of Seattle’s top four receivers — Bobby Engram and Koren Robinson — are now free agents.

Hopefully Housh enjoys blocking because if he signs with Seattle, he’ll be doing a lot of it in Greg Knapp’s West Coast Offense. Not that he wouldn’t be a fit for the Seahawks because they do need dependable wide receivers (some mock drafts have the Hawks taking Texas Tech wideout Michael Crabtree in the first round), but Knapp has been known to frustrate receivers before (Terrell Owens and Peerless Price are just two examples) and Housh isn’t the type to bite his tongue if he’s unhappy about his role.

Housh also told ESPN 950 that if the Eagles want him that he’d, “be an Eagle tomorrow.” But does Philly want him?

One of the bigger stories surrounding the NFL scouting combine this week (besides the ongoing antics of Alabama’s Andre Smith, that is) is the foot injury that has caused Texas Tech wideout Michael Crabtree to skip workouts. He’ll need to have surgery to repair the slight fracture in his foot and therefore won’t be able to run the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day in March.

When players require surgery before the draft, the notion among some pundits is that their stock will fall. Hopefully teams aren’t that stupid in the case of Crabtree because anyone that has seen him in game action knows how dynamic he can be.

We live in a time where the 40-yard dash seems to rule all. A couple pundits were sporting wood last week when Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith ran a 5.22 forty, which blew away every O-linemen at the combine. Besides displaying great athleticism, I don’t know why anyone would get overly excited about an offensive tackle running a fast forty. Unless a team plans on him being a combo left tackle/tight end, nobody should flip their lid over Smith (or any offensive tackle for that matter) running a 5.22 forty.

That said, Crabtree not being able to run the forty means very little. He wasn’t even supposed to run a fast time anyway, so nothing changes. He’s still a top 10 pick, he’s still one of the best overall prospects in the draft and he’ll still be the best wideout available come April. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Percy Harvin and Jeremy Maclin are all fantastic receiving prospects. But Crabtree beats them all – good 40-time or not.

Notable Free Agents: Nnamdi Asomugha (re-signed), CB; Shane Lechler (re-signed), P; Chris Johnson (re-signed), CB; Jake Grove, C; Cooper Carlisle, G.

Projected 2009 Cap Space: $4,000,000

Draft Order: 7

Top Needs: Not unlike other teams selecting at the top of the draft, the Raiders are mostly in need of offensive line help. Defensive line, wide receiver and linebacker could also be addressed.

Offseason Outlook: The Raiders’ top priority was to ensure that cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha didn’t hit the open market, and they accomplished that by inking him to a new three-year, $45 million contract. Asomugha’s deal is complex and you can read more details here, but the bottom line is that he’ll once again anchor the Raiders’ secondary in 2009.

Al Davis also re-signed punter Shane Lechler to a four-year, $16 million contract. That might not be big news to some, but considering how much the Raiders punt during the regular season, re-signing Lechler was a wise move.

The biggest challenge Davis now faces is how will he free up enough cap space to address other needs. The Raiders were sitting at $4 million under the cap before the re-signings of Asomugha and Lechler. Are cuts coming? If so, who will be shown the door?

One name that has recently come up in trade speculation is defensive end Derrick Burgess, who the Raiders are rumored to be shopping. Burgess becomes a free agent after the 2009 season so it would make sense that Oakland would trade him now in order to gain compensation. If they were able to trade him, they would free up $3.5 million in cap space, which isn’t a huge amount but it would help.

Even if they were able to free up some cap space, don’t expect Davis to go hog wild this offseason, although it won’t be because he doesn’t want to. Davis is always willing to spend big for talent, but the cap is going to hamstring him this year. Instead, expect the Raiders to make a push to re-sign center Jake Grove and then focus on mid-level free agents and the draft.

Oakland head coach Tom Cable is apparently confident in Mario Henderson as his starting left tackle again next season. Robert Gallery is entrenched at the left guard position and assuming the team can re-sign Grove, center will be taken care of as well. But the entire right side of the line needs to be addressed.

The Raiders are in prime position to take one of the top offensive tackle prospects that’ll be available in April. Virginia’s Eugene Monroe and Baylor’s Jason Smith are regarded as the top tackle prospects, but they might not fall to Oakland at No. 7. Instead, Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher could fall right into the Raiders’ laps at that spot. Monroe and Smith are getting more attention, but Oher is a fantastic athlete who has the size, strength and athleticism that all teams covet on the offensive line.

Assuming Davis goes with Oher in the first round, he then could address the right guard position in the second or third round. Oregon State’s Andy Levitre, Cincinnati’s Trevor Canfield and Wisconsin’s Kraig Urbik are just three guard prospects that could be available in the second or third round.

Of course, this is assuming that Davis decides to rebuild the offensive line, which would be wise considering the money he’s already spent on quarterback JaMarcus Russell and running back Darren McFadden. Why spend millions of dollars on Russell and McFadden if you’re not going to protect them? But again, this is Davis we’re talking about – he loves speed and flash. That said, Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree and Missouri wideout Jeremy Maclin will also be considered at No. 7. (It should also be noted that Oakland is also considering cutting Ronald Curry and bringing back Jerry Porter, who spent last year in Jacksonville.)

Defensively, the Raiders re-signed cornerback Chris Johnson, who filled in admirably once bust DeAngelo Hall was released in midseason. Rumor has it that Michael Huff will be cut this offseason, which means Rashad Branch and Hiram Eugene will be given a chance to start at free safety, although Branch would need to be re-signed.

If the Raiders do trade Burgess, they may consider selecting Texas’s Brian Orakpo, who is regarded as the best defensive end prospect in the draft. If they keep Burgess, upgrading the defensive tackle position will need to be a priority. A top dollar free agent like Albert Haynesworth is out of the question, but Missouri’s Evander Hood and Auburn’s Sen’Derrick Marks will be available in the second round. If they’re lucky, maybe Ole Miss’s Peria Jerry will slip to the second. But that’s unlikely.

Pete Prisco of CBSSportsline.com ranked the top 32 prospects in this year’s NFL draft.

Here are his top 10:

1. Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia: When he throws for the scouts, they will be in awe. There are some who think he locks on to receivers at times. But that can happen to young passers with big arms.

2. Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest: Think Derrick Brooks. He’s a run-and-chase linebacker who has good size at 240 pounds. He might be the cleanest player in the draft, the one with the fewest flaws.

3. B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College: He’s a power player who could not be blocked at the Senior Bowl. At 335 pounds, he also has good quickness.

4. Jason Smith, T, Baylor: This former tight end has great feet and plays with a nasty streak. He is 6-4, 300 pounds and has the frame to get bigger. He’s a better pass blocker, but will get better for the run as he matures.

5. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech: He is the next Larry Fitzgerald. He’s big and strong. The once concern with him is his 40 time. But Fitzgerald wasn’t fast either.

6. Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia: He’s another tackle who is better as a pass protector than blocking for the run. Is that a bad thing?

7. Andre Smith, T, Alabama: He played left tackle at Alabama, but some scouts wonder if he’s not more of a right tackle. He’s the best run blocker of the three top tackles, but he has struggled with some speed rushers.

8. Mark Sanchez, QB, USC: He’s accurate, poised and his arm is plenty strong. The knock on him will be that he was a one-hit wonder. Don’t believe it.

9. Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State: He’s a smart cover player who might not have blazing speed, but he plays fast enough. He’s easily the top corner in this draft.

10. Everette Brown, LB-DE, Florida State: Think Dwight Freeney. He’s short at 6-1 but has a great burst off the edge. He might even rise up this board as we go through the process.

Everyone is going to have varying opinions on which prospect is better than the next (everyone is an expert this time of year), but I think that’s a pretty solid top 10. I don’t think Sanchez is a top 10 prospect, but that’s just me. For the amount of talent USC had this year, he certainly didn’t dominate and I think he’s a raw prospect in that he’ll need a couple years to develop.

The guy that could be a steal in the middle of the first round is Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis, who Prisco ranked at No. 15. He’s got better physical skills than Jenkins (the top corner in the draft), but he plays undisciplined and that’s why he’ll drop. A good pro coaching staff could turn Davis into a star.

Crabtree, who recently announced he’s entering this year’s draft, is working out with Olympic champion sprinter Michael Johnson and receiving advice from Irvin and Deion Sanders as he prepares for the combine and his pro day. Crabtree will not run the 40-yard dash at the combine, but will run at his Pro Day.

This won’t hurt Crabtree’s stock because it couldn’t get much higher. He’s easily the best receiver available and he’s arguably the best player in the entire draft. A lot of early mock draft projections have the Seahawks taking him with the fourth overall pick, which wouldn’t be a surprise although in Greg Knapp’s West Coast Offense, receivers are required to run block a lot of the time. If Seattle does select him, they better make sure he doesn’t mind getting under defenders’ pads frequently or else they will eventually have a frustrated receiver on their hands.