SB Nation's Niners Nation: Let's Welcome Crabtree

While the whole situation has been bothersome, I’ve tried to avoid lambasting Michael Crabtree too much. At some point, there’s a good chance he’ll be a 49er. If/when that happens, I’d like to be able to let bygones be bygones. If he blows it as a player, so be it. But it’d be nice to get past this situation and at least see what he truly can bring to a 49ers offense that could use a little something extra. Vernon Davis has certainly stepped up, but if the 49ers could add a threat like Crabtree, the offense could add an extra gear.

Maybe Crabtree will be useless this year and do nothing for his career. For now though, I am content sitting back and hoping for great things. It’s too soon to see a light at the end of the tunnel, but at least we know we’re in the right tunnel now (that’s not exactly the best phrasing, but you get the point).

If the Niners can sign Crabtree, they’ll suddenly have the makings of a very, very interesting offense. The line is solid, Gore and Coffee are a strong 1-2 at running back, and the frighteningly talented Vernon Davis finally seems to be figuring out what it takes to win . Add to this the fact that the Niners are positioned with two first-rounders to make a play for any of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft thanks to the Everette Brown trade with the Panthers last year, and the Niners could easily boast a bevy of young, talented playmakers at the skill positions. For the first time in awhile, there’s reason for real optimism in the Bay Area (now let’s just forget about the Raiders…).