NFL Rumors: Michael Crabtree expects big money from 49ers?

When you’re a bottom of the barrel team int he NFL, you don’t really have too many salary cap concerns (unless you have a terrible front office). But once you become an upper echelon team, you almost always are forced to deal with financial woes and usually end up losing talented players because of it.

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So far, the San Francisco 49ers have been able to battle against such as they’ve retained a good portion of their roster as they fight through salary cap issues, though, that may not be the case moving forward.

Dealing with players who want contract extensions, San Francisco also has pending free agents to be like Michael Crabtree who is likely to command a pretty penny on the open market.

“Crabtree was difficult to sign as a rookie when he had no outside leverage. While on the verge of free agency, he is not expected to accept anything less than a big-money deal.”

With Anquan Boldin, Stevie Johnson, Quinton Patton and rookie Bruce Ellington all signed through the 2015 season (not to mention tight end Vernon Davis), Crabtree, talented as he is, has become a bit of a luxury and the 49ers will have to determine how valuable he is moving forward.

Make no mistake, they obviously want him back but everybody has a price and for somebody who has proven to be a difficult sign before, you have to wonder if such will take place again as Crabtree enters free agency for the first time in his career.