Michael Crabtree Not Thrilled With New Role in Baltimore

The Baltimore Ravens knew they had to find a way to improve their receiving corps going into 2018. Michael Crabtree was among their biggest moves.

This team has often had great luck in adding veteran receivers who might be viewed on the downside of their careers. Anquan Boldin and Steve Smith spring to mind. They also had the added benefit of bringing much-needed leadership to the position group. Crabtree has been around for a long time and seems like the obvious choice for that type of role in the Ravens locker room.

He’s going on his 31st birthday in September. The next closest is John Brown who just turned 28 in April. So there’s a significant age gap between him and everybody else. He has seniority and with that comes expectations from the coaches to act like the big brother. The guy who instructs the young bucks on how to do things the right way. Crabtree understands those expectations, but he didn’t seem happy about it when asked following a recent practice.

"“I don’t have a choice. I’m going on 10 [years] in the game, and all these guys are three-, four-, first-year guys. That’s just my role. At the same time, I’m out there competing like I’m 21, so I’m going to have fun with it.”"

Crabtree seemed happy with role he played in Oakland

Here’s the thing. It might seem glamorous to be “the guy” in a locker room. The one everybody looks to for leadership. The thing is that comes with a lot of added responsibilities and pressure. Not everybody is made for that. Some just want to focus on doing their job and make their money. Crabtree occupied the #1 spot in San Francisco for several years. He clearly didn’t acquire a taste for it since after leaving he signed with the Raiders where they’d just drafted their #1 guy, Amari Cooper.

Crabtree, in the #2 role, seemed to thrive. He had over 1,000 yards in 2016 and despite missing two games still scored eight touchdowns in 2017. Meanwhile, Cooper was catching all the attention for his struggles. Being in the background away from the spotlight isn’t such a bad thing, contrary to popular myth. Crabtree knows this. Still, he made his bed when he signed that deal with Baltimore.

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The Ravens believe he along with Brown, Willie Snead, and Breshad Perriman are expected to form a capable new corps for Joe Flacco. Whether he likes it or not, somebody has to set the example and he’s seen it done before.