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It hasn't been a great offseason for Michael Crabtree, who has drawn criticism first for not working out with teammates and then for a seeming rift with Alex Smith, who is the favorite to open the season as the team's starting quarterback. That stuff seems minor in comparison to his current physical ailment.
Crabtree has been limited in the player-organized practices this week, and according to a report in the Sacramento Bee, it's not because he's slacking, but because his foot is bothering him. It's the same foot that he had surgery on before being drafted two years ago, so it's a little more of a concern than it might ordinarily be.
Crabtree is being cautious with the foot, according to the story, and doesn't want it to grow into a more serious problem. Might not be a big deal, but considering Crabtree has been a disappointment as a pro thus far anyway, and hasn't shown a great rapport with the team's likely starter at quarterback, it's just another reason to be skeptical about a breakout campaign from him in 2011.
The good news from the same report is that rookie quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who the team traded up to the top of the second round to draft, and who also had a surgery before the draft, is practicing fully and showing off the arm strength that has some (including me) believing he'll push Alex Smith out of the lineup sooner rather than later. Perhaps Crabtree's lack of a rapport with Smith will matter less if Kaepernick has a strong preseason.
--Andy Richardson
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