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  • 49ers WR Michael Crabtree could miss 2013 season after suffering a torn Achilles

    San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree suffered a torn Achilles during the team's OTA practice on Tuesday and could miss the entire 2013 season, Mike Garafolo of the USA Today reports.

    The severity of the tear (complete or partial tear) is currently unknown and should be the determining factor for how much time Crabtree will miss. As noted by Garafolo, two players — Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Da'Quan Bowers — returned to the playing field in 2012 after suffering Achilles injuries during the OTAs. Lindsay Jones of the USA Today notes that, in 2011, Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas returned to action seven months after tearing his Achilles.

    However, losing Crabtree for even part of the season would be a major blow to the 49ers as the 2009 first-round pick out of Texas Tech is coming off a breakout season. Crabtree established career-highs with 85 receptions for 1,105 yards with nine touchdowns and his involvement in the 49ers' offense increased with the insertion of Colin Kaepernick at quarterback.

    Over the final seven starts, Crabtree was targeted on 10 or more passes four times as he caught 41 passes for 595 yards with five touchdowns during that stretch. Crabtree was targeted by Kaepernick on 28 passes in the 49ers' three playoff games, resulting in 20 completions for 285 yards and three touchdowns.

    Depth at the wide receiver position has been issue for the 49ers over the previous two seasons, but the team has taken steps to improve that aspect of their roster this offseason. The 49ers acquired veteran Anquan Boldin from the Baltimore Ravens in March and used a 2013 fourth-round pick on Quinton Patton, a 6-foot, 204-pound receiver who caught 183 passes for 2,594 yards and 24 touchdowns in a 25-game career at Louisiana Tech. The 49ers' preferred method of cushioning the blow from the loss of Crabtree would be for 2012 first-round pick A.J. Jenkins to have a strong offseason.

    Jenkins was inactive for much of last season, appearing in just 35 offensive snaps in three regular season games, according to official playing-time documents. Jenkins dressed for two playoff games, but is still seeking his first meaningful reception at the NFL level. If Jenkins does not develop, the 49ers could consider bringing future Hall of Famer Randy Moss back in 2013. Moss, 36, caught 28 passes for 434 yards and three touchdowns in 40.4 percent of the 49ers' snaps last season and added seven receptions for 112 yards in the playoffs.

  • Patriots, Cowboys and Rams spent the most guaranteed money on undrafted rookie free agents

    The New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams each spent over $100,000 in guaranteed money on their class of undrafted free agents this offseason, according to a source with knowledge of rookie salary data.

    NFL teams could spend a maximum of $78,170 in signing bonuses on undrafted rookie free agents this offseason, but there are no limits to the amount of guaranteed money teams can include in the standard three-year contracts signed by undrafted free agents. Seven NFL teams have spent more than the $78,170 signing bonus maximum in guaranteed money, with New England leading the way by spending $140,000 in guaranteed money on their undrafted free agents.

    The largest individual guarantee among the Patriots undrafted rookie free agents belongs to Missouri wide receiver T.J. Moe, who received an $8,000 signing bonus and will receive $22,000 in fully guaranteed base salary regardless of whether or not he makes New England's 53-man roster for a total of $30,000 in guaranteed money. The 5-foot-11, 204-pound Moe excelled in the three-cone drill at the 2013 combine, posting the second-fastest time among all invitees. As explained here by Christopher Price of WEEI.com, the Patriots have shown a tendency to target players who perform well in that particular agility drill, so that Moe was a "priority free agent" for the Patriots does not come as much of a surprise. (Had Moe played at Rutgers, the Patriots might have requested that Foxborough officials award him the key to the town or make him an honorary selectman.)

    Behind Moe on the Patriots' list of large guarantees is Nevada tight end Zach Sudfeld, who received the team's largest signing bonus ($12,000) and also has a $5,000 base salary guarantee for a total of $17,000 in guaranteed money. Sudfeld, who a month older than Rob Gronkowski and a few months older than Aaron Hernandez, caught just two passes in his first five seasons at Nevada catching 45 passes with eight touchdowns after being granted a medical redshirt for the 2012 season. Offensive lineman Elvis Fisher, Moe's former teammate at Missouri, received $15,000 in guaranteed money from the Patriots, while guard Josh Kline ($14,000), fullback Ben Bartholomew ($10,000) and linebacker Kanorris Davis ($10,000) also received five-figure guarantees.

    The Cowboys ($104,500), Rams ($103,100), Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($94,670) and New Orleans Saints ($88,500) round out the top five in guaranteed money on rookie free agents. The Jacksonville Jaguars ($86,000) and Philadelphia Eagles ($82,000) have also exceeded the signing bonus limit. The Chicago Bears ($29,500) and Green Bay Packers ($35,500) are the two NFL teams to spend under $40,000 in guaranteed money on undrafted rookie free agents.

    For the Patriots, Cowboys, Rams, Saints and Jaguars, committing larger-than-required amounts of guaranteed money to undrafted rookies is nothing new as each club spent $85,000 in guaranteed money or higher on undrafted free agents in 2012, as well.

    The Cowboys, Patriots and Saints spent over $200,000 on undrafted free agents last season. Those guaranteed amounts were inflated as each team signed a single player to a contract with over $200,000 in guaranteed money. For the Cowboys, they paid undrafted offensive lineman Ronald Leary as if he were a fifth-round pick, guaranteeing him $214,000 ($9,000 to sign, $205,000 base salary guarantee). The Patriots' total was pumped upwards when they guaranteed Olympic silver medalist Jeff Demps $211,000 ($11,000 to sign, $200,000 base salary guarantee) following the London games.

    As the first seasons of Leary and Demps show, large financial guarantees are not an indicator that the player will make an immediate impact in the NFL. Demps spent last season on injured reserve and was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the third day of the 2013 NFL draft. Leary did not make the Cowboys' 53-man roster, spent 15 weeks on Dallas' practice squad and was inactive for the two games he was promoted to the team's active roster.

    For the second consecutive season, the Cowboys handed out the largest individual guarantee, signing former Arizona State linebacker Brandon Magee to a contract that includes a total of $70,000 in guarantees, including $65,000 in fully guaranteed base salary. The second-largest guarantee on the Cowboys belongs to safety Jakar Hamilton, who pocketed a $10,000 signing bonus. The Rams' large guarantees were made to offensive tackle Braden Brown and safety Cody Davis, each of whom received $20,000 in guarantees. Linebacker Jonathan Stewart was third with $17,500, while linebacker Phillip Steward and running back Benny Cunningham received $15,000 in guaranteed money.

    The largest signing bonus issued to an undrafted rookie this year belongs to UNLV linebacker John Lotulelei, who received $25,000 to sign with the Seattle Seahawks. Boston College offensive tackle Emmett Cleary received $20,000 to sign with the Indianapolis Colts, while Florida linebacker Lerentee McCray was third on the list with a $17,500 signing bonus from the Denver Broncos.

    As is the case with guaranteed money, a large signing bonus does not improve a rookie's job security. Virginia Tech wide receiver Marcus Davis received a $15,000 signing bonus from the New York Giants after the 2013 draft and was waived after the team's rookie mini-camp. Davis was claimed the following day by the New York Jets. On Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles waived running back Miguel Maysonet, who had received a $10,000 signing bonus, which was the third-highest bonus that the Eagles paid to an undrafted free agent this offseason.

    Players receiving small signing bonuses, or even no signing bonus at all, can have a major impact in their rookie seasons.

    Last year, linebacker Vontaze Burfict, Magee's former teammate at Arizona State, led the Cincinnati Bengals in tackles (127) after receiving a $1,000 signing bonus. Burfict played in over 82 percent of the Bengals' snaps as a rookie, so it was not much of a surprise when he led the NFL in performance-based pay with $299,465. Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker was 30-of-33 on field goal attempts in the regular season, and four-of-four in the post-season (including two in the fourth quarter of a 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII) as a rookie who received zero guaranteed money when he signed with Baltimore last year as an undrafted free agent out of Texas.

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