Daily Madden: 49ers Must Prepare For A Season Without Crabtree
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - The 49ers lost their top receiver when Michael Crabtree tore his Achilles tendon in practice Tuesday. Coach Jim Harbaugh said Crabtree could return in mid-November. But John Madden told the KCBS Radio morning crew the 49ers should prepare for a full season without him.
"It's a tough loss. It's a big loss," Madden said. "I think it's one of those things that maybe he could be back this year, but...you have to think that he's really lost for the year. And you have to get your team ready to play without him, and that has to be a thought right now... You just look at last year, how he came along with (quarterback Colin) Kaepernick and their timing and all that stuff, and all the work that went into that... You just can't turn that on and off."
Madden said Kaepernick has time to develop connections with other receivers. "(Anquan) Boldin is there, and he'll be one of them... There's not much good when these things happen, but one of the good things is it happened early. So you have the rest of the off-season. You have training camp. You have four preseason games. You have all those things to get whatever you're going to do, to get it ready to go."
Should the 49ers consider signing free agent receiver Brandon Lloyd, who was released by the Patriots after last season?
"With that organization and where they are now, and what they've accomplished, and the type of team that they have, I don't know that I would chance it," Madden said. "He's out there (unsigned) for a reason. I'm not sure what the reason is, and maybe I'm just making assumptions, but that reason is probably the reason I wouldn't take him...You don't want to put yourself in a corner or let anyone think that you're desperate (and) that you're going to compromise who you are or what you are." (9:20)
Daily Madden
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