Why WR Michael Crabtree was released after the Raiders said ‘he is in our plans’

Michael Crabtree has spent the last three seasons of his career with the Raiders, but 2017 ended up being his last. He’s on the hunt for a new landing spot in the NFL after the Raiders released the veteran wide receiver Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

During the NFL Combine, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie made it sound like Crabtree would be back for the fourth year of his five-year contract:

Although new coach Jon Gruden hinted he’d like to work with Crabtree, his future with the Raiders has been in question all offseason. Then the Packers released Jordy Nelson, who signed with the Raiders shortly after they cut ties with Crabtree.

Crabtree was the Raiders’ receptions leader last year and he had the most touchdowns on the team and the second-most receiving yards. But he only put up 618 yards — and also also had a very public beef with former Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib.

He’ll turn 31 in September, but Crabtree is also just one year removed from from his last 1,000-yard season. Here’s the outlook for the Raiders and Crabtree after this move.

First and foremost, because they can do it with no dead money. The move saves Oakland almost $7.7 million. That’s more than the $7.4 million that Amari Cooper — the Raiders’ true No. 1 receiver — is set to make this year.

Crabtree’s receiving yards were significantly down from 2016, but he also had too many dropped passes to overlook. He only caught 57.4 percent of the 101 passes that came his way, and he was tied (with teammate Jared Cook, among others) for ninth in the league with five dropped balls.

What Crabtree did on the field just didn’t live up to the expectations set by his contract. He also served a one-game suspension after a little shoving and jawing with Talib turned into a full-blown fight.

The Raiders don’t have a ton of wiggle room. Saving $7.4 million with no dead money makes this an easy call for Oakland.

It’s not a difficult decision to move on from Crabtree. Replacing him is the trickier part. Nelson is just two years removed from leading the NFL in touchdown receptions, but he also has a lengthy injury history and will turn 33 in May.

There are some younger receivers hitting free agency who could help the Raiders’ offense bounce back this year, but it’s a deep draft class of quality wide receivers, and Oakland could go for someone like James Washington out of Oklahoma State, who’s projected as a second-rounder. It just depends on what Gruden’s vision for the future of the position is.

Crabtree’s pay just didn’t align with his production this season, but he was great in 2016. He led the team in receptions and surely made some Cooper fantasy owners mad when he hauled in eight scores compared to Cooper’s five. And to be completely fair, it wasn’t just a down year for Crabtree.

Derek Carr looked like a totally different player after returning from an injury that cut short his 2016 MVP campaign. To add insult to literal injury, he suffered a minor fracture in his back in 2017. That didn’t help. Cooper didn’t surpass 1,000 yards for the first time in his three-year career, and Carr said Cooper was fighting through an injury.

So it’s possible Crabtree has plenty of gas left in the tank. He’ll land on his feet somewhere — and if he ends up with the LA Rams with Talib, hopefully they’ll bury the hatchet.