Adam Schefter's mailbag is biggest on Monday, but he answers reader questions nearly every day in his blog. Have a query of your own? Send a question.
Throughout the summer, attention was focused on two players -- Brett Favre and Michael Vick -- who weren't even in training camp. Now, with the season under way, many of the mailbag questions involve a player who has never taken an NFL snap -- San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Time to open the mail ...
Q: If Crabtree does hold out and go into the draft next year, does the NFL have a system like the MLB where the team would get another pick in that draft? I know in baseball if the 10th pick doesn't sign, that team gets the 11th pick the next year. -- Chris (Norman, Okla.)
A: Nope, Chris, if Crabtree goes back into the draft, the 49ers are out of luck -- no compensation. But do not despair, Niners Nation. Once this season ends, the Niners can trade Crabtree's rights all the way up until the time of the draft, so they always could get something back for him, albeit probably not anything near the 10th overall pick. But if Crabtree re-enters the draft, the 49ers will be out of luck.
Q: What does Eugene Parker stand to lose in the Crabtree situation? I know the guy has solid clients, but in the negative recruiting game, if this backfires, does the agent take a hit ... maybe a case in point? -- Darren (Seattle)
A: Agents' jobs are to do what they feel is best for their client. And this is not all about Parker, believe me. There are other people who influence Crabtree's thinking, other people he leans on for advice. Parker can make his recommendations, but ultimately the client makes the final decision. Parker is being tough here, but he has been tough before, and it has worked for him. Some agents could use it against him in recruiting, sure. But Parker also has many success stories -- Hines Ward, Jason Peters, Richard Seymour -- that he can use.
Q: With the 3-4 making a huge comeback, have you heard of coaches looking back 10-15 years ago to see why teams got away from it originally? And along those lines, what offensive systems were best at breaking it down? -- Ryan Colosi (Okinawa, Japan)
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Adam Schefter
