Packers: Crabtree makes a splash at tight end, cast and all
Tom Ziemer | 608-252-6174 | tziemer@madison.com | Posted: Friday, August 20, 2010 5:00 am
GREEN BAY As he walked to the home locker room at Lambeau Field late in the first half of the Green Bay Packers' preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns last Saturday night, Tom Crabtree couldn't stop the negative thoughts from entering his mind.
His left hand had been bothering him for most of training camp, but at this point it was worse than ever. The first-year tight end had drawn considerable praise from the coaching staff through the first two weeks of camp, but he envisioned all of his hard work going down the drain.
"Always in the back of your mind, (you're) kind of thinking worst case something's broken or torn or whatever," said the 24-year-old Crabtree, who was hurt on special teams duty.
Luckily for Crabtree, that didn't turn out to be the case. After X-rays, an MRI and CT scan didn't show a break or tear; he was diagnosed with a bone bruise and a sprained wrist. Crabtree was fitted with a hard cast on Tuesday, and by Thursday he was getting used to catching the ball with a layer of plaster over his left palm.
"If anything, it's going to help me probably in the long run catching the ball, because I've got to concentrate much more and really be good with my hands," said Crabtree, whose cast extends from his forearm to the bottom of his fingers.
Crabtree's receiving skills aren't what have endeared him to the Packers' coaching staff, though. He's proven to be a powerful and relentless blocker since Green Bay signed him to its practice squad late last season.
"I like him a lot. Really kind of an old-fashioned football player," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "I like the way that when he's in a blocking drill, you can hear his shoulder pads, you can hear some contact. He's not a guy who reaches and grabs with his hands and tries to hold on and steer people. Fundamentally he does things you like. He appears to be a bright guy. He picked up our system well. I like his competitiveness."
Crabtree would seem to be an unlikely candidate to achieve training camp darling status.
He shared time in college at Miami of Ohio, where he caught just 40 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns in four years while splitting work with Jake O'Connell, who is in his second year with the Kansas City Chiefs.
"When we went to evaluate him, we usually have cut-ups of every throw that you can watch to the tight ends coming out, and he had maybe five plays on his," tight ends coach Ben McAdoo said. "He was a hard guy to find. We had to go do some digging. But we liked what we saw. He's a tough, gritty guy, he just didn't get the opportunities. And sometimes you can't control that as a player."
Crabtree is making the most of the opportunity in front of him.
That's entailed playing through pain, and now, dealing with the cast. Crabtree said he has been told an injury like his could heal in a matter of weeks or could last longer. He may try a softer protective option for Saturday night's preseason game at Seattle that would make it easier for him to catch the ball.
"At this point, you've got to be out there," said Crabtree, who has a tattoo that says "Determined" on his left forearm. "You're going to have pain. It's the most physical game in the world. You're going to have some pain. You just have to play through it. I feel like I have to be out there."
Whether the Packers have room for Crabtree on their final roster remains to be seen.
Green Bay also has veteran Donald Lee, converted linebacker Spencer Havner and fifth-round pick Andrew Quarless behind budding star Jermichael Finley. Lee, a seven-year veteran who is coming off a disappointing season, once was the team's undisputed best blocking tight end, but McAdoo admitted Crabtree is "up there" with Lee.
Crabtree also has made strides as a receiving threat since being used in different capacities on the scout team last season. And he has shown the makings of being a valuable special teams contributor.
"There's some good things happening and being said, but when it comes down to it, whether I'm not getting those compliments or getting any attention, I'm going to approach things the same way and just come in here, do my job, pay attention in the meetings, fix what needs to be corrected," Crabtree said. "It doesn't really change my approach. I'm going to work just as hard either way."