INDIANAPOLIS - Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree made a curious and brief appearance Sunday morning in the media room at the NFL scouting combine when he simply uttered that he would have surgery after he runs the 40-yard dash at his pro day on March 26 before leaving the podium.
Which wasn't exactly news, and then he didn't take any questions about the slight stress fracture in his left foot.
But it was obvious why Crabtree thinks he has to run fast. There are plenty of receivers that did Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Missouri's Jeremy Maclin, the consensus No. 2 receiver, ran 4.40 seconds while Percy Harvin of Florida went for 4.37, and Penn State's Deion Butler 4.28.
Even New England head coach Bill Belichick took more questions than Crabtree during a rare combine media appearance. Belichick talked about how he has shaped his staff with the departure of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and special teams coach Brad Seely and made a rather impassioned comment on some recent coaching moves that have staffed NFL Network.
"It's an empty feeling to come here and see guys like Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Brian Billick and Steve Mariucci not coaching," said Belichick, noting how he has not beaten Shanahan often. "Mike Shanahan is a Hall of Fame coach. I'm sure I'll be on the list of people he'll thank because all the games that have been scheduled against us, he's done pretty well. Even when I was an assistant with the Jets, even with the Patriots. I know I haven't beaten him too many times. I'm not disappoitned to not have him on the schedule, believe me.
"But, it's just hard to believe that coaches like Mike Shanahan and John Gruden aren't coaching in the National Football League. But, that's not my decisison," he said. "That being said, we've got plenty to do ourselves. I'm not trying to comment on anyone else's situation. But, it's just odd for them to be here, but not in a coaching capacity. But that's the National Football League."
