No Huddle Notebook: Michael Crabtree Willing to Compromise

On Saturday night, 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree will most likely miss the third preseason game of the season against the Cowboys -- and what could have been a nice homecoming.

Crabtree played high school football in the Dallas area, Carter High, and college ball at a state school, Texas Tech. He said recently that he was looking forward to getting tickets for family and friends.

But the rookie remains unsigned as of Wednesday night, and his agent Eugene Parker told FanHouse nothing has changed in terms of progress.

Parker and Crabtree declined comment regarding the problems with the contract talks, as did Crabtree's cousin/adviser David Wells.

But sources close to the Crabtree family said the wide receiver wants to get on the field and is willing to compromise in talks with the 49ers.

Crabtree, the 10th pick of the draft, was offered a five-year, $21 million deal. Parker believes his client should receive a higher salary despite the fact Crabtree fell in the draft. Oakland was expected to pick Crabtree with the 7th pick, but instead selected Maryland wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The Raiders signed Heyward-Bey to a five-year, $38.5 million deal with $23.5 million guaranteed. Parker wants something close to that. Sources said the 49ers are not budging on their contract offer, though.

Crabtree has denied reports he's not signing a contract because his surgically repaired foot still bothers him. It's that foot injury and his diva-like behavior that scared the Raiders from picking him. Crabtree was cleared to practice at the end of the veteran minicamps in June.

Parker said a story claiming Crabtree was willing to sit out the season and reenter the draft didn't come from him. Wells, who was quoted in an ESPN report saying his nephew would sit out the year, has backed off that statement now.

No matter the background on the drama, Crabtree is not on the field and 49ers coach Mike Singletary will move on without his first-round pick.

"As a player you come in and you want to contribute," said Singletary, who added Crabtree is behind in his development. "That's the thing he wanted to do, and it frustrated him that he couldn't do it. It wasn't something that he articulated to me, it's just something you know about a player, so naturally you don't feel apart. Then, you got to negotiate your contract. So, all those things take care of themselves in time."

COWBOYS WAIT ON THE LEAGUE: The big national story last weekend was the Cowboys' video board, which sits 90 feet above the field and stretches to both 20-yard lines. Titans punter backup punter A.J. Trapasso hit the video board in the third quarter of the Cowboys' preseason home opener with one of his attempts. The kick prompted the league's competition committee to hold a conference call on Monday to discuss whether the board should be raised to a higher level.

A decision should come down by Saturday's Cowboys-49ers game.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the board shouldn't move anymore because it's five feet above the league mandated limit of 85 feet for video boards hanging over the field. If the board gets moved, it will cost the Cowboys $2 million -- Jones might expect the league to pay for it.

An upcoming U2 concert to Cowboys Stadium requires the video board move 10 feet higher because of a 100-foot stage the band uses.

Many of the Cowboys believe the Titans tried to hit the video board on purpose to raise awareness of the video board in a negative way.

"The kick that hit it in the game wasn't a good kick," Cowboys punter Mat McBriar said. "It looked like it was going straight up. That was going 30 yards -- if that. And it wasn't like he worried about kicking to the end zone."

McBriar said he is supposed to punt the ball toward the sidelines as a reason why he doesn't believe he will hit the video board.

"It may go down the middle, but if it does, it's a miskick," he said.

TITANS TRY TO GET OFFENSE GOING: It's only the preseason, but the Titans would like see more from their first-team offense when they visit the Browns this week. In their first two preseason games, spanning eight possessions, the Titans' first team has scored just one touchdown and quarterback Kerry Collins has thrown two interceptions.

Collins said the offense has been basic and it will expand for the Browns game, yet a touchdown pass at the end of the first half against the Cowboys last Friday was deemed big.

"We put something together right before halftime, it was a slow start," Collins said. "We all say we're glad we got it. We had a couple of third downs there but we came up short and we had to get off the field."

FOURTH DOWNS: Has anybody seen Dolphins LB Matt Roth (groin)? ... Cowboys WR Roy Williams said the plantar fascia that bothered him toward the end of 2008 crops up from time-to-time. Williams said its just something he deals with, but it's something worth watching for this season. ... Giants have a deep defensive line, but a rash of recent injuries, including a hamstring injury to DT Chris Canty, has the team concerned.