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<< In the FCS Huddle: Keeler isn't the FCS' only FBS candidate
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The ink seemingly wasn't dry on a contract that would send Greg Schiano from Rutgers to the head coaching job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and already there was potential fallout: Delaware coach K.C. Keel

<< A's sign OF Gomes
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Athletics have agreed to terms on a one- year contract with outfielder Jonny Gomes. Gomes, 31, split last season between Cincinnati and Washington, and hit .209 with 14 homers and 43 RBI in 120 games

<< Guadalajara names Ambriz new manager
Guadalajara, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Guadalajara named Ignacio Ambriz its new manager Thursday, as the former Mexican international takes charge of his third different club in his native country. Ambriz, 46, made 64 appearances for Mex

<< Gronkowski to miss practice time
Foxboro, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is expected to miss practice time this week in preparation for next Sunday's Super Bowl because of the ankle injury he sustained during last Sunday's AFC Champio

Red Sox sign former NLCS MVP Ross to one-year deal >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox signed outfielder Cody Ross to a one-year contract on Thursday. Ross batted .240 with 14 home runs and 52 RBI over 121 games with San Francisco last season. An in-season acquis

Kilmarnock signs striker Van Tornhout >>
Kilmarnock, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kilmarnock signed Belgian striker Dieter van Tornhout from Cyprus side Nea Salamis on Thursday on a deal through the summer of 2013. Van Tornhout, 26, becomes the fourth winter signing for Killie,

Coastal Carolina hires Patenaude as offensive coordinator >>
Conway, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coastal Carolina first-year football coach Joe Moglia announced Thursday the hiring of Dave Patenaude as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Patenaude was Georgetown's offensive coordinator the past tw

St. Mirren signs Goodwin to new two-year deal >>
Paisley, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Mirren signed Jim Goodwin to a new two-year contract Thursday, locking up its captain through the summer of 2014. Goodwin, 30, started his career with Celtic and later played at Stockport, Scun

FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

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