Braylon Edwards

Michael Crabtree is not expected to play in any exhibition games, but the club anticipates he will be available for the regular-season opener, Sept. 11, against the Seattle Seahawks.

However, the 49ers are not so certain about Braylon Edwards. He faces a possible NFL suspension stemming from his recent guilty plea to a DWI arrest in September.

While they have not been practicing together, Edwards and Crabtree have spent a lot of time around each other during the past week after Edwards signed a one-year, $1 million contract.

"Crab has been around," Edwards said. "He's very smart. He's been in our meetings. He's very attentive. He knows all the plays, and knows what he, as well as all the other receivers, are supposed to be doing on those plays.

"He comes to practice and watches. We go over some things when I'm not in -- kind of, what I'm thinking, what he's thinking. I feel like we could have a real good rapport and be a real good receiving corps once he comes back."