New York Giants Release Plaxico Burress...Is This a Good Thing?

Further, the Giants are, and will likely always be, a run-first team.  Like the aforementioned Steelers have shown, a dominant defense and running game with a solid passing game can place you in Super Bowl contention. 

With Hixon, Smith, Sinorice Moss, and Mario Manningham now leading their wide receiver corps, New York has young but still unproven talent they will rely on. 

With Hixon and Smith all but guaranteed a starting role, Moss and Manningham are set to battle it out for the final starting wide receiver spot.  Although some may have given up on Moss, he has still not been given ample opportunity to play during games. 

With New York relying on Toomer, Smith, and Burress throughout much of their game time, Moss was only able to play in spurts but still showed flashes of what he could do with the ball in his hands. 

Manningham like Moss has the natural speed that could help the Giants this upcoming season.  Also like Moss, he received little playing time to show that speed on the field. 

Coming out of Michigan, Manningham had trouble grasping the concepts in the Giants' playbook, but his talent is undeniable. 

With the receiver position taking arguably the longest time to develop in the NFL, these two young men will have an opportunity to make a name for themselves this upcoming season.

Yet despite this young stable of wide receivers, the Giants are likely to add one more playmaker to their offense before the beginning of May. 

With Torry Holt still available, his playmaking ability would be a major boost to the New York offense.  Although he may not be 6'5" like Burress, his ability to change the direction of his body to the angle of the ball makes him No. 1 on a list of possible options the Giants may consider with the money freed up from Burress' release. 

People still fail to realize that height isn't everything in football.  Watching the current Super Bowl champion Steelers, it is evident that a 6'0" and under receiver can still help teams win championships. 

With Torry "Big Game" Holt in town, the Giants could also wait until the second round to draft a young wide receiver and allow Holt to play the role of mentor for the next two years. 

With a receiver from the group of Jeremy Maclin, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Hakeem Nicks, Kenny Britt, and Brian Robiskie likely dropping to the Giants with their first pick in the second round, they have the opportunity to find a player to groom as a possible future starter. 

Although some may argue that many of these receivers will not be available at New York's first pick, one needs only look at last year's draft to see how the predicted first-round wide receivers lasted until the second round. 

They might be predicted to be drafted in the first round, but the draft is always unpredictable. 

The most important aspect for the Giants in drafting a wide receiver will likely be a player's skill set in the upcoming draft.  Some may believe the height of players like Britt and Cal wide-out Ramses Barden may play a role, but a tall receiver is not always the best receiver. 

Despite Eli's accuracy issues, a receiver that can adjust to the flight pattern of a ball can be just as effective as a player who can jump for a ball. 

Speaking of tall wide receivers, the Cleveland Browns' Braylon Edwards seems to be the popular player that fans would love to see in New York.  Yet, despite Braylon's ability to catch touchdowns, his propensity for drops would likely drive Giants fans and coaches insane. 

As a constant follower of Edwards' career at Michigan, I know the immense talent he maintains.  Yet I also know the unsteady hands that he possesses. 

Maybe if Edwards used the Stick-um that former Raiders wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff utilized during his career, my position would change. As of now though, I would choose a receiver with superior hands over one with superior height. 

Additionally, there are two major factors that will likely stop the Giants from making a deal with Edwards. 

With Kellen Winslow no longer in Cleveland and Donte Stallworth likely counting the days until his prison sentence, Edwards is the Browns only legitimate offensive option (Joe Jurevicius is not returning). 

Furthermore, with Giants General Manager Jerry Reese proving to be more interested in acquiring picks than trading them, the likely bounty of a first-round pick, plus more, would most likely end any trade conversations between the Giants and Cleveland. 

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