NFL Free Agents 2011: Bringing Plaxico Back to New York Would Be a Giant Mistake

The New York Giants released Plaxico Burress outright before he began his prison sentence in 2009. At the time, the Giants were adamant about moving on without the superstar receiver and even went as far as to draft Hakeem Nicks in an attempt to replace him.

Now, as we are in the midst of the wildest free agency period of all time, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is scheduled to meet with the receiver that caught the game-winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl XLII. In fact, the meeting was scheduled for today, but according to new free agency rules, the Giants have to wait until Friday.

The instant reaction from the media was a collective "wow," and while Burress still has a number of fans in New York, both in the city and on the team, it would be shocking if he were brought back.

I for one, as a fan, certainly have an emotional attachment to Burress, and I cannot deny that part of me wants nothing more than to take the No. 17 jersey off my wall and wear it again knowing he'll be back on the field.

But then, my brain kicked my heart around and told me the truth that I didn't want to hear: This would be a huge mistake for the New York Giants.

Granted, quarterback Eli Manning has grown up since his last game with Burress in 2008. His numbers—aside from last year's interception rate—have been remarkably better without his favorite target.

It is true that the Giants have been to the playoffs only once without Burress, but Eli has seen his completion percentage and touchdowns rise since that time and has become a better overall quarterback without his safety blanket Burress to bail him out of bad throws.

And let's remember, this isn't the same Burress that we were accustomed to seeing streaking up the sideline. The 6'5" pass catcher is going to be 34 years old by the time the season starts, and we have no idea what his condition is like.

On top of that, the Giants already have a gifted trio of receivers that do not need Burress' presence at all. Nicks is developing into a legitimate No. 1 target, Steve Smith, if/when healthy, is one of the best slot receivers in all of football and Mario Manningham thrives in one-on-on situations on the backside of coverage.

None of these players is as physically gifted as Burress—Nicks is a different type of athlete—  but having to work with them instead of No. 17 has made Eli Manning a much improved player in the last two and a half years.

Any Giants fan knows that at least eight to 10 of Eli's 25 interceptions last season were off the hands of receivers, balls that they should have caught. Without Eli, the Giants would have not been in the playoff hunt at all. If anything, he carried the weight of a young receiving unit admirably and is a better player for it.

Bringing back Plaxico Burress would stunt the growth of the two outside receivers and likely cause Eli to relapse in his accuracy. In only two years time, Burress will be 36 years old and on his way out of the league for good.

Eli is now 30 years old, the prime of his career as a quarterback in the NFL, and he's made so much progress in the past two and a half seasons that it would be foolish to set him back with Burress in the fold again.

I certainly don't want to see Burress wearing an Eagles or Jets jersey, but I'm even more cautious of him suiting up in blue again. The Giants can't get back to 2007; they don't have the offensive line, running game or defense to make it happen.

This is a new era in Giants football, a new time for Eli to completely take over and Nicks, Smith and Manningham to reign.

Burress' race is run with the Giants, and the sooner they let this idea go, the better it will be for everyone involved.

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