Plaxico Burress: New York Jets Take Giant Risk on Former Big Blue Star

It took all of three days, but Plaxico Burress finally found a team willing to meet his financial demands.

After sitting down with his two former teams and finding a warm welcome (Giants) and a very warm welcome (Steelers), it was the New York Jets that decided to take a $3.017 million fully guaranteed risk on the soon-to-be 34-year-old receiver.

The first visit to New York and the Giants' new practice facility saw Plaxico talk with former teammates, head coach Tom Coughlin, general manager Jerry Reese and owner John Mara on Friday night. Quarterback Eli Manning, who was at his first day of camp, did not leave his position meeting to talk with his former favorite target, though.

The following day Burress visited the Steelers at Saint Vincent College and had breakfast and lunch with several key members of the organization, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He chatted up old friend and recently re-signed cornerback Ike Taylor, and much like other Giants players, the current Steelers didn't hide their affection for the 6'5" target.

But the Giants and Steelers, two of the oldest and most respected franchises in the sport, saw Burress leave without a deal.

This left speculation rife that the newly appointed "Dream Team" in Philadelphia was hot on the trail of Burress as well, and after adding Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins in the span of two days, it was hard to argue with that logic.

There was also a reported meeting with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Jets though, losers of the Nnamdi sweepstakes, had a decent portion of money set aside for their pursuit of the 30-year-old star cornerback. Former Jets receiver Braylon Edwards wanted back with the Jets, as did cornerback Antonio Cromartie, but Edwards' price has been too high from the start and the Cromartie race hasn't taken off at all yet.

And so, in typical Jets fashion, they saw an opening and pounced on the deal to land Burress, definitely leaving Braylon Edwards out of the fold in New York for next season and jeopardizing a Cromartie deal (though I do expect him to return).

The newest Jet hasn't played a full season since 2007 with the Giants. The following year he made it onto the field for 10 games before shooting himself in the leg and missing the entire 2009 and 2010 seasons serving a prison sentence.

Burress has always been a gifted playmaker—one who can become a quarterback's best friend in a hurry with his uncanny ability to make tough catches on poorly thrown balls.

Now he's paired up with another former Steeler, the also recently re-signed Santonio Holmes, and together the duo will try to finally get the Jets to the Super Bowl after falling short in each of the last two AFC championship games.

But Gang Green sacrificed a lot to make this deal happen. For one, Burress has shown little allegiance to anyone but himself to this point in his career and is only signed on for a one-year deal. He's also coming out of prison and there is no telling what condition his fitness and football skills are in.

Then there are the long-term ramifications of Burress on a team and quarterback. He is hardly recognized as the best teammate to strut into a locker room, is known to be late to meetings and also shows lapses in effort from time to time.

As for Mark Sanchez, a quarterback already struggling with accuracy issues, Burress is arguably the last player you want helping him. Yes, he does make ridiculous plays on the ball, but he can also be considered an enabler of poor mechanics, decision-making and accuracy for a quarterback.

Look at Eli Manning's numbers now and during his run with Burress and it is hard to argue with this realization. Manning was notorious for letting the ball go off his back foot without even looking where Burress was; sometimes Burress bailed him out, but other times he simply looked foolish.

For the past three years the Jets have been in the "win now" mode and fallen just short of the Super Bowl. A carousel of big-name players in and out of green has become an annual event under Rex Ryan, and one has to wonder how long things can go this way.

The Jets are rushing along Sanchez in an effort to win, but there is no telling what this will actually do to him as a franchise quarterback down the road. Bringing back Braylon Edwards—although his price is high—would have at least given Sanchez some form of familiarity with a pair of receivers for the future.

Now, with Burress only on for one year, are the Jets going to do this to Sanchez again next year? What if they don't win the Super Bowl, do they add another big name receiver again? Where exactly is there any growth from this organization?

Quick fixes, more often than not, don't pan out in the long run. Both the Jets and Eagles, who are operating solely under the "win now" mentality, will be in trouble if they don't win this year.

The Jets aren't doing themselves too many favors, especially in the case of Mark Sanchez, and if and when their "win now" window closes. we can look back on moves like LaDainian Tomlinson, Kris Jenkins, Jason Taylor, Antonio Cromartie and Plaxico Burress and wonder why. 

They aren't building a dynasty in New York, they're loading up an intramural team for each passing season. If they don't win now, they will suffer in the long run.  

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