Plaxico Burress: Why the Philadelphia Eagles Should Welcome Him with Open Arms

According to Howard Eskin of 94-Wip/NBC-10 in Philadelphia, receiver Plaxico Burress wants to play for the Philadelphia Eagles.

And, in an article by Carl Conrad of Rant Sports, Conrad believes it could work:

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Philadelphia is definitely in need of a threat inside the red zone, as the Riley Cooper experiment inside the 20 yard line hasn’t exactly been a smashing success.  It is unlikely that the Eagles will look to Plaxico as a staring receiver if they decide to pursue him, but his physical attributes could certainly be beneficial for a team that has a history of struggling to score touchdowns in the red zone.

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To that end, Burress' skill set would only help the Eagles because it's not like the NFC East is a insanely difficult division.

Yes, the New York Giants won their fourth Super Bowl title in 2011, but they only went 9-7, which was just one game better than Philly. Not to mention the regular season series was split.

Philadelphia also swept the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, giving them a 5-1 divisional record.

As for Burress, he is simply just the offensive missing piece to the puzzle. Although he'll be 35 years old before the 2012 season kicks off, it's not like Burress will be used on every down.

Limiting his playing time to the red zone will pay dividends for a team who hasn't had a fade receiver since Terrell Owens. As controversial as Owens was, the Eagles last shot at a Super Bowl was when T.O. lined up out wide.

Now, Philadelphia does already have reliable targets in Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper, Jason Avant and DeSean Jackson, if he stays. Add in Burress and the Eagles are simply that much better, and they finally have that tall man who can out-jump defensive backs.

Then include running back LeSean McCoy and defenses won't be double-teaming Burress near the goal line. If they do, then McCoy has fewer defenders in the box trying to stop him. Quarterback Michael Vick would also welcome Plaxico because his presence alone will decrease the odds of Vick having to scramble everywhere.

Just have Vick take the snap, pump fake over the middle in a three- or five-step drop, then toss one up that Burress can jump for. Despite the lacking numbers in 2008 and 2011—while also being out of football for two years—Plaxico can still make plays happen.

It's a win-win situation for both sides, as Philadelphia addresses an area of need and Plaxico gets an opportunity with a talented team. Plus, he'll be out of the New York Jets' drama-filled locker room.

John Rozum on Twitter.