Plaxico Burress: 5 Teams the Wide Receiver Could Get a Fresh Start With
Right now Plaxico Burress is left out in the cold. Burress was once a No. 1 receiver who played nine seasons in the NFL and has put numbers up such as 7,845 receiving yards and 55 touchdowns.
Over the last two years, though, Plaxico has been sitting in a prison cell for accidentally shooting himself in a New York City nightclub.
Two years later, his prison sentence is almost up, and Burress is scheduled for a June 6, 2011 release.
Plaxico claims he will play again in the NFL when released, but there will be plenty of questions regarding his future. Is he still in football shape after spending two years behind bars? Can he stay out of trouble to where a team would be comfortable to take a chance on him? Those are just a couple of the several questions that remain before an NFL team decides to sign him.
Here are a few teams that just may be willing to take that risk.
New York Jets
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The New York Jets have signed a lot of major free agents the last couple of years, and you can be sure Rex Ryan and company will have interest in Plaxico.
New York is beginning to take the handcuffs off Mark Sanchez, and what better way to help him develop than to add a great wideout? The Jets ranked 22nd in passing offense last year, which was right behind the St. Louis Rams, who were run by rookie quarterback Sam Bradford.
The main reason the New York Jets should consider Plaxico Burress is both of their current starting wide receivers, Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes, are free agents. The Jets are probably going to only re-sign one of them, leaving a lack of depth at the wide receiver position. Burress would be worth the gamble and somebody the Jets could sign for cheap.
Chicago Bears
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Why wouldn't the Bears take a shot on Plaxico? Chicago ranked 28th in the league in passing offense and averaged less than 200 passing yards a game.
You can blame Jay Cutler all you want for his careless passes and "giving up on his team," but he has little help at the wide receiver position. Running back Matt Forte was tied for the most receptions last year with wide receiver Johnny Knox at 51. The Chicago Bears franchise hasn't had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2002, when Marty Booker did it.
Signing Burress would stretch the field and help Knox and Devin Hester become the deep threats they truly are.
If you want to see Jay Cutler flourish and maximize his full potential, this is a position that desperately needs to be addressed. Taking a shot on Plaxico may not be a bad idea.
St. Louis Rams
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For years St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo had to prepare for Plaxico when he helped run the Philadelphia Eagles defense. Steve also was the defensive coordinator for two years in New York, running the Giants defense the last two seasons Plaxico played in the NFL.
I'm sure Spagnuolo knows Plaxico on somewhat of a personal level and could be tempted to pull the trigger if given the opportunity.
Although the Rams didn't make the playoffs last season, they did overachieve and had a successful season. St. Louis finished the season 7-9 and fell a game short of winning the NFC West and making the playoffs, all led by a rookie quarterback.
Sam Bradford showed promise last year in his rookie season, completing 60 percent of his passes for 3,512 yards. Those numbers were put up with the Rams being very limited at the wide receiver position. The top two receivers last season, Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson, have a combined four years of NFL experience.
Adding Plaxico Burress would not only add depth at the wide receiver position but would also give them a veteran to help mentor that young offense.
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Pittsburgh Steelers
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This rumor all started when wide receiver Hines Ward said the Steelers would welcome Plaxico back with "open arms." Ward went on to say, “How great would that be? For Plax to come back with the Steelers and help us win another Super Bowl, that would be a great story.”
It would be a great story, but the probability of this one happening is highly unlikely. With veterans Heath Miller and Hines Ward, speedster Mike Wallace and the emergence of Emmanuel Sanders, there may be no room for Plaxico on this team.
It would be a great story, but this one is probably not going to happen.
Indianapolis Colts
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Peyton Manning needs help, and last season showed that more than ever. Peyton should not be forced to throw the ball almost 700 times a season for the Colts to win football games.
So why would they sign another wide receiver? To help open up the running game.
The Colts ranked 29th in rushing offense last season, averaging just 92 yards a game. Indianapolis finished the year with 1,483 rushing yards as a team. Houston Texans running back Arian Foster rushed for more yards than that by himself, while there are another four running backs who fell around 100 yards shy of topping that as well.
Adding Plaxico Burress would give the defense another weapon to worry about, opening up the running lanes.
Bill Polian and Jim Irsay are known to shy away from players with troubled pasts, but with the success of Michael Vick, they may have a change of heart.
A wide receiver set of Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Plaxico Burress and Dallas Clark would not only open up the running game—it could also be the formula for another Colts Super Bowl.
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