Plaxico Burress: 5 Best Spots for Burress to Revive Career

Plaxico Burress, the former Pro Bowl wideout who accidentally shot himself in the leg in 2008, is due to be released from prison on June 6. Burress will have been out of football for more than two years, but more than a few teams are likely to be interested in his services once the NFL lockout ends.

Herein, the five best potential fits for Burress as he looks for his next NFL home.

5. St. Louis Rams

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DENVER - NOVEMBER 28: Quarterback Sam Bradford #8 of the St. Louis Rams rolls out of the pocket during the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at INVESCO Field at Mile High on November 28, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Rams defeated the Broncos 36-3

Although the Rams got some new bodies for the receiving corps in the draft, they still don’t have anybody with Burress’ sheer talent. Even allowing for some drop-off in his abilities after the long layoff, Burress would likely be the most explosive receiver on the roster in St. Louis.

Rams management may be leery of bringing in someone with Burress’ reputation when they’re building a young team for the future. That said, if he can convince them his past is in the past, his on-field ability could be a major boon to Sam Bradford’s development.

4. Cleveland Browns

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CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Colt McCoy #12 of the Cleveland Browns looks for a receiver as he is chased by defensive end Ziggy Hood #96 of the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by M

Like the Rams, Cleveland has a young, developing QB—Colt McCoy—who could really benefit from a receiver of Burress’ talents. The Browns need help at WR even more than St. Louis does, with second-rounder Greg Little the only new addition to a very weak receiving corps that topped out at Mohammed Massaquoi’s 36 catches in 2010.

Cleveland could shy away from Burress after their experiences with talented-and-troubled Braylon Edwards. Plax will have to give them some reason to believe that he won’t be a problem, which may be a tall order.

3. Miami Dolphins

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MIAMI - DECEMBER 26: Quarterback Chad Henne #7 of the Miami Dolphins is preasured by Lawrence Jackson #94 of the Detroit Lions at Sun Life Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Miami already has one star WR with character concerns in Brandon Marshall. Even so, the receiving corps after Marshall is nothing to write home about, and shaky QB Chad Henne needs all the help he can get.

Most importantly, Burress may have an edge in convincing the Dolphins he wants to play for them. Burress makes his offseason home in Miami, giving him extra incentive to make a fresh start—and a trouble-free start—with the team.

2. Washington Redskins

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LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 12: Santana Moss #89 of the Washington Redskins runs the ball after a catch during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at FedExField on December 12, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. The Buccaneers defeated the Redskins 17-16. (P

Burress has plenty of name recognition, and whatever his current capabilities, he was a top player in the past. That’s been a recipe for getting a big contract from Dan Snyder (Albert Haynesworth, DeAngelo Hall, Bruce Smith…).

Washington is thin at wide receiver after Santana Moss, and even he could leave in free agency. Burress would add height to an undersized crew and also provide another talented target for whoever takes over at QB.

1. Oakland Raiders

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KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Jason Campbell #8 of the Oakland Raiders throws a pass in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tim Umphrey/Getty Images)

Plax doesn’t have quite the top-end speed that Al Davis prefers, but he’s a viable big-play threat. On a Raiders squad devoid of big-time receiving talent, Burress would immediately bring some balance to the offense and give Jason Campbell a No. 1 target.

Then, too, Oakland’s longstanding outlaw culture would probably embrace rather than shun Burress for his legal troubles.