Joseph D'Amico

Buyer beware on Burress by The Sports Network

On Monday, Burress was released from the Oneida Correctional Facility after serving a 20-month sentence as the most high-profile offender of New York City’s ultra-strict gun possession laws. When the NFL is able to resolve its ongoing labor spat and give the green light to player movement, the former Giants standout will become perhaps the most interesting member of this year’s delayed free-agent class.

Burress’ plight has immediately and naturally drawn comparisons to that of Michael Vick, who spent nearly the same amount of time behind bars for his shameful participation in an elaborate dog-fighting operation prior to an astoundingly successful return to the league. That the disgraced stars received virtually identical punishments for two entirely different crimes may not sit well with a good portion of society, but this article isn’t about debating the fairness of Burress’ penalty.

It’s instead about determining his validity as a football player in today’s National Football League.

The Giants have had a few notable receivers over their long and storied history. Frank Gifford’s in the Hall of Fame, Homer Jones made a pair of Pro Bowls in the mid-1960’s, Amani Toomer gave the organization 13 seasons of undervalued consistent production before being let go after the 2008 campaign.

At his best, Burress was superior to all of them.

His 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame often created matchup nightmares for opposing defenders, as Burress illustrated in probably the signature showing of his eventful four-year tenure with the Giants — an 11-catch, 151-yard masterpiece against Green Bay’s highly-regarded cornerback duo of Charles Woodson and Al Harris that helped key New York’s overtime upset of the Packers in the 2007 NFC Championship. His 22 touchdown receptions between the 2006 and ’07 seasons were eclipsed by only legends Terrell Owens and Randy Moss over that span.

Vick’s remarkable comeback story of 2010 proved it’s possible for a player to reestablish himself as an elite performer after a lengthy absence from the game. However, there’s evidence that teams envisioning a similar return to glory from Burress based simply on that precedent could be a bit short-sighted in their observations.

While Vick’s meteoric redevelopment into one of the league’s premier offensive weapons was as startling as it was extraordinary, keep in mind that the dynamic quarterback was 30 years old and still in his athletic prime during last year’s breakthrough. On the other hand, Burress will turn 34 in August and owns a stat line that suggests the once-dangerous playmaker’s best days may have preceded his costly and bone-headed decision to bring a loaded pistol into a Manhattan nightclub some 2 1/2 years ago.

Burress averaged nearly 20 yards per catch in 2004, his final year as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that figure gradually declined in each of his four seasons with the Giants. In the final one before his imprisonment, the troubled wideout averaged a modest 13 yards per grab and under 50 yards a game while failing to display the requisite skills of a true No. 1 receiver.

Of course, not having to withstand the rigors of the NFL over the past two- plus years (though he wasn’t exactly known as a workout warrior during his often problematic time in New York) could wind up being an unintended benefit for Burress, and early reports have indicated he’s kept himself in excellent shape during his confinement. That alone should be enough for some team to roll the dice whenever the NFL finally gets back to business, though it’s highly unlikely none would be brazen enough to commit significant guaranteed money to an aging player with declining numbers and serious character reservations (that doesn’t mean the Raiders or Redskins wouldn’t think about it, however).

The team that’s been most often pegged as a potential landing spot is the Eagles, perhaps because of how their at-first unpopular gamble on Vick — whom like Burress is a native of the Virginia Tidewater region — has paid off. It’s a move that makes further sense when factoring in the red-zone struggles Andy Reid’s offense has endured at times in recent years, and that’s an area in which Burress has excelled in what now feels like a very distant past.

Reid should be well familiar with Burress’ abilities near the goal line. The four-time 1,000-yard receiver hauled in seven touchdown catches in eight regular-season games against Philadelphia while with the division-rival Giants, five of which came within the red zone.

Don’t expect a reunion between Burress and his old organization, however, as the veteran pass-catcher’s repeated run-ins with Giants head coach Tom Coughlin are a piece of history the team probably doesn’t want to relive, plus Big Blue is now well-stocked with young talent at the position. A switchover to the co-Meadowlands tenant Jets, a franchise that’s relished making headline-grabbing moves as of late, can’t be counted out, though there’s been plenty of buzz about fellow free agent Moss being the latest past-his-prime object of star-craving owner Woody Johnson’s affection, and may be a better option anyway.

St. Louis has also been mentioned as a possible suitor, in part due to a previous connection between Burress and head coach Steve Spagnuolo, a one- time Giants assistant. And while it’s no secret that the improving Rams are seeking a big and skilled target for reigning NFL Rookie of the Year Sam Bradford, the team’s addition of two good-sized rookies in April’s draft has made that perceived match much more of a longshot.

While it’s difficult right now to speculate just where Burress will get the opportunity to repair a career and image that’s been in tatters ever since his foolish escapades of that night in November of 2008 with any real accuracy, it’s a virtual certainty that he’ll have a taker once free agency finally commences. In spite of his advancing age and off-field concerns, receivers of his size and skill set are still hard to come by.

It’s indeed a new beginning for someone who’s been taught a hard lesson about the consequences of his immaturity. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be surprising if this Plaxico Burress bears little in common with the old when it comes to getting it done on the field.

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