Plaxico Burress: Is Burress Being Overvalued by Would-Be Suitors?

Plaxico Burress Will Have Plenty of Suitors When Lockout Is Lifted

When we last saw Plaxico Burress on a football field, he was doing work for the New York Giants. That was back in 2008, of course, when he and the Giants were fresh off a Super Bowl upset over the New England Patriots that was sealed by his late touchdown grab.

As we all know, Burress' 2008 season ended prematurely when he accidentally shot himself in the leg during a night club excursion in late November. That ultimately led to weapons charges, which landed him in prison.

On June 6, this is all going to be ancient history. That's the day Burress is scheduled to be released, and he will be free to sign with an NFL team as soon as the lockout is lifted.

There are going to be plenty of suitors for Burress when the lockout is lifted. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter (via Rotoworld.com), the St. Louis Rams and the New York Jets are "two most obvious" fits for Burress, but many people aren't ruling out a return to the Giants either.

Basically, if you're in need of a veteran wide receiver, Burress is your guy.

But should he be?

 

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While it's true that Burress has been a very productive receiver in his career, there should probably be more doubts about his abilities at this point in time. First and foremost, he's been in prison for nearly two years. But the second point is just as important: he's going to be 34 if and when the 2011 season rolls around.

The most obvious counterpoint is Michael Vick. After all, he was in prison for a couple years, and he came back to perform pretty well.

Point taken, but Vick was not yet 30 when he was released back in 2009. He was still in his prime years, whereas Burress' have past him by.

Besides, Burress was a good receiver, but he was hardly a great receiver. He tended to be very inconsistent, getting you 100 yards and a touchdown one week and 30 yards and no touchdowns the next.

Now that he's in his mid-30s and has been out of football for a couple years, it stands to reason that he's not going to be any better.

Given all this, is Burress really that much of a better option than a Terrell Owens or a Randy Moss?

According to all the buzz, apparently. But if you ask me, it's hard to see why this is the case.

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