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Report: Eagles will be "first in line" to sign Plaxico Burress

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  • Report: Eagles will be "first in line" to sign Plaxico Burress

    http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo...uffed_by_.html

    Former Giants WR Plaxico Burress, out of lockup on June 6, could be handcuffed by NFL's lockout

    Plaxico Burress, inmate No. 09R3260, is scheduled to be released from Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York on June 6. That's two weeks from Monday and one year, eight months and 14 days after he was first incarcerated on Sept. 23, 2009.

    "He's counting the seconds. Obviously, he's very excited," said his attorney Peter Frankel. "He can't wait to go home to his wife and kids. He's looking forward to putting this behind him and starting a new phase of his life."

    Burress has not played in an NFL game since Nov. 16, 2008. Twelve days later, he accidentally shot himself in the leg in a midtown Manhattan nightclub and the weapons charge eventually landed him in jail for 621 days. Throwing the football around at Oneida, which Burress has been doing, is not quite the same as outjumping Pro Bowl cornerbacks in the end zone.

    He plans to travel to Florida after he is released with the hope and expectation that once the lockout is over, he will attract the attention of teams that could use a big target with excellent hands who has the Super Bowl-winning catch on his resume.

    Burress deserves to get a second chance. He will get one. If Michael Vick, a convicted dogfighting felon, was allowed to resume his career, there's little doubt that Burress will have the opportunity to show if he can still play. Teams have to be at least intrigued.

    "He certainly paid for his crime," one personnel director said. "He paid very strong."

    Once the lockout is over, it would make sense for Burress to hold his own mini-camp and invite all interested teams to check him out. I've heard that the Eagles will eventually be first in line, but there's also speculation the Steelers, Chargers, Falcons and Ravens could also be interested. At the Super Bowl this year, Steelers WR Hines Ward endorsed the return of Burress to Pittsburgh, where he spent the first five years of his career before signing with the Giants. Ward is a terrific player, but he does not make the Steelers' personnel decisions.

    Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and coach Andy Reid, having already been through the post-prison experience with Vick, might be in a better position to handle any public backlash about adding another former inmate. They could also help Burress with his transition back to the NFL. Putting Burress with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin would give Vick plenty of options.
    It's never made sense for the Giants to bring back Burress. Too much history. They are pretty deep at receiver anyway. I've been hearing Burress wants a change of venue and doesn't want to play in New York, which would also rule out the Jets. He needs to play in a city where he would be a one-day story rather a day-to-day story.

    He's not even on the Jets' priority list. They are going to concentrate on trying to re-sign free agents Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith. And I think if they do go after a veteran free-agent wideout, they would likely pursue Randy Moss before Burress or even Terrell Owens.
    Former Bucs and Colts coach Tony Dungy, who became Vick's mentor while he was still in prison, recently visited Burress at Oneida and plans to work with him once he is released, just like he has remained close to Vick. A few months ago, Vick spoke about wanting to visit Burress in prison, but it didn't work out.

    Commissioner Roger Goodell said two years ago that Burress would face no further discipline from the league when he was released and he would be free to sign. The lockout, however, doesn't help Burress. In a normal year, he would have three months between the time he is released and the start of the season to find a new team, get himself back into football shape and attend training camp. But he can't sign until the lockout is over, narrowing the window for him to get ready for the season and acclimated to a new team.

    Ideally, he will work out in the near future for a former coach or scout currently not affiliated with any team who can then spread the word about his 40 time and how he looks running routes. Then once the lockout is over, teams can work him out.

    How much does Burress have left?

    He will be 34 in August. He's lost about 15-20 pounds from his playing weight in prison, but is in great shape and just needs to bulk up. He was one of the top five receivers in the NFL before he shot himself. You wonder how much the time away has taken away from his game. Did it give him fresh legs or make it impossible for him to be the same player? Anybody who signs a 34-year-old receiver is looking at the short term. If he is uniform for the scheduled opener on Sept. 11, it will be 1,029 days between games.

    "The first year with Vick was a wash," one NFL personnel director said. "It was more than just being in shape. It was a year and a half before you thought it was him. I don't see a bunch of teams being interested in Burress, but it takes only one. Who will do it? I can't name one. But I will say this: I think somebody will."

    Burress lost more than two years off his career and a lot of game checks, so you know he is going to be hungry. "I think getting to know him the way I've gotten to know him, he's a guy who feels he had his legs cut out from under him at the pinnacle of his career and he has a lot to prove. It's all he talks about," Frankel said. "He's determined not to just make it back, but make it back in a big way. He can't wait to get back on the field."
    http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2...laxico-burress

    Report: Eagles will be "first in line" to sign Plaxico Burress

    The New York Post's Gary Myers is reporting that the Eagles are going to be the top player for Plaxico Burress' services when he is released from prison. From his report:
    Once the lockout is over, it would make sense for Burress to hold his own mini-camp and invite all interested teams to check him out. I've heard that the Eagles will eventually be first in line, but there's also speculation the Steelers, Chargers, Falcons and Ravens could also be interested. At the Super Bowl this year, Steelers WR Hines Ward endorsed the return of Burress to Pittsburgh, where he spent the first five years of his career before signing with the Giants. Ward is a terrific player, but he does not make the Steelers' personnel decisions.

    Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and coach Andy Reid, having already been through the post-prison experience with Vick, might be in a better position to handle any public backlash about adding another former inmate. They could also help Burress with his transition back to the NFL. Putting Burress with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin would give Vick plenty of options.
    As Myers notes, the Eagles struck gold when they took a chance on another former inmate, as they were able transform Michael Vick into one of the best players in the NFL in little more than a year. The Eagles are currently stacked at wide receiver, with Pro Bowler DeSean Jackson, the steadily improving Jeremy Maclin, an excellent veteran possession receiver in Jason Avant, and a younger, less talented version of Burress in Riley Cooper. Signing Burress would be a very interesting move for the Eagles, as they'd have the luxury of easing him into the lineup and picking spots where they think he could contribute.


    If he's even close to his former self when he returns to the football field, the 6'5 230-ish pound Burress could still serve as a valuable weapon, particularly in the red zone.

  • #2
    DJax, Maclin, Avant, Burress? Daaaamn..........
    "Philly fans are great....It's the only place where you pull up on the bus and you've got the grandfather, the grandmother, the kids and the grandkids - everybody flicking you off. At other stadiums, they give you the thumbs-down. Here, they give you the middle finger.”
    — Michael Strahan

    "No one likes us, no one likes us, no one likes us, we don’t care, we’re from Philly, F—-ing Philly, No one likes us, we don’t care!”
    - Jason Kelce with the best championship speech ever

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    • #3
      sorry,can't resist,this is classic

      We're looking for people that are fundamentally different,” vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl said Saturday night. “The love and passion for football, it's non-negotiable. They're caring, their character, they do the right thing persistently, and they have a relentless playing style that you can see on tape. The motor, it burns hot. You see them finishing plays. They have a team-first mentality. They're selfless individuals.

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      • #4
        If this happens, its all about pressure for the DeSean contract negotiations

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        • #5
          Maybe Reid watched that final interception in the GB game and thought 'Plax could have gone up and gotten that.'

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          • #6
            Does it matter if I say "No." ?
            http://shop.cafepress.com/content/global/img/spacer.gifOK, let's try this again...

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            • #7
              Originally posted by IMK View Post
              Maybe Reid watched that final interception in the GB game and thought 'Plax could have gone up and gotten that.'
              That was my first thought. If there's any accuracy to this rumor, Riley Cooper has to be thinking, "Damn...I should've caught that ball."

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              • #8
                Originally posted by YourPalChrisMal View Post
                That was my first thought. If there's any accuracy to this rumor, Riley Cooper has to be thinking, "Damn...I should've caught that ball."
                How about at least TRY TO CATCH THE FRIEKIN THING!!
                "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"

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                • #9
                  I really hope they keep that p-o-s far FAR away from the NovaCare Complex. Am I the only one left who thinks character issues should still be a high priority? I'm learning to live with Vick, but Plax would be too much.... I really hope this is just a rumor and not something they really want to do.
                  Official Driver of the Eagles Bandwagon!!!
                  Bleedin' Green since birth!

                  "Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many." - Mike Willey

                  ”Enjoy The Ride!!!” - Bob Marcus

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Jukin View Post
                    I really hope they keep that p-o-s far FAR away from the NovaCare Complex. Am I the only one left who thinks character issues should still be a high priority? I'm learning to live with Vick, but Plax would be too much.... I really hope this is just a rumor and not something they really want to do.
                    Not to worry Jukin. Even if it's true, the weasle will offer him the vet minimum and he's gone. How much do you offer a guy who is 34 and hasn't played in 2 years anyway?
                    "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"

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                    • #11
                      I wouldn't put too much faith in reports from the New York Daily News and the Post. Burress has all the makings of a Washington Redskin.
                      "Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." - Joe Theismann



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                      • #12
                        I hate this guy. Not for his crime - he's just an ass.
                        Carson Wentz ERA


                        NFC East Titles:
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                        • #13
                          I'd be very surprised to see him sign here. Then again, I never thought we'd sign Vick. With our WR corps, I just don't see it.

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                          • #14
                            I'd be inclined to dismiss this report but for the utter shock of Michael Vick and the fact that Burress terrorized the Eagles for years. Didn't the Eagles make a run at him in free agency before he signed with the Giants?
                            Don't kid yourself Jimmy. If a cow ever got the chance, he'd kill you and everyone you cared about!

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Leonard Tose View Post
                              Didn't the Eagles make a run at him in free agency before he signed with the Giants?
                              If they did I hope it was behind the wheel of a GMC Suburban. Let's hope they have better aim this time for that weasle....

                              Official Driver of the Eagles Bandwagon!!!
                              Bleedin' Green since birth!

                              "Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many." - Mike Willey

                              ”Enjoy The Ride!!!” - Bob Marcus

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