Jets Should Give Plaxico a Shot

After what was probably an incredibly long 20 months in prison for illegal possession of a gun, Plaxico Burress is finally out.  The issue now for Plaxico is not when he will be back, but for whom will he be playing for.  Plaxico will be 34 when the season begins and is still young enough to play in the league.  When you really think about it, he is only 32 in football years.  He is probably in good shape because it is prison and working out is the one thing a person can do there.  He might not be in football shape, but he can get himself a personal trainer to get him ready to play.  If Michael Vick can come back from prison and play quarterback in the NFL, Plaxico can come back and play wide receiver.

No matter what you think about Plaxico, the guy is a beast at the wide receiver position.  He is so big, all the quarterback has to do is throw the ball up high and he will get it.  I would think plenty of teams are interested in acquiring his talents.  The one team Plaxico is rumored to be interested in is the Philadelphia Eagles (his out coming out of prison with a Phillies hat should tell people something), and Michael Vick has stated he wants the Eagles to sign Plaxico.  It would be ironic if he went to Philly because we would have the jail bird quarterback throwing passes to the jail bird wide receiver.  It is like a real life longest yard, but NFL style. 

The Jets should attempt to make moves on Plaxico.  I think Plaxico would be a great fit for the Jets.  The Jets already have enough nut jobs on the team, so Plaxico would fit in nicely.  He also has a home in the area and would not have to worry about relocating his family.  Additionally, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, and Brad Smith are all free agents.  It is unlikely for the Jets to bring all three back leaving a possible opening for Plaxico.

The rumors have been out that the Jets are interested in signing Randy Moss, but I believe Plaxico is a much better option.  He has proven he can play in New York and despite the arrest is less of a head case than Moss. Unlike Moss, who is soft and takes plays off, Plaxico gives it 100% on every down.  He might not like to practice and is late for meetings on a regular basis, but he can be counted on every Sunday.  I also think under the circumstances he is coming back from, Plaxico will be a model citizen. 

Plaxico fits the Jets’ offense more than Moss because the Jets are not a big deep ball throwing team.  Mark Sanchez has a pretty good arm for a QB, but in the bad weather conditions of the North East, his game is more suited for Plaxico’s physical style of play.

I look at Plaxico as a slower version of Braylon Edwards, but with much better hands. I have gotten pretty sick of watching Braylon Edwards drop balls and that is one thing Plaxico does not do.  He made an inaccurate quarterback in Eli Manning look good and Mark Sanchez has similar struggles with accuracy which a player like Plaxico can help mirage.  Signing Plaxico is also a cheaper alternative than Edwards, coming off 2 years out of the league.  Bringing him in is a risk, but one that can be the difference in getting the Jets to the Super bowl.

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