Plaxico Burress Tells Howard Eskin He Wants to Play in Philadelphia
Howard Eskin has reported that during a conversation with New York Jets wide receiver Plaxico Burress during Super Bowl week, the oft-troubled received indicated he has a strong desire to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Eskin tweeted earlier today on his personal twitter feed (@howardeskin) that “Saw and talked to Plaxico Burress at Super Bowl and told me he wants to play for Eagles. Badly”. Several other media outlets have taken this story and run with it, saying that the Eagles are likely to pursue Burress.
This is an interesting situation for Philadelphia, as last offseason, upon his release from prison, Plax had no intention of hiding his desire to play for the Eagles. Money talks, however, and the New York Jets ultimately outbid Philadelphia and gave Burress a guaranteed $3 million pay day. For a guy coming out of an extended stay in prison, I don’t think anyone can blame him for seeking the biggest paycheck possible. Now, amidst a great deal of turmoil inside the Jets locker room, Plaxico is once again attempting to court the Eagles.
Last year in New York, Burress caught 45 passes for 612 yards and 8 touchdowns. His touchdown reception total was tied for the best on the team, while he ranked third in receptions and yards, despite the fact that his yards per reception were #1 on the squad. The Jets top receiver last year was their tight end, Dustin Keller, so that is an indication of their propensity to throw the ball to receivers.
The (multi) million dollar question, however, is whether or not Philadelphia feels the same way about Plax as he feels about them. Do they “like” Burress or do they “LIKE LIKE” him? Philadelphia is definitely in need of a threat inside the red zone, as the Riley Cooper experiment inside the 20 yard line hasn’t exactly been a smashing success. It is unlikely that the Eagles will look to Plaxico as a staring receiver if they decide to pursue him, but his physical attributes could certainly be beneficial for a team that has a history of struggling to score touchdowns in the red zone.
If nothing else, it certainly seems as if Philadelphia has become a dream home for free agents. The team just needs to make sure they bring in the right pieces, not necessarily the ones with the biggest names.
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