Plaxico Burress with the Washington Redskins? There would be worse things. The Redskins missed out on signing Michael Vick when he left prison two years ago. Think how much better they would be today if Vick were here. Instead, the team is praying a third-string quarterback can succeed as a starter this fall and a 2012 first-rounder immediately will produce the following season.
Good luck with that.
Burress will be released from prison Monday after serving about 21 months for shooting himself in the leg. Unlike Vick’s heinous acts of dog killing, Burress only hurt himself when he brought a gun into a New York nightclub and it accidently discharged.
What Burress did was serious, but the sentence seemed excessive. Burress isn’t a bad guy, just someone who used bad judgment.
Since America is supposedly the land of second chances, the Redskins should consider — once the lockout ends — whether Burress can fill their big receiver role. Burress has to be better than Joey Galloway.
It’s not a no-brainer to sign Burress, though. The biggest question is fitness for the 33-year-old, who has not played since November 2008. That’s a long time to be away from the game. Vick needed a year to return, and Burress is older at a position that values speed.
Then there’s the mental aspect. In other words, does he really want to play? Many players are in the game simply for the money. Former Redskins first-round offensive tackle Andre Johnson never wanted to play in the NFL, but the money was too tempting. He was out of the league after playing in three games for four teams in three years. Receiver Michael Westbrook never liked the game and didn’t achieve stardom despite standout physical tools.
Whoever signs Burress needs mental health evaluators who can see past his words — probably whatever coaches wish to hear — when the receiver says he wants to play. That makes all the difference.
In a perfect world, the Redskins could offer him a minimum deal with incentives. But there will be competition for Burress because many teams need a big receiver. That means gambling $1 million or so in guarantees. Shouldn’t be a problem considering Washington just blew $3.5 million tying up Donovan McNabb’s options in an offseason with no free agency.
Supposedly, Philadelphia and Oakland are interested. Maybe the New York Jets, though it’s hard to see Burress returning to New York after its mayor made an example of the receiver.
The Redskins and many other teams have signed troubled players before. Burress is simply the latest. Fan forgiveness is only given if the player produces, but Washington should at least consider Burress. It’s not like they’re flush with playmakers.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
