No one blamed the New York Giants when they opted not to seriously pursue former receiver Plaxico Burress this offseason.
He was coming off a prison term, not to mention being older and more susceptible to injury.
But as Burress and his new team, the New York Jets, get set to play the Giants in New Meadowlands on Saturday in the preseason, Burress has the potential to torture the Giants for not re-signing him.
Before Burress even caught a ball in his Jets debut on Sunday, he was already making waves in training camp with some impressive catches. On top of that, he stayed in shape better than some current NFL players while in prison.
After racking up 66 yards and a sprawling touchdown catch in the Jets' 27-7 preseason win against the Cincinnati Bengals, Burress has only added to the hype that appears to burgeoning throughout the league.
Jets head coach Rex Ryan is certainly happy.
Said Ryan, via Pro Football Talk, ?We were smiling from ear to ear. That?s why he?s here.?
Quarterback Mark Sanchez's lauding of Burress was even more eye-opening, given his chemistry with Santonio Holmes last season.
Said Sanchez, ?I?ve never had a target like him.?
Burress, as you may recall, formed one of the greatest quarterback-receiver duos in NFL history with Eli Manning and the Giants before he shot himself in the leg outside a New York City nightclub.
He may be older, at 34 years of age, but his physical abilities also figure for him to age like fine wine like Terrell Owens and Randy Moss did.
There will always be that injury risk. Burress missed part of the preseason with an ankle injury. But there's no reason to think he can't pick up where he left off if he stays on the field.
If the Jets go deep in the postseason again in 2011, it's going to be hard to watch for Eli Manning and Co.
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