Jason Wood's Thoughts

After a long, drawn out courtship this offseason, Plaxico Burress finally became a New York Giant and will be Eli Manning's top option at wide receiver for the next several years. Opinions vary on Burress, but based on the feedback I've seen on our message boards from passionate Steelers fans, he was a good teammate and someone the fans in Pittsburgh will miss. Has he been inconsistent? Certainly. Does it sometimes feel like he's failing to live up to his potential because we expected greatness? Probably. But was the Steelers offense a more productive unit when he was on the field? Undoubtedly.

The one thing, above all else, Burress seems to desire is the chance to be the focal point. Although he had his moments as a Steeler, he was always going to be second fiddle to Hines Ward; regardless of their respective talent levels. Furthermore, the Steelers smash mouth, ball control offense all but assured Burress wouldn't see enough targets to put up monstrous numbers. Now Burress becomes the clear WR1, which allows Amani Toomer the chance to extend his productive career by playing WR2 for the first time.

But isn't Tom Coughlin a ball control coach too? There seems to be a misconception about Tom Coughlin's offensive stylings. Yes, he's a hard nosed disciplinarian who comes from the Bill Parcells coaching tree...but he's not at all opposed to throwing the ball. When he was coaching the Jaguars, the team finished in the top 10 in passing yards on three separate occasions. And both Keenan McCardell and Jimmy Smith enjoyed a long run of 1,000+ yard seasons. Coughlin wants a BALANCED offense, something he didn't have last season with a rookie QB at the helm and a receiving corps that was, shall we say, a bit underwhelming.

Positives

• Burress is a physical specimen, he has the size and speed to seemingly dominate
• Eli Manning, last year's first overall draft choice, should be more comfortable in his 2nd season and very much needs a go-to receiver
• An improved line, the presence of Tiki Barber and healthy seasons from Toomer and Shockey mean that teams won't be too quick to double team Burress

Negatives

• Burress has been inconsistent, and is coming off his worst season as a starter (35 receptions for 698 yards)
• Historically, wide receivers struggle in their first year with a new team (with some notable exceptions)
• Despite his relative youth, experience and physical measurables, no team was willing to give Burress a long-term financial commitment and the Giants ultimately grabbed him the second pass through because there were no other offers on the table

Final Thoughts

I wouldn't be surprised if Burress puts together his second top 20 fantasy season as the main WR option in a rebuilding Giants passing attack. That said, it's by no means a sure bet. Remember, for all the expectations, Manning remains an unproven QB who threw six (6) TDs in nine games. He's got to show MAJOR improvement before we have any reason to expect a 1,000 yard season from Burress. Assuming the addition of RT Kareem McKenzie solidifies the offensive line, and that Manning makes major strides in his second season, Burress is the kind of middle round selection that could make you look like a genius by midseason. Or, he could end up with another mediocre year and be little more than a fantasy spot starter. Time will tell, but if you like to gamble a bit on your backups (hoping to hit a home run), Burress is an attractive option.

Cecil Lammey's Thoughts

Plaxico Burress is the long time Steeler turned Giant that is long on potential but rather short on production. Plaxico was supposed to be a monster WR when he came out of Michigan State and was made the #8 overall pick in 2000. Well, over the last 5 seasons he never really has fully developed into the premier WR that many thought he would be. He has all the measurables that you’d want in a superstar NFL receiver. His size and leaping ability are extraordinary and in 2002 we saw a glimpse of what he could do. That season he had 1,325 yards with 7 TDs and averaged 17.0 yards per reception. Pretty good numbers considering he wasn’t the Steelers true #1 WR. He and Ben Roethlisberger seemed to have a good rapport as evidenced by his career high 19.9 YPR in 2004. Big Ben lobbied to get Plax back in the yellow and black, but to no avail. Now, Burress will be catching passes from the up and coming Eli Manning.

• Coughlin’s last 4 years in Jacksonville the #1 WR averaged 100.5 catches/year
• The #1 WR in a Coughlin offense also averaged over 1,300 yards/year
• The #1 WR in a Coughlin offense averaged 7 TD’s/year as well
• Burress has averaged 128 fantasy points over the last 3 years

Positives

• Burress is a huge target with great leaping ability and strong hands
• He is difficult to jam because of his strength
• Uses his long arms to gain separation from DB’s and positions himself well
• He catches the ball at it’s highest point and brings it down quickly. He is a tough player that is a very good blocker. Has a good stiff arm and is difficult to tackle after the catch

Negatives

• Concentration is the biggest problem with Plaxico
• If he is not an integral part of the game plan he seems to lose interest and becomes a non-factor
• He is horribly inconsistent
• Has never played to his full potential
• Sometimes Burress is a lazy route runner

Final Thoughts

Eli Manning’s development is the key to Plaxico’s fantasy value. Burress has proven that he can have decent success, and now he gets the chance to prove it as the #1 WR. Manning struggled mightily in 2004 and he will work quickly to build a good on field relationship with Plaxico. Plax will be a true #1 receiver for a team that will need to throw the ball a lot. That could mean big things for Plax in 2005. Burress is ready to put the past behind him and make a new name for himself in the Big Apple. Coughlin’s offenses have historically put the ball in the hands of the #1 WR plenty. However, there has not been the elite TD production from any Coughlin coached receiver. The red zone threats will be Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey, and the new Thunder back Brandon Jacobs. Burress has had his fair share of off the field incidents and the microscope will be on him like never before in the city that never sleeps. When drafting Burress one must proceed with caution. He still has all the tools to be a dominant receiver, but it’s more likely to happen for him in a year or two, if at all.

Quotations from the Message Board Thread

To view the entire Player Spotlight thread (there's a ton of fantastic commentary in there), click here.

Bri:
We all know that phrase, Peyton threw as many TD passes in one game as his brother Eli threw all season. Eli's gotta step it up. As you'd expect from a Manning, Eli has a real nice arm. He's got the support of the Giants organization and even his family to help him get comfy in the pocket. I think he has the best receiving options of any QB in the NFL and he'll be far far FAR improved in 2005. Big Plax will solve his TD problems and seems to make everything fall into place for the Giants offense.

Rovers:
First, there is the WR changing teams curse. It holds up about 80% of the time. Is Burress in the 20% group? That depends on Manning.

Chessmaster:
I don't have any faith in Eli Manning whatsoever. So, my projections for Burress this year are: 65 catches, 650 yards, 4 TDs, barring injury.

Unlucky:
Biggest downside is playing for Coughlin. He doesn't throw in the redzone. J. Smith and K. McCardell never topped 8 TDs in Jacksonville. The WRs didn't catch any TDs last year. (OK, maybe a few) Beware of those predicting 9+ TDs for Burress, whose career high is 7.

Plaxico Burress Projections

SOURCE	RSHYD	RSHTD	REC	RECYD	RECTD
Jason Wood	0	0	65	990	6
Cecil Lammey	0	0	65	988	8
Message Board Consensus	0	0	62	907	6