A motivated Burress is what the Giants need

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, June 20, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

New York Giants
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Last week, there was talk in New York that Giants receiver Plaxico Burress was unhappy with quarterback Eli Manning and head coach Tom Coughlin. The reason for that speculation stemmed from Burress going catchless in the New York Giants' humiliating 23-0 defeat to the Carolina Panthers in January's NFC Wild Card Playoff.

On the contrary, Burress wasn't necessarily unhappy, just frustrated. Who wouldn't be? Burress was the Giants' most consistent pass-catcher last season, but he was--for lack of a better word--ignored in the game that mattered the most for New York, who went 11-5 on the season and won the NFC East.

In March 2005, Burress, a former first-round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers, signed a six-year, $25 million deal to join the up-and-coming Giants, who had gone 6-10 the year before. He was brought in by general manager Ernie Accorsi to become a legitimate option for Manning, a soon-to-be first-year starter at the time.

As it turned out, New York's hefty investment in Burress was worthwhile last season. The 28-year-old finished with 76 receptions for 1,214 yards and seven touchdowns. His catch and yardage totals were second only to his stellar '02 season, while his scores tied a career high. Not surprisingly, all of those numbers ended up leading the Giants. His touchdown output tied the team's other top targets, tight end Jeremy Shockey and wideout Amani Toomer.

Although Burress experienced one of his top overall campaigns in '05, his playoff production (or lack thereof) certainly left the Giants' faithful wanting much more. Because of that, the former Michigan State star might be primed to experience the best season of his career. The six-year veteran will take the field in September with a chip on his shoulder, ready to prove that he should have been the offense's focus in their postseason defeat.

Along with Shockey and Toomer, Burress will help guide one of the finest receiving trios in the NFL. Shockey has, of course, been an elite tight end for the last few years, while Toomer has always been a steady, quiet leader on the New York Giants' offense. Toomer's game is in an obvious declination period, but the 31-year-old is still an above-average No. 2 receiver.

As long as the triplets continue performing to their abilities, Manning should further his development as a terrific starting quarterback. When he entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the '04 draft, the former Ole Miss standout brought extremely high expectations with him. Thanks in large part to Burress' on-field abilities last year, the 25-year-old threw for 3,762 yards and 24 touchdowns in his first season as the Giants' full-time starter.

Undoubtedly, the 6-5, 231-pound Burress has the size, speed and talent to be an elite wideout in the pros; he just needs his game to fully click. So far, it hasn't happened yet. Burress has been a good wideout, but he could be great. If ever he were to live up to his potential, this is the year to do it.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com

Get more on Plaxico Burress at Realfootball365.com.
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