Now that it’s becoming increasingly clear that receiver Plaxico Burress won’t be standing trial on felony weapons charges until after the 2009 season has come and gone, the process of finding a new team for Burress has commenced in earnest.
According to Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times, Burress has reached out to members of the Buccaneers to express an interest in joining the team. He reportedly has contacted running back Derrick Ward and receiver Antonio Bryant.
The development was acknowledged by first-year coach Raheem Morris on Tuesday.
“He’s a great player,” Morris said. “Any time you get a chance to add a great player to your team, you definitely have got to have some sort of interest. We don’t know what’s going on with his legal problems, we don’t know what’s going on with the suspensions in the league. Until we get all that stuff resolved, it’s not even worth talking about.”
As to the legal problems, the widespread consensus is that there will be no trial in 2009. If prosecutors were intent on rushing this case into the courtroom, they wouldn’t have agreed to a three-month continuance in March 2009, or to another three-month continuance more recently on Monday.
As to the possibility of a suspension, we recently explained that Commissioner Roger Goodell previously indicated that, because Burress is a first-time offender, no suspension will be imposed until his court case is resolved.
For those who still think that Goodell will smack Burress with a multi-game penalty once he signs with a new team, why would Goodell wait? It’s one thing for Goodell to defer a decision on the Mike Vick case until Vick is officially released from custody; it’s quite another for Goodell to withhold judgment simply because a player currently isn’t on an NFL roster.
Though we’re too lazy to do the research, we generally recall unsigned players being suspended. (Feel free to do the research for us, and to identify the names and circumstances in the comments.)
So we think that Burress essentially has a green light to play this year, and that unless potentially interested teams figure that out, someone like the Bucs might get him for peanuts.
Burress Wants To Be A Buc
Posted by Mike Florio on June 17, 2009, 8:13 AM EST
33 Responses to “Burress Wants To Be A Buc”
With Burress his history of team violations, are we sure he’s a first time offender?
Nooooo!! Plax, Come to the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!!!!
So will we get a report each week about who Plax wants to play for next? This, of course will be followed by a report from that team stating that they don’t want him.
Deuce McAllister is currently suspended, iirc
Welcome the NBC Sports logo to PFT! Too bad Terry Bradshaw didn’t live long enough to see it.
If he’s a Buc can we call him Peg leg Plax?
He is more like a fawn then a Buck he tired being a big Buck and shot him self
Welcome home you Veloci Raptor looking maniac. You can carry all the guns you want here in Florida.
Hell, put on your best pair of Umbros, get strapped and let’s hit the club.
Wasn’t Antonio Bryant suspended by the NFL for a few games, before signing with the Bucs? Or is it another 49er receiver I was thinking of?
Rosenhaus wants no. 1 WR money for Burress which is just too much if you ask me. I love the Bucs but I would not let this cancer feel like the king of the offense by paying him a king’s ransom.
That’s nice Plax. I want a genie to come and grant me three wishes while my goose lays hundreds of golden egg’s. You should be in Jail you arrogant ass!!! I hope no one signs you, but we all know that is not the way. If you are any good, all NFL teams look past everybad thing you do. It’s just wrong. NYC, do me a favor, make an example out of this guy for all pro athlete’s to see, you break the law, you’re not getting special treatment!!
Any Buc fan who does not want Burress is an idiot…
“For those who still think that Goodell will smack Burress with a multi-game penalty once he signs with a new team, why would Goodell wait? ”
Maybe to see which team he signs with. Apparently, it makes a difference.
“You can carry all the guns you want here in Florida. ”
You can get drunk and run over anybody you want, too. Just make sure you kill them.
Yea, I bet Antonio Bryant really wants Plaxico Burress to come down to Tampa so he can go back to being a nobody receiver.
Tampa is the best gig that Bryant ever had and now we’re supposed to believe he’s all for Plaxico coming down and upstaging him?
Yea right.
Mr. Florio, I’m not sure why you continue to overlook the fact that Vick IS (as in, RIGHT NOW) suspended by the Leauge. Vick has to apply for reinstatement which means, by necessity, the Commish has to act by either rejecting or accepting Vicks reinstatement request. The commish is not chosing to do anything in terms of timing as the ball is completely in Vicks court.
There is not similarity with the Plax situation other than there being an arrest.
Yeah, just what a new head coach needs, a player that will ignore half the things he is supposed to be doing and undermine the coach’s authority.
Please tell me Plax will go to TB. I have tickets for the game in London and I know BB will be having the secondary coach and players focused on seperating Plax’s head from body… if not his leg (which he partially removed himself).
Buc-shot
PeterGundrum says:
June 17th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Yea, I bet Antonio Bryant really wants Plaxico Burress to come down to Tampa so he can go back to being a nobody receiver.
Tampa is the best gig that Bryant ever had and now we’re supposed to believe he’s all for Plaxico coming down and upstaging him?
Yea right.
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You really are an idiot if you don’t think that bringing in Plaxico would free up AB from double teams or a lurking safety….seriously you shouldn’t comment on things you know nothing about…Why do you think that Larry Fitzgerald is lobbying to keep Boldin so bad??
Petergundrum – Antonio Bryant has been promoting the idea of having another star receiver for months. He also championed the idea of going after Anquan Boldin. Antonio Bryant has long said that he was about winning and going out and getting someone to help improve the team. Choose to believe those words or not, but that’s what he has been saying. If he objects to the idea, then I’m sure he wouldn’t be having a problem saying as such. Publicly and privately, given his history. Not only that, with 2 very good receivers (the word great is overused) who are you going to double team? Having Plaxico would only help.
Plax would be a great signing for any team that needs WR help and on the cusp of being a contender this year. Hopefully he ends up in jail once the season is over, but for a one year fill in at a Superbowl run for a team like Chicago, it makes sense.
We all know it will ultimately come down to money…Lets see if Rosenhaus can generate enough hype to get other teams to start bidding,and then we’ll see where he ends up on Opening Weekend….
Boy do I love being A Bucc Baby Lets Go Plax. But bring Your A game and better Work ethic.
vikes02 says:
June 17th, 2009 at 9:45 am
That’s nice Plax. I want a genie to come and grant me three wishes while my goose lays hundreds of golden egg’s.
________
Wait, now I understand the expression…but do you really own a goose?
Plax had a gun & shot himself accidently, I’ll take him on the squad no questions asked…I’m surprised that so many people are calling him a cancer & that he’ll ruin the (lack of) team unity. I don’t remember anyone from the Giants thinking he was a cancer when he played for NY but I could be wrong. Either way, some players that have killed people & are still playing in the NFL so why not Cheddar Bob? The best part about him shooting himself is the Bucs will get for half of his previous value!
This is also the same guy who wants to go to the Jets to stay in New York to stick it to the Giants… or is it the guy who’s been talking with Jay Cutler to go to the Bears? They (and I say they since Rosenhaus is involved) are just trying to get a bidding war going.
Sure..of course none of his interest has to do with the bucs having so much cap space to chew thru before the season starts..
@ jlinnell98
From my understanding, he was a cancer long before he shot himself. That was pretty much the culmination of everything. Wasn’t he fined like 40 times by the Giants for showing up late for meetings/practice/etc? He’s undisciplined off the field and on it as well.
But, at least you’ll get him for pennies on the dollar. You can have him… the guy’s a total moron.
jlinnell98 says:
June 17th, 2009 at 11:37 am
Plax had a gun & shot himself accidently, I’ll take him on the squad no questions asked…I’m surprised that so many people are calling him a cancer & that he’ll ruin the (lack of) team unity. I don’t remember anyone from the Giants thinking he was a cancer when he played for NY but I could be wrong. Either way, some players that have killed people & are still playing in the NFL so why not Cheddar Bob? The best part about him shooting himself is the Bucs will get for half of his previous value!
He could have EASILY shot someone else. He is LUCKY he shot himself. He was twice suspended by the Giants for “conduct detrimental to the team” And was a rookie hold out with the Steelers.
Sure, I’ll do your job for you…AGAIN
Tim Couch was suspended as a free agent in 2007 for substance abuse. He was released in August of that year, and suspended suring the regular season while still trying to find a new team. Just look to your new partner for the story….
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21120912/
………meh
I hope the Bucs get him!!! But they probably won’t
Hosstyle in Tampa – “Any Buc fan who wants Burress is an idiot… You really are an idiot if you think that bringing in Plaxico” is a good idea.
What I was saying about being a ‘cancer’ is that although he has been suspended/missed meetings at least he does it (more) quietly, and I haven’t heard much drama between him & other players which would affect the way the team is managed. Seems to be a lot of Plaxico haters in here…angry vaGiant fans?
Take a chance on a guy with off the field issues, pay him crap & get good production out of him (ala Antonio Bryant). Seems like a win/win situation as long as it doesn’t cause a negative impact on the locker room…now if they pay top dollar for him, I agree, they are idiots