Thread: Bears aren’t chomping to get WR Plaxico

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

By NEIL HAYES nhayes@suntimes.com

Updated: July 13, 2011 2:15AM


Free-agent receiver Plaxico Burress thinks he would be a great fit with the Bears, but multiple sources have told the Sun-Times the team would be interested in the former New York Giants star only at a bargain price, if at all.
Burress told WMVP-AM (1000) on Tuesday that the Bears are one of his top three choices. While he would seem to fit the Bears’ need for a bigger, playmaking receiver, he recently was freed after serving nearly two years in prison for carrying an unlicensed gun and accidentally shooting himself in the leg in a New York nightclub in November 2008.
As if character concerns, inactivity and his age (he turns 34 next month) weren’t enough, Burress isn’t known for running the precise routes required in coordinator Mike Martz’s offense. In other words, while he might be the type of receiver quarterback Jay Cutler would love to throw to in a sandlot game, he likely wouldn’t fit into Martz’s precision scheme.
The fact that the lockout would prevent Cutler and Burress from practicing with each other during the offseason and during a potentially abbreviated preseason is another detriment.

Nothing here that hasn't been said before. If Burress is going to ask for top dollar deal at his age and after 2 years of inactivity it won't be the Bears who give it to him. Around here we've said all along that he might be an interesting prospect to bring in on a two year deal for around the vet minimum with some performance based bonuses but if he's looking for a big signing bonus he can "go fish".

If we're really interested in getting a guy with size then Malcolm Floyd should be at the top of the list if it's merely a very good #2 type we want and can afford and if we want to spend then go after Rice. Those have always been the two guys at the top of my list.

Plax may not be all that high on our list but apparently we're high on his. He says the Bears are one of the three teams he'd consider.



Burress gushes about possibility of signing with Bears

• NFL.com
• Published: July 12, 2011 at 08:25 p.m.
• Updated: July 13, 2011 at 03:07 p.m.
• Liked: 19 | Comments: 135

While the consensus seems to be that Plaxico Burress will return to the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, the wide receiver says the Chicago Bears are among the top three teams he will consider after the lockout ends and free agency begins.
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"Oh, without question, without a doubt," Burress said on "The Carmen, Jurko & Harry Show" on WMVP-AM in Chicago when asked if the Bears are in the mix for his services. "With the right tools, they can go all the way to the top."

Burress, who hasn't played since August 2008 after serving nearly two years in prison for carrying an unlicensed gun into a New York nightclub, also lauded Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte. "As a receiver, I have a lot of respect for Jay Cutler," Burress said. "I feel he's a phenomenal talent. With the right tools put in place ... I think he can go all the way to the top."
The Bears have publicly expressed their interest in adding a taller receiver, but multiple sources told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday that the team only would want 6-foot-5 Burress at a "a bargain basement price, if at all."

Linebacker Brian Urlacher recently said Burress would be a welcome addition in Chicago. "I'm a big fan of his," Urlacher said on WMVP-AM's "The Waddle & Silvy Show" last month. "Always been a big fan of his, football-wise. Every time he plays against us, he gives us fits. He's a tough matchup for any corner." Bears fans also seemed to have affected Burress via Twitter messages, urging him to come to Chicago. "It's just been love," Burress said. "It's one of the best cities in the world."
NFL.com senior analyst Pat Kirwan investigates the pressing issues facing each team when the lockout ends:

» AFC East: Jets, Pats search for missing title piece
» NFC East: Division rivals reload as Redskins rebuild
» AFC North: Ravens, Steelers prepare to maintain edge
» NFC North: Vikings' Rice might shift power in division
» AFC South: Trio of teams still taking aim at Colts
» NFC South: Hard choices lie ahead for top teams

Meanwhile, the Eagles haven't shied away from showing their love either, with quarterback Michael Vick saying Tuesday on ESPN Radio's "The Herd with Colin Cowherd": "I think he's an extremely good athlete, one of the best receivers ever to play the game. ... Why wouldn't you want him on your team?"

Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson joined the chorus Friday on ESPN Radio New York. "But in my mind, I think he would love to come play for the Eagles, you know, he and Vick -- he already kind of had a connection with Vick -- with him being in prison and him kind of talking to him before," Jackson said via SportsRadioInterviews.com. "So it might be a connection, bro, I don't know. But regardless, I wish the best for him, and if he was to come to Philadelphia, I think it would be a dangerous combination."

Burress, who turns 34 in August, has 505 receptions for 7,845 yards and 55 touchdowns in nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants. He caught the winning touchdown pass for the Giants in Super Bowl XLII

Plax is damaged goods. He needs to go find a team that will want to splurge and take a chance on getting a receiver who may well have seen his best days pass him by.

Originally Posted by Dagan81

Plax is damaged goods. He needs to go find a team that will want to splurge and take a chance on getting a receiver who may well have seen his best days pass him by.

My guess is that Plax is gonna end up staying out east. He's a lot more the type of guy who Philly will take a chance on than the Bears. He's a fit in our minds because of his size but Lovie and Martz keep saying that size is not the deciding factor. Unless that's another smokescreen around their intentions Plax probably won't be a Bear. I can't say I'd be all that broken up about it if we don't sign him.

Originally Posted by soulman

My guess is that Plax is gonna end up staying out east. He's a lot more the type of guy who Philly will take a chance on than the Bears. He's a fit in our minds because of his size but Lovie and Martz keep saying that size is not the deciding factor. Unless that's another smokescreen around their intentions Plax probably won't be a Bear. I can't say I'd be all that broken up about it if we don't sign him.

Agreed. Or, he might get on with the Bengals or the Raiders since they take the troublemakers.