Plaxico Burress Makes Sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers

by Matt Shetler

Much has been made of wide receiver Plaxico Burress and his return to the NFL after spending two years in prison. While reinstatement to the league from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell may have been step one in Burress’ path to return to the NFL, step two is finding employment.

Burress dined with the New York Giants Friday night and spent much of the day in Latrobe, PA. dining with Steelers brass on Saturday. There have also been talks that the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers are showing interest in the 6″5 wide out.

For the Steelers this should be a no-brainer.

Adding Burress to an already solid core of receivers also adds another dimension to the current  Steelers offense. Yes Mike Wallace can stretch the field and yes Hines Ward is still a solid possession receiver, but adding Burress means more big plays and a solid red zone threat. Plus there is the fact that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger loves throwing to the guy.

I have to laugh at some of the reasoning why the Steelers shouldn’t do this.

For those worried about the Steelers image, I have to ask what planet are you living on? With the offseason troubles of James Harrison, Ward, and Roethlisberger (just to name a few) the past couple off seasons; that image has long been tainted.

The other reasoning why many feel it’s a bad idea is that young wide receivers Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders will have their growth stunted in the Steelers offense. While both young guys made a decent impression in 2010, neither showed the ability that they could play a feature role in the offense anytime soon.

While Roethlisberger, Steelers management, and others may be thrilled if Burress elects to return to Pittsburgh, one man who may not be could be Ward.

On paper, though it won’t happen, Ward should slide down the depth chart a bit if the Steelers could add Burress. That likely wouldn’t sit well with the veteran Ward. While Ward is still productive, the numbers have started to trend downward the past couple of seasons. Yet while there is no doubt he will be solid in 2011, Wallace and Burress should be your top two receivers on the depth chart.

Which brings us to the man who has to make the ultimate decision and that’s Burress.

If the Steelers would bring Burress aboard, it needs to be a two-year deal, not just a one-year contract. It would also likely take between $5-6 mil per season. That shouldn’t be a problem as the Steelers could free up cap space, but does Burress truly want that.

I can’t explain what being in prison for two years is like, but there is a chance Burress would want to get as far away from his old life and start things fresh, which makes the 49ers an interesting option. There is also the fact that Burress likely wants to prove he can be a club’s top wide receiver right off the bat, which makes the Steelers not a very good option.

Of course he knows what is expected when you put the Steelers jersey on, which means he could come in and get right to work.

He likely won’t be on the market long, so the clock is ticking for the Steelers.