MidValleySports.Com

Sayonara Plaxico

 

The New York Giants released Plaxico Burress Friday, four months after the wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the thigh in a New York City nightclub.

 

A star on the field and especially against New England in the Super Bowl, Burress consistently was in trouble and hit with fines and suspensions while with New York.

 

Facing felony weapons charge after shooting himself in the thigh on Nov. 29 with an unlicensed gun in his waistband; Burress is looking at minimum 3 1/2 years if convicted.

 

“Plaxico’s contribution to our championship season in 2007 can never be underestimated or undervalued,” coach Tom Coughlin said to the Associated Press. “He displayed tremendous determination throughout that season. Having said that, I have always been as concerned about Plaxico as a man as I have been about him as a player, and my hope is that everything that has happened over the past several months represents a turning point.”

 

Multiple draft publications have the Giants looking at North Carolina wide receiver Hakeem Nicks with the twenty-ninth pick in the first round.

 

 

Post Cutler Deal

 

With Jay Cutler going to the Chicago Bears, the Denver Broncos, (unless Kyle Orton fits their plans) will be looking to take a quarterback in the first round of the coming NFL Draft.

 

Georgia’s Matthew Stafford has been projected from going first to the Detroit Lions or as low as number 10 to San Francisco. USC’s Mark Sanchez has been listed as a possibility from Seattle at number four, Frisco at number 10 and the New York Jets at number 17.

 

Sanchez is the guy the Broncos want, Sanchez is the guy that fits, but the Broncos don’t pick until number 12 and three teams in front of them are in the market for a quarterback. This may force them to deal some of what they received in the Cutler trade to move up and insure the drafting of Sanchez.

 

Another fear for the Denver front office is the Jets dealing and moving up to get their hands one of the top two quarterbacks.

 

The third quarterback rumored to be going in the first round is Kansas State’s Josh Freeman. While talented and physically impressive, Freeman is not NFL ready and will not be ready to step as a starter on day one. Nor should he be expected to.

 

Last Note Cutler

In 2006 the debate raged between USC’s Matt Leinart or Texas’ Vince Young. The third quarterback in that draft was Jay Cutler out of Vanderbilt. Three years later Cutler is the only one of the three to become established as a starting NFL quarterback.

 

How much is a Number One Worth?

 

Denver acquired two number ones and a third round pick in the Cutler deal. Many, including Aryn Hart, have said two number ones were too much to give. But the draft is a roll of the dice.

 

How recent was it that Leinart and Young were considered can’t miss prospects? Alex Smith at San Francisco? Has New Orleans received all the value they thought they would in Reggie Bush? Do we want to talk about USC wide receivers in the draft of late?

 

Last draft the Washington Redskins took Devin Thomas, he caught 16 passes. Pittsburgh Rashard Mendenhall played four games.  Chris Long didn’t do a whole lot with the Rams, and Vernon Gholston was a bust for the Jets.

 

Some of that was character, some of that was injury, but you never know for sure. It is a roll of the dice, so why not send two picks for an established NFL talent like Cutler who is just starting to blossom?

 

Last Note Draft

 

The uncertainty of the draft continues. Projected numbers ones Brian Cushing & Clay Mathews out of USC have been suspected of steroid abuse. Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji tested positive for marijuana. For Florida’s Percy Harvin questions have risen about performance enhancers. Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree is recovering from surgery on his foot.

 

Sanchez, Stafford, Crabtree, Knowshon Moreno (Georgia), and Jeremy Maclin (Missouri) are all underclassman.

 

Unless Don Klosterman is making the picks, I’m taking the quarterback