Mark me down in the "no" category on whether the Pats should sign Plaxico Burress.
ESPN's Adam Schefter -- the best pro football reporter out there -- says the former Steeler, former Giant, former prisoner, former Jet is coming to Patriot Place today for a tryout. Hmmmm. The Pats just got rid of Ocho (who may soon be adding "prisoner" to his resume as well) and now Belichick is toying with the idea of adding Plax. Seems like a one step up, two steps back kind of thing. But Belichick has been right way more than me the past ten years so he gets the benefit of the doubt ... for now.
Plax would certainly give the Pats something the team doesn't have ... a tall wide receiver. Jabbar Gaffney -- among the guys most likely to make the team -- is the tallest at 6-2. Welker, Branch, and Lloyd are not quite six feet. Plax at 6-5 could add another dimension to the offense ... always a good thing. I'm sure Brady would be psyched to have him to throw to. But at what cost? Can Burress check his attitude -- and you better believe he has one -- at the door? Can he accept being the fourth or fifth receiver on the depth chart? Someone who might only catch three or four passes a game but -- unlike Ocho -- will have to actually catch the passes. Can he control himself from saying stupid things to the press that will only cause the annoying distractions that Sports Blab radio loves so much?
There's no way of knowing the answers to those questions. The only question Belichick is asking at the moment is can this guy still play? Can he help the team? He was right on Dillon. He was right on Randy. Not so much on Haynesworth or Ocho. You can't be right all the time but Belichick has been right a lot.
Maybe he'll be right this time. Maybe Plax will catch the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl to finally beat the Giants and set things right again.
You never know.
Plax would certainly give the Pats something the team doesn't have ... a tall wide receiver. Jabbar Gaffney -- among the guys most likely to make the team -- is the tallest at 6-2. Welker, Branch, and Lloyd are not quite six feet. Plax at 6-5 could add another dimension to the offense ... always a good thing. I'm sure Brady would be psyched to have him to throw to. But at what cost? Can Burress check his attitude -- and you better believe he has one -- at the door? Can he accept being the fourth or fifth receiver on the depth chart? Someone who might only catch three or four passes a game but -- unlike Ocho -- will have to actually catch the passes. Can he control himself from saying stupid things to the press that will only cause the annoying distractions that Sports Blab radio loves so much?
There's no way of knowing the answers to those questions. The only question Belichick is asking at the moment is can this guy still play? Can he help the team? He was right on Dillon. He was right on Randy. Not so much on Haynesworth or Ocho. You can't be right all the time but Belichick has been right a lot.
Maybe he'll be right this time. Maybe Plax will catch the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl to finally beat the Giants and set things right again.
You never know.
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