It seems no Eagles player can go anywhere these days without being asked about the possibility of Plaxico Burress joining the team.
Michael Vick was busy endorsing Unequal Technologies, a football padding company, when an interview he was conducting with CNBC turned toward the recently freed ex-New York Giant.
Vick getting his wish could show how much power he has
“We all would love to have Plaxico as a teammate” said Vick. “I think he would be a great fit. You know, I think he would be a great play maker for us. It all remains to be seen. I think the thing now is for him to get acclimated into society and with his family and then talk football later”
It’s no surprise to hear Vick co-sign the possibility of Burress being an Eagle. Vick knows that as of right now he is the only weapon the team has in the redzone, and the addition of a 6’5 receiver to run fade routes will only help him towards a big contract next off season.
It will be interesting to see how much Vick is willing to push for Plaxico. Donovan McNabb was heavily criticized during his time with the Eagles for his unwillingness to push management into getting him a play maker, even when he was forced to throw the ball to players like James Thrash and Torrence Small week after week. McNabb never spoke up against management, and it was one of the reasons his popularity in the locker room was not very high.
If Vick were to try to convince Reid (once they are allowed to start talking again) to sign Plaxico, it would show a number of things. It would show that despite only signing Vick to the one year franchise player tag, the organization sees Vick as the future. They would not bring in a player on Vick’s behalf if they knew there was a possibility he may not even be here next season. It also would also that Reid has major trust in Vick.
Could Burress coming to Philly hurt Vick-Jackson relationship?
It would also be interesting to know how DeSean Jackson feels hearing that Vick wants Burress on the team. Its no secret that Jackson wants a new deal, and Burress on the team will only hurt Jacksons numbers. Vick has insinuated in recent comments that Jackson and him may not be on the same page regarding Plaxico, but that Jackson will come around.
Jackson has shown that he can be a little bit of a hot head when he doesn’t get his catches, as evident by his rumored blow up in Chicago. If Burress were to come in and be a target in the red zone, its hard to imagine their being no animosity between Jackson and Vick.
It is easy to break down a players qoute during a slow off season and pick it too far apart. But Vick is now the franchise quarterback of this team, and by asking for players like Burress to be brought on, he is making his mark.
How big of mark the Eagles let him make, and what that that mark ends up doing to the team, however, remains to be seen.
