I was long skeptical of the Jets signing Plaxico Burress before they did so. Signing a 34 year old receiver who had not played in close to three years did not seem like the soundest idea, no matter how productive he used to be.
Burress proved to be a valuable red zone target as the Jets moved from the bottom of the league to the top in that area. Near the goal line, space becomes condensed so having a big target who can get taller than everybody on high passes can be a real weapon. Burress had 8 touchdowns in 2011.
Before the Jets entered the red zone, though, Plaxico was not a very effective weapon. He had only 45 catches for 614 yard. Unlike Santonio Holmes, I never got the impression Plax was a victim of his quarterback play. Any speed he once had is gone. Even though he was never purely a speed guy, he is slow by NFL receiver standards. He also ran poor routes consistently, frequently cutting his patterns short and not coming back to the ball. Mark Sanchez made his share of mistakes this year, but some of them were simply a result of him throwing the ball where Burress was supposed to be and Plax not getting there. Mark's killer interception in Denver was a great example. Sanchez has to take a lot of heat for staring Burress down and not seeing a defender, but it is not an interception if Plax simply comes to the football. The only balls he really seemed to fight for were jump balls.
I think Plaxico at this point is an effective situational guy. He can help a team in the red zone. He is a limited player and should probably be paid as such. I tend to think he and Drew Rosenhaus view this as the free agent's final chance to get paid. Plax missed some high earning years because of his prison time. They might want to cash in on his touchdowns.
I think the Jets need somebody more consistent starting across from Santonio Holmes. They need somebody who can draw attention between the 20's. If Plaxico wants to come back in a limited capacity for cheap, I would be fine with that, but otherwise I vote go. How do you vote?