Plaxico Burress out of jail, headed to Eagles?
(CBS/AP) Did Plaxico Burress drop a hint as to where he might play again when he walked out of an upstate New York jail on Monday?
The former Giants star was donning a Philadelphia Phillies hat when he was released from prison after spending nearly two years behind bars on a gun charge.
There has been increasing speculation that another team in Philly - the Eagles - might take a chance on the newly freed wide receiver. After all, they did the same with Michael Vick after the quarterback's lengthy prison sentence, and that gamble has worked out pretty well.
Vick himself has publicly endorsed Burress, saying he would be a "great addition" to the team. The New York Daily News reported last month that the Eagles were "first in line" to land the wide receiver.
Still, the Eagles are just one of several teams who may in the running. In his "Monday Morning Quarterback" column last week, Sports Illustrated's Peter King said the Jets, Raiders and Browns were also front runners.
"I think [Burress will] have two or three teams very interested. My guess is the Jets, Eagles and Raiders will be involved (the Jets if they don't sign Randy Moss), and I'll tell you a team that should be interested: Cleveland. A reborn Burress would do a good job giving Colt McCoy a threat he doesn't have right now -- if Burress is in shape and as interested in resuming his career as I've heard."
Some other teams that could be interested, according to CBSSports.com: St. Louis (ex-Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is the head coach) and Tennessee (ex-Giants offensive coordinator Chris Palmer is the offensive coordinator).
But not everyone is convinced teams will be lining up to throw money at a 34-year-old who hasn't played a down in three years. CBSSports.com senior writer Pete Prisco says Burress won't be landing any long-term deals.
"Expect the team that signs Burress to give him a short-term deal with a minimal signing bonus, which reduces the risk," Prisco writes. "I spoke with two personnel men in the past week and both said the same thing. I hope Burress comes out and proves us wrong."
As for Burress, he was headed to Florida to spend time with his family and did not comment on which team might sign him next. But he seemed eager to get back to work when the lockout ends.
"As far as football is concerned, if and when everything gets settled, when they get back on the field, I'll be ready," he said.
His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said he has spoken to several teams about the wide receiver and expects him to play in the NFL again. He said Burress matured in prison and there are things he would do differently.
"He's learned an awful lot," Rosenhaus said. "He knows that he obviously made a mistake. To miss two NFL seasons in the prime of your career. To not be with your family, most importantly. To lose out on millions and millions of dollars. These are things that have forced him to certainly evaluate his life."
He said the teams he's talked to have not expressed any concerns about Burress. He did not say which teams or how many he spoke to.
"He's going to be a top free-agent," Rosenhaus said. "There are going to be multiple teams interested in signing him. I expect him to get a good contract. I expect him to absolutely be playing."
It was just three years ago that Burress caught the game-winning catch with 35 seconds to play, giving the Giants a stunning 17-14 win over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.