T-Rock's Take on the Giants

Wide receiver Plaxico Burress caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII, but today he dropped a bomb on the Giants minicamp. On a day when most of the attention was being paid to Jeremy Shockey’s attendance at the mandatory event, Burress said he was not practicing because he wants a new deal with the team.

“Me and my agent (Drew Rosenhaus) are trying to get this deal done for the future so I can remain a New York Giant and we’re just not happy with the way things are going right now,” Burress said. “That’s basically the main reason why I’m not out there.”

Burress stood on the sideline and walked about the field during the morning practice, wearing his jersey and a backwards baseball cap while his teammates sweated through the workout. It was widely assumed that Burress was not participating due to lingering effects of ankle and knee injuries that nagged him throughout the 2007 season.

“He just has a sore knee and so he has been held out,” Tom Coughlin said after the practice regarding Burress. But after meeting with the media, Burress smashed that thinking like a piñata.

Burress has three years remaining on his six-year, $25 million contract with the Giants. He is due to earn $3.25 million this season, $3.5 in 2009 and $3.75 in 2010.

“I’m not saying I’m being mistreated, but everyone wants to be treated fairly,” he said. “We came to them and said we wanted to get a deal done and that’s really not going the way we want it to up to this point. Hopefully we can make something happen pretty soon.

“I don’t think it’s about timing,” he added. “I just feel it’s about doing what’s right. I haven’t been happy with the way it’s been going. So this is the reason why I’m not participating.”

Burress said he and the Giants have been communicating about his contract for several months. He said he wanted to keep it quiet, but could no longer mask his displeasure. “You guys asked me, so I told you,” he said, although it appeared he was looking for an opening to slip the information in. He was simply asked if he thought he would be on the field come training camp (the injury assumption still in place) when he said: “We hope so. Me and my agent are trying to get this deal done.”

Burress had 70 receptions for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007 despite nagging injuries that kept him off the practice field for most of the year.

“I know I can play stellar football for at least another four or five more years, so as far as me getting injured last year, that’s basically one of the most frustrating years that I’ve been through,” he said. “I sit back and look at myself, if I can go out and do the things that I did, basically on one leg and a half a knee in the Super Bowl, I mean, what kind of performance am I going to give when I’m 100 percent?”

"I don't like commenting on negotiations that are ongoing with a given team as a general rule,” Rosenhaus said, “but we are in discussions with the Giants as it relates to a contract extension with Plaxico and we are hopeful of getting something worked out here in the near future."

Burress said the front office was aware of his non-participation position and it was his belief that he would not be fined because he is technically attending the mandatory minicamp. He said he didn’t feel the need to speak with Tom Coughlin about the situation.

A number of receivers have landed lucrative deals this offseason, including Randy Moss (three years, $27 million, $12 million signing bonus) and Terrell Owens (four years, $34 million, $13 million guaranteed). “They’re in different markets and as far as organizations and things like that, they went out and have taken care of their players,” Burress said.

As for whether Burress would attend training camp under his current contract, he would only hint at a holdout.

“I guess we’ll have to see what happens when that comes around,” he said. “I’ve got a pretty good idea what I would do.”