Should the Chicago Bears Pursue Plaxico Burress?

Over the past few weeks, the same question has been circling around Chicago. Should the Chicago Bears take a chance and make an attempt to add Plaxico Burress to their core of receivers? While I think the answer to this question is a resounding yes, there are factors to consider before a decision can be made. As we know, Plaxico Burress has pending legal trouble for shooting himself in the thigh last summer in a nightclub last year and depending on the outcome of his case, he may not even be eligible to play in the upcoming season. Also, as is the concern with adding any player to a roster, what kind of chemistry will the player be able to create? Will he be able to come and fit in right away with the direction that the team desires to go or will he be a cancer and create a media circus similar to that of another talented wide-out Terrell Owens?

While these are all fair questions that certainly deserve serious consideration, I think that the positives may outweigh the negatives in this case. For starters, Plaxico Burress is a playmaker and with that being said, opposing defenses will certainly have to focus their coverage schemes around him. This will in effect, free up Devin Hester who is the currently the team's number one receiver. Burress doesn't drop a lot of passes thrown in his direction which is something we saw happen way too often with their receivers last season. In regards to whether or not he will be liked by his teammates should not be a concern because several local area news reports have mentioned that that they would welcome him if the team was able to somehow acquire his services. Besides, it is not a requirement that teammates like one another only that they give their all on each and every play and put their team in the best possible position to win ball games. If we reflect back to the championship Bulls teams of the early nineties, a lot of the players on those teams were not great friends off the court, but on the court, individual differences were put aside in order to help the team win.

The Bears missed the playoffs for the second straight season and I think that adding an additional weapon on offense will definitely be a step in the right direction toward ending that streak. The Bears had a chance to draft Randy Moss back in 1998 but opted not to because he had too many character issues in the eyes of the organization. Here, almost eleven years later, Moss is considered to be one of the premier receives in the league today. Again, I will repeat, there are several factors to consider before making a decision. However, the goal of every team is to be better than the previous season, and this move would definitely enable to Chicago Bears to be a better team than they were a season ago.

Source:

"Burress Worth The Risk", Neil Hayes, Chicago Sun-Times