It's been less than a day since the New York Giants released troubled wide receiver Plaxico Burress, and the theories are still spreading like wildfire. One of the most frequently asked questions hasn't been why was Burress released, but why was Burress released now?
That's a question I sought to answer since the announcement of his release.
I contacted every person I know who is even remotely familiar with the Giants thinking, whether they were beat writers or other personnel and asked them all the same exact questions. Why now? Why not in December? Did the Giants really plan to keep Plax if he turned a corner? And what do you expect to come of his battle with New York over the money they've withheld.
Surprisingly, many of them had different answers. However, the answer to one question remained consistent: Jerry Reese and the New York Giants did want Burress to return.
"I think a fair amount of people in the front office were hoping that Burress would change his attitude and want to remain with the team. I got the impression that the thinking was, ‘Ok, he came pretty close to losing everything so maybe moving forward he exercises better judgment,' " said Pat Traina of Inside Football.
And Pat wasn't the only one who felt that way.
"I really believe the Giants were holding out hope his attitude would change. Maybe they were being naive, but if they didn't think he could grow up they probably wouldn't have waited this long to cut him," Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News said.
They did have their doubts, however ... and how could they not? Following his self-inflicted gunshot wound, stories of the wide receivers troubles began to rain down like fire. Whether it was past run-ins with the law or blatant violations of team rules, it was more than evident that Burress had a serious attitude problem.
"His attitude from the moment he shot himself had been very poor. The Giants were hoping he would turn it around, but it had become clear that wasn't going to happen," a person familiar with the situation said.
The Giants did seem to plan ahead, however.
"They probably did have some doubt that he could do it, but I think that's why they did take action with that December bonus. My understanding is it wasn't a roster bonus; it was the final payment of his signing bonus. And they withheld it. That's why they're in arbitration now," Vacchiano added.
Still, up until the very end, it appears the Giants did everything they could to keep Plax in blue ... going as far as offering him a new contract, allowing him to earn all of the money that was written into his previous deal.
So now, rather than working to clear up his legal troubles and getting back to the team, the Super Bowl XLII hero will be looking for work ... and I hear the Eagles are hiring.
For the Giants, they'll now look toward arbitration and attempt to keep every penny they can from Burress' remaining signing bonus (not a roster bonus, as we heard previously) and the prorated portion of his four week suspension (more than $200,000).
But what are the chances the Giants can actually win this case? Well ...
"The chances he gets his money back? Probably good. The language of his contract is pretty tight, but the rules of the CBA give some leeway for the arbitrator to potentially rule in his favor. My guess is that there will eventually be a settlement. Neither side is so sure of their argument that they think they're lock to win. So it's in Burress' best interest to accept something less, and it's in the Giants' best interest to offer to pay something less, rather than either of them taking a full hit," Vacchiano explains.
And since Burress was so reluctant to take a new deal, and has had the attitude that "New York owes me, I don't owe them," it's not much a leap to suggest he'll deny any potential settlement.
While his side may not feel their case is very strong, it's rare that the player is ruled against in arbitration. And even if they are, they always end up with something in their pockets. So it's more than a safe bet that Burress gambles and walks away with everything the Giants withheld, or at least a good portion of it.
However, as Pat Traina explains, there is a chance Big Blue may have saved themselves when they gave him a new contract last year.
"I think it comes down to the Giants being able to prove that the money that was docked/withheld was tied into specific terms of the contract which Burress failed to fulfill. Having not seen the contract, I really can't answer the question as it's all in how it was written. What I do know is that when they drafted the new contract last year, the Giants took extra pains to put language in there to protect themselves from any mishaps, so based on that knowledge, I'd say the Giants have a pretty good chance at winning this one," Traina said.
Given all this information - some new and some old - I felt compelled to ask one more time. Why now? If Burress was really this much trouble, why didn't the Giants release him in prior to December? Why did they allow this to go on ... was there another reason besides "they hoped he's turn a corner."
For the first time, I was finally given a different answer.
"I don't think they could release him back in December. For starters, the legal process had just begun to unfold, and the man was recovering from an assortment of injuries, most notably a shot to his thigh. Had the Giants released him in December, I think that would have been a huge PR gaffe on their part," Pat Traina explained.
Pat explained that she still believed the Giants were hoping beyond hope that he'd turn a corner, but Public Relations may have also aided in their decision to not release Burress back in November when he Cheddar Bobed himself.
So here we are with new answers in hand. We get an idea of why the Giants waited to release Burress, what they were hoping for and what they were trying to accomplish. We also have some insight into the battle over the money Burress feels he's owed and different perspective on how it will play out.
All is right with the world ... no?
Sadly, all these answers do is raise more questions. Why didn't the Giants wait until after the NFL Draft to release Burress? Does this decision mean they have a potential trade in place? And even if they saved a few pennies by releasing him, do they have enough cap room to add an experienced and talented wide receiver?
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