Plaxico Burress made the rounds as a free agent following his 18-month stint in prison for firing a gun inside a NYC club. The Steelers, Giants, and Jets showed interest, as did the 49ers. Burress ended up signing a one-year deal with the Jets where he’ll likely have a chance to start opposite Santonio Holmes. Not only were the Jets appealing because of the $3 million they’re paying him and the starting job they have available, but also because of head coach Rex Ryan.
Pro Football Talk reports that a source tells them that signing with the Jets was “all about Rex” for Plaxico. They say “Ryan sold Burress on the coach’s belief that Plaxico can get them over the top.”
That matches what Burress said about Ryan on Saturday before he signed his deal. “I think [Rex is] great. He stands behind his players, I think his players have a lot of respect for him and they play hard for him. … He’s a great coach, great personality. He seems like he’s always upbeat.”
Even though Plax reportedly had a good meeting with Tom Coughlin this weekend, the two notoriously had problems. Coughlin is a disciplinarian who fined Plaxico around 50 times when he was with the Giants. That wasn’t the type of coaching style Burress wanted, so instead he’s going to the other New York team where a players’ coach is in charge.
Once again we’re seeing how Rex Ryan’s personality has won out. He’s creating a reputation as a coach for whom athletes are dying to play, and that gives the Jets a huge advantage in recruiting free agents.
