Add Osi Umenyiora to the list of New York Giants who have recently come out in support of a return to the team by Plaxico Burress, who is expected to be freed from prison this summer in time to resume his NFL career.
"If you look at our team before, when Plaxico was in, if you look after he's gone, even though we have had some success and even though we have played pretty well, it just hasn't been the same without him," Umenyiora said while making an appearance on "Jim Rome Is Burning." "He's a great guy; I hope he comes back."
Umenyiora told ESPN that he has visited Burress in prison.
"He's in great spirits," Umenyiora said. "He looks great. He is lean; he is in good shape. He's focused and he seems happy. I just can't wait for him to come out and I think he is going to have a great impact a la Michael Vick.
"No question, the talent that he possesses, you just don't see players with that type of talent," Umenyiora said. "He hasn't taken a pounding for two years; his body is going to be fresh. He is going to be out there making plays the way he usually does."
Osi is obviously friends with Burress and this is what you would expect him to say. I am certainly not getting all excited about it. You guys know where I stand. I am not buying that Burress, who is several years older than Vick, will not have seen his skills erode somewhat. I'm also not buying that the circus that will follow Burress is worth the lessened talents he is likely to bring to the table.
If and when Tom Coughlin comes out in favor of it I might change my mind. Until then I really don't care how many of his friends and former teammates come out in support of it. I think Burress to the Giants is a bad idea.