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Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress spoke on Sirius XM NFL Radio Friday, tossing his hat into the ring of support for Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez.
New York Daily News reporter Manish Mehta Tweeted Burress's comments Friday.
Plaxico Burress on former teammate Mark Sanchez (via Sirius): "I think he will turn the corner and become a good QB in the league." #nyj
— Manish Mehta(@MMehtaNYDN) May 17, 2013
Perhaps Plax is lulling Sanchez into a false sense of security. Then again, judging by the start to Sanchez's career, any security he may have can't be considered anything other than false.
Sea-Adderall
Burress played with the Jets in 2011, one season after the Steelers defeated Sanchez and New York in the AFC Championship game. Burress had 45 catches and eight touchdowns in his first season back after being incarcerated for two years on a weapons charge.
To give Burress a break, he is obviously going to be asked about Sanchez (look at what happens before the Steelers play the Jets in Week 6. That's assuming he's on the team. It's possible Burress is just networking, considering his non-guaranteed one-year contract with Pittsburgh.
The Steelers drafted Oregon State's Markus Wheaton in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, giving the Steelers three receivers who are assured of roster spots - Wheaton, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders. Veteran (and former Jets receiver) Jerrhico Cotchery and Burress are behind the first three, and the Steelers kept four receivers on the active roster in 2012.
That's not to say they will definitely do that again, but the 53-man roster becomes a numbers game after the obvious choices are added. Includng fullback Will Johnson, the Steelers had six running backs last season. With Rashard Mendenhall having moved on to Arizona, and Chris Rainey having been released, it seems more likely they'd only keep five this year. But the signing of Matt Spaeth and the recovery of Heath Miller could lead to the Steelers keeping four tight ends - Miller, Spaeth, David Paulson and David Johnson.
However it shakes out, Burress, as well as other members of the 2012 roster, shouldn't feel any more secure than Sanchez right now.
Well, maybe more secure than Sanchez.