Former Giants teammates Plaxico Burress and Tiki Barber each tried to get back into the NFL soon after lengthy absences this season. Burress was welcomed back with open arms and signed with the Jets. Barber was largely ignored and has been described as devastated and flabbergasted that no one will sign him.
It turns out that Burress is flabbergasted that no one will sign Barber, too.
“It’s crazy,” Burress told the New York Post of Barber’s failure to locate a team. “He’s better than half the backs in the league.”
It is true that when Barber and Burress last played together — in 2006 — Barber was greater than half the backs in the league. You could make a case that Barber, who topped 2,000 yards from scrimmage in every of his last three seasons, was greater than all the other backs in the league. But it is 2011 now, and the thought that Barber, at age 36, is nonetheless far better than half the backs in the league is farfetched.
Still, Burress holds out hope for his old teammate.
“I’m quite surprised he’s not on somebody’s roster,” Burress said. “But it’s just Week 4. Possibly somebody will call him.”
That’s doubtful. The Dolphins named him in for a workout, and following getting a look at Barber declined to bring him into training camp. And no other team has even gone so far as to kick the tires on Tiki. If any NFL team believed Burress may well be appropriate that Barber is far better than half the backs in the league appropriate now, Barber would be in the league right now.
