Why the Jets Picked Plaxico Burress Over Braylon Edwards

So the deed is done. The Jets made a big splash by signing wide receiver Plaxico Burress to play opposite Santonio Holmes. Edwards, a key player for the Jets in the last two seasons, will not be back. And the speculation? It’s that the Jets wanted Burress over Edwards primarily to grab attention in the New York market and get one-up on the Giants, their co-tenants at the New Meadowlands Stadium. The reasoning hints that Edwards wasn’t flashy enough for the “Hard Knocks” Jets. They even gave Burress the No. 17 worn by Edwards.

It kind of makes sense that it’s all about the P.S.L.’s, right?

Except that it doesn’t. The simple reason in this salary cap era is that signing Burress was primarily about money. This was not about the Jets showing Edwards any disrespect. Was Edwards going to sign with the Jets for the reported $3 million it took to sign Burress? Nope. While the temptation is to compare Edwards to Burress, the more realistic comparison for Edwards is with Santonio Holmes, who signed a 5-year, $50 million contract. Even with Edwards’s recent legal issues, he should still be able to exceed $3 million in guaranteed money in the free-agent market. The Jets just can’t match that right now, especially since they needed to sign Antonio Cromartie (which they reportedly have) on a budget getting smaller by the day.

For the Jets, there is little financial risk with the Burress signing. The only one will be whether the offense will lose any of its potency without Edwards. It is a legitimate question. Burress, a dynamic player throughout his career, is nevertheless almost 34 and has not played in the N.F.L. in almost three years. The upside is that once he gets into game shape, Burress should pose many of the same matchup problems for opposing cornerbacks as Edwards did.

If the temptation is to say Edwards’s recent legal issues affected the Jets’ decision, that doesn’t ring true. By all accounts, Edwards turned the corner last year after his D.U.I. arrest. He was at his best late in the season and in the playoffs. Edwards’s problems with drops seemed to have largely disappeared. At age 28, Edwards is a complete player who is in his prime.

The Jets’ signing of Burress doesn’t change that. Whether or not Edwards can secure the free-agent contract he wants in the coming days remains to be seen. He didn’t help himself after a court hearing in Ohio last week resulted in an extension of his probation and could have resulted in jail time. Even if Edwards can get a long-term deal, it is possible he won’t be able to command quite the same dollars.

Maybe Edwards should settle for a one-year contract. He could always test the market again next year, possibly with more leverage. And one year is a long time in the N.F.L. Just ask Holmes, who was in high demand in this free-agent market only 15 months after almost being released by the Steelers right before the Jets acquired him for a fifth-round draft pick.