News & Info/Headlines

As initially reported by ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli, one week after abruptly breaking off contract negotiations with Plaxico Burress, the New York Giants on Thursday evening signed the free agent wide receiver to a six-year, $25 million contract.

Burress and Drew Rosenhaus, the agent retained by the veteran wideout in an effort to fan his flagging market value, flew to New York early Thursday morning to meet with Giants coaches and team officials. The trip came after Rosenhaus persuaded team officials to revisit their interest in the former Steelers starter.

According to Pasquarelli, the deal includes $8.25 million in guaranteed bonuses, an initial signing bonus of $5 million and then a $3.25 option bonus due next spring. There are also guaranteed salaries in the first two seasons. Burress will earn $11.38 million in the first two seasons of the contract and $14.6 million in the first three years.

If that's indeed the case, Rosenhaus convinced the Giants to not only reinstate the offer they made to his newest client last week, but to increase it in several key areas.

By all accounts, the Giants were angered at the time by several things. In addition to Burress dismissing what they felt was a market value deal, the five-year veteran refused to take a physical exam. Sources told Pasquarelli that one of the first things Burress did Thursday, upon arriving at team headquarters was take a physical.

Team officials reportedly also had problems with the way his former agent, Michael Harrison, used the media to further his own agenda. As Newark Star-Ledger staffer Mike Garafolo suggested at the time, Harrison's approach left many observers questioning his strategy.

"The Giants don't deal with people like that," one prominent agent was cited as saying. "They don't usually pull the plug and go to the media."

Another player representative told Garafolo: "Every year we get one of these guys who tries to overplay his hand. It looks like that's what happened there. ..."

Whatever the case Burress, who figures to join Amani Toomer in the starting lineup, will represent an upgrade to the Giants wide receiver corps.

The team recently released former starter Ike Hilliard and has been seeking a veteran wideout.

As Associated Press sports writer Tom Canavan noted, the Giants went through most of last season without a deep threat. Tim Carter was lost early in the season with a hip injury and rookie Jamaar Taylor showed flashes coming back from knee surgery in college.

But at 6-foot-5 and 226 pounds, Burress clearly has the size and speed to get down the field and catch the fade pattern in the end zone, which no doubt is attractive to Eli Manning heading into his first full season as a starter.

One last note here. ... It's safe to assume that recent reports indicating the team would sign former Bears wideout David Terrell to a contract at some point this week have gone by the wayside.