Reese: Plax Deal Should be Done by Season

About the only unsolved issue up at Giants training camp these days is whether or not Plaxico Burress will get a new contract before the 2008 season begins. On Sunday, Giants GM Jerry Reese said that he’s “optimistic” that a Burress deal will be in place by New York’s season opener on Sept. 4.

Earlier in the day, Burress, who has still yet to practice, said that he wasn’t all that concerned about his contract status. As for Tom Coughlin’s hopes that Burress would be able to return to practice by the time camp breaks on Aug. 17, Burress was unsure what the next week-plus held for him.

“I think everyone will be lot happier when I’m 100 percent,” he said. “They haven’t tried to push me out on the football field.”

Burress is wearing special orthotics in his shoes and cleats to help alleviate the pain in his ankle.

“I know with practice I’m going to be so much better,” Burress said. “I walk around in (the orthotics) every day. I’ve been jogging and will run some routes this afternoon. I’m getting treatment two times a day.”

Burress said, once again, that once he’s healthy, the rest of the league had better look out.

“Those numbers I put up last year (70 catches, 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns), I did it by limping around,” he said.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Reese said that the club is hopeful that rookie LB Jonathan Goff will be able to return to action by New York’s fourth and final preseason contest on Aug. 28. Goff suffered a fracture of a transverse process in his back against Detroit and Coughlin recently said that Goff’s future was uncertain. However, Reese stated that Goff’s return is based more on the rookie’s pain threshold and less on potentially worsening the injury.

Finally, Coughlin said that rookie WR Mario Manningham (quad) is making progress and “hopefully in another week he’ll be ready to go.”