Usually, when Reid, Roseman, or Banner discuss the possible acquisition of a player – especially one they have a particular interest in – they break out their traditional boilerplate comment: “We’re always interested in improving the team any way we can. If that means trading, drafting, or going after a free agent, we’ll always pursue every possible outlet to find quality players and improve our roster.” I’ve read and heard this answer so many times throughout the past ten years I can recite it from memory, can predict exactly at what point during an interview it’s going to come out. When we acquire Michael Vick, when we traded for Tapp, when we brought in Stacy Andrews, the list goes on and on and on.

After Eisen posed the Burress question, I would have bet my life savings the next words out of Reid’s mouth would have been “We’re always interested” or “We’re always looking”. And I would have lost.

Instead, Reid responded with phrases like “wherever it happens” and “no matter where he ends up”, seeming more concerned with expressing his admiration for the player and wishing him well than addressing the possibility of his becoming an Eagle. From my perspective, I view this as a pretty clear indication that the Birds have no plans to pursue or sign Burress anytime this offseason. If they were interested, I’m pretty sure you would have heard the boilerplate at some point, a calculated opening of the door for that possibility in the future. Instead, it seemed that Reid was trying to say they weren’t interested without disparaging Burress’s character, the way a potential employer will tell you he’s “not interested, but he’s sure you’re going to be hired somewhere” and that he “wishes you the best wherever you end up.