With the start of free agency beginning later this week the New York Giants find themselves in a very odd situation concerning the wide receiver position. Plaxico Burress is one of the most talented receivers in football and the most important part of the Giants offense, but because of his legal problems the future is much clouded for him right now. This presents a very tough decision for the Giants in the upcoming weeks, so here are some of their choices.

Sign a free agent
This years crop of good receivers is slim, very slim in fact the only one that is really worth pursuing is T.J. Houshmandzadeh. He can be a No. 1 receiver and played very well last season with a bad team and a backup quarterback. The only problem is that I think he is more of a possession type receiver in the mold of an Amani Toomer rather than a game breaker like Burress. Some other names to consider are Nate Washington, Devery Henderson, Reggie Williams, or some recent cuts like Marvin Harrison or Jerry Porter may be options.

Trade for Anquan Boldin
I know that it’s a long shot but it is worth looking into because Boldin is young, explosive and will be eager to prove that he is a No. 1 receiver. It will probably require multiple draft picks in order to get him but he would be much more effective than any receiver the Giants would draft in those two rounds. Furthermore, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and Domenik Hixon are all young and would provide a great supporting cast for years to come.

Draft a receiver
Some of the names that have been mentioned are Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin and Hakim Nicks. But the class of the draft this season is Michael Crabtree, who is considered by many to be the best overall player as well. The Giants will certainly have to trade up to a top five pick if they were to have any chance at him.

Wait it out with Burress
This may be the most risky of the four options because of the fact that the Giants will not know his fate until the end of March. There is a good chance that he will serve some kind of jail time or probation, not to mention the suspension that the NFL may give him. This is a tough pill for the Giants to swallow, especially if they want to be competitive next season because they are dealing with a situation that they cannot control. However they also gave him a new contract last season, so they may indeed decide to wait it out and hope for a quick resolution.

I would love to see Burress back on the team because the bottom line is that when he is on the field he gives the Giants the best chance to win; we all saw how it impacted the team late last season and how he helped them win the Super Bowl. But will the Giants hold steady rather than pursue another receiver? It is a tough situation and maybe by the end of the week we’ll see what direction they will be taking.