Seth Wenig / AP

Plaxico Burress enters the criminal courts building wife his wife, Tiffany, in New York on March 31, 2009.

A little more than a week ago, Umenyiora predicted that Burress would reach a plea agreement and not get jail time.

Burress, who was suspended by the Giants for the final four weeks of the season for conduct detrimental to the team and fined after the shooting, also faces possible NFL sanctions for violating its personal conduct policy.

Burress caught 344 passes with the Giants, which places him 12th on the franchise’s career list, one catch ahead of Earnest Gray and three behind Aaron Thomas. Burress had 3,681 receiving yards and caught 33 touchdown passes for the Giants.

The Giants finished 12-5 last season, but they lost four of their final five games after the suspension of Burress. A season that began with hopes of consecutive Super Bowl titles ended at home in the playoffs with an embarrassing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Giants signed Burress to a five-year, $35 million contract extension in September. The team withheld a $1 million signing bonus after the shooting and the NFL Players Association filed a grievance on Burress’ behalf.

The grievance, which contests whether teams can withhold guaranteed salaries and bonus money from players because of off-field conduct, was heard earlier this week by a special master, Stephen Burbank at the University of Pennsylvania law school. His ruling is expected within a week.

Releasing Burress will only save the Giants $300,000 on their salary cap. The savings could jump to $1.3 million if they win the grievance.

Burress had caught a pass in 115 consecutive games, including 56 with the Giants, until he was shut out at Arizona on Nov. 23, his last game before the shooting incident. Burress started but left that game after one series with a hamstring injury and did not return.

Burress’ 23 postseason catches with the Giants leave him fifth on the team’s career list and his 310 postseason yards place him third. He had 35 passes for 454 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games last season.

His last Giants’ reception was an 11-yarder late in the second quarter in a victory over Baltimore on Nov. 16.

Burress joined the Giants as an unrestricted free agent March 2005 after five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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