Burress looks sharp in first full practice

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mark Sanchez lofted a pass down the right sideline in one-on-one drills between the wide receivers and defensive backs, almost like a point guard tossing an alley-oop.

Plaxico Burress positioned himself, controlling his body like a basketball player boxing out for a rebound, shielding off 5-11 rookie cornerback Julian Posey. The 6-5 receiver raised up like a power forward about to throw down a monstrous dunk, pulling in the ball in acrobatic fashion with just his right hand.

Burress kept his feet in bounds as he crumpled to the ground, then bounced up as if on a pogo stick, running to the huddle in ho-hum fashion. He was back, finally going through his first extended full-pads practice as a Jet Wednesday, something he hadn't been able to do while nursing a sprained left ankle for two weeks.

"I know where I'm at," said Burress, who expects to increase his practice reps each day and plans on making his preseason debut Sunday night against the Bengals.

"I know what I'm capable of doing. Everybody [says] I've been away for two years, that and I just turned 34 and all those things.

"But none of those things matter to me. I believe I'm still one of the best out there competing and I'm not going to lose that mind-set. My mind-set is to dominate when one-on-one, and that's what I've been doing pretty much throughout my career."

Burress was on the field for 11 of the 21 plays during full 11-on-11 action, but was targeted only once. He caught a simple 5-yard hitch route in front of cornerback Antonio Cromartie, one of a bevy of routes Burress ran. But here's the real stat: zero pain.

"I really felt great," Burress said. "I didn't feel any limitations as far as me running and cutting. I was doing just about everything my mind was telling me to do, just react and not even thinking about the ankle. I was getting in and out of my breaks pretty good. The times that I had to make a play on the football, I did."

Rex Ryan thought so, and he raved about his prized new receiver.

"He looks good," Ryan said. "He looks good running, but his strength is going to be using his body and that great length to go up and catch passes."

Burress probably was happy he finally could break free from the Jets' training staff, who had him on a strict routine.

"They had a notebook schedule," Burress said. "I was like, 'This is pretty intense.' I was getting treatment like every hour, every two hours . . . I'm walking around here half the day with a frozen ankle. I'm like, 'Man, can I get the feeling back in my ankle so I can walk around?' "

Now, he's walking around just fine and is eager to see game action Sunday.

"I don't see why I shouldn't be full go," Burress said. "My goal is to be out there and go as many reps as they let me."

He added: "It's going to be one of those days that I've been [looking] forward to for a long time."