The No. 55 looked familiar, but the color did not. In place of Patriots silver and blue, Willie McGinest held orange and brown.
“Can you see it?” McGinest asked as he stood for photographers in Cleveland. “I know, it’s a little odd.”
After 12 years and three Super Bowl titles, McGinest’s Patriots career officially ended yesterday when he signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Browns that includes $6 million in guaranteed money.
Released a week earlier by a Patriots team that made no effort to retain him, McGinest bears no ill will toward the only professional franchise he has ever known.
“I had a great run in New England,” McGinest said. “We did some really good things. I’m not bitter at all, but at the end of the day, they did release me into free agency. I’m excited about my options. This is a different chapter in my life.”
In New England, it felt like an era had ended. The Kraft family bought the team 12 years ago and made McGinest its first draft pick. Owner Robert Kraft didn’t become a billionaire by bowing to emotion, but McGinest’s departure stung.
“This is a very sad day for me,” Kraft said. “To see Willie joining another team after he was the first draft choice when our family bought the team, I have a very special place for him. He represented us so well. He’s someone we’re going to miss very much.”
McGinest targeted the Browns at the start of free agency, thanks to his ties with former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, now Cleveland’s head coach, and a belief that the Browns are on the rise. They were his first and only visit.
The Patriots released him before the start of free agency, even though they could have held him until late this week, as a sign of respect for 12 years that included two Pro Bowls. But the early release also signaled a willingness to bid him adieu.
Asked how he felt about departing an organization with roughly $20 million in salary cap space, McGinest shrugged. [continue]
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