LKelley67

read on, a perfect vet mentor/leader. watson, bock, and fincher aren't a bad bench then...

There isn't so much as a hint of bitterness in Willie McGinest's voice as he discusses his divorce from the New England Patriots after 12 seasons, three Super Bowl victories and a pair of Pro Bowl appearances. If anything, in fact, the veteran outside linebacker sounds downright enthusiastic about embarking on a second chapter of his NFL career, even pumped up by the prospect of what lies ahead for him.
And as he begins making visits this week to several of the many suitors that have contacted agent Gary Uberstine in the wake of his release, McGinest is eager to let teams know that, although he navigates the free-agent path for the first time, he'll be looking more through the windshield than at the rearview mirror.

It has been more than a week since the Patriots released McGinest to avoid paying him a $3.5 million roster bonus due this month. And although his celebrated tenure in New England never will be expunged from McGinest's personal memory bank, the Patriots certainly are beginning to fade into the horizon.

"Given what they did for me as a player and a person, I can't be bitter, and I actually owe them a great deal, certainly," said McGinest, in a weekend interview that marked his longest discussion of his unemployment. "But at the end of the day, they're the ones who put me out into free agency, right? I'll never close the door [on going back to New England]. But since they cut me, they haven't called at all to see how we might be able to [construct] a contract to bring me back, and I don't see it happening. So it looks like they're moving ahead without me. And I'm moving forward, too."


If the notion of McGinest's donning a different team's uniform in 2006 seems, well, un-Patriotic to the fans in New England, it isn't nearly as unfathomable to the veteran linebacker.

More than two weeks before McGinest's release, ESPN.com suggested in a "Tip Sheet" item that the universally respected McGinest might not be quite so indispensable to the Patriots because of the roster bonus and a prohibitive salary cap charge. Even before that, McGinest understood that his long and productive tenure with the only NFL team for which he ever played might end.

In truth, the 2006 segment of McGinest's contract always was viewed by him and the team as a so-called "dummy" year. It was an extension season added during a previous contract restructuring to help the Pats maneuver under the salary cap. But just because McGinest knew that he would never play under the terms of that restructuring, and that another readjustment would be necessary, doesn't mean he felt he wouldn't play at all for New England in 2006.

As last season wore on, though, the Patriots never began substantive talks at reworking the 2006 season, which also included a $3.5 million base salary. And when there were no such overtures, McGinest said Saturday, he didn't need a translator to help him decipher the handwriting on the wall.

McGinest, 34, has grown increasingly pragmatic during his career. He has watched teammates come and go in the free agency and salary cap era. He knew when New England released wide receiver Troy Brown last spring, rather than pay a $2.5 roster bonus, that there were no untouchables. The Patriots subsequently re-signed Brown to a one-year contract, but that might not happen for McGinest, who is ready to begin seeking out a new address and eager for a new challenge.

The official spin from the Patriots is that the team released McGinest when it did, before the start of the league year and free agency, out of respect for him. By doing so, management publicly emphasized, it provided McGinest a head start on the rest of the market. Given the respect the Patriots always have demonstrated toward their elder statesman, there probably is considerable truth to that rationalization.

But team president and vice chairman Jonathan Kraft, in acknowledging that McGinest embodied the essence of what the once-moribund franchise has become under the superb stewardship of the Kraft family, said in a Boston area radio interview: "It would be a really cool ending for him to retire as a Patriot. But it's a business."

A guy whose savvy extends well beyond the playing field, McGinest certainly understands that chillingly bottom line reality. So, now that the dust has settled and there has been no communication with the Patriots about a possible rapprochement, he's ready to get on with his business.

"There are a lot of great memories from all those seasons in New England," McGinest said, "but they're called memories for a reason. I've still got some history to go out and make."

His history with the Patriots has been an impressive one. At a recent charity event, fans and former Patriots teammates beseeched McGinest not to leave, a decision that requires bilateral action. One former teammate termed him "an icon," McGinest recalled Saturday, saying he was "really touched" by the assessment of his New England tenure and what he has meant to the franchise.

“ There are a lot of great memories from all those seasons in New England, but they're called memories for a reason. I've still got some history to go out and make. �
— Willie McGinest

People forget that early in McGinest's career -- before Tom Brady and Richard Seymour and Adam Vinatieri -- he was a stalwart performer on a team that wasn't always good. In McGinest's first seven seasons, the Pats earned three playoff berths and won two division titles, but they also had four non-playoff years, including a pair of losing campaigns and one last-place finish.

The team's first-round choice in the 1994 draft -- after an All-American career at Southern California, to which he remains fiercely loyal -- McGinest has appeared in 171 regular-season games and 18 postseason contests. He has 701 tackles and 78 sacks (the most sacks of any defender in free agency) and 14 forced fumbles. His league-best 4½ sacks in this year's playoffs pushed his postseason total to 16. One can surmise that the teams that have contacted his agent, beginning the wooing process, watched tape of McGinest's dominating performance (eight tackles, 4½ sacks) in a wild-card win over Jacksonville.

Said the defensive coordinator from one NFC team expected to pursue McGinest: "There's something left in the tank. And, given his pride, what happened to him with [being released] will just motivate him that much more. But, yeah, we think he can still be a factor for a few more years."

McGinest said that, in assessing his suitors, he won't necessarily limit his options to playoff teams. Claiming three Super Bowl rings in a four-season span was nice, but the feat hasn't jaded McGinest, and he also will consider as possible landing spots teams he believes are poised to make a great leap forward, situations where he can provide some impetus for improvement.

Nor will he reduce his options to teams that play a 3-4 defensive front. Although he has reached a comfort level in that defense, and essentially defined himself as a hybrid edge player, McGinest still feels he can jam receivers at the line of scrimmage, drop into the flat and cover, and play stout versus the run. He will want to discuss, in detail, his role with any team that pursues him in free agency. Part of the role he will accentuate is that of leader, locker room presence and, if needed, tutor for younger players.

"That's part of what excites me, really, is the chance to maybe help a team and help other players achieve some of their goals," McGinest said. "You name it, and I've pretty much been there and done that. At this point in my career, the individual [accomplishments] aren't as important, not anymore. I'm developed. I'm primed. I'm a team guy who knows his role. If that role is with a new team, well, so be it."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com

AllSaints

Fincher barely got to play i think he can do something this year if he is healthy i like the kid.....

TheDeuce

McGinest will never come here.

BrooksMustGo

OK, I'll play. Here's my .02

There are a LOT of IFs in this scenario.

IF we switch to a 3-4, then I could see McGinest being a tremendous asset.
I could see us switching to a 3-4 IF we do the following.

IF we either sign Sam Adams or draft Ngata, then we'd have the big DT to slow down the run.
On the plus side, I think our DEs are more than capable of handling that scheme.

IF we sign McGinest, then we're still one LB short for the 3-4.
IF we signed LeVar Arrington, then we could really be great with that scheme.

W. Smith Ngata C.Grant

L. Arrington SFujita W McGinest Rookie

Looks promising to me. It would be expensive to do, but not out of the realm of possibility. Not likely, but not too insane to consider.

The biggest thought I have is that our LBs are a huge re-building project anyway, so why not switch to a 3-4. If we do it, now is a good time.

http://www.blackandgold.net/site/signature/buddysig.jpg

TheDeuce

I think you're giving our FO too much credit here BMG. You yourself said that the signing of one player has been the biggest move that you have ever seen the franchise make. We all know how conservative and unwilling to change the leadership of this team is, so I see the chances of us making that kind of switch equal to the chances of a 16 seed winning it all (according to Gene Wojchiehowski, it's sextillion [ or trillion billion] to one).

BrooksMustGo

Deuce, I agree. I figure that the best reason to attempt it is due to our weakness at DT and non-existant LBing corps. We only have 1 true starter in Fujita. (I say this because Colby might not be able to start for another team and Fincher is an unknown.)

We're re-building anyway, so maybe Payton would like to switch over to the 3-4. It might give us an edge in the division and we're really starting from zero anyway.

But I agree, that's a HUGE amount of money we're talking about. At 34, McG really can't be expecting another big payday (and might be crazy if he is). Of the guys I listed, the big money would have to go for Arrington. But all told, we are in agreement. I'm still stunned that we dropped big money on the most sought after QB in free agency. So my whole scenario requires me to be on the pipe.

http://www.blackandgold.net/site/signature/buddysig.jpg

TheDeuce

Yikes when you say it like that "paying big money for a QB" I just had a thought of AB!!!! Good riddance.

Anyways, I see what you're saying about timing. If we were ever going to do it, we mine as well do it now because of the amount of picks we'll be able to get via the draft. I guess we could play it with a NT from the draft, Fujita, Watson, and 2 LBs from the draft.