Givens and McGinest part company with Patriots

By David Wedge  |   Friday, March 17, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

New England Patriots
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!
The New England Patriots' roster has been dealt a heavy blow this week with the departures of both David Givens and Willie McGinest.

On Tuesday, Givens signed a lucrative four-year deal with the Tennessee Titans worth a reported $24 million. The Patriots wanted to retain the star wide receiver but were unwilling to match the offer tabled by the Titans. Givens ends a four-year stay with New England to become the number one receiver for Steve McNair in Tennessee. The loss of Givens leaves the Patriots with major problems in the position of wide receiver.

An obvious replacement for Givens would be the veteran receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who was recently released from the Dallas Cowboys.

Linebacker Willie McGinest ended his twelve-year career with New England by agreeing terms with the Cleveland Browns on a three-year deal. The 34-year-old will be reunited with former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, now the head coach in Cleveland. The signing of McGinest perpetuates the Browns' high activity level in the free agency market and outlines their ambitions for next season

Another Patriots star that might possibly be on his way out of Foxboro is kicker Adam Vinatieri. He's been given free agent status by New England and is, not surprisingly, attracting high interest from a host of NFL teams - most notably the Green Bay Packers, who need to replace kicker Ryan Longwell following his move to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Patriots will undoubtedly miss the presence of Givens, McGinest and Vinatieri - should he depart - but it's by no means time to panic in New England. Releasing these players is an astute move to tackle the restrictions of the salary cap and while it's a loss of key players in key positions, it could prove to be a smart piece of business. Both McGinest and Vinatieri are well into their thirties and it would have been foolish for the Patriots to value Givens at the level that Tennessee did.

As a result, New England now has the room in the salary cap to strengthen their squad with quality players and depth. And that's always a good thing.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report