Newly signedDenver Broncos safety T.J. Ward went from presumed franchise-tag candidate to persona non grata once the new regime took the reins with the Cleveland Browns in late January.
Ward never met with new coach Mike Pettine before he hit the free-agent market.
"The guys that they brought in, the coaches, that whole new genre, they didn't bring me in," Ward told SiriusXM NFL, via The Plain Dealer, on Thursday. "I was surprised, but at the same time, I wasn't. You know how it goes. Anything can happen at anytime. Guys come and go, get signed, released, it's the nature of the business."
Ward followed up on Twitter, suggesting he never even received an offer from the Browns.
We're left to wonder if Ward was being literal or merely embellishing for effect.
What's clear is that Pettine's staff placed a higher value on Donte Whitner as their box safety.
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