Kicker Adam Vinatieri ? who kicked two game-winning field goals in Patriots Super Bowl wins, as well as another game-winning kick in an epic divisional playoff game against the Raiders ? has signed with the Colts, Boston radio station WEEI is reporting. The Patriots declined to protect their kicker, who had been named the team's franchise player twice, with the franchise-player tag. "It just didn't feel like the right thing to do," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said of the decision not to tag Vinatieri. "We considered all our options and decided not to tag anybody."

The New England Patriots signed unrestricted free agent receiver Reche Caldwell. Caldwell spent his first four seasons with the San Diego Chargers, where he caught 76 passes for 950 yards and seven touchdowns in 47 games.

David Givens, one of Tom Brady's primary targets on two of New England's Super Bowl winners, has signed with the Tennessee Titans. The free agent wide receiver has agreed to a multiyear contract with the Tennessee Titans, the team announced on its Web site. Givens had 158 receptions for 2,214 yards and 12 touchdowns in four years with New England. He is the Patriots' career leader in postseason touchdown catches with seven. He had a career-high 59 catches for 738 yards and two touchdowns last season.

According to a report in Sunday?s Houston Chronicle free agent wide receiver David Givens has cancelled a scheduled visit to meet with the Texans after reaching a deal late Saturday to re-sign with the Patriots. Previously, Givens had reportedly made a free agent visit to the Miami Dolphins. A native of Humble, Texas, Givens? Boston-based agent Brad Blank had reportedly listed the Dolphins, Texans and Patriots as the trio of teams Givens would choose between. In four seasons in the NFL, all in New England, Givens has played in 53 regular season games with 23 starts. In those games he recorded 158 receptions for 2,214 yards and 12 touchdowns. He set a career high last season with 59 receptions for 738 yards and two scores.

The Patriots officially released Willie McGinest yesterday rather than pay him a $3.5 million roster bonus due next week. A source close to McGinest yesterday confirmed that returning to New England remains his first choice, but the 12-year veteran linebacker has already drawn interest from the Jets, Dolphins, Cowboys, Browns and Chargers. As of yesterday, McGinest had not scheduled any visits with rival clubs. In an interview with ESPN Boston radio yesterday, team president Jonathan Kraft said the Pats released McGinest so soon as a sign of respect. They could have kept him into next week and limited his options as free agency dollars disappeared. ?I don?t want to speak for Bill (Belichick), but I think this is proof of the great relationship between the club and Willie,? Kraft said. ?Out of respect to the player, you let him go before the league year starts. I?m sure Bill has communicated to Willie how we feel and we?ll see where it takes us. It was really done more out of respect for Willie than disrespect.?

Only minutes after the NFL's owners voted 30-2 to extend the collective bargaining agreement six years, the Patriots ended their 12-year agreement with all-time postseason sack leader Willie McGinest, according to one NFL personnel director last night. McGinest's name popped up on the wire of vested veterans who had been released in cost-cutting moves almost immediately after the CBA extension was announced around 8:35 p.m.

Sources say the Patriots have offered Adam Vinatieri a multiyear contract worth more than $2 million annually that would keep him the highest-paid kicker in the game, but that he has not accepted it. Even with the start of free agency pushed back for three days until Monday, a source close to Vinatieri said he wants to let the market determine his value, ?like at an auction.? In an interview published yesterday with the Orlando Sentinel, Vinatieri seemed to speak of playing for the Patriots in the past tense. ?I really enjoyed my 10 years with the Patriots,? Vinatieri said. ?It?s been a great time and I have a lot of good memories there. The New England Patriots are bigger than I am. There have been other people who have been released, and others who have been brought in, and that team?s been good no matter what.?