Getty Images

Defensive end Chris Long has never played in a playoff game since entering the NFL in 2008 as the second overall draft pick by the Rams.

The Patriots didn’t make the playoffs during Long’s rookie year, but they have been there as the AFC East champs the last seven years. During a Thursday conference call to discuss his move to the team, Long said he wasn’t “bent out of shape” about being released by the Rams because he felt like he was in need of a fresh start. The prospect of being part of the team that extends that streak of division titles had him feeling recharged.

“The last eight years have been difficult,” Long said, via WEEI.com. “I’ve worked as hard as humanly possible over the past eight years, but I’m going to find the next gear — whatever it is. I’m very energized just by being a part of this thing. The past eight years is the past and the future is unwritten. It’s unwritten for 32 teams. Everybody’s got to earn it.”

Long said he thinks he “can bring a lot to the table,” something he didn’t do in his final two years with the Rams as injuries limited him to 18 games and sapped his effectiveness. Playing on a deep Patriots line could help him end that trend while making it to the postseason for the first time.