This week, Barry Cofield is feeling mixed emotions on many levels.

The start of a new season, his first game with his new team, his first game against his old team, a solemn day of remembrance, a division rivalry.

A chance to face a team that treated him well but one he believes could have done better by a few of his friends.

"You know, it's definitely strange," the former Giants defensive tackle, who signed a six-year, $36 million contract with the Washington Redskins this summer, said by phone yesterday of the teams' matchup in Landover, Md., this Sunday. "But it's a lot of fun. I couldn't have scripted it any better. If I was going to have to leave to a division rival, to open up against the Giants on 9/11 with all of the implications behind that, it's going to be emotional for everyone in the stadium and around the country.

“Obviously, I have my own extra motivations. It’s going to be an epic event.”

Cofield has no bitterness toward the Giants, as they made a decent effort to re-sign him, but the deal from Washington was too good for him to pass up.

But when it came to the team’s releasing Shaun O’Hara and Rich Seubert, declining to re-sign Chase Blackburn and letting Kevin Boss and Steve Smith leave via free agency?

"Some other guys I played with, sweat with and bled with, I don't think it was right, the way things went down with them," Cofield said. "A guy that's been there for 10 years like Rich gets hurt and you fire him? That's the best way to put it.

“And don’t forget about Osi (Umenyiora). I don’t think that’s right either.”

By that, Cofield meant he believes the Giants should honor Umenyiora’s wanting a new contract, not just a few incentives based on performance, after he recorded 11 1/2 sacks and 10 forced fumbles last season.

“I agree with him,” Cofield said. “If you’re two years into a contract and maybe you feel like you signed a bad deal, that’s one thing. But he’s played four years into a six-year deal. That’s about the time it’s reasonable to come back and say, ‘Can we do something about this?’

“The people that argue whether or not he had a good year, that’s ridiculous. A double-double on the football field, that’s not normal.”

Nor has it been normal for Cofield to face the Giants’ offensive line — well, on the practice field, but not on Sundays. Then again, those matchups during training camp and other workouts could provide information for Cofield and the blockers he will face (save for center David Baas, who signed after Cofield became a Redskin).

“I say I have the advantage because they’ve had the same scheme since I’ve been in the league, I’ve been seeing that offense and hearing Eli make his calls and things like that,” Cofield said. “This defense with the Redskins is only a year old and there are so many new pieces I don’t think they’re going to know what to expect.”

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Nor, really, does Cofield when it comes to playing against guys that used to be teammates and are still close friends.

“It’s like guys that play against their brother,” he said. “They want to beat their brother worse than anybody. ... I’m going to embrace everybody after the game. I’m excited about that, I’m excited about seeing everybody.

“But during that 60 minutes, or whatever it takes as far as game time, I want to beat those guys worse than I want to beat anybody else on the planet.”

For more Giants coverage, follow Mike Garafolo on Twitter at twitter.com/MikeGarafolo

Mike Garafolo: mgarafolo@starledger.com