OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin wanted to take the weekend to decide where he would sign next after admittedly being hurt by his abrupt release from the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the end, he chose the Baltimore Ravens over the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles, based on his initial gut feeling.
"When I got a chance to come here and meet all the guys and meet all the coaches, it just felt right," Maclin said Wednesday after his first practice with the Ravens.
Baltimore was one of the first teams to contact Maclin after his release on June 2 and heavily recruited him until he signed his two-year, $11 million contract.
Quarterback Joe Flacco texted Maclin during his visit in Buffalo to make sure he would meet with the Ravens. Safety Tony Jefferson invited Maclin to his house to watch Game 3 of the NBA Finals with teammates. Even ex-Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. talked to Maclin during his trip to the Ravens facility to tell him why he enjoyed playing in Baltimore.
"With me coming here and what was already here, I felt like this was a team that could definitely win and definitely build something special," Maclin said. "From a football standpoint, it made the most sense."
What Maclin couldn't make sense of was his surprise release from the Chiefs. Kansas City could have designated him as a post-June 1 cut at the start of free agency, allowing Maclin to have more of a market. Instead, the Chiefs waited until June 2 to part ways with Maclin and free up $10 million in cap space.
"Of course it hurt a little bit, just kind of how it went down and it just being so unexpected," Maclin said. "But at the same time, it's a business. You understand how things work. So there was only one choice but to pull it together and get things back on track."
Maclin recorded career lows with 44 receptions, 536 receiving yards and two touchdowns last season. He missed four games because of a groin injury.
His release after two seasons with the Chiefs will serve as motivation.
"Big time, not just to prove them wrong," Maclin said. "You just never want to be in a situation like that again. Don't leave any room for doubt, any room for error. Just go out there and play football. It was some things last year that happened that were out of my control. That's kind of how things go. They kind of took them and ran with it. It is what it is."