[wysifield-embeddedaudio|eid="654406"|type="embeddedaudio"|view_mode="full"]
Danny Shelton has won just four games in his three-year NFL career.
To put that in perspective, his new team has more Super Bowl trips – two-- in the last two years than the mammoth defensive tackle's wins with the Browns – one – over that same time span.
So it's little surprise that the former 2015 No. 12 overall pick in the NFL Draft noted his excitement with joining the winning culture in Foxborough during his Monday afternoon conference call with local reporters.
"I think the biggest thing I've learned is part of the formula to winning is doing your job," Shelton said of his indoctrination to life at Gillette Stadium. "I see that everywhere at the facility with everyone just staying focused and having that same goal leading toward success. That's what I want to be a part of."
The 6-2, 335-pound Shelton started 44 of the 46 games he played in his three seasons in Cleveland, notching 71 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Arriving via trade last week, Shelton is obviously in the early stages of getting acclimated to his new team. When he returned from his honeymoon in Bora Bora to find out he was being traded to New England, Shelton had some idea of what he was in for thanks to conversations with former Browns teammate and ex-Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins.
"He was one of my locker neighbors, so he always talked about the differences between the organizations," Shelton said. "He would give me a rundown of how things went at the Patriots. Now I'm just excited to be a part of it and to get started. I know a lot of guys over at the Patriots still remember how Jamie was and they talked great about him. I'm just excited to be here."
Shelton has also become connected this offseason with former Patriots Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, with whom he's been compared since his college days as a dominant force up front for the University of Washington.
"Vince Wilfork is one of the greatest [defensive] tackles," Shelton said. "For me, he's someone that I still look up to even when he was with the Texans. I got the opportunity to reach out to him and kind of pick his brain and just learn a couple of tips from him. He's been really responsive. He's been a guy that has been really helpful this offseason and I'm looking forward to reaching out more and learning some more from him."
The two big men were connected by Shelton's agent and one of the newest Patriots hopes the relationship will only grow now.
"He had me reach out to him this offseason not knowing that I was going to be traded; just to kind of hear from a great defensive tackle," Shelton added. "Now that I'm a New England Patriot, it just seems even more welcoming to learn from one of the greatest New England Patriots."
With plenty of time before training camp and even the offseason program still off on the horizon, Shelton knows it's too early to tell what his exact role will be in the New England defense as he gets a career reset with the Patriots. Whatever the future holds, he hopes to contribute to and enjoy winning in his new home
"I'm just going to go with whatever Coach [Bill Belichick] wants me to do," Shelton said. "My best feature is stopping the run, so if he wants me to play at a specific position I'll do it, and I'll make sure I do my job for the team's success."
