FOXBOROUGH -- They have been liberated.

Linebacker Derrick Burgess and quarterback Andrew Walter are the two latest ex-Raiders to escape football’s version of Shawshank State Prison. Think we’re overstating the situation? Walter showed up last week, a pickup off the wires. Burgess was picked in a trade last Thursday. The first thing Walter told Burgess when the linebacker showed up at Gillette Stadium?

“Congratulations,” said Walter, who was a teammate of Burgess in Oakland from 2005 through 2008.

And not unlike Andy Dufresne and Red, the two ex-Raiders have put as much distance between themselves and their personal nightmare as humanly possible. Burgess being dealt to the Patriots for two draft picks on Thursday, while Walter was released by the Raiders last month and picked up by New England last week.

They are the latest in a long line of players to migrate from the East Bay to Foxborough. Some of the deals have worked out very well for the Patriots -- wide receiver Randy Moss was acquired by the Patriots for a fourth-round pick back in 2007, and set records as part of a high-octane New England offense his first season with Tom Brady. Some have not -- running back LaMont Jordan and wide receiver Doug Gabriel both struggled at time in their one year in the Patriots’ system.

The latest move involves the 6-foot-2, 260-pound Burgess. The outside linebacker/defensive end, who was nine days into a holdout with Oakland, was “shocked” to get a call informing him he had been traded to the Patriots.

“And also happy at the same time. Glad to be here,” he said after his first practice under grey New England skies Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. “Man, I’m glad to be here, man. Oakland is where it’s at, but I’m in New England right now. I’m glad to be here.”

“He’s a Pro Bowler, a great player,” Walter said when asked for a scouting report on Burgess. “Somebody who will get after it. Just a real professional, all around.”

Burgess was used sparingly in his first practice with the Patriots on Sunday afternoon, rotating in at the outside linebacker spot opposite Adalius Thomas. It’s a big change for Burgess from his days in Oakland, where he was used as an every down defender, and primarily as a defensive end in the Raiders’ 4-3 defense.

In New England, he figures to split reps with incumbent OLB Pierre Woods, with Woods playing on running downs and Burgess in on passing downs.

“It’s good to have him out there. He’s got a long way to go,” said Patriots coach Bill Belichick. “It’s a new system, new team, new terminology and all that, but we spent quite a bit of time with him this weekend and met with him and tried to bring him up to speed as much as we can. So he has some catching up to do, too.

“I’m glad we have him here. I’m sure he’ll be competitive to help our team.”

Burgess said his time in Oakland was “tough” -- despite his ability to post impressive numbers (including a 2005 season where he led the league with 16.5 sacks), the Raiders won a total of 16 regular seasons in his four years in Oakland and made zero postseason appearances. By way of comparison, in the same stretch, New England won regular-season 49 games and made the playoffs three times.

“What happened in Oakland man, it’s behind me. It was tough. We play this game to win,” said Burgess, who will turn 31 next week. “But I’m here now, so it doesn’t really matter.”

While both spoke earnestly Sunday about learning the playbook and getting the system down, the biggest transition for both Walter and Burgess could lie in the expectations. In Oakland, the once-great legacy had degenerated to the point where if you approached 8-8, it was time for a parade. In New England, it remains Super Bowl or bust.

“When I was in Oakland, we didn’t have that much success, obviously,” Walter said. “This team has a very rich legacy, especially recently, so there’s the expectations to win, regardless of anything. I’m well aware of what’s expected of you here.”

“The winning that goes on here, the attitude, it means a lot,” Burgess said. “I’m big on winning ballgames, and I’m ready to do whatever it takes.”

Burgess is entering the final year of his contract, and said Sunday he’s not focused on that right now. At this point, just freeing himself from Oakland’s House of Horrors is enough for him.

“I mean, whenever you come to a new place, you have to feel a different air about yourself,” he said. “There are new guys around, a new defense, new scheme. So I have to come in with my ears and eyes open trying to learn everything and willing to do whatever.”