From the day he acquired Randy Moss, Patriots coach Bill Belichick only spoke of his prized wide receiver publicly with the highest of praise.
Wednesday was no different, as Moss became an ex-Patriot and Belichick confirmed Moss’ trade to the Vikings.
“Over the course of the past several months, I have spoken with Randy and his representative about Randy’s place on our team and his future in football. Consistent with my dealings with Randy from the day we acquired him through our conversation this morning, it has been honest, thoughtful and with great mutual respect,” Belichick said in a statement Wednesday.
There are so many bold things about the Patriots move. It only makes sense if the team felt Moss was becoming a serious problem behind the scenes. Still a massive part of the offense, the Patriots may have felt Moss was more replaceable than in the past. Moss had nine catches for 139 yards in the first four weeks of the season.
“While I will keep private the details of internal conversations with players and staff, suffice it to say that many things were taken into consideration before making the trade,” Belichick continued.
“In this business, there are complex and often difficult decisions, but it is my responsibility to make them based on what I feel is best for our football team, in both the short term and long term. I am grateful for the opportunity to have coached Randy Moss and aside from facing him as an opponent, I wish him the very best for the remainder of his Hall of Fame career.”
Like Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia last weekend, Moss will get a chance to prove his old boss wrong in person. The Vikings arrive for a visit in Foxborough on Halloween.