FOXBORO, Mass. — Running back Laurence Maroney is the only one of Bill Belichick's first-round draft picks who didn’t last the duration of his rookie contract.
On Wednesday, Belichick addressed the trade that moved Maroney to Denver and put some finality on the running back's four-year tenure in New England.
"I just felt like it was the right time for us to move on," Belichick said. "I have a lot of respect for Laurence. He came in here for four years, worked hard. I think he's improved a lot. He's helped us a lot as a player. I think he would have helped us this year, but we felt like it was time to move on. We got good value on a trade, so we made it in the best interest of the football team. I'm sure he'll do well for Denver. They got a good player and a kid that will work hard for them."
The Patriots reportedly sent a 2011 sixth-round pick and Maroney to the Broncos for a 2011 fourth-round pick. After Maroney's strange preseason — in which he didn’t take a snap with the first-team offense — it appeared that his time in New England was winding down. Once the Patriots received an appropriate level of compensation, Belichick pulled the trigger on a deal that freed up some space in a crowded backfield.
"It's tough anytime you have to do that," Belichick said. "In the end, we tried to do what was best for our football team. The conversation with Laurence was positive. We'll leave it at that. I drafted him, brought him in here. I think he worked hard, tried hard, had a lot of production for us, but in the end, we just [went] in a different direction."
New England's locker room was fairly quiet Wednesday, and the reaction to the trade followed suit.
"There’s a lot of player movement," quarterback Tom Brady said. "Laurence has been a great back here. That’s what happens."
Yet, at least one of Maroney's former teammates was thrown a little off kilter by the news.
"It's shocking," center Dan Koppen said. "You just never know what's going to happen, but we've got a good group of backs. It's one of those things. You wish Laurence luck, and you've just got to move on."
