At the end of the day, it was a smart decision by Belichick, whose next anticipated news conference would have been Monday, and the head coach was able to address one of the most shocking trades in franchise history.
Belichick's message was predictable — "in the best interest of the football team," he said — and he never detailed how this move was really going to make the team better. He said it was "a combination of things" that would entail a longer conversation than Belichick was willing to have.
"Organizationally, we’ve had conversations and obviously are comfortable with the trade," Belichick said. "I wish Randy the absolute best. He’s been a guy, a player that I have always had a good relationship with. He’s been very honest, and when I’ve asked him questions about football, personnel, things like that, he's been very helpful to me personally, and been very professional and, I think, a good teammate and a good contributing member of this team.
"But in the end, that was the decision, and I have confidence in our players. I think if they continue to work hard and improve, then we’ll be competitive, [and] we’ll be able to win games."
Belichick made an effort to rule out any disciplinary issues with Moss and also said the trade wasn’t for financial reasons. The Pats head coach said the reported altercation with Moss on the flight home from Miami was "absolutely not true" and a "total fabrication," adding that he didn’t even talk to Moss on the plane.
Belichick also pointed out that a player like Moss can't be replaced, which makes the trade all the more curious from a talent standpoint and probably indicates that it was driven by Moss' behind-the-scenes personal conduct, at least in terms of his public demands for a new contract.
When it was all said and done, two things were taken from Belichick's meeting with the media. He absolutely lauded Moss for his three-plus years in New England and said he truly enjoyed the relationship they had. But Belichick didn’t exactly discuss why the trade was made.
Those answers will be displayed on the field over the next three months.
