The Patriots announced that they have re-signed receiver Donte' Stallworth. But just a few hours before the announcement, Patriots coach Bill Belichick wasn't willing to say a word about it.
"There's no announcement that's been made, so I don't really have any comment on that," he said on a Tuesday conference call.
Stallworth was released in late August when New England cut its roster to 75 players. The team's receiver depth now, is not what it once was.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski is out for the foreseeable future with a broken forearm. Julian Edelman has been placed on season-ending injured reserve with a broken foot.
Considering Stallworth's familiarity with the Patriots offense, and that Deion Branch is apparently still unavailable because of a hamstring injury, the 33-year-old could be a solid emergency replacement.
Belichick was asked if releasing the receiver this summer was difficult. Again, he avoided specifics.
"A lot of cuts in training camp are hard," Belichick said. "Guys come in and they work hard, they're competitive. There's a group of players that you have to release from your roster is always tough because everybody has something they can contribute, something they do well. And the guys that you keep -- they have things that they do well. But they've been competitive for a roster spot, too. There's a lot of good players out there and it's always tough."