Why was Bill Belichick so quiet on Josh Gordon deal?

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Bill Belichick was oddly quiet about the Patriots' deal for Josh Gordon, even after the trade hit the NFL's transaction wire.

"If and when it happens, I'm happy to talk about it," Belichick said in his Wednesday press conference. "It's not completed. I don't understand how you don't understand that. When it's completed, it's completed. When it's not completed, it's not completed."

So what was the reasoning behind the Patriots head coach avoiding all questions regarding their new receiver? NBC Sports Boston's Patriots insider Tom E. Curran has a theory or two.

"I think it's twofold," Curran said on Wednesday's Arbella Early Edition. "I think the first fold to it is he really doesn't like to feed the beast, especially with a player like Josh Gordon who's got a myriad of issues he would have to plum into to talk about."

"The other portion, however, is the Cleveland Browns put a release out on this on Monday after the media had reported it. And for Bill Belichick, I think that's a transgression, and even though the Patriots put out a release as well I think Bill looks at that and says, 'You know what? We haven't looked at this player yet, we haven't met this player yet, he hasn't been in our building, we haven't given him a physical, yet the Cleveland Browns are putting out a release that this is what happened and we've given them a compensation? No, you know what? I'm not going to talk about it until it's fully done then maybe I'll talk about it.'"

Curran also notes that the Patriots re-worked the trade, getting an assured seventh-round pick rather than a conditional one that reportedly was originally agreed upon.

"Could you see Bill Belichick saying to [Browns GM] John Dorsey or someone, 'You know what? Now we want that thing for real and if you don't like that, why don't you take the player back that you wanted to release last weekend. Don't tell me when the deal's done.'"

Regardless of how quiet Belichick was and continues to be, Gordon is indeed a New England Patriot and practiced with the team on Wednesday.

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