Belichick Staying Out Of Cutler Fray

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is avoiding more than the NFL owners meetings this week in California. He didn’t attend in order to concentrate on draft preparations. Belichick is also staying out of the ongoing controversy surrounding the Denver Broncos and disgruntled quarterback Jay Cutler, choosing his words carefully during an interview with Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com while on his way to a college workout. “I’m not sure I want to comment on that,” Belichick said. “I’ve got my hands full trying to coach my own team. You always have situations you have to handle with players and agents and all the different things that come up. It’s part of the job. There’s no handbook on how to do it. Y ou just have to try and do what you feel is best for your team.” Belichick discussed the trade that sent quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs, noting that the Patriots wanted to get those salaries off the roster. Talks with Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli had reached an advanced stage before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Broncos got to the table. “It was not just about getting new players but players we wanted to re-sign,” Belichick said. “We could have gambled and maybe gotten a little more [in trade value] by waiting, but we also would have lost time. This was a good trade for us.” Since the free agent signing period began, the Patriots have signed several older players, including wide receiver Joey Galloway. “You know what you’re getting when it comes to the level of commitment of those players,” Belichick said. “They know their time is somewhat limited so you usually get a player’s best at that point in their careers.” Meanwhile, Belichick indicated that quarterback Tom Brady is doing well as he works his way back from the knee injury that sidelined him last season.