New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has issued the following statement following this morning's trade of Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings:

"Over the course of the past several months, I have spoken with Randy and his representative about Randy's place on our team and his future in football. Consistent with my dealings with Randy from the day we acquired him through our conversation this morning, it has been honest, thoughtful and with great mutual respect.

"While I will keep private the details of internal conversations with players and staff, suffice it to say that many things were taken into consideration before making the trade. In this business, there are complex and often difficult decisions, but it is my responsibility to make them based on what I feel is best for our football team in both the short term and long term.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to have coached Randy Moss and aside from facing him as an opponent, I wish him the very best for the remainder of his Hall of Fame career."

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reports that Moss was becoming an in-house distraction to the team.