Speaking with the media for the first time since Wednesday morning -- prior to the trade for Josh Gordon being 100 percent official -- Patriots head coach Bill Belichick finally acknowledged the presence of the 27-year-old former Cleveland Brown in Foxboro on Friday morning.
Gordon wasn't the only player added to the roster since Wednesday. New England also welcomed back Cyrus Jones, its second-round pick in 2016, after a brief stint on the practice squad of the Baltimore Ravens.
"It's good to get them here," Belichick said. "I'd say really in both cases, those two guys have done about as much as they can do in the few days that they've been here, or been back in Cyrus' case. We'll see how it goes. I think Josh is a smart kid. He's worked hard. He's picked up a lot and Cyrus has gotten back into things quickly, so we'll see how it goes."
Even though the team had already officially added Gordon to its roster and the trade was on the NFL's official transaction wire, Belichick refused to discuss Gordon on Wednesday prior to New England's practice that day. Sure enough, he was present for the afternoon session, donning a new No. 10 jersey.
Belichick declined to comment on how he would monitor Gordon's overall health given his lengthy history of substance abuse. Gordon's troubles with addiction played a role in him missing 11 out of a possible 66 games for the Browns between the start of the 2014 season and the first two weeks of 2018.
Gordon has been limited with a hamstring injury during his first week with the Patriots. He didn't play in Cleveland's Week 2 game vs. the New Orleans Saints thanks in part to the injury, although reports swirled that weekend that he'd finally run out of chances with the Browns and the team was actively shopping him.
He's in New England now, sharing a locker adjacent to Tom Brady's.
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"I try to get along with everybody," Brady said of the locker placement at his Friday afternoon press conference. "Even if you're next to me or across or down or defense, I think it's just important to try and get to know everybody in any way you possibly can. We're all here to try and do the same thing."
The Patriots are on the road this weekend, playing the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. The game will be televised on NBC10 Boston.
Detroit is where Brady made his NFL debut on Nov. 23, 2000. He finished 1 for 3 passing, his lone completion going to Rod Rutledge, in relief of Drew Bledsoe in a 34-9 Patriots loss. As a starter, however, Brady is 4-0 vs. the Lions.
