Demaryius Thomas Regrets Trusting Bill Belichick and Calls Stint With Patriots a 'Waste of Time'

We've all known the type of people who'll reject you when something newer and shinier comes along, but only one of them's got six rings because of it.

In order to get ahead in life and business, sometimes you've got to discard people along the way, looking out for number one and building marginal improvements. When Antonio Brown somehow hit the open market this fall, Bill Belichick and the Patriots had to act fast, crafting a deal a few minutes after his release became official (for sure legal), and sending a rehabbing Demaryius Thomas out of town in the signing's wake.

Thomas, now a Jet, isn't super thrilled he was cut, brought back, then traded as flotsam in an AB deal that didn't work out anyway.

" ... You told me when you cut me at the (final) cut, sit around you’ll bring me back. And I stayed. I could have easily become a Jet once I got cut," Thomas said. "… I could have been here the next day after I got released. But I chose to stay."

Thomas feels disrespected, in part, because he was tossed aside, but this is really more about the assurances. Once you've been a roster casualty, and then brought back, it's clear the team holding your rights has a vested interest in rehabbing you.

Until something better comes along, in New England's case.

As for the actual end of Thomas' tenure? "Coach (Belichick) came up to me and was like, ‘Uh, we got too many guys. We can’t get the ball around enough and we’re going to trade you to the Jets,' " he said. "And that was that."

Cold world. Cold dude. It's how the Patriots succeed, but the optics are literally never good.