As authorities have continued to search for evidence possibly related to the homicide of Odin Lloyd in and around the home of New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez, the tight end's teammates have become caught in a difficult position.
When out for promotional appearances or charity work, the Patriots players probably will be asked about the story. Linebacker Jerod Mayo seemed to speak for all his teammates in comments to ESPNBoston.com.
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"We always talk about ignoring the noise, and we're doing the same now," Mayo said. "Whether it's good or bad, we always talk about ignoring the noise."
Former Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker showed similar reticence when we asked about the subject on last week's ATL Debate Club podcast. It's an example of New England's closely managed media policy working out for the best. This is a time when speculation, innuendo and opinion are unnecessary. No arrest has been made. There remains far more that we don't know about the case compared to what we do know.
"I'm going to leave that one alone until everything's done or whatever," Mayo said of Hernandez's legal situation.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.