What is Bill Belichick and his crew thinking?  Chad Ochocinco has been traded to the Patriots. It’s a gamble since he’s not in his prime anymore. This trade seems personal since there are reports that Chad Ochocinco and Bill Belichick struck up a personal friendship during the off season.

Chad Ochocinco‘s next stop is New England after an offseason in which he had a soccer tryout, rode a bull, took a spin in a race car and waited to be traded.

That wait ended Thursday when the outspoken wide receiver was dealt to the Patriots, a team coached by Bill Belichick, who closely monitors, and tries to control, his players’ public comments.

A source with knowledge of the situation told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora the Patriots obtained the colorful Ochocinco from the Cincinnati Bengals and that he agreed to a new three-year contract. The Patriots gave up a pair of late-round draft picks in return, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

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The relationship between Belichick and Ochocinco, with extremely different public personas, is unexpectedly warm.

“I like Chad,” Belichick said before the 2010 season opener between the teams. “I like him as a player. I like him as a person. I like his enthusiasm and the fun he has with football, and I like how he competes on the football field. I have a lot of respect for that.

“An odd couple, but in the end, I think we have a lot of things in common.”

Belichick and Ochocinco grew closer during Pro Bowl practices.

“It became a relationship beyond just a football player and a coach,” Ochocinco said. “He became a friend of mine.

The Patriots are takinga  gamble giving Chad Ochocinco a shot. Let’s see how it works out!