Bill Belichick long ago mastered the art of politely saying nothing during press conferences, so it should be no surprise that he offered little on Friday when speaking with reporters about the 2018 NFL Draft, where the Patriots currently have two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a third rounder. There's been some speculation that the team could package some of those picks to move up and take a quarterback.

Belichick was asked about it and, naturally, he was about as forthcoming as a wall.

Asked if he anticipated "drafting a quarterback based on Tom Brady's age," Belichick said, "We'll do what's best for the football team. We'll look at our opportunities and do what's best."

And how much longer does the coach expect Brady, who will be 41 in August, to play?

"Yeah, again, I'm happy to answer the draft questions. I'm not going to get into everything else here."

Brady, who threw for 4,577 yards last season and won his third NFL MVP award, remains one of the league's best players -- even as one of its oldest. He currently has two years left on his current deal and it's reasonable to wonder a) How much longer he'll play and b) When the Patriots will look for his replacement.

Days before Super Bowl LII, owner Robert Kraft was asked if Brady, who has previously said he'd like to play until he's 45, would return in 2018. "I appreciate you asking that question and I'm not going to respond to it," Kraft said. "You'll just have to see for yourself."

Months later, the owner was again asked if he expected Brady to play into his mid-40s.

"I hope he plays," Kraft told The Athletic's Jeff Howe. "He's at a different point in his life. He talked about it. It's interesting to see that Tom vs. Time and see where he's at, his kids growing up. But that is something for he and his family to decide what is right for him.

"Me personally, I'd like to see him play as long as he can. I don't think anyone would have believed 10 years ago that he would have played this year, gone to the Super Bowl and been MVP of the league at 40 years old. It's just unbelievable. It speaks to the way he takes care of himself, the way he trains, how much film he watches, one of the hardest working guys. He is driven to excel. I think as long as he feels he is like that, he'll keep playing. We're so lucky to have him in our system."

On Monday, Belichick was asked about this year's quarterback draft class, which could feature six first-round picks.

"Well, I'd say all of the positions are about the same," he said. "There are interesting players in every position. There's a wide range. Some guys have played more. Some guys have played less and different systems. In the end, again, you try to put the whole composite together for each individual player and put a value on him. It's the same thing for every position."

Because you're wondering: In his latest mock draft, CBSSports.com's Jared Dubin has the Patriots taking Oklahoma St. quarterback Mason Rudolph with the 23rd overall pick.