Patriots Injury News Gonzalez Could Be Gonzo for Week 1

[TheRainMaker]

The problem with this era of athletes is that their pay has skyrocketed, yet they're less durable. The guys before them really had to put in the blood, sweat and tears, and still didn't make much compared to today. It has really gotten out of control where teams will pay a young player after one good year.

 

[JohnJH]

If this becomes an every season issue with Gonzalez, I could see them certainly picking up his 5th Year Option, but not giving him a huge contract like they did when they got Gilmore. They might see what other #1 CB's who are in his age range and have been durable can be had in FA in the future. I know I'll get a lot of hate for this, but talent is useless is you can't be available to use it.

 

[JohnJH]

You can't make the club from the tub.

It will be interesting to see how the Patriots approach a contract extension with him in the offseason.

How much? Length? Bonuses?

I mentioned later in this thread, that he'll probably get his 5th Year option, but that when the time comes they might look to see who's available as a #1 CB who is in his age range but is durable before they sign him to a Gilmore type extension.

 

[Real fan 02]

The problem with this era of athletes is that their pay has skyrocketed, yet they're less durable. The guys before them really had to put in the blood, sweat and tears, and still didn't make much compared to today. It has really gotten out of control where teams will pay a young player after one good year.

Exactly agreed. Mankins played a whole season with a MCL, rivers played in an AFC championship game with a ACL. So many other examples out there. Gonzo as great as he is. Saw that sauce got paid and he, and his agent are likely taking the cautious approach.

 

[Zuma]

It’s in the Patriots best interests for Gonzo to be healthy…how could anyone think otherwise. Hammy’s can take a while to heal…this is not new news. The team is being cautious and rightly so.

 

[Real fan 02]

It’s in the Patriots best interests for Gonzo to be healthy…how could anyone think otherwise. Hammy’s can take a while to heal…this is not new news. The team is being cautious and rightly so.

Agreed. He's needed for the long term not just week 1. Furthermore other guys like Austin and DJ James will need to step up and take advantage of opportunities.

 

[Real fan 02]

If this becomes an every season issue with Gonzalez, I could see them certainly picking up his 5th Year Option, but not giving him a huge contract like they did when they got Gilmore. They might see what other #1 CB's who are in his age range and have been durable can be had in FA in the future. I know I'll get a lot of hate for this, but talent is useless is you can't be available to use it.

You could be right there John. But I believe gonzo is such a humble unique person with his skills, etc, and size. What I think happens is the team does extend him rightfully so, however the contract will be geared towards the team that protects them for injury. He may get front loaded with alot of guaranteed money with injury clauses in it.

 

[varjao]

If this becomes an every season issue with Gonzalez, I could see them certainly picking up his 5th Year Option, but not giving him a huge contract like they did when they got Gilmore. They might see what other #1 CB's who are in his age range and have been durable can be had in FA in the future. I know I'll get a lot of hate for this, but talent is useless is you can't be available to use it.

Gonzalez is a player already on that tier of players who will get paid either here or somewhere else, even if he keeps losing games for injuries here and there

 

[mgteich]

You could be right there John. But I believe gonzo is such a humble unique person with his skills, etc, and size. What I think happens is the team does extend him rightfully so, however the contract will be geared towards the team that protects them for injury. He may get front loaded with alot of guaranteed money with injury clauses in it.

When you give lots of upfront money and lots of guaranteed (almostalways in the first two years, injury clauses will protect the player not the team.

I agree with others. We'll pick up the 5th year option and then he will have at most the option year to play for us. Sure, the team could match any offer and pay a huge amount and take huge risks of injury.

 

[JohnJH]

Gonzalez is a player already on that tier of players who will get paid either here or somewhere else, even if he keeps losing games for injuries here and there

If that be the case, then let him get paid elsewhere if he can't stay healthy.

 

[rkarp1]

I am getting the sense that the injury is healed for normal everyday life, but he is not yet 100% ready for football game action.
do they give him the rest of the week with limited practice activity, and then put him out there on Sunday in a managed way to ease him back?
or do they take a more conservative approach and sit him all week and start getting him back at next weeks practices.

 

[PatsFan2]

I am getting the sense that the injury is healed for normal everyday life, but he is not yet 100% ready for football game action.
do they give him the rest of the week with limited practice activity, and then put him out there on Sunday in a managed way to ease him back?
or do they take a more conservative approach and sit him all week and start getting him back at next weeks practices.

We need Gonzo for Miami in week 2: we can't stop Hill and Waddle without Him.

 

[JoeSixPat]

That would be disappointing, but better safe than sorry.
I think Davis, Austin, Jones can handle Meyers, old man Cooper, and 2 rookies.
Hopefully Dugger is ready to prove he was the right choice to lock down Bowers.

There's some chatter among the sports writers that some of this is early contract posturing by Gonzalez, who, as probably the best player on the team and thus, at least in his mind, the most underpaid, and he'll be looking for a Sauce Gardiner type deal after this season.

He's not going to sit out, but he's going to make damn well sure that his hammy is in good shape before going out and making it worse, or tweaking something else through overcompensation.

So while this might be him posturing a bit, I don't blame any players for being cautious with their own health and I think it would be wise of the team not to rush him back.

I would think he should be trying to be healthy for the Miami game as division games are more important - but I back him or the team on sitting him this week if indeed that is what happens.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Gonzo will be critical to whether or not this defense has the chance to be really good this year. Besides Maye, no other players health makes or breaks our entire season.

I don’t feel great about the secondary if he can’t stay healthy. Davis has proven far too unreliable as a CB1.

More depth at CB would be nice. I think we'll have some guys in and out this season to see if we can find some future depth.

It may be they won't want to pay Gonzo the $30 mil a season it will take to keep him in the next contract so they will be trying that much harder to find someone on an affordable or rookie contract to play on the other side even if they keep him at that price ( I hope they do - and that he earns it this season)

 

[Zuma]

IMO If Gonzo is thinking about his future contracts...the best way to secure more $$$ is to play. What do you think will happen when it's time to negotiate? Any contract will depend on the amount of games he played and at what level. Sitting will diminish his value.

 

[JoeSixPat]

The problem with this era of athletes is that their pay has skyrocketed, yet they're less durable. The guys before them really had to put in the blood, sweat and tears, and still didn't make much compared to today. It has really gotten out of control where teams will pay a young player after one good year.

Yes - not faulting the $$ as that's them getting a portion of the NFL making money off of them sacrificing their bodies.

But the players also demanded fewer mandatory camps and practices - and then agreed (at Goodell's behest) to add a game (and the $ to their paychecks) and shorten the already anemic pre-season that left players under conditioned and underprepared for the season, making September games as messy as the preseason used to be.

While some of them will make the extra effort themselves, for the most part there's an even distribution of mediocrity in Goodell's NFL and it makes for sloppier football with more injuries, making quality depth that much more important in today's NFL

I'd love to see them expand the rosters a little bit more in the hopes of helping players develop into the depth all teams will need, and expect that whoever IS healthy will be playing better quality football come December, but it's tough to argue today's football is better than say, the Brady era

Brady himself said that QBs aren't as mentally prepared but I'd just expand that to the physical, as even the other QBs from Brady's era were higher caliber than most we see today, though there was just a nice run of very good QBs for quite awhile.

 

[JoeSixPat]

IMO If Gonzo is thinking about his future contracts...the best way to secure more $$$ is to play. What do you think will happen when it's time to negotiate? Any contract will depend on the amount of games he played and at what level. Sitting will diminish his value.

I'm not sure how playing injured and at best, looking bad in the game and at worst, getting a more serious or even season ending injury is going to help his future contract negotiations.

Unless he's thinking that he can get top dollar coming off the IR

My guess is he's thinking that for his own purposes and next contract it would be best to play at full health and look great doing so, while showing the Patriots that he's worth a $30 mil a season contract, but that's just crazy thinking probably

 

[Zuma]

I'm not sure how playing injured and at best, looking bad in the game and at worst, getting a more serious or even season ending injury is going to help his future contract negotiations.

Unless he's thinking that he can get top dollar coming off the IR

My guess is he's thinking that for his own purposes and next contract it would be best to play at full health and look great doing so, while showing the Patriots that he's worth a $30 mil a season contract, but that's just crazy thinking probably

I agree...he should not play injured. He should play when he is healthy which should be soon according to normal recover times for that injury. Looking forward to him playing.

 

[n1997y]

More depth at CB would be nice. I think we'll have some guys in and out this season to see if we can find some future depth.

It may be they won't want to pay Gonzo the $30 mil a season it will take to keep him in the next contract so they will be trying that much harder to find someone on an affordable or rookie contract to play on the other side even if they keep him at that price ( I hope they do - and that he earns it this season)

It would be ironic if some other CB develops while Gonzo is chilling in the tub and makes him less important in the grand scheme of things.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

He's not going to sit out, but he's going to make damn well sure that his hammy is in good shape before going out and making it worse, or tweaking something else through overcompensation.

Everyone watched Duggar last year play though a high ankle sprain and get criticized, so guys this year want to be healthy. Makes sense to me. Duggar should not have played on his high ankle sprain.