We need to lock up Gonzo this offseason!

[thecore762]

Have to. He is the heart of the secondary.

 

[VJCPatriot]

We will. This is a no brainer re-signing for the Patriots. The question is how long the contract negotiations will take and what the final number will be.

I'd make extending Gonzalez a top priority on the to-do list in the offseason. Try to work the contract in such a way as to save early in and push deferred money late. He's probably going to want a big signing bonus too. The good thing about bonus money is you can pro-rate it and push it back over a long term deal.

We do have a 5th year option for 2027 so the leverage is still with the Patriots. It would be smart to get that extension done early before he ever becomes eligible for free agency.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

We will. This is a no brainer re-signing for the Patriots. The question is how long the contract negotiations will take and what the final number will be.

I'd make extending Gonzalez a top priority on the to-do list in the offseason. Try to work the contract in such a way as to save early in and push deferred money late. He's probably going to want a big signing bonus too. The good thing about bonus money is you can pro-rate it and push it back over a long term deal.

We do have a 5th year option for 2027 so the leverage is still with the Patriots. It would be smart to get that extension done early before he ever becomes eligible for free agency.

I'm sure the Patriots want to do that, too. The question is how soon will the NFL try to re-open negotiations for the media deals. Players who aren't free agents are going to be less likely to re-negotiate if that is still up in the air (the more $$ the league gets, the more the players get, even under the current CBA).

And FWIW the 5th-year option is, at this point, a marker for negotiations. It has no real effect on their ability to negotiate a deal other than setting a floor for guaranteed money.

 

[TheRainMaker]

He's the only winner tonight in a losing effort. As I've stated before, he looks bored at times and erases whoever when he needs to. He ended the debate should the Pats have drafted JSN over him. He's getting paid this offseason.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

Here’s the issue. You pay him and Drake, you have little money left considering you already paid Williams top of market. We know the team isn’t good enough to win a SB. Could legit have $125MM/yr taken up by 3 players.

 

[slash83]

Here’s the issue. You pay him and Drake, you have little money left considering you already paid Williams top of market. We know the team isn’t good enough to win a SB. Could legit have $125MM/yr taken up by 3 players.

Cap is going up every single year, money isn’t an issue going forward, there’s no way you don’t pay him.

Just looking ahead to Drake, he doesn’t seem like someone who is going to try and squeeze every penny when he’s up for an extension.

 

[VrabelJr]

Here’s the issue. You pay him and Drake, you have little money left considering you already paid Williams top of market. We know the team isn’t good enough to win a SB. Could legit have $125MM/yr taken up by 3 players.

I'm ok with it. Those are 3 of the 4 most important positions in football.

 

[n1997y]

He answered the many doubters on here saying he was overhyped, wasn’t really good, not one of the best CBs in the league.

 

[TommyD4207]

Here’s the issue. You pay him and Drake, you have little money left considering you already paid Williams top of market. We know the team isn’t good enough to win a SB. Could legit have $125MM/yr taken up by 3 players.

Caps way north of 300 million. Those are 3 of the most important positions on the field.

It's a non-issue right now.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Caps way north of 300 million. Those are 3 of the most important positions on the field.

It's a non-issue right now.

*should be way north of $300M by 2028. And as you said, CB1 is important enough to justify the $$.

 

[condon84]

Here’s the issue. You pay him and Drake, you have little money left considering you already paid Williams top of market. We know the team isn’t good enough to win a SB. Could legit have $125MM/yr taken up by 3 players.

This is why we gotta win now before Drake gets that monster contract.

 

[n1997y]

This is why we gotta win now before Drake gets that monster contract.

If Drake keeps looking like Playoff Drake instead of Regular Drake he may not get that monster contract. I’m not convinced it’s all his OL.

 

[condon84]

If Drake keeps looking like Playoff Drake instead of Regular Drake he may not get that monster contract. I’m not convinced it’s all his OL.

Drake was an MVP candidate before he spent most of the time in the playoffs on his back.

 

[n1997y]

Drake was an MVP candidate before he spent most of the time in the playoffs on his back.

Looked good against a soft schedule. And then the wheels came off in the playoffs. He tightened up and changed his playing style against better competition, his receivers weren’t getting open the way they did earlier, and the OL wasn’t protecting him very well. Before the playoffs when protection broke down he scrambled and that was a big part of his MVP case, but it mostly vanished in the playoffs with only a few big plays as exceptions.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

If Drake keeps looking like Playoff Drake instead of Regular Drake he may not get that monster contract. I’m not convinced it’s all his OL.

I'll give him $20hr

 

[Lagaffe_07]

Cap is going up every single year, money isn’t an issue going forward, there’s no way you don’t pay him.

Just looking ahead to Drake, he doesn’t seem like someone who is going to try and squeeze every penny when he’s up for an extension.

If he continues to play like he did in the playoffs you won’t need to pay Drake 70M

 

[Lagaffe_07]

He answered the many doubters on here saying he was overhyped, wasn’t really good, not one of the best CBs in the league.

He wasn’t great in the regular season.

He had his best game of the year in the SB. That’s what you want from your best players. Playing their best when it matters the most. Unlike the QB.

Kudos to Gonzo he was elite in this game. Him and Woodson were the bright spot of this game.

 

[upstater1]

Looked good against a soft schedule. And then the wheels came off in the playoffs. He tightened up and changed his playing style against better competition, his receivers weren’t getting open the way they did earlier, and the OL wasn’t protecting him very well. Before the playoffs when protection broke down he scrambled and that was a big part of his MVP case, but it mostly vanished in the playoffs with only a few big plays as exceptions.

He had MORE yds per game in the playoffs running than he did the regular season

 

[DarrylS]

How much is Gonzalez responsible for???
Kupp 12 targets 6 receptions 61 yards...
Smith/Njiba 10 targets 4 receptions 27 yards
Shaheed 5 targets 2 receptions 27 yards
Gonzalez seemed to be all over the place last night, his play was quite obvious...

 

[Thelonious]

He did play a really excellent game in the SB, and he was consistently very good, if not at all times spectacular through the season. His interception numbers are not fabulous, not top-of-the-league great.

All in all, I think we should make a strong effort at signning him long-term. His compensation, it seems me, will have to be near the top of the position leaguewide, but if he were to insist on being the highest-paid CB in the game, I think declining to pay that high a a price and opting to trade him is absolutely worth considering.