Curran: "In my estimation... [Gonzo would like to] be treated as if he's at the table in 2027." [previous title: "say goodbye to gonzo"]

[borg]

NE may want to focus some of their negotiating energy on sweeteners that will get Gonzalez on the field for 17 games this season.

His $2.3 mill 2026 salary is a minute fraction of his target, so his financial loss would be minimal sitting out half a season.

Frankly, he has NE by the short hairs.
Good for him, crappy for the team.

It's rare for pro athletes to possess extreme leverage, so when you have it...............pounce.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

NE may want to focus some of their negotiating energy on sweeteners that will get Gonzalez on the field for 17 games this season.

His $2.3 mill 2026 salary is a minute fraction of his target, so his financial loss would be minimal sitting out half a season.

Frankly, he has NE by the short hairs.
Good for him, crappy for the team.

It's rare for pro athletes to possess extreme leverage, so when you have it...............pounce.

I would say how about you sweeten it with a new deal until then i got a tight hammy, oh that's healed i think i tweaked my back.

The obvious lies the team are feeding the media to make him look greedy doesn't help, you have to have a real low IQ to think he's actually asking for 18% of the cap like Bedard said.

You only have negotiating power if someone else is going to pay you it "resetting the market" would be asking for 35m, 36m, 18% of the cap is 54.2m you really think an agent is asking for 20m above market?

 

[BTTA]

I posted my opinion, and stated why
how is an opinion dishonest?
only your opinions are honest?

You didn't make an opinion post, with an opinion headline. You made a news post, as if it were an update on inside information. That's entirely different, and what made it misleading.
I'm not jumping on you like others are here; not my style or interest. I just think that's an important distinction in this shared space where we all bear responsibility for the quality of our experience.

 

[BTTA]

The guy is under contract to play two more years for the Pats (if the Pats choose). He was drafted at a spot in the draft order that assumes he'd be one of the better CB's in the league and the draft salary slot reflected that. He's not being underpaid, based on the agreement that the players and owners put together a few years ago. He's being paid fairly, according to the players association. So any whining about being under paid in entitled BS to me.

What are the odds that at the end of those two years, he's still one of the best in the league? That there's been no injury to slow him, cut his quickness, make him hesitant to stick his head in a blender? I'm by nature conservative with budgets and this feels like paying a huge bonus to a sales person who promises to deliver the big sale in two years. Makes me nervous.

 

[upstater1]

The guy is under contract to play two more years for the Pats (if the Pats choose). He was drafted at a spot in the draft order that assumes he'd be one of the better CB's in the league and the draft salary slot reflected that. He's not being underpaid, based on the agreement that the players and owners put together a few years ago. He's being paid fairly, according to the players association. So any whining about being under paid in entitled BS to me.

What are the odds that at the end of those two years, he's still one of the best in the league? That there's been no injury to slow him, cut his quickness, make him hesitant to stick his head in a blender? I'm by nature conservative with budgets and this feels like paying a huge bonus to a sales person who promises to deliver the big sale in two years. Makes me nervous.

OK, but you're talking about a reality that doesn't exist anymore.

The reason the 1st rounders get a 5 yr contract is to increase the leverage for the teams precisely because teams wll always renegotiate contracts in the NFL for star players.

This is the norm now.

If the Patriots want to stick to some principle that no one else follows, players will hate coming here. And beyond that, the players have multiple ways of making the team regret it. You can be assured, he will definitely not be playing out his current contract here in New England. I don't know of a single other top player who has played out their contract and then moved to another team in FA. Look at AJ Brown as a good example of that.

 

[Uptown]

 

[borg]

The guy is under contract to play two more years for the Pats (if the Pats choose). He was drafted at a spot in the draft order that assumes he'd be one of the better CB's in the league and the draft salary slot reflected that. He's not being underpaid, based on the agreement that the players and owners put together a few years ago. He's being paid fairly, according to the players association. So any whining about being under paid is entitled BS to me.

You should venture into the real world on occasion.
"Entitled" Witherspoon just got paid.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I did not think the Seahawks were going to sign him to that given he plays a lot of slot.

This is fuel to fire for Gonzalez.

 

[Real fan 02]

agree
but pay him top of market today, which it appears the team has offered.
or pay him top of market next year.
if he injures, and loses $100m, it's on him and his agent
but I don't see the Pats changing the way the league pays players

I dont think this has anything to do with Witherspoon

Yes the players and owners have a 50/50 revenue share part of the CBA. So the cap continues to rise and so will players salaries. Player's today's greatly benefit off the fight players before them put up f or contracts. He will sign. I'm going to say by the end of camp before week 1. Witherspoon does have alot to do with it as he and gonzo are close and share the same agent. What they are doing is Coordinated and smart.

 

[Real fan 02]

I did not think the Seahawks were going to sign him to that given he plays a lot of slot.

This is fuel to fire for Gonzalez.

Absolutely. Expect Gonzo's deal to be a little higher.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Absolutely. Expect Gonzo's deal to be a little higher.

This is why Gonzalez wasn’t signing because he had intel of this deal incoming.

 

[Real fan 02]

This is why Gonzalez wasn’t signing because he had intel of this deal incoming.

Yes. As You and I had spoken on this. It's all Coordinated. Wouldn't be the least surprised to see Gonzo sign within the next week or by end of training camp. He got Knicked up not sure if it was the shoulder he hurt in 2023? But we don't need to see him in action until week 1 IMO.

 

[TheRainMaker]

You should venture into the real world on occasion.
"Entitled" Witherspoon just got paid.

Zay Flowers just got paid too. Same draft and picked after Gonzalez.

 

[XLIX]

Agree with the sign it next year. Get an insurance policy if you need to, iirc Lloyds writes them.

But totally disagree it’s the team sourcing the story, I think it’s his agent trying to emphasize their position on the issue.

I’m not saying you’re wrong but I’m also not so sure you’re right. He had to know that changing the way contracts are negotiated would not have gone over well with the public.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Surtain is rumored to get a market correction contract. Gonzo may wait to know his ceiling, but Surtain may wait for Gonzo sign to ensure Surtain isn’t leaving money on the table.

 

[n1997y]

I’m not saying you’re wrong but I’m also not so sure you’re right. He had to know that changing the way contracts are negotiated would not have gone over well with the public.

Things like that take time to become accepted. They plant the seed now, even if it doesn’t take root this time it’s not as alien an idea next time. And maybe this contract doesn’t explicitly link future years to cap increases but we see steps increasing the NPV over the years corresponding to projections in growth of the cap, or something like that. It’s a negotiating tool, they’ll use it the best they can.

 

[BTTA]

You should venture into the real world on occasion.
"Entitled" Witherspoon just got paid.

Not interested in this case. Too much real world IRL already.

 

[BTTA]

OK, but you're talking about a reality that doesn't exist anymore.

The reason the 1st rounders get a 5 yr contract is to increase the leverage for the teams precisely because teams wll always renegotiate contracts in the NFL for star players.

This is the norm now.

If the Patriots want to stick to some principle that no one else follows, players will hate coming here. And beyond that, the players have multiple ways of making the team regret it. You can be assured, he will definitely not be playing out his current contract here in New England. I don't know of a single other top player who has played out their contract and then moved to another team in FA. Look at AJ Brown as a good example of that.

Yeah i know. Just expressing my values. No ambition to do NFL management work.

 

[XLIX]

Gonzalez can't have his cake and it eat. The market "resets" almost every year. He can set the market today but needs to STFU if/when it gets reset in 2027.

I looked it up and there are 3 Pro-Bowl caliber CB's from the 2024 draft who will be eligible for deals next offseason: Quinyon Mitchell (Philly), Cooper DeJean (also Philly) and Kamari Lassiter (Houston).

Philly just might have a problem because they are both going to want to set the new market, and I am not sure they won't deserve it if they play at their established level this year. They are both 1st team All-Pro, something Gonzalez cannot claim.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Really?? IF you put lipstick on a pig it's still a pig. Drake Maye is the only reason why Wolf still have a job. A Blind monkey could have made the pick it was so obvious. Wolf and Drafting is not synonymous.

It was so obvious that you wanted them to take Marvin Harrison Jr., and " build the team around him."

That said blind monkey would always do a better job of putting a team together than you. The blind monkey would know better than to have a final roster of 53 wide receivers.