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"]

[mgteich]

I think that this is all good news. Gonzo is basically saying that he is willing to play this year under the current contract and negotiate again next year.

If a deal isn't reached, I expect the team to add an addition roster 2026 bonus to his contract.

 

[BadMoFo]

I am not starting a new thread over an unsubstantiated rumor. Posting this hear and waiting for better sources. I see nothing else out there so it could be fake.

Yes, could be.

 

[slash83]

I think that this is all good news. Gonzo is basically saying that he is willing to play this year under the current contract and negotiate again next year.

If a deal isn't reached, I expect the team to add an addition roster 2026 bonus to his contract.

And next year after Mitchell extends to a mega contract from Philly, guess what happens to Gonzos price tag, you think Kraft is going to pay and and Maye in the same offseason? No way that happens, Gonzo will be traded.

 

[mgteich]

And next year after Mitchell extends to a mega contract from Philly, guess what happens to Gonzos price tag, you think Kraft is going to pay and and Maye in the same offseason? No way that happens, Gonzo will be traded.

Yes, it is better if he signs now.

However, the possibility of his not playing in 2026 is important.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Yes, it is better if he signs now.

However, the possibility of his not playing in 2026 is important.

I don't think he'll hold out in 2026, but I expect that negotiating a deal in 2027 will be a lot more expensive and there will be a lot less goodwill on Gonzo's side.

 

[TommyD4207]

National reporters are repeating this, local reporters like Bedard and Curran stating a deal will be reached before week 1, guess will see.

Agent - National
Patriots employees - Local

Christian Gonzalez- ?

 

[scott99]

The next time Drake Silver is right will be the first time.

 

[Wozzy]

Not for nothing, but I hope it’s not the Patriots or Vrabel’s philosophy holding this thing up.

In Tennessee I always blamed the GM for the putrid CB signings and play, but if Vrabel simply doesn’t value the position it would explain so much.

Vrabel’s Titans, specifically his CB’s sucked, they couldn’t defend the pass. They even got so desperate they finally broke down and paid one a big contract… It was Malcolm Butler… big mistake.

Get this done already…

 

[PatsFan2]

Well put by Savage: I have problem with "market-setting deal". Other Young CB's got their $$$$$$$$ without the noise. We know if Gonzo is not signed this year: things will get very ugly in 27.

 

[PatsFan2]

Not for nothing, but I hope it’s not the Patriots or Vrabel’s philosophy holding this thing up.

In Tennessee I always blamed the GM for the putrid CB signings and play, but if Vrabel simply doesn’t value the position it would explain so much.

Vrabel’s Titans, specifically his CB’s sucked, they couldn’t defend the pass. They even got so desperate they finally broke down and paid one a big contract… It was Malcolm Butler… big mistake.

Get this done already…

I hope he takes the UpFront $$$$$$$: and not worry about being the Highest paid at the Position.

 

[upstater1]

National reporters are repeating this, local reporters like Bedard and Curran stating a deal will be reached before week 1, guess will see.

I don't believe he will not negotiate during the season. With this much at stake, he will.

But if he plays out the whole season without a contract and plays well, his demands next year will skyrocket, and at that point he becomes untradeable because no one will give you adequate compensation for him AND pay him that ever greater amount.

Effectively you only have until mid-year to trade him. After that, he's untradeable.

 

[upstater1]

I think that this is all good news. Gonzo is basically saying that he is willing to play this year under the current contract and negotiate again next year.

If a deal isn't reached, I expect the team to add an addition roster 2026 bonus to his contract.

I don't think he's saying this at all.

He may be willing to play out the year on his current contract, but once he goes into that last year (IF HE PLAYS WELL), he knows he has all the leverage to first demand a much bigger contract than the one he's asking for this year, but also because he can only play 8 games and have the contract toll so he can enter free agency.

The Patriots have to trade him now or in October if they don't want to pay him what he wants, because he loses all value at the end of the season.

 

[mgteich]

I don't believe he will not negotiate during the season. With this much at stake, he will.

But if he plays out the whole season without a contract and plays well, his demands next year will skyrocket, and at that point he becomes untradeable because no one will give you adequate compensation for him AND pay him that ever greater amount.

Effectively you only until mid-year to trade him. After that, he's untradeable.

The trade deadline is November 10th.

He won't be untradeable. We just won't get as much for him if we wait. We will trade him or face franchising him once or twice and hope that he will play well under those circumstances.

As an aside, the key to this year's play with no new contract is to give him a 2026 roster bonus and perhaps another in 2027.

 

[upstater1]

I don't think he'll hold out in 2026, but I expect that negotiating a deal in 2027 will be a lot more expensive and there will be a lot less goodwill on Gonzo's side.

If you want to keep your players at a price that fits into your team's budget, you do the deal now. If you go past this season, it is as you say, much more difficult if not nearly impossible.

Plus, the Patriots have the cap space now.

This team has really done damage to itself in the 2 recent drafts, since we are pretty big spenders when it comes the imports. Look at those contracts for Harold Landry, Milt Williams, Carlton Davis, Hunter Henry, AJ Brown. There's a lot of money spent there, and at least some of these players shouldn't have been signed if we had done a better job in the draft (I'd still want Milt Williams, at the very least).

 

[XLIX]

The next time Drake Silver is right will be the first time.

I saw that too… just have to block *****es like him….

 

[Thunderhead]

I don't think Gonzo plays without a new deal. He will have phantom injuries.

 

[upstater1]

The trade deadline is November 10th.

He won't be untradeable. We just won't get as much for him if we wait. We will trade him or face franchising him once or twice and hope that he will play well under those circumstances.

As an aside, the key to this year's play with no new contract is to give him a 2026 roster bonus and perhaps another in 2027.

Any team trading for him will know his contract demands will be through the roof. If he plays well and asks for 10-12% of the cap, we could be talking about $39m a year given the rise of future caps. Who is going to pay him that AND give you 1st round draft picks? No one.

As for franchising that works even less. No non-RB has played on a franchise tag since Dak Prescott in 2020, except Tee Higgins coming off an injury. And the reason is that teams know that a player like Gonzalez can only play half the games, have his contract toll, and then he enters free agency with you getting nothing. If you franchise him again, he gets 20% higher than the top salaries (which will all be around $30m) so he would get $36m and ALL THAT money would have to count against that year's cap, which would burden the team.

It's a losing strategy if your fallback is, we'll just pay him $36m!!! Kind of crazy, when you can just pay him $33m now and spread the money over the length of the contract.

 

[Thunderhead]

Also interesting that Gonzalez was not named a captain. None of this is trending well.

 

[PatsFan2]

If you want to keep your players at a price that fits into your team's budget, you do the deal now. If you go past this season, it is as you say, much more difficult if not nearly impossible.

Plus, the Patriots have the cap space now.

This team has really done damage to itself in the 2 recent drafts, since we are pretty big spenders when it comes the imports. Look at those contracts for Harold Landry, Milt Williams, Carlton Davis, Hunter Henry, AJ Brown. There's a lot of money spent there, and at least some of these players shouldn't have been signed if we had done a better job in the draft (I'd still want Milt Williams, at the very least).

Good post... the BB and Mayo Drafts aside from Drake Maye have been putrid no dept players. Making a slash in FA is good but has repercussions when you basically have nothing behind them. Salary Escalations are coming for recent FA's. I'm hoping Prunty is a player so we can move on from Carlton Davis. Anyway CB could be a Top priority in 2027: just to stem the tide.

 

[Raccoonsuit]

Sauce is afraid of tackling anyone. Seriously a Sissy.

Why be a corner back if you're gonna tackle like deion sanders.

Thats why I'm a safety man