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"]

[TommyD4207]

Pats handed out extensions in 2024 like Oprah handing out gifts to her audience. Look how many bad contracts they handed out. They got bailed out with Dugger’s horrendous deal. Owenu just gave money back. Barmore has been awful since.

Yeah, they had a salary floor to hit.

 

[Huckleberry1]

He didn’t have the cap space to pay Brady. All those dynasty years of contract manipulation, basically making it manageable to continue success (6 SB championships and 9 SB appearances in 18 years), sooner or later it catches up to a team. Add in horrific drafting the last ten years of Belichick, and dynasties will crumble. As a fan, it was all worth it though.

Belichick has a degree in economics and he successfully worked the cap for years, had he wanted to keep Brady he would have worked it to keep him.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Gonzo isn't playing on Wednesday

Tell us, what have you been right about since Vrabel became the coach? You screamed about them not doing anything in the 25' free agency and they did a great job. You thought they were going to suck last year and they went to the Super Bowl etc etc etc...... You were wrong about everything.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

Yeah, they had a salary floor to hit.

Barmore uas been a colossal disappointment given his contract.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Gonzo isn't playing on Wednesday

That would have to be unpresented for a player to play roughly two full seasons out of the first three and decide he's holding out.

 

[JoeSixPat]

If reports are true that he wants to be paid a static % of the cap going forward, I don’t see ANY owner doing that deal. Bad precedent.

But who knows if that is true.

Wish his actual demands would get leaked so I could more objectively decide who’s being difficult: Gonzo, Kraft, or both.

Right - I heard that early on that he wants contract kickers based on the highest paid CB

If that's the case I'm with the team in rejecting that - it defeats the win win nature of a contract extension.

If he wants to be the highest paid each year he should opt for one year contracts in which he'll get market value. If he wants to lock in guaranteed money then he needs to accept he'll get what the market is today and not years in the future.

 

[JoeSixPat]

That would have to be unpresented for a player to play roughly two full seasons out of the first three and decide he's holding out.

I'm sure his reason would be a tweaked hammy or something while he's playing for only $3 million this year.

Next year would be different with him getting $18 million while trying to showcase he's worth what would be a $150 million extension after next season - he'd be getting paid and would have a big incentive to play well if the Pats treat him the way the Giants did Thibedeaux with the 5th year option but no extension.

If it were you or me, would we gamble $140 million we can expect if healthy, for $21 million over the next 2 years risking injury?

If indeed the NFL is a "business" as the owners often remind us, they can't fault a player for treating it like a business too.

 

[PatsFan2]

I'm sure his reason would be a tweaked hammy or something while he's playing for only $3 million this year.

Next year would be different with him getting $18 million while trying to showcase he's worth what would be a $150 million extension after next season - he'd be getting paid and would have a big incentive to play well if the Pats treat him the way the Giants did Thibedeaux with the 5th year option but no extension.

If it were you or me, would we gamble $140 million we can expect if healthy, for $21 million over the next 2 years risking injury?

If indeed the NFL is a "business" as the owners often remind us, they can't fault a player for treating it like a business too.

I'm taking the $$$$$$$ now.

 

[upstater1]

Belichick has a degree in economics and he successfully worked the cap for years, had he wanted to keep Brady he would have worked it to keep him.

There was no point in keeping him. The team was at the of its run.

You can't keep drafting at 31 and 32 and expect to be great forever. All the blue chip guys go before 20.

The plan was to take all the dead cap hit money and go on a FA signing spree the following year.

If the Patriots kept Brady, they would definitely have been worse than they were in 2019. & 2020 was a Covid year.

 

[rochrist]

A 33 million dollar slave ?

If it's a case of 'you'll take what we say you'll take', then yeah. Also, 33 million is speculation on your part.

 

[rads2005]

Christian Gonzalez isn't taking Kevin Byard’s praise for granted

All-Pro safety Kevin Byard had a powerful statement about Christian Gonzalez amid the star cornerback's ongoing contract negotiations.

patriotswire.usatoday.com

On Byard’s praise for him: “It definitely means a lot, and just glad he's here and glad he gets to be in my back end…I know those are my guys and I know they'e going to be there, especially in the back end," Gonzalez said.

 

[raduray]

Gonzo is certainly keeping the notion that he's considering sitting out.

I don't think he will in Week 1, in the opener, a nationally televised game. But I'm not so sure he won't sit later in the season (faux hammy issues) if he's not going to be extended.

Christian Gonzalez responds to possible Patriots opener sit out amid contract saga

The clock is ticking on the New England Patriots to reach an agreement with Christian Gonzalez ahead of next week’s season opener in Seattle. This offseason has already seen a number of the NFL’s top cornerbacks receive huge paydays, but Gonzalez has been left waiting on his.

sports.yahoo.com

Hasn't he said no negotiations once the season starts? If so, what would be the point of sitting out?

 

[upstater1]

Christian Gonzalez isn't taking Kevin Byard’s praise for granted

All-Pro safety Kevin Byard had a powerful statement about Christian Gonzalez amid the star cornerback's ongoing contract negotiations.

patriotswire.usatoday.com

On Byard’s praise for him: “It definitely means a lot, and just glad he's here and glad he gets to be in my back end…I know those are my guys and I know they'e going to be there, especially in the back end," Gonzalez said.

The addition of Byard was about to make Gonzalez into a superstar. I don't know many times last year Hawkins blew coverage just to have the TV blame it on Gonzalez who was always trailing because Hawkins didn't know where he was supposed to be.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Hasn't he said no negotiations once the season starts? If so, what wothuld be the point of sitting out?

He's reportedly being considered for a $140 million extension. That's a pretty big incentive not to play and risk injury.

This year's $3 million salary means nothing in the big picture, but if he were injured, he'd be saying goodbye to what would likely be $150 million if he signs somewhere else as a free agent in the 2027 offseason.

He'd have an incentive to play NEXT season for $18 million and show he's still at the top of his game heading into free agency no doubt.

But I'd ask you, what his incentive is to play for $3 million this year and risk injury and losing a 9 figure payday?

 

[Triumph]

Hasn't he said no negotiations once the season starts? If so, what would be the point of sitting out?

A trade.

 

[patfanken]

I wish we knew what Gonzo wants.

If its an escalating contract per highest paid CB then it's over because I don't see Kraft bringing that type of contract into the NFL.

The first sentence of your post is spot on.

I want to hear from Gonzo about what exactly he and his agents are looking for. If he came out and said, "I'd be happy with the same terms as money as the Witherspoon deal", I'd be ready to blame the FO (Kraft) for the delay, BUT if he came out and said, "I want to be the highest paid CB in the league and have terms that KEEP me being the highest paid CB in the league throughout the contract, then I'd make him play for what he is due on his rookie contract and trade him at the end of the season. We need to hear from Gonzales.

I disagree with the second sentence. I can't see Kraft balking at giving Christian a marginally better deal than Witherspoon and make him the highest paid CB in the league for THIS season, but not one that would contain escalators that would keep him being the highest paid every year of the contract, which is what I think he and his agents are looking for. Would you sign Gonzo to THAT kind of contract, T?

 

[Gumby]

I thought I heard one of the prime parties (forget who ) quoted by Mediots (maybe was pats unfiltered) as saying they agree on the main points ($ etc) but are still negotiating secondary clauses and things. So all this trade talk should really tone it down.

I think the Pats & Gonzo team silence is a good thing, but it opens the door for everybody and his brother to imagine problems and outrageous positions that one side or the other supposedly COULD HAVE.

Chill and let the butterfly come to you. It will all be ok, ….. really!

 

[Triumph]

The first sentence of your post is spot on.

I want to hear from Gonzo about what exactly he and his agents are looking for. If he came out and said, "I'd be happy with the same terms as money as the Witherspoon deal", I'd be ready to blame the FO (Kraft) for the delay, BUT if he came out and said, "I want to be the highest paid CB in the league and have terms that KEEP me being the highest paid CB in the league throughout the contract, then I'd make him play for what he is due on his rookie contract and trade him at the end of the season. We need to hear from Gonzales.

I disagree with the second sentence. I can't see Kraft balking at giving Christian a marginally better deal than Witherspoon and make him the highest paid CB in the league for THIS season, but not one that would contain escalators that would keep him being the highest paid every year of the contract, which is what I think he and his agents are looking for. Would you sign Gonzo to THAT kind of contract, T?

I did not state that Gonzo should not receive the top contract for NFL CBs at the present time. Pre Witherspoon extension, Kraft boasted that NE offered Gonzo the highest contract in NEP history and the highest NFL CB contract. Its too late for Kraft to back peddle now.

I do not believe that paying Gonzo more than Witherspoon or McDuffie is the issue.

Kraft should not agree IF Gonzo wants a contract that automatically self adjusts every time an NFL CB gets a better contract than Gonzo. This type of contract does not exist the NFL now and Kraft should not be owner that poisons the well.

 

[TheRainMaker]

The addition of Byard was about to make Gonzalez into a superstar. I don't know many times last year Hawkins blew coverage just to have the TV blame it on Gonzalez who was always trailing because Hawkins didn't know where he was supposed to be.

The long pass at the beginning of the AFCCG is one of them. Some people still blame Gonzalez, but it was clear it was a blown coverage by Hawkins when you see the replay. Gonzalez recognized quickly that Hawkins blew coverage and prevented the TD. Hawkins preceded to give up a TD two plays later.

 

[varjao]

Well its a reset market, once a Top player hits free agency or his deal is about to expiry, he usually resets the market. But it resets the figures, not the structure.

In order for a player to change market structures (I think the last was Mahomes 10 year deal or something to that effect) it needs tô be a really special player. Gonzalez thinks he is but Kraft is not the owner who will concede that