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"]

[One-If-By-Sea]

Well, 9 guys. Not 7.

But those are starters. Andrews starts. That's what you're looking for (I didn't include Strange because he's not solid as a starter). If you look around the league, this is what teams expect in each draft.

Starters are good. But not all starters are equal.

 

[upstater1]

Starters are good. But not all starters are equal.

When I was counting them, it was with the knowledge that landing even an average starter in the draft is par for the course. If you can land even 3 average guys, you're keeping up with the pack, since that's what the average NFL team will do.

This is why I didn't include Strange in the numbers or Keion white. I don't think these guys are as locked into playing time as a guy like Jake Andrews. But who knows--McDaniel seems to like Strange.

I have to say, I am more than a little nervous about last year's draft for the Patriots at this point. I hope it pans out.

 

[Ring 6]

True but it is kind of liquid. It is very easy to get a loan with the Pats cash flow. So the value is not liquid, but the cash flow is so reliable, it is really easy to borrow against for player salary guarantees, or sell equity.

Thunder can borrow against his cash flow or sell equity. He just sold 8% for over $700M in 2025, so Thunder has cash available.

Well by definition the ability to borrow is liquidity.
I’m not sure Bob Kraft considers borrowing to meet payroll or selling part of his ownership to meet payroll a good business plan.

 

[slash83]

 

[Uptown]

Anyone thinking this Gonzo situation will have any bearing whatsoever in the Maye negotiations is delusional. He’s a franchise QB. Totally different dynamics.

 

[ViperGTS]

Oh well. Time to move on, and I don't blame them.

 

[Ring 6]

Billionaire's grow their assets on average 13% a year while most Americans grow them at the S&P average, much lower. This may have a lot more to do with LEGAL insider trading, like IPOs or angel funds.

It has to do with being better at investing.

 

[ViperGTS]

Anyone thinking this Gonzo situation will have any bearing whatsoever in the Maye negotiations is delusional. He’s a franchise QB. Totally different dynamics.

Bingo. I still think paying any player what Maye will get paid is moronic. But he is a QB and that is a no brainer. Gonzo isn't.

 

[Ring 6]

Since BB left there is ZERO evidence Kraft is cheap.

Once Belichick left, Kraft immediately funded a top-10 cash-spending offseason, expanded the payroll to accommodate a significantly larger coaching and scouting staff, and cut the ribbon on a massive, state-of-the-art training facility.

Under BB Pats were in the Super Bowl every other year. They went to 9 SB's and people use the word cheap because of cash spending. Maybe its the typical BB playing chess and not checkers. Maybe the approach to not hand out big money where an injury (Hello Micah Parsons) is right around the corner. In a sport where the average career is less than 4 years it seems the results were that BB was smarter and spent money more wisely than other teams. Only here would people criticize spending over 2 decades for a team that was a dynasty twice! The few times BB opened up the FA check book were some of the worst decisions.

Gonzalez wants to set a bunch of precedents, a guy that missed 1/3 of his games since drafted. He's not a franchise QB which you automatically do that for. With franchise tags he's also under your contractual control for 4 more years, yeah, I get he can hold out or fake an injury. You give into Gonzalez your next free agent period will cost you more. A Milt Williams will now want more guarantees as you can't say you don't do it. The Pats have to decide if they want to break with their standard practice on contracts for Gonzalez. That's just managing your team to maximize the future.

They left a lot of cap money on the table every year since BB left. They spent a lot one year because they had no choice, they had something like 120 mill in cap space FROM NOT SPENDING IT EARLIER and they didn’t come close to spending it. Mayo got sent to the principals office for suggesting they could.

Belichick was given a budget, and it was tight fisted. He did a tremendous job working within it. If the budget was bigger, he would have spent it.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

When I was counting them, it was with the knowledge that landing even an average starter in the draft is par for the course. If you can land even 3 average guys, you're keeping up with the pack, since that's what the average NFL team will do.

This is why I didn't include Strange in the numbers or Keion white. I don't think these guys are as locked into playing time as a guy like Jake Andrews. But who knows--McDaniel seems to like Strange.

I have to say, I am more than a little nervous about last year's draft for the Patriots at this point. I hope it pans out.

Yup. Last years draft looks perilous.

I think Lomu will be great. He is improving at a rapid rate, and needs an off-season to fill out. I think Lomu will be good.

Raridon looks above average in a few years. The Pats picked up and coming guys.

Reed was not in the draft but I really like him. He was good as a rookie in the playoffs. Think Woodson.

I am hoping Vrabel told Jacas to only bull rush for the 3rd preseason game to teach him some things. Jacas was awful in that game against 2nd and 3rd stringers.

Obiazor must not have impressed as the team put in for 3 or 4 LBs.

Prunty looks good. I like him. I also like the LB UDFA we signed, Hunter.

So if I like a lot of guys, why do I say perilous? Because the picks and signings all seem to be from the same high risk mold, highly athletic guys from lower level schools or with a "dent".

 

[lancerman]

IF Gonzo leaves, someone will pay him what he wants. The debate here is whether the Pats can adequately replace him for much cheaper. Personally, I'd rather have a lockdown CB for Drake's prime years instead of looking for a stop gap and turning one of this teams few strengths into a question mark

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Well by definition the ability to borrow is liquidity.
I’m not sure Bob Kraft considers borrowing to meet payroll or selling part of his ownership to meet payroll a good business plan.

I am sure Kraft has borrowed to pay signing bonuses. NFL contracts are structured with a lot of cash upfront - unusual employment structure. Paying upfront bonuses is not the same as meeting payroll.

 

[Triumph]

Dak Prescott signed hours prior to a Boys season opening kickoff.

These things boil down to who chickens out first or both sides giving to get something in return.

 

[Triumph]

Smoking Gonzos pole. Veery adult of you. We'll see. A absolute blue chip player and they're havijng trouble extending him. What are you going to do when the same thing happens with Maye next year. Not to mention AJ who is likely to want something done. What exactly is YOUR reasoning as to why the Rams can sign all these players to great contracts and we struggle to do one?

Do not cry to me after insinuating that I of all people kiss Krafts keester.

Trouble with Gonzo is automatically trouble with Maye.

 

[upstater1]

Yup. Last years draft looks perilous.

I think Lomu will be great. He is improving at a rapid rate, and needs an off-season to fill out. I think Lomu will be good.

Raridon looks above average in a few years. The Pats picked up and coming guys.

Reed was not in the draft but I really like him. He was good as a rookie in the playoffs. Think Woodson.

I am hoping Vrabel told Jacas to only bull rush for the 3rd preseason game to teach him some things. Jacas was awful in that game against 2nd and 3rd stringers.

Obiazor must not have impressed as the team put in for 3 or 4 LBs.

Prunty looks good. I like him. I also like the LB UDFA we signed, Hunter.

So if I like a lot of guys, why do I say perilous? Because the picks and signings all seem to be from the same high risk mold, highly athletic guys from lower level schools or with a "dent".

Oh, lol, I meant the 2025 draft. Campbell, Henderson, Williams and Wilson. Sorry, could've been more clear. Every draft needs to be evaluated according to the position we were drafting at. Coming off the Super Bowl and picking 31st, we did really well to land Lomu, Jacas and Raridon. It's really hard to do. But flash to the previous draft, and we're taking guys at 4 and 36 and 68. A world of different, premium picks. Effectively, Treveyon is the equivalent of Lomu, Williams is like Jacas. I'm nervous that we won't find 1 more permanent starter out of Treveyon, Wilson and Williams to give us 3 for the draft. Actually when you're picking that high, you need 4 starters.

 

[upstater1]

Bingo. I still think paying any player what Maye will get paid is moronic. But he is a QB and that is a no brainer. Gonzo isn't.

I think you guys are misunderstanding what people are saying. They're not saying the Gonzo negotiations will have any impact on the Maye deal, they are saying the opposite. The impending Maye deal is impacting the Gonzo negotiations. These are two different things.

 

[patfanken]

They left a lot of cap money on the table every year since BB left. They spent a lot one year because they had no choice, they had something like 120 mill in cap space FROM NOT SPENDING IT EARLIER and they didn’t come close to spending it. Mayo got sent to the principals office for suggesting they could.

Belichick was given a budget, and it was tight fisted. He did a tremendous job working within it. If the budget was bigger, he would have spent it.

You IMPLY that BB was given a limited budget and had to live with and the Krafts are cheap, when we've heard the opposite from a wide variety of sources that BB just had to ask for more money and he'd have gotten the fact is that BB understood you cannot win consistently UNLESS you have a strong middle class on your team. If your roster becomes top heavy you will be subject to the whims of injuries and the inevitable bad personnel decisions that afflict EVERY team. You just have to look at the Pats teams of the late 90's who had excellent rosters... one deep. They never had a losing season after the Pats went to the Superbowl, but they consistently underachieved, and when their window closed in 2000 we were left with a roster that was voted by Profootball Weekly to be the LEAST likely to make it to a Superbowl in the next 5 years, And we all know how THAT prediction turned out,

Now I don't know what the hang up with Gonzo's contact is, if it's the money or the terms. All I know is that the discussions are NOT hostile, since neither side has mentioned any specifics about what the holdup is as much as we wish they would. BTW- the Krafts spent the most money (by far) in FA in 2025, and were in the top 10 in the league with money spent this year. Your continued rants about the Krafts are constantly flying against the truth, Andy. You'd be better served staying out of the FO stuff, and stick to actual football observations where you offer more to the board even those times when I disagree. Biases sometimes make us blind.

 

[Pape]

Is that confirmed or just more speculation by outsiders?

I’ve seen it discussed as a possible factor but no attribution to the parties involved.

Would it benefit the team if we could put a large chunk of the deal on this year's cap? Or does it set a bad precedent for the Maye deal coming next year?

 

[slash83]

Not a single Gonzo question was asked this morning at coaches presser, surely the press was told beforehand.

 

[Ring 6]

I am sure Kraft has borrowed to pay signing bonuses. NFL contracts are structured with a lot of cash upfront - unusual employment structure. Paying upfront bonuses is not the same as meeting payroll.

Sure it is. That’s your payroll expense. The cap is an accounting practice, it has nothing to do with when the expense actually hits you.
But over time they level out.
Part of the “cash conscious” approach is that we end up with seasons where we have huge cap money available and that causes the cash to be even higher from the bonuses. 2021,2024,2025 we have a boatload of cap space to sign free agents, a more balanced approach would have leveled that off.