If true, Gonzo = Reverse Ricky Williams; How to use it!?

PatsFanInVa · 2026-09-05T15:32:53-0400

Well, maybe not quite all that. So let's start with what's now a third-hand rumor. Someone here just posted...

"Someone posted a rumor a while back that Detroit was willing to trade Sam LaPorta, 1st and 2nd 2027 picks and their 2028 1st for Gonzo."

So I sourced this to an idle musing by a Sports Illustrated writer:

MSN

In it, he says he thinks it's worth it for Detroit to pursue Gonzo, and he ponders aloud the exact draft picks mentioned above. Then he says the trade might make them part ways w/LaPorta, "if he is not included in the deal."

So, put on your GM hat. NE has just pulled the trigger. Gonzo is gone. You have an extra 1st and 2nd in 2027 and an extra 1st in 2028.

- The rules are that you have a 1 and a 2 in 2027 to work with and a 1 in 2028.
- You can assume our elite secondary is now down one amazing corner in the departed Gonzales and is now a meh - good secondary.
- You can assume we get the TE LaPorta, yay, score one more TE
- You can assume that we dodge the cap bullet of keeping Gonzo, and make whatever assumption you want for paying Gonzo this year.

Would you do it, and what are your moves, remembering that depth is a need identified from on high?

borg · 2026-09-05T15:42:13-0400

Toss in Gibbs as a sweetener and maybe……

n1997y · 2026-09-05T15:42:34-0400

I start taking trade offers for Drake Maye, because he’s going to be even more expensive to extend than Gonzo, and we can get even more in return for trading him. I figure two firsts and two seconds, or maybe three first.

We will own the draft. We’ll have so many pucks they might as well just give us the Lombardi on draft day!

Yes that’s ridiculous. Yes it’s exactly the same logic as trading Gonzo.

UGAPatsfan · 2026-09-05T15:46:16-0400

n1997y said:
I start taking trade offers for Drake Maye, because he’s going to be even more expensive to extend than Gonzo, and we can get even more in return for trading him. I figure two firsts and two seconds, or maybe three first.

We will own the draft. We’ll have so many pucks they might as well just give us the Lombardi on draft day!

Yes that’s ridiculous. Yes it’s exactly the same logic as trading Gonzo.

There is no comparing an elite QB to an elite CB. No CB impacts the game the way a QB does.

I draft best edge/CB available rd 1/2 next year in this scenario.

This is a zone heavy scheme at it’s core. Get you a great zone corner

Uptown · 2026-09-05T15:57:36-0400

Don’t believe it for a second, but hypothetically if that were even remotely true…..

Hell yeah

n1997y · 2026-09-05T16:00:07-0400

UGAPatsfan said:
There is no comparing an elite QB to an elite CB. No CB impacts the game the way a QB does.

I draft best edge/CB available rd 1/2 next year in this scenario.

This is a zone heavy scheme at it’s core. Get you a great zone corner

Bust rate is 50% on first round corners iirc. And success is just NFL average not great.

So to be safe plan on using two first round picks on CBs and ending up with a downgrade from Gonzo.

Sounds like a winning strategy - NOT!

But at least Jonathan’s inheritance won’t be eroded by it.

DoubleDeluxe · 2026-09-05T16:05:00-0400

Talking hypotheticals is fine, but they should be based in reality.
This is like asking what month I should visit the edge of the flat earth.

n1997y · 2026-09-05T16:10:15-0400

DoubleDeluxe said:
Talking hypotheticals is fine, but they should be based in reality.
This is like asking what month I should visit the edge of the flat earth.

I hear it depends which hemisphere you’re visiting from. Personally, I’d recommend April.

TheRainMaker · 2026-09-05T16:11:49-0400

I’m keeping him unless he holds out. I’ve never been a fan of hoarding picks and looking rich “on paper” over the young proven player.

I think the Pats would ideally like to see how this season plays out specifically with Barmore who’s vastly overpaid. If he has another mediocre season, they could clear $20M in cap space from him alone.

Other players on the chopping block unless they have outstanding seasons:

Carlton Davis would clear $16.5M.

Landry’s knee is a liability and he’d clear $14.5M.

Moses will most likely be gone after drafting Lomu. He’d clear $9M.

Rham will finally be gone clearing $6.4M.

That totals $66.4M. They’ll have plenty of room to sign him in 2027.

DoubleDeluxe · 2026-09-05T16:19:44-0400

TheRainMaker said:
I’m keeping him unless he holds out. I’ve never been a fan of hoarding picks and looking rich “on paper” over the young proven player.

I think the Pats would ideally like to see how this season plays out specifically with Barmore who’s vastly overpaid. If he has another mediocre season, they could clear $20M in cap space from him alone.

Other players on the chopping block unless they have outstanding seasons:

Carlton Davis would clear $16.5M.

Landry’s knee is a liability and he’d clear $14.5M.

Moses will most likely be gone after drafting Lomu. He’d clear $9M.

Rham will finally be gone clearing $6.4M.

That totals $66.4M. They’ll have plenty of room to sign him in 2027.

Rham could be gone.
Could be restructured.
I believe based on some of your posts (if I remember correctly), you don't like him, or think Trey should be ahead of him.
I think he's underrated, and an important of the team.
This doesn't mean I think he will be kept at his current number, but I wouldn't be writing him off the team either.

TheRainMaker · 2026-09-05T16:27:58-0400

DoubleDeluxe said:
Rham could be gone.
Could be restructured.
I believe based on some of your posts (if I remember correctly), you don't like him, or think Trey should be ahead of him.
I think he's underrated, and an important of the team.
This doesn't mean I think he will be kept at his current number, but I wouldn't be writing him off the team either.

I don’t like Rham at all and should’ve never received an extension. He’s a soft runner, doesn’t make quick decisions, zero acceleration though his blocks and needs perfect blocking or he’s dead to rights. He was awful in the year before his extension and has been awful since.

His role in 2026 will be a punching back to reduce Henderson’s workload.

DoubleDeluxe · 2026-09-05T16:32:51-0400

TheRainMaker said:
I don’t like Rham at all and should’ve never received an extension. He’s a soft runner, doesn’t make quick decisions, zero acceleration though his blocks and needs perfect blocking or he’s dead to rights. He was awful in the year before his extension and has been awful since.

His role in 2026 will be a punching back to reduce Henderson’s workload.

Completely disagree.
I've been wrong before.

Racervx54 · 2026-09-05T16:44:12-0400

this team need gonzo

Pape · 2026-09-05T16:51:15-0400

we got gonzo for the very least 3 years... this year, tag 1 and tag 2

im not trading him right away...

wonder what in the structure of the offer/deal (reference rkk saying our offer makes him the highest paid cb) is making gonzo balk...

Mike the Brit · 2026-09-05T17:18:08-0400

DoubleDeluxe said:
Completely disagree.
I've been wrong before.

Completely agree. If he'd gone on about the fumbling, then ... yes, fair enough. But everything else has been very good to great.

cmasspatsfan · 2026-09-05T17:27:03-0400

Pape said:
we got gonzo for the very least 3 years... this year, tag 1 and tag 2

im not trading him right away...

wonder what in the structure of the offer/deal (reference rkk saying our offer makes him the highest paid cb) is making gonzo balk...

He's still under contract, his only leverage would be to holdout and that never ends well for either side and would be a bad move. Work it out and move on, we need him, he's only 24 and has a few elite years left.

patfanken · 2026-09-05T17:32:34-0400

Didn't we visit this same topic about 2 or 3 weeks ago? I recall it because I posted this trade "rumor" after seeing this Detroit option on the MS newsfeed in the Gonzo thread. I'll be interested to see if the responses are the same as the ones offered here.

n1997y · 2026-09-05T18:05:52-0400

cmasspatsfan said:
He's still under contract, his only leverage would be to holdout and that never ends well for either side and would be a bad move. Work it out and move on, we need him, he's only 24 and has a few elite years left.

He’s not holding out now.

Most or perhaps all of the impetus for him holding out is coming from mediots needing clickbait.

farn · 2026-09-05T18:27:49-0400

I prefer Gonzo. BUT…. if we accept that it’s unlikely he stays for big bucks (I know it was a different regime, but NE’s had many top flight CBs move on), that return is hefty.

Today, I feel much better HAVING Gonzo and hoping NE can continue the 2025 magic and give fans another shot at a ring. But if (1) he’ll be holding out (2) not signing long term (3) he misses some time…. you’d need to consider it.

Ross12 · 2026-09-05T18:31:24-0400

If Gonzo will take a deal slightly better than Witherspoon's, I'd keep him.

If Gonzo won't take that deal, but will just play on his current contract and revisit talks after the season and isn't a distraction, I'd keep him.

If Gonzo won't take that deal and also won't play and is a distraction, I'd trade him.

The package described is even more than I'd expect. Two firsts for a guy who is holding out and in need of a record-breaking contract would seem like plenty to me.

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