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"]

[rkarp1]

if what Curran is reporting is true, and Gonzo wants his deal to inflate year over year based on the cap inflating, I see him playing on the tag next year or sitting out.
too bad.
if true, I believe he is getting bad advice
Gonzo is great, but he isn't change the way football pays players great.

 

[WazzuWheatfarmer]

I’m still pretty certain that they are gonna get a deal done with Gonzalez.

 

[TheRainMaker]

He’s waiting for Witherspoon to sign which I have a feeling the Seahawks don’t even want to do. Gonzo doesn’t want some random player to leapfrog him within a few months which I’ve mentioned has been an ongoing problem in the NFL.

 

[Thunderhead]

Agree completely. If the Curran report is accurate Gonzalez should be gonzo. Auction him off to the highest bidder and take the treasure chest of first rounders.

 

[Sfpat]

Wait. I thought the reason the deal isn't done is because the Pat's are cheap and lowballing Gonzo. Say this isn't true.

 

[203Pat]

These chicken little posts are always ridiculous. Gonzalez has been in camp and participating. No phantom "hold in" injuries. I think a deal will get done but the quirk is him and Devon Witherspoon play the same position, are comparable players, were drafted the same year, are both up for a deal, and have the same agent. It will get done but they're waiting for the first domino to fall.

 

[Ross12]

Was this even an actual report by Curran or just him theorizing...? I mean, it's Curran.

Here's the original quote, said during a TV segment: "The endgame is very simple. In my estimation, what my understanding is, Christian Gonzalez does not want his contract to be obsolete within seven months," Curran said on Arbella Early Edition. "When the new league year comes and the salary cap goes from $301 [million] to $330 million, the first corner who comes up under that new cap is going to sign for $34 [million], $35 [million]. So what Christian Gonzalez would like is not to be treated as if he's at the table in 2026, but be treated as if he's at the table in 2027."

Curran: Christian Gonzalez doesn't want contract to become 'obsolete'

One potential hang-up in Christian Gonzalez's contract negotiations with the Patriots? The corner might be concerned with the salary cap rising.

www.nbcsportsboston.com

 

[rkarp1]

Was this even an actual report by Curran or just him theorizing...? I mean, it's Curran.

Here's the original quote, said during a TV segment: "The endgame is very simple. In my estimation, what my understanding is, Christian Gonzalez does not want his contract to be obsolete within seven months," Curran said on Arbella Early Edition. "When the new league year comes and the salary cap goes from $301 [million] to $330 million, the first corner who comes up under that new cap is going to sign for $34 [million], $35 [million]. So what Christian Gonzalez would like is not to be treated as if he's at the table in 2026, but be treated as if he's at the table in 2027."

Curran: Christian Gonzalez doesn't want contract to become 'obsolete'

One potential hang-up in Christian Gonzalez's contract negotiations with the Patriots? The corner might be concerned with the salary cap rising.

www.nbcsportsboston.com

why would you change someone's post?

 

[Ross12]

The whole concept makes no sense, because it's just illogical. It's basically saying 'pay him as if he's hitting the market NEXT year so that he doesn't get leapfrogged by someone else not long after signing.'

Except the problem is, it doesn't really matter what he signs for, whatever it is will be the new market line and the next top guy will want more than that. If the current best contract is at $33M or whatever, and Gonzo's "top of market" deal in 2026 would be $34M but he wants, say, $37M in order to "not be obsolete" in a year... he still will be. The next guy will look at Gonzo's $37M and say, OK, pay me $37.1M because I want to be the top. They're not gonna say "oh man, wow, well, Gonzo has too much of a buffer between him and the next guy, I guess I'm fine being 2nd place."

 

[Ross12]

why would you change someone's post?

We change titles all the time when they are misleading. Your original title makes it sound as if Gonzo is confirmed to be imminently traded and lacks context.

 

[Boomer B]

The way of the world. There’s many, many great players whose salaries have been leapfrogged. If he’s worried about it sign a shorter deal. He’s 24, sign a 3 year deal and you’ll be in your prime at 27 when the next one comes up

 

[grux]

Cornerbacks are currently the fifth top earning position in the NFL. QB, Edge rusher, Wide receiver and Interior Defensive Lineman are ahead of cornerbacks. Sounds like Gonzo feels like he should be paid as much or more than the top positions. He is under contract this year and the pats have a 5th year option. The pats don't need to be in a rush to sign him. Let him sit out and if negotiations break down, trade him for two first round picks.

 

[Ross12]

Cornerbacks are currently the fifth top earning position in the NFL. QB, Edge rusher, Wide receiver and Interior Defensive Lineman are ahead of cornerbacks. Sounds like Gonzo feels like he should be paid as much or more than the top positions. He is under contract this year and the pats have a 5th year option. The pats don't need to be in a rush to sign him. Let him sit out and if negotiations break down, trade him for two first round picks.

They control his rights this year, the 5th year option next year, and then they can franchise tag him twice more after that. So if he plays too much hardball he could be waiting for his bag until 2030. That's one way to make your contract obsolete in 2027, 2028, etc... by never even getting it.

That's why I don't think this is really true and is half theorizing and half exaggeration by Curran to drum up TV viewership.

 

[Triumph]

It would be a huge mistake for Gonzo to play 2026 without a new contract.

He is that player where he deserves to be the highest paid. Gonzo has absolutely exceeded expectations. The numbers don't lie and facing Gonzo is almost a death sentence because you're not going make many plays.

 

[n1997y]

I can see an argument that if Gonzo doesn’t sign until after next season he will be looking at a higher market value when he finally does sign, because the market will be higher after the cap increases.

OTOH he carries some risk of injury by waiting to sign, and he can get new money paid to him in the next year or two as part of the deal he negotiates now.

Either way it can be netted out to total contract value, expressed considering the value of money over time.

He (and his agent) need to avoid being confused by the difference between $4 million paid today as a signing bonus and $4 million paid in 2028 as the difference between a $31 million contract and a $35 million contract. Of course it’s not quite that simple because the salary difference is each year over the life of the contract, but it shows the concept. In any case they can and should reference everything back to NPV (net present value). They can also include an escalator clause to adjust and track salary cap increases.

TL;DR: this is a clickbait nothingburger. Just part of the negotiations.

 

[patfanken]

He’s waiting for Witherspoon to sign which I have a feeling the Seahawks don’t even want to do. Gonzo doesn’t want some random player to leapfrog him within a few months which I’ve mentioned has been an ongoing problem in the NFL.

This makes me dislike Gonzales... a LOT (if it's true). He is STILL under a contract for the next TWO years, yet (like Curran says) he is acting like he is a FA. If he WERE a FA, I'd have no problem with his demands, but he ISN'T. An extension is actually a FAVOR by the team. The player gets to be paid at a current market rate one or two years early, and team gets to lock up their better players for 2-4 years after their rookie contract runs out and control future costs.

It sounds like Gonzo wants to a guarantee that his pay will go up even though he is being paid obscene amounts of money (30MM+ IS an obscene amount of money.) It is also selfish and self-destructive. Remember the cap era's most important Mantra. "For every dollar you give player A, there is one less dollar for everyone else." Tom Brady WAS well paid throughout his career, BUT he never demanded to extract the last dollar out of every contract. He was OK to be "among the highest paid QB's" and the team AND his teammates benefited from his attitude. It's not like his family is going to go hungry if he only gets $31MM/yr instead of $36MM or Maye take $60MM instead of $70MM. That extra $10 MM might fund a quality swing OT that helps win a championship.

I remember back in 1971 when I came close to that $14,000 contract (minimum wage was around that # IIRC) because I was going to have to go back to my teaching job which paid around $7700 for my 3rd year. Kinda gets to me when $30MM/yr on Hundred-Million-dollar + contract. gets treated as an insult. So, I'm fine with giving him a contract offer that will make him the highest paid CB in the league in 2026 and if that isn't good enough then tell he is still under contract for this season and next for about $20MM all told and wish him well when he becomes a FA and we will compete for his talents like everyone else.

 

[rkarp1]

We change titles all the time when they are misleading. Your original title makes it sound as if Gonzo is confirmed to be imminently traded and lacks context.

You shouldn’t do that

 

[TheRainMaker]

This makes me dislike Gonzales... a LOT (if it's true). He is STILL under a contract for the next TWO years, yet (like Curran says) he is acting like he is a FA. If he WERE a FA, I'd have no problem with his demands, but he ISN'T. An extension is actually a FAVOR by the team. The player gets to be paid at a current market rate one or two years early, and team gets to lock up their better players for 2-4 years after their rookie contract runs out and control future costs.

I warned this board many times that these mediocre players receiving record setting deals would eventually backfire and we could be seeing that now. Some players are slowly getting more sophisticated and this seems like what Gonzo is asking for is silimar to the outrageous contract Linderbaum got. While he's among the best, I don't see any C coming close to his contract for a few years at minimum.

It sounds like Gonzo wants to a guarantee that his pay will go up even though he is being paid obscene amounts of money (30MM+ IS an obscene amount of money.) It is also selfish and self-destructive.

Correct. What I think he is asking for is to protect himself from some random underserving player getting more money than him in a year or two. He wants it out of reach like Linderbaum.

I remember back in 1971 when I came close to that $14,000 contract (minimum wage was around that # IIRC) because I was going to have to go back to my teaching job which paid around $7700 for my 3rd year. Kinda gets to me when $30MM/yr on Hundred-Million-dollar + contract. gets treated as an insult. So, I'm fine with giving him a contract offer that will make him the highest paid CB in the league in 2026 and if that isn't good enough then tell he is still under contract for this season and next for about $20MM all told and wish him well when he becomes a FA and we will compete for his talents like everyone else.

It's about the title of being the "highest paid" and he wants to keep that title for some time.

 

[BobDigital]

Gonzo is putting the Pats in a hard situation. He is a CB1 and a very good one. But he isn't the best in the league. Probably not top 5 right now. He is top 10... and among the top 10, he is at an ideal age though and is next in line for the big pay day. But he is not that rare CB that deserves to be the top paid guy for more than 1 year... 2 max. He deserves his turn, but he is not so good that he is a guy who gets that special contract. He gets 'the best guy up' contract. Not the 'singular player' contract.

Gonzo thinking he deserves more than the next guy up contract and that he should get it early is just not accurate. IF he wants the huge deal though, he can go the Mahomes route... but no one wants to pay a CB a 6 or 7 year deal. So that is a non-starter anyway.

Personally i am not sure i believe this. Everyone in his ear is probably telling him the same thing. It is his turn... but even Surtain, the best in the game, had to compromise Even Surtain didn't get his turn for long... his team stepped in though and gave him a kicker to keep him more competitive. But he still isn't the highest paid. If Surtain is still a guy who needs to take his turn, so is Gonzo.

 

[rkarp1]

Gonzo is negotiating
my concern is that RK announcing his offer publicly was stating that the team gave their best offer already.
this won't end well
question is when will it end

the way Wolf has been drafting and the staff coaching, I think I am ok with the draft haul