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"]

[TheRainMaker]

Maybe not Butler, but JC was phenomenal while he was here. Not elite by any stretch, but he damn sure did what he needed to do. Turnovers galore..25 INTs in 4 years is insane; especially considering he was undrafted.

He absolutely was elite. See below.

JC Jackson?
Malcolm Butler?

I thought that was a list of top NFL CBs, the cream. Do those guys really belong on such a list?

Butler no, but Jackson absolutely. Many want to forget how good Jackson actually was in NE. From 2018-2021, he led the league in pass breakups, INT's and held QB's to a rating of 38 in 2018, 36 in 2019, 66 in 2020 and 46 in 2021. He made 2nd team All Pro in 2021 and Pro Bowl as an undrafted FA by his 2nd year starting.

Top 10 NFL cornerbacks in 2022: Jalen Ramsey not No. 1

Episode 2 of the "Top 100 Players of 2022" aired on Sunday, with three cornerbacks making the list between Nos. 90-81. David Carr constructs his own ranking of the top 10 cornerbacks, but All-Pro Jalen Ramsey isn't No. 1.

www.nfl.com

Ranking NFL's top 10 cornerbacks of 2022: Jalen Ramsey remains king, Trevon Diggs explodes onto list

Ranking top 10 cornerbacks in NFL for 2022: Jalen Ramsey remains king, Trevon Diggs explodes onto list

www.cbssports.com

People to this day ignore that Jackson was dealing with an ankle injury since birth and decided to get surgery to fix it. The Chargers medical staff botched his rehab and cleared him as quickly as Mac Jones did with his ankle sprain. Living in SoCal, I watched many Chargers games and Jackson could barely run week 1 against Miami. Chargers coaching staff should've immediately taken him off the field, but they didn't. He ended up suffering a more severe injury in week 7 of the season ending it. Chargers threw him under the bus and ended up trading him back to NE. This was another one of BB’s bizarre moves which lead to his demise.

 

[Uptown]

He absolutely was elite. See below.

Butler no, but Jackson absolutely. Many want to forget how good Jackson actually was in NE. From 2018-2021, he led the league in pass breakups, INT's and held QB's to a rating of 38 in 2018, 36 in 2019, 66 in 2020 and 46 in 2021. He made 2nd team All Pro in 2021 and Pro Bowl as an undrafted FA by his 2nd year starting.

Top 10 NFL cornerbacks in 2022: Jalen Ramsey not No. 1

Episode 2 of the "Top 100 Players of 2022" aired on Sunday, with three cornerbacks making the list between Nos. 90-81. David Carr constructs his own ranking of the top 10 cornerbacks, but All-Pro Jalen Ramsey isn't No. 1.

www.nfl.com

Ranking NFL's top 10 cornerbacks of 2022: Jalen Ramsey remains king, Trevon Diggs explodes onto list

Ranking top 10 cornerbacks in NFL for 2022: Jalen Ramsey remains king, Trevon Diggs explodes onto list

www.cbssports.com

People to this day ignore that Jackson was dealing with an ankle injury since birth and decided to get surgery to fix it. The Chargers medical staff botched his rehab and cleared him as quickly as Mac Jones did with his ankle sprain. Living in SoCal, I watched many Chargers games and Jackson could barely run week 1 against Miami. Chargers coaching staff should've immediately taken him off the field, but they didn't. He ended up suffering a more severe injury in week 7 of the season ending it. Chargers threw him under the bus and ended up trading him back to NE. This was another one of BB’s bizarre moves which lead to his demise.

Love JC, but you gotta think that most of that was him playing across from Gilly.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Love JC, but you gotta think that most of that was him playing across from Gilly.

Jackson's best year was in 2021 when Gilmore left.

 

[TheRainMaker]

**** trading him. The guy is under contract for TWO more years. Get him on the field and ready to play and have him PROVE he's worthy to be paid among 5 best CB's in the league.

There's a reason BB waited until the 11th hour to give his draft picks extensions. The only two players BB didn't pay who went on to be an All Pro were Chandler Jones and Joe Thuney. The other successful player was Asante Samuel, but he didn't want to be in NE. Some of you guys are way to eager to give these players money. Barmore still had one year left and that was a colossal mistake. As nuts as BB became by 2023, there's no way BB would've given a limited player like Dugger that laughable contract in 2024.

I wouldn't pay Gonzalez anything, but there's going to be consequences. Expect him to sit week 1 if they don't come to an agreement. If he sits, the Pats should trade him. I guarantee you it will piss off the Vrabel and Pats management him tapping out of a Super Bowl rematch.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

There's a reason BB waited until the 11th hour to give his draft picks extensions. The only two players BB didn't pay who went on to be an All Pro were Chandler Jones and Joe Thuney. The other successful player was Asante Samuel, but he didn't want to be in NE. Some of you guys are way to eager to give these players money. Barmore still had one year left and that was a colossal mistake. As nuts as BB became by 2023, there's no way BB would've given a limited player like Dugger that laughable contract in 2024.

I wouldn't pay Gonzalez anything, but there's going to be consequences. Expect him to sit week 1 if they don't come to an agreement. If he sits, the Pats should trade him. I guarantee you it will piss off the Vrabel and Pats management him tapping out of a Super Bowl rematch.

Little more grey than that.
For all we know Vrabel wants to pay him, and Kraft won't give the green light on a reasonable number.
These are the types of things that destroy an organization from the inside out.
That's all we need, Vrabel unhappy and then the slippery slope starts.

 

[rads2005]

Which of these ended up being a mistake for the Pats, though? I think only Asante Samuel played well after leaving the Pats, and IIRC he hated it here and didn't want to resign.

 

[slash83]

Who cares, we need him.
We have SB hopes, our pass rush is a huge question mark.
Severely weakening our team for some lottery tickets, no thank you.

I agree and hopes he’s extended, likely outcome that happens is he’s given a big raise for his year and traded before next season. No way Kraft extends him and Maye in the same offseason, Kraft doesn’t operate like Seattle. It’s either extend Gonzo this year or he gets traded next year.

 

[slash83]

Which of these ended up being a mistake for the Pats, though? I think only Asante Samuel played well after leaving the Pats, and IIRC he hated it here and didn't want to resign.

Samuel was never a lockdown corner on the level of Gonzo.

 

[rads2005]

He just turned 24 years old, and your standard is that he needs to be a hall of famer - one of the top 5 to ever play the position.

Quite the low bar you have there, Ken.

Revis had already gotten paid by this point in his career, by the way.

Isn't Ken's point though that Gonzalez is a great corner, but wants to be paid like Revis Island, and isn't at that level? Gonzalez wants the top contract in the league and I believe also an escalator clause.

Revis held out his fourth year and didn't get the top NFL CB contract. This was following a 1st team all pro his third year, and that 3rd year was his Revis Island season- he locked down Terrell Owens, Andre Johnson, Randy Moss.

The Pats had the league's easiest schedule last season. Gonzalez did well against JSN in the Super Bowl, but I don't think he really faced the top WRs last season. Jamar Chase didn't play the Bengals game I think.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Samuel was never a lockdown corner on the level of Gonzo.

Who has Gonzo really faced though?

Here are the notable WR's they faced in 2025:

Hill (109 yards), Waddle (68 yards 1 TD), Metcalf (32 yards 1 TD), Olave (98 yards), London (118 yards 3 TD's), Egbuka (115 yards 1 TD), Flowers (84 yards), Higgins (31 yards), Sutton in a snow storm, JSN for minute. That's not a lot nor are most of them considered elite.

67% of the time they played zone. Samuel excelled at that and made plays.

Yeah I'd be hesitant to pay up as well.

 

[slash83]

Who has Gonzo really faced though?

Here are the notable WR's they faced in 2025:

Hill (109 yards), Waddle (68 yards 1 TD), Metcalf (32 yards 1 TD), Olave (98 yards), London (118 yards 3 TD's), Egbuka (115 yards 1 TD), Flowers (84 yards), Higgins (31 yards), Sutton in a snow storm, JSN for minute. That's not a lot nor are most of them considered elite.

67% of the time they played zone. Samuel excelled at that and made plays.

Yeah I'd be hesitant to pay up as well.

Last year coming off the hammy he didn’t look right. Once fully healthy he was an awesome, 2nd team all pro awesome.