FOXBOROUGH - Christian Gonzalez may have been at the start of mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday, but to say he was anything other than a casual bystander would be stretching the truth.
Yes, Gonzalez appeared with the first-team field goal block unit, and again during a couple of walk-through portions of the session, but I’m not sure he even broke a sweat. Mostly, he stood with a cadre of other defensive players and watched, mostly with his helmet off.
But this is what we expected. Players get fined when they miss mandatory practices, but thanks to the new(er) CBA, those fines can’t be waived once a player eventually reports or signs a new deal. So Gonzalez did the prudent thing, ensuring that the money he’s owed still comes his way.
“Yeah, I mean, I got obligations,” he said. “I’m here.”
Yes, but with no real news about getting that extension that he is now eligible for. In fact, Gonzalez wisely took the Sergeant Schulz approach (I’m old and I’m okay with it) when asked about the contract. To wit:
Are you making progress?
“That's up to my agents and the team, and I hope we get something done.”
Are you optimistic?
“I hope so.”
Rephrase, is there optimism?
“I mean, that's - it's between them two, I mean, both sides to get it done, and like I said, I want to be here, so that's what I'm gonna say.”
Is it important for you to be the highest-paid corner in football?
“That's another question that is between my agents and the Patriots and that team, and what they value me at.”
Yeah, but is that where you value yourself?
“I mean, like I said, it’s between the two sides.”
Nothing has even remotely surfaced about what Gonzalez and his reps (CAA) are asking for, or whether the Patriots are in the same ballpark. Obviously, Gonzalez stayed away from most of the voluntary portion of the offseason program, instead choosing to get his work in down in Texas. And while he says he wants to remain in New England, the financials will play a major role in that decision. The current clubhouse leader for cornerbacks is Trent McDuffie, who secured $100 million in guarantees from the Rams (1st) and an average annual value of $31 million. Then it goes Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr, Jaycee Horn, Jalen Ramsey and Patrick Surtain (though his new numbers are not yet filed). Meanwhile, Seahawks corner Devon Witherspoon, also a WIN Sports Group client, is also in the market for his own extension. Could Gonzalez be waiting on that deal to get settled before working on his?
“That's my guy,” he said of Witherspoon. “We talked a