Veterans report for Patriots training camp a week from today, so it's a good time to check in on Christian Gonzalez, Gabe Jacas and how the Patriots are viewed across the league...
• Let's start with Gonzalez, who is looking for a raise, if not an entirely new contract, heading into his fourth season.
I don't think things between the player and the club have changed all that much since we left them before the summer break, but I was told the next marker was training camp. That's normally how these things go down in the NFL, unless you're dealing with the team being sold. Seattle likely got Jaxon Smith-Njigba extended first because he was the priority. Now, with the league set to vote on the Seahawks' sale on Aug. 26, that could bring an interesting timing dynamic when it comes to extending top cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who has the same agent as Gonzalez.
It's possible the Seahawks have to wait until then to engage with Witherspoon. And, you never know, the new owners could pull a Bill Chisholm and ask for the spending to be brought in line quickly. Could that drag things out with Gonzalez? It's possible, but I really don't know. It could go in any direction. The new owners might OK Witherspoon's deal quickly. They could mandate that he play his fourth and fifth year out. We don't know. Could the Krafts put the brakes on Gonzalez to see what happens with Witherspoon — who has twice the number of Pro Bowls and nine more games played than Gonzalez? It's certainly possible.
• Any delay will stem from the type of deal each side is seeking.
Gonzalez could very well be seeking a brand new contract, and not an extension, similar to what Derek Stingley Jr. received from the Texans (it was technically an extension, but he received a $25 million signing bonus, as all his cash flows went to at least $20 million in year four of his contract - so it really didn't build on his rookie deal financially, it erased it).
This is a new regime in Foxboro that has done unprecedented things financially in just a year-plus (the Patriots have spent $312 million and $320 million in cash over the past two years, which previously seemed improbable), so it's possible the Patriots could play ball with Gonzalez at some point.
But if the Krafts are still driving the contract bus as in the past, it would be a surprise to see them give Gonzalez a deal that would pay him over $25 million in cash this season. I think they would be more open to giving him a modest raise for this season — getting him to $15 to $20 million for this season — and basing his extension on his current contract (fifth-year option, then franchise tag) before the big money kicks in. Remember when Rob Gronkowski got his extension before his third season (you could do that back then)? He got $8 million to sign, but his rookie contract stayed in place for two more years, and then the extension kicked in.
But, again, this isn't Bill Belichick and the Krafts. It's Mike Vrabel and the Krafts. So it's tough to tell.
If Gonzalez is open to something like that — and the reports from the likes of Albert Breer make it sound like he wants to set a high bar for cornerbacks — then the Patriots would play ball. If Gonzalez is trying to take cornerback contracts to another level, it would be shocking to see the Krafts do that.
Again, it would not be unprecedented for the Patriots to make Gonzalez play his fourth year out — Trent McDuffie, who is the new highest-paid cornerback, just did that last season for the Chiefs, before he was traded to the Rams and given an extension.
I've written about this before, but these are what the current highest-paid cornerbacks were paid in cash for their 4th and 5th years. I made a mistake on Sauce Gardner previously - he received cash from Jets before being traded to the Colts, which actually made the trade a great deal for Indy and led to the two first-round picks in compensation (Colts only had to pay him $625k for the first season).
• A fair compromise is to base Gonzalez's extension on Surtain, who is the best cornerback in the game. He was given a $15 million signing bonus, and his yearly cash was/is: $18 million, $22 million, $17 million, $17 million, $20 million, $24 million. His APY on the extension was $24 million. By the way, he signed it September 4, 2024 of his fourth season - well after camp. And he was not a holdout, nor did he hold in. There was no hyperbole involved. People weren't losing their minds. The two sides just handled it like professionals. That can happen here.
• I just don't know if Gonzalez would be open to something like Surtain. I think he's shooting for the moon.
• In any event, I don't see Gonzalez being traded before this season. I think he's either in the McDuffie camp (plays the fourth year on his rookie deal if he wants to play hardball), or he gets a Gardner/Surtain extension. I still don't think that means Gonzalez is definitely here long-term, but getting an extension done gives the Patriots options later, just like it did for the Jets in the Gardner trade. It's much easier to trade a player who has received his extension, than a player who will want it with his new team. That's why the Jets got two first-round picks for Gardner, and the Chiefs just got one.
• My only update on Gabe Jacas is that the Patriots still aren't sure if he'll be signed by the start of camp or if he's on track to pass his physical. Guess they're just waiting to see him show up like the rest of us.
• Some thoughts on ESPN's poll of executives, coaches and scouts, starting with the Patriots appearing on the list:
RB: TreVeyon Henderson, received votes
CB: Christian Gonzalez, 3rd
Edge: No one.
DT: Milton Williams, 9th
OT: No one.
G/C: No one.
QB: Drake Maye, 8th
LB: No one.
WR: A.J. Brown, 9th
TE: No one.
S: Kevin Byard, received votes
I think Henderson getting votes over Rhamondre Stevenson is a joke, and came from someone who didn't watch the Patriots enough and just saw the highlights. The talent and speed are there and, hopefully, his best ball is in front of him, but Stevenson is far and away the better player. He's also criminally underrated at the position as a whole.
Man, people forgot about Harold Landry pretty quickly. He was damn good in the first half. Needs a whole season.
Not much love for Christian Barmore. Kind of surprised me.
Mike Onwenu not getting any votes shows you his market, and why he agreed to a pay cut.
If Will Campbell doesn't appear on this list next year, at least receiving votes, that's a bad sign for a fourth overall pick.
Robert Spillane and Hunter Henry need more love. For Henry, I think he took one for the team last year and got worn out by all the needed blocking. Both are really good players.
I completely disagree with this comment on A.J. Brown: "He changes the coverages people play, everything will be rolled his way," but I agreed with "He gives them run-after-catch explosion and isolation down the field on 50-50 plays that they didn't have." Eagles opponents were not afraid of Brown.
Byard's low ranking is accurate and shows the Patriots got a fair deal on him. Craig Woodson should have gotten votes, and I bet he makes a big jump next year.