FOXBOROUGH - Time now for your daily Christian Gonzalez update (save the eye rolls). He was scheduled to speak with the media today (Saturday) and did so shortly after Mike Vrabel held his press conference. Nothing groundbreaking on Gonzalez’s end, although he continues to leave the door open for the possibility of not playing in Wednesday’s opener.
Here are the important questions and answers from both the cornerback and coach.
Q: Do you feel like there’s momentum to get a deal done?
“Like I said, I don't know.”
Q: Do you anticipate playing on Wednesday if you don’t have a new deal?
“I'm focused on today. Right now, this practice- in what, 30 minutes, 40 minutes? Worried on that right now, so we'll focus on that.”
Q: Would you ask for a trade/consider it?
“I mean, I'm here right now. I'm here. Like I said, I'm worried about this practice. Focused on this practice. I'll always be where my feet are and do what I got to do.”
Q: Would you continue to negotiate after week one?
“I feel like I've put this out there. I don't want to get into that with the media. You know, keep everything internal.”
Q: Was he troubled by his trainer (”Coach Flight”) speaking to the media?
“That's my guy. We both have two different opinions. He's a grown man. If he wants to talk to the media, he's gonna talk on the media. But he's my guy. I trust him with everything. He trusts me with everything. So we talk every day. So it wasn't like anything to me that was bad. Or I mean, he went and talked to them. So I talked to him maybe two hours after I came back and saw all that. So I mean, nothing crazy at all.”
Q: Do you wonder why this hasn’t been done, and if the team wants you?
“I mean, I don't know. I mean, I'm focused on today.”
Nothing particularly new, but Gonzalez continues to leave all options on the table, as he should. The threat of not playing in Seattle is arguably his last real leverage point, and I believe it is why Jeremy Fowler’s report from earlier in the week revealed that his side wouldn’t negotiate beyond week one. Of course, I’m not sure anyone truly believes that, but for now, that’s what is being communicated/leaked.
Meanwhile, Vrabel finds himself