As the New England Patriots turn their attention to Mandatory Minicamp, the contract negotiations for star cornerback Christian Gonzalez are ongoing. At the same time, Gonzalez missed voluntary OTAs, which led to concerns that he could be holding out for an extension.
According to ESPN Patriots insider Mike Reiss, however, that won’t be a major concern. On Sunday, Reiss wrote that the Patriots can expect Gonzalez, as well as wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, to be in attendance.
“The presence of cornerback Christian Gonzalez (contract) and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (trade rumors) are among the Patriots’ notable camp storylines,” Reiss wrote. “It would be a surprise if Gonzalez didn’t report for camp, while Boutte told WBZ-TV reporter Aaron Parseghian that he will be there for Day 1 on Tuesday.”
It’s a good sign for the Patriots. However, negotiations for the type of contract Gonzalez demands aren’t going to be easy, as he’ll likely reset the market. Albert Breer shared what he thinks is a fair deal for Gonzalez. It’s a four-year, $140 million deal. That’s about $35 million annually.
Of course, there is still the question of whether or not he signs before or after Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks. That could also impact the deal, as whoever signs second will likely want a larger contract.
New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Set Expectations for Christian Gonzalez
GettyNew England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez
As Christian Gonzalez skipped OTAs, questions began to stir about where he stood this offseason. Despite that, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel made it clear that his expectations are that Gonzalez is going to be ready once the business side of things is taken care of.
“Well, I think that there’s, the contract is the business and the professional side of this,” Vrabel said during a recent press conference. “The personal side, I don’t want to let anything interfere with that. I want Christian to be ready when he comes back. And I would imagine that he would be here next week. And, if he is, then we’ll coach him and be ready to move on and get him ready and get him ready to help us, and help himself. Contracts are part of professional sports. I understand that. But I also know that those should remain private. And, like any contract, you want to make sure (it’s) a negotiation that everybody feels like they get something out of it. And I’ll leave it at that.”
It’s a major step in the right direction for Gonzalez and the Patriots to have him back for Mandatory Minicamp. That doesn’t mean that a deal is around the corner. With the Patriots picking up his fifth-year option, the team and Gonzalez do have two years to figure it out. However, it shows the relationship isn’t strained at this point.
The Patriots are Getting Kayshon Boutte Back
GettyNew England Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte
While Christian Gonzalez has stepped aside, looking for a new contract during OTAs, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte stepped aside as well. However, in his case, it was largely due to concerns that he might be traded by the Patriots, as they searched for additions at wide receiver.
Mike Reiss noted that Boutte publicly announced he’d be at Mandatory Minicamp. That’s further than Gonzalez managed to go, and came while he’s still dealing with rumors about his future.
“I try not to buy into [rumors]. I could only control what I could control. As long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing off the field, everything else will play out,” Boutte said.
The future for both Boutte and Gonzalez is a bit murky at this point. However, it does seem more and more likely that Boutte will be sent in a trade while Gonzalez gets his extension. The question is, how long will all of that take?
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