Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - BREAKING: Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez Gets RECORD BREAKING Contract!

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Pats just got a deal done that significantly changes the short and long-term future of this franchise. This is Locked-on Patriots. You are Locked-on Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. What's happening? I am your host, Nick Cattles. On today's show, Robert Kraft gets the last laugh. again. In the second segment, an all pro season is loading while the 2027 off season just got a bit easier to handle.

Starting point is 00:00:43 But first, the Christian Gonzalez nonstop news cycle ends with a record breaking deal. Today's episode is brought to by Fandul. Get $350 in bonus bets guaranteed when you bet $5 every day for seven days. Join all the action at Fandul.com. Christian Gonzalez and the New England Patriots. have agreed on a four-year contract extension worth $135 million. This deal was done agreed upon early Tuesday morning. And from the details we know, Christian Gonzalez is now the highest paid cornerback in football history. Gonzalez gets the most overall money ever give it out to the position. 135 million is more than Devin Witherspoons, 132 million.

Starting point is 00:01:34 Gonzalez getting $102 million guaranteed is more than Devin Witherspoons, $101 million guaranteed. Matter of fact, Gonzalez gets the highest annual payment at the cornerback position. Average per year, $33.75 million, which beats out Witherspoons, $33 million. We have even more details just posted by Bert Breer about a half hour ago. Gonzalez gets a $33 million signing bonus that is the highest ever at the position, according to Ian Rappaport. Gonzalez gets $53.928 million in the first two years fully guaranteed. Now, this is an important detail.

Starting point is 00:02:22 We've talked about the first two years, the first two years, the first two years. Devin Witherspoon got $59 million in the first two years of his new contract extension from the Seahawks. 59 million combined between 2026 and 2027. So this is Christian Gonzalez's team meeting in the middle with the Patriots. Gonzalez gets the $33 million signing bonus. He gets the $102 million guaranteed. Gonzalez on the other side of it gets $53.9 million, let's just call it $54 million, instead of Witherspoon's $59 million in the

Starting point is 00:03:04 first two years of the contract extension. Well, the first two years, of course, the extension kicks in after Gonzalez's fifth year option, which is next season. So there was a little bit of meeting in the middle. And that's what I've talked about from the very beginning. The most fair deals, the most reasonable deals, I would argue the toughest deals end up being the deals where each side gets something they want, but also each side acquiesces on something. So Gonzalez acquiesces on the money in the first two years, taking the 53.9 instead of the $59 million. The 2028 money becomes fully guaranteed in March of 2027.

Starting point is 00:03:47 The 2029 money becomes fully guaranteed in March of 2028. This is how deals work, folks. And I know, I understand that with social media and the 24-7 news cycle in sports talk radio. I've been a part of all of that. I truly understand how the monster can take over. And I truly understand people who were concerned, they were worried, they were panicked, they were cursing the Patriots organization over the past couple of days. How can a deal not get done? This is how it works. Each side leaks their narrative. Each side leaks what they want the public to believe. That's what a negotiation is. I mean, we would all love if there was no leaks.

Starting point is 00:04:36 We would love if there were no back and forth battles through the media. But realistically, that stuff happens all the time with contract extensions, new contracts, free agent contracts, all that stuff. That's what happens. This is how deals work. Leaks mean, to me, almost nothing. It's fun to get back and forth, and I follow the news, and I post the news because that's part of my job. But I at no point was ever freaking out about this deal not getting done. And I had said from the very beginning, let me know what happens when they're ready to kick the football off on Wednesday night, September 9th. If a deal is not done by Wednesday night, September 9th, then I will be angry. I will be frustrated.

Starting point is 00:05:22 I will be borderline livid if that's what happens. but here we are right on the precipice of the season starting. Deadlines make deals. And there was obviously pressure on each side to get a deal done before the first week officially happens. It is not a coincidence that early Tuesday morning, this agreement happens and the Patriots are playing on Wednesday night on national television.

Starting point is 00:05:51 I was never freaking out. I was never even worried or concerned. I wanted to see if this thing would get done by tomorrow night, and it's going to get done. It is done before they kick it off in Seattle. That was the question. I will also say that this is now a draft and development system. I know there have been people talking about,

Starting point is 00:06:15 well, if you're going to draft and develop, and I was one of them, if you want to sit there and preach about draft and development, a huge part of that is keeping your talent, keeping the guys that you have drafted and developed. You get the pick right, which they did with Gonzalez. You develop him, which they've done with Gonzalez, and now you keep him, which is what they're doing with Christian Gonzalez.

Starting point is 00:06:38 This is a draft and development program. It needs to be a draft and development program for a long sustained run under Mike Vrable. And now Gonzalez is, is contractually tied to the Patriots through 2031. Man, that's quite a ways away, right? So you are sitting there saying to yourself, you know, we're set up. We're set up.

Starting point is 00:07:05 We're contractually tied now through the 2031 season. It's going to be quite a while before anybody freaks out about any kind of contract. I'm sure we'll get to the point where Gonzalez might want a bump like Patrick Sartain's gotten from Denver. but you have answered a huge question at a premier position outside cornerback one, one of the most critical positions in all of football. You now have a guy in that spot that is going to be one of the best. If he stays healthy, he will be one of the best at that premier position for years to come, and you have signed sealed and delivered him to New England for the foreseeable future.

Starting point is 00:07:45 This is what the Patriots wanted. This is what Gonzalez wanted. This is what Patriots fans wanted. everybody should be happy. We can get lost in the sauce. None of it matters. Everybody should be happy on Tuesday, September 8th at 1128 a.m. Eastern Time as we're going live on YouTube, everybody should be happy. And this is a reputation building signing by the Patriots. This is a Mike Vrable program signing that will carry itself for years to come. This is a message from the Patriots. This is a message from Mike Vrable. If you do right by us, we will do right by you.

Starting point is 00:08:25 Christian Gonzalez handled this situation incredibly well. I mean, he practiced throughout until he got banged up. Then he came back. But he was out there in pads. He was practicing his tail off. And he was having a great camp before that injury knocked him out for a week, week and a half, came back, has practiced ever since. So he was a professional for the vast majority. of this time, he mostly kept his mouth closed. He and his team waited until about the final week. I mean, this really is contract negotiating 101. And I was entertained by all the overreactions over the last six or seven days. The Patriots got their side out. We have offered Christian Gonzalez the best contract in cornerback history. Elliot Wolf doubled down on that.

Starting point is 00:09:15 Christian Gonzalez and his team wait until the final week. And then they start. start winning the public relations battle by getting their narrative out, putting pressure on the Patriots. So the Patriots put pressure on Gonzalez. Gonzalez in turn put pressure on the Patriots over the final week or so until you kick off. And what happens? They meet in the middle and they get a deal done. Not every deal is easy. And Gonzalez in his representation, they waited to get his message out at a perfect time. They waited until the final seven days. That ramped up the pressure. It created more action on each side, and a deal gets done. And everyone is happy.

Starting point is 00:09:57 That's how it should work. And that's how it did work. Coming up, Christian Gonzalez on the field, he's just scratching the surface. This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Now the number one sports podcast network, your team every day. With schedules getting busier and everyone getting back into the normal routine, figuring out what's for dinner can become a daily headache. Home Chef makes cooking simple with fresh food delivered right to the door. Easy recipes to follow and meals that actually taste great. Weekly deliveries help eliminate the meal planning, grocery runs, complicated prep, and even a lot of the cleanup.

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Starting point is 00:12:11 Plus get 20% off your first six months when you go to Quo.com slash lockdown NFL. That's QUO.com slash lockdown NFL. Thank you for making us your first listen and for being an everydayer. Appreciate every single one of you here live on this stream. YouTube, love going live. Of course, you can catch us on demand. And you might be catching us on demand. I appreciate all of you as well here with the lockdown Patriots.

Starting point is 00:12:42 All right. Get ready. Get ready for Christian Gonzalez's best season in the NFL. I want to talk about that in a minute. But first, let's get to some of these comments. Again, keep throwing the comments in, help us. with the algorithm, Harley Corgis thought he would get more guaranteed. Well, the guarantees in the first two years at 53.9 million, I would agree with you, Harley.

Starting point is 00:13:06 I thought he would get more than Witherspoon. Devin Witherspoon got 59 million and Gonzalez gets 53.9 million. And that just shows, you know, Gonzalez wants to be in New England. Even Christian Flight White, his positional coach who went on Felger Mazz, he said, Gonzalez loves New England. They just bought a house reportedly in New England. And, you know, he gave in. He gave in a little bit on his side. He was not going to hold the Patriots up for another $6 million. So shout out to Gonzalez, who was willing to acquiesce on the first two years of the guaranteed money. And the Patriots on their side, they acquiesced

Starting point is 00:13:46 and gave the 102 total guaranteed and gave Gonzalez $33 million in year one with a signing bonus, which is the highest ever. It's the most money given out in the first year of a cornerback deal. So both sides gave a little. And I'll say it again, but that's how the best deals are supposed to work. We got Gotti 2G, LFG, Pat's Nation.

Starting point is 00:14:10 Indeed, fantastic news for Pat's Nation overnight and early in Tuesday morning. Stanley says, who developed him? He was under three coaches and three systems. The Patriots developed him. And he helped develop himself and Christian Flight White developed him. Just because you're changing coaches doesn't mean that he wasn't coached during that year. He came in. What was it? Mike Pellegrino, I think, was first up, right? Mike Pellegrino did a great

Starting point is 00:14:33 job with him. And then you had Gerard Mayo's coaching staff and then you had Vrable's coaching staff. So I think everybody had a hand in it. And Gonzalez, of course, had a hand in his own development as well. But this is the idea of drafting, developing, and keeping your guys for years to come. Newbie boy, monk, woke up to some good news. We all woke up to some good news. couldn't believe it. I didn't even have the snot out of my eye just yet. I was like, wait a minute, huh? Gonzalez got extended?

Starting point is 00:15:01 I mean, I'm a night owl, but even I was in bed by the time this news came out. Jeremy Fowler, by the way, was the one that broke it at ESPN. So props to him. Stanley says, just like a union contract, it gets done at the last minute, just like a lot of contracts, Stanley. A lot of contracts. It's cliche, but deadlines, they do spur action. That's how these things work. Let's get into Gonzalez.

Starting point is 00:15:24 I think he is loading up to be one of the best corners in football this year. There is now nothing in the way of Gonzalez being dominant in 2026. Physically, he's good to go. He's 24 years old. I mean, think about that. He's probably a year or two away from his prime. He's still only 24. And he just turned 24 during the summer.

Starting point is 00:15:49 This is the fourth year in the NFL for Gonzalez. he knows all the tricks of the trade. He should be as ready as anybody to conquer any wide receiver he faces because he's got that three years of experience. And I know he missed most of his first season. Obviously, he missed a few games to begin last year. But you get the point. 2025 he was not an all pro.

Starting point is 00:16:14 Was that because he played only 14 games? Maybe. But I think that motivates Gonzalez to prove to the world that they were wrong, that he is one of the top three or four. cornerbacks in all of football. He was regarded as one of those guys back in 2024 when he did make an all pro team. So he's got that motivation. And he was really, really good last year. Again, just because he was not named an all pro doesn't mean that he wasn't excellent. Pro football focus wrote this about Gonzalez's 2025. He's turned into a consistently great cover corner

Starting point is 00:16:45 owning at least a 76.9 pf coverage mark. And every year, while allowing a career 63.5 passer rating, a passer rating under 64, folks. Likewise, Gonzalez places in the 98th percentile in coverage grade at outside cornerback in the 77th percentile enforced incompletion rate since 23. Evan Lazard jumps in. Last year, Gonzalez led all qualified cornerbacks and catch rate allowed 43.4 percent and ranked fourth best in passer rating allowed into his coverage, 57, while covering the opponent's number one receiver on a weekly basis. And that's something that makes Gonzalez different than a lot of other corners. He goes mono-a-mono.

Starting point is 00:17:32 He will match up with the other team's best guy. He will play tons of man coverage. When I look at him versus other corners, kind of like a Sauce Gardner, that's a different situation. When Sauce Gardner was with the Jets, they were playing a lot of zone coverage, they were playing a lot of that, you know, Seattle coverage and things that, you know, Robert Salo would do with Sam. Francisco before he got to the Jets.

Starting point is 00:17:55 Gonzalez, he's a man-to-man-man coverage against the very best and hold his own and most times beat those guys in those matchups. Evan Lazzar points out, Gonzalez was also successful in shadowing Ameca Obuka, who had nine targets, three catches for 56 yards. Drake London, seven targets, three catches, 67 yards. Tiggins, three targets, three catches, 20 yards. Tett McMillan, three targets, two catches, 31. yards that all happened last year.

Starting point is 00:18:25 He shut down Abuca. He shut down London. He shut down Higgins. He shut down Tett McMillan. NFL researcher posted, Gonzalez, when targeted in coverage in the fourth quarter during the playoffs last year, 10 targets, four catches allowed, 32 yards, no touchdowns, one pick, and the passer rating was a 9.2. The passer rating was a 9.2 in the fourth quarter.

Starting point is 00:18:54 when targeting Christian Gonzalez in last year's postseason. One more note from Lazar in the Super Bowl. In the Super Bowl last year, he shadowed Jackson Smith and Jigba on 15 routes, allowed one catch for 16 yards with a pass breakup. He also had a huge interception late in the AFC championship game that helped seal a Patriots win. He's one of the best in football.

Starting point is 00:19:20 And now the contract is set. mentally he is squared physically he is squared walking into his prime Gonzalez should be a top two or three corner this year if he stays healthy don't forget to like don't forget to subscribe don't forget to comment as well throw those comments in let me know how you feel about this Christian Gonzalez contract extension give me the thumbs up that helps us with this YouTube algorithm especially when we're going live so help a brother out help a community out. One more note on Gonzalez.

Starting point is 00:19:55 His physicality has improved throughout his career. I thought he was as physical last year as he has ever been. And I think that will continue into 2026. I think we should be ready for the most physical Christian Gonzalez that we have seen, not only going downhill and attacking ball carriers, but also physical in coverage, physical at the line of scrimmage, more physical at the top of routes. That's the next step. Christian Flight White has talked about that.

Starting point is 00:20:25 And I think Gonzalez makes that next step. He takes that next step in 2026. Last week I talked about trading Christian Gonzalez would leave a huge hole to fill during what is going to be a very chaotic. That's the word. A very chaotic offseason on that side of the ball in 2027. I don't want to look too far ahead, but we talked about it last week. 2027, you are going to do a lot of resetting, I believe, on the defensive side of the football.

Starting point is 00:20:54 The last thing you wanted to do was get into a back and forth with Gonzalez that would cost you the player. And if you had to trade him next off season, you were creating a massive hole when you have a lot of other holes to address next March. And now the shift happens. You focus 100% on Drake May's extension. Gonzalez is done. May is next. And I think the draft will likely be very heavy on the defensive side. All right, we need to finally bury a narrative.

Starting point is 00:21:28 I'm going to get all worked up this next segment because we need to bury a narrative that's been pounded into the heads of one too many Pat's fans over the years. We're going to do that. This is Lockdown Patriots. It's part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Today's episode is brought to by Indeed. You know that feeling when you're overwhelmed at work and you just need one more reliable person on the team to get things back on track? If you're currently in the middle of workplace chaos, you don't have time to waste on bad fits. This is a job for Indeed's sponsored jobs.

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Starting point is 00:22:36 So again, that's Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. If you need to hire, this is a job for Indeed, sponsored jobs. Welcome to your most rewarding NFL season ever only on Fandul. How rewarding are we talking? More rewarding than a touchdown with time expiring. Maybe not in Michigan. More rewarding than an 18-point comeback.

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Starting point is 00:23:41 Make this your most rewarding season ever with Fandul. Visit fandul.com to get started. Checking out the Lockdown Podcast Network, now the number one sports podcast network. You know, I have been called an apologist for ownership. I have been called an apologist for Robert Kraft. I have been told by a number of Patriots fans over the past two or three years that I'm wrong about Kraft. And craft is cheap. Craft is cheap. Craft is cheap.

Starting point is 00:24:12 For years, for years, Robert Kraft has been called cheap. It has been a narrative that has been driven by a couple of people in Boston. And I have said this. I have not defended the record of Robert Kraft during the time of Bill Belichick when you look at cash spending. You can't argue facts. When Bill Belichick was running the program, the Patriots, their cash spending was annually very low. However, what I have argued from the program, the day Bill Belichick left is that Robert Kraft allowed Belichick to run the business.

Starting point is 00:24:54 Belichick made the decisions as far as who was going to get paid and who should get paid. Of course, you need the final yes from Robert Kraft. But that was a Bill Belichick operation. And I have stood by that from the very first day that Belichick was fired. And if you look at 2024, you look at 2025, You look at 2026 and guess what? Things have changed. And as old man mob says, time to put away craft is cheap.

Starting point is 00:25:25 For the last three years, he spent on coaches and players, throw in upgrading the stadium and stuff as well for players. He's taught about the stadium, the facility as well. This person who has a very confusing handle, I guess the narrative now, why it took the crafts this long. Something tells me Drake will be easier. We'll get into Drake next year. I've had enough contract talk with the Gonzalez stuff.

Starting point is 00:25:52 Yeah, the goalposts will likely be shifted. It'll now be, why is it so hard for the crafts to get a deal done? It doesn't matter. The deal is done. What matters is if the deal is done. The deal got done. In my contention of the last three years of Belichick running the business in dividing up the pie the way that he wants to, that opinion is age.

Starting point is 00:26:19 like a fine wine. Because ever since Bill Belichick left New England, Robert Kraft has spent the last three off seasons smashing those criticisms. Kraft will never spend enough cash like other owners. Kraft was 12th in league spending in 2024. And that was after losing out on Brandon Ayyuk. If they signed Brandon Ayuk and got that deal done, then now you're talking about a completely different number in league spending.

Starting point is 00:26:49 which would have put the Patriots in the top five or six likely. Last offseason, the Patriots were ninth in spending. Ninth, and that was after losing out on Calvin Ridley, who would have cost them even more money, which would have put them above ninth in cash spending last off season. Kraft won't pay the top or one of the top free agents. The Patriots went out and they signed Milton Williams last year. And by the way, that entire point of Kraft won't pay at the top of the market for free agents was silly anyway because it ignores Stefan Gilmore in other contracts that have been signed.

Starting point is 00:27:31 I digress. Kraft won't pay his own players. It's funny when people were telling me over the last couple of months that Robert Kraft won't pay his own players when the number one criticism to the 2024 offseason was that Kraft was paying nobody but his own players. people were complaining about the Michael Wenu, Kyle Dugger, Ramandre Stevenson contracts. You can't have it both ways. You can't want your team to pay their own players and then complain about the contracts they give out to their own players. Give me a break.

Starting point is 00:28:01 It's disingenuous. It's a bad faith conversation to have. Oh, and Christian Gonzalez just got done in the last 12 hours too. So I guess Robert Kraft does pay his own players. And there's also one thing that people are missing when you discuss extending your own guys. to extend your own guys, you have to draft well. To sign top players, you have to draft top players. Let's go through the Patriots first round pick since 2016, shall we?

Starting point is 00:28:36 No pick in 16, no pick in 17. Did you want the Patriots to extend Isaiah Wynn or Sony Michelle from the 2018 draft? Did you want the Patriots to extend Nikiel Harry? They had no pick in 2020. did you want the Patriots to extend Mac Jones? Or how about Cole Strange? Christian Gonzalez is the only first round pick to be extension eligible

Starting point is 00:29:02 that was worth signing to an extension. The only guy since 2016. Well, how about before 2016, Nick? Well, Zach Cox did a great job of posting. If you look at the picks, all the top players got extensions. Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, Logan Mankins, Gerard Mayo, Devin McCordy, Nate Soder, Dante Hightower, now Christian Gonzalez. All their best first round picks going back to the beginning of the Belichick era, they got contract extensions.

Starting point is 00:29:36 So what are we doing here? Kraft won't sign a top quarterback to a top deal. That's going to happen next offseason, folks, with Drake May. Drake May is going to get his extension. Those who have been conditioned to think one way for a long time need to sit back, take a deep breath, and look at the last three off seasons. Business has been different without Bill Belichick. Fact.

Starting point is 00:30:07 You can't argue the numbers. You can't argue the approach. And that Patriot's spending number, by the way, in cash is impacted by the quarterback position. You haven't paid a quarterback top money since Drew Bledso arguably, right? That impacts it. All these teams that are in the top 10, top 15 and spending, usually big ticket item, number one, is quarterback. And as was said a few minutes ago, Kraft has also spent money to build the brand new fancy pants facility to update Gillette Stadium.

Starting point is 00:30:47 We need to bury the craft is cheap crap once and for all. because now it's three straight off seasons. This owner has spent money. Period. End of sentence. All right. That wraps up this edition of Lockdown Patriots. Reach out to me on Twitter at Nick C. Radio. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe on YouTube.

Starting point is 00:31:11 Now on video, we're sending you to our 24-7 lockdown NFL YouTube channel for the 26 NFL season preview, all three episodes airing now until Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern. on audio, find it on the lockdown NFL feed wherever you get your podcast. Christian Gonzalez, extension done. Now we look towards opening night on Wednesday. Talk to you soon.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - BREAKING: Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez Gets RECORD BREAKING Contract!

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