Now that the New England Patriots have locked up Hunter Henry on a two-year, $16 million extension, the next priority is sitting right in front of them: Christian Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is only 24, but he already looks like one of the NFL’s top corners. He still has two years left before free agency, yet the Patriots need to move fast and get an extension done before that becomes a problem. Players with his kind of ability don’t come around often, and New England can’t afford to let one walk.
Last season, Gonzalez backed up the hype with a series of impact plays. In the Super Bowl, he broke up multiple passes and helped keep the score from getting even uglier for New England. The encouraging part for the Patriots is that he still seems to have room to grow, which makes the decision even simpler.
The depth chart behind him makes the case even stronger. Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones give the Patriots two more proven corners, but after that the room gets thin fast. Without Gonzalez, that group would look a lot less like a strength and a lot more like a concern.
Most of the attention around New England this offseason has centered on the offense, and that makes sense given the additions on that side of the ball. But the defense matters just as much, and the Patriots have already seen how valuable a championship-level defense can be. They learned that lesson firsthand from the Seattle Seahawks defense.
There was a noticeable defensive jump during last season’s playoffs, and if that carries over, it should make life easier on the offense. Gonzalez is a big part of that. When he’s on the field, the Patriots can trust him to handle an opponent’s top receiver, which changes how the rest of the defense can play.
Fans will get their first look at New England soon enough, though probably not with Gonzalez on the field. The Patriots open preseason play on Thursday, August 13, when they host the Indianapolis Colts, and it is very unlikely Gonzalez suits up.
The regular season comes with a familiar opponent right away: a Super Bowl rematch against the Seahawks on Thursday, September 9. If the Patriots want to win that one, having Gonzalez play anywhere close to the way he did in the Super Bowl would go a long way.
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Christian Gonzalez Just Cemented His Place In Patriots Plans
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For New England, the recognition only reinforces what teammates and other NFL players already seem to understand about Gonzalezs value. He has drawn praise for the way he played and the impact he made last season, and that kind of respect carries weight for a Patriots team trying to identify exactly who should anchor its plans moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
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