Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez had three pass breakups during the Super Bowl, including this pass intended for Jaxon Smith-Njigba during the second quarter.
Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez had three pass breakups during the Super Bowl, including this pass intended for Jaxon Smith-Njigba during the second quarter.Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff
A few leftover thoughts from the Patriots’ media availabilities last week in Indianapolis:
⋅ It’s unclear whether the Patriots will trade for receiver A.J. Brown or another superstar this offseason. But they should, and likely will, make at least one big, market-shaking move in free agency.
That would be cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who is eligible for a new contract now that he has completed his third NFL season. Gonzalez, an All Pro in 2024 and Pro Bowler in 2025, is as close to a shutdown cornerback as there is in today’s NFL. He’s also just 23 years old, making him one of the most valuable non-quarterbacks in the league.
“He’s someone we want to work with in the future, and we’ll have those conversations at the appropriate time,” said Eliot Wolf, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel.
That time needs to be this offseason. Gonzalez is set to make $2.81 million in 2026 on his rookie deal, and $18.12 million in 2027 on his fifth-year option. But the top of the cornerback market is now $30 million per year, occupied by the Colts’ Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and Texans’ Derek Stingley.
If there were any questions whether Gonzalez is worth it, he answered them in the postseason. In four games, Gonzalez allowed 14 catches on 36 targets for 164 yards, an interception, and a 41.9 passer rating. Gonzalez led the NFL with seven postseason pass breakups — three outstanding ones in the Super Bowl — and a minus-20.1 in the analytic Expected Points Added.
“Christian obviously was good before, and made an even more significant jump this year,” Wolf said.
What a PBU by Gonzo!
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The Patriots could make Gonzalez play out the next two years on his rookie deal, and could even slap a franchise tag on him in 2028. But it would be smart business to get a new deal with Gonzalez done this offseason.
Basically, Gonzalez is not going to get any cheaper — the top of the market is $30 million now, but will likely be higher next year, especially with the salary cap continuing to skyrocket.
Making Gonzalez wait a year also carries the risk of souring the relationship between player and team. The Bengals experienced this with Ja’Marr Chase when they refused to give him his new contract after his third year. The Bengals engendered a lot of bitter feelings, Chase staged a holdout, and his deal the next offseason was more expensive, anyway.
Finally, the Patriots need to take care of Gonzalez now because they have another massive contract coming up next offseason — Drake Maye’s, which could break the current NFL record of $60 million per year.
The Gonzalez deal wouldn’t even be as expensive as advertised. Stingley’s $30 million average, while technically true, is really a six-year, $113 million contract. Considering Gonzalez still has two years and $21 million left on his rookie deal, a new mega-extension will still be a bargain compared to what Gonzalez could get in true, unrestricted free agency.
If “it’s a priority to extend and keep all our best players,” as Mike Vrabel said last week, then the Patriots have to take care of Gonzalez this offseason.
⋅ For all the talk about how the Patriots should release Stefon Diggs for salary cap reasons, the guy I would consider is right guard Mike Onwenu, entering the last year of his deal.
His salary cap number of $25 million is third highest on the team, and Onwenu is set to make $17.5 million in cash in 2026, with none of it guaranteed. That’s a lot of money for a guard, let alone one who isn’t a Pro Bowler, and releasing Onwenu could save $17.5 million in cash and cap.
The only way the Patriots should bring him back is with a pay cut.
⋅ Did Wolf drop a hint that the Patriots don’t want to trade for Brown? Wolf doesn’t love the idea of a No. 1 receiver.
“Obviously having more playmakers is a good thing,” he said. “But also when you run your offense and you have one of these No. 1 receivers, the quarterback can get in trouble by trying to force the ball to that person. The way Josh [McDaniels] has built the offense out, you’re supposed to throw the ball to the open guy, and that’s what we did this year.”
Left tackle Will Campbell struggled after tearing his MCL late in the regular season.
Left tackle Will Campbell struggled after tearing his MCL late in the regular season.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
⋅ The Patriots sure are making excuses for Will Campbell’s postseason performance. Campbell missed the last four games of the regular season with a torn MCL but returned for the playoffs.
“When Will specifically, when he came back from that injury, I personally didn’t see the same level of lower body strength that you saw before the injury,” Wolf said. “And I think, you know, the film would attest to that. Like, he probably had three of his four worst games in the playoffs. But before that, I thought Will played really well all year.”
That’s probably true, but if Campbell is in the lineup, he should be expected to perform at an acceptable level, and he didn’t. Instead, the Patriots are making excuses for him, and refusing to entertain the idea of moving Campbell to guard. This is what happens when everyone is emotionally invested in the pick.
⋅ When it comes to their offseason needs, the Patriots aren’t too hard to read. When asked for his impression of the draft class, Vrabel immediately went to, “I think there’s volume at the tight end class.” The Patriots’ two tight ends are both 10-year veterans (Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper), so it seems imperative that the Patriots draft one to develop.
Vrabel also said, “We’ve met with a bunch of edge players. There’s depth there.”
The Patriots need at least one edge rusher to replace K’Lavon Chaisson — it could be Chaisson, who is a free agent and wants to return — and a youngster to complement veterans Harold Landry and Anfernee Jennings.
And Wolf said plainly that “[offensive] tackle would be a need for our team.” Campbell is locked in, and Morgan Moses likely is as well with $4.5 million fully guaranteed next year. But Moses is 35, and backups Vederian Lowe and Thayer Mumford are free agents. Expect the Patriots to re-sign one or both veterans as backups, and probably a mid-round offensive tackle to develop behind Moses.
Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com.