00:00Christian Gonzalez, not at practice today, and because of that,
00:04apparently the secondary got torched.
00:06I guess they got seven completions in a row.
00:09The top three cornerbacks are out.
00:10It's not just Christian Gonzalez.
00:12And Christian Barmore.
00:14Yeah, yeah.
00:15Some of the D linemen, you know.
00:16Although the good news is Barmore was back.
00:19He just didn't play.
00:21He was back at practice.
00:22He just didn't end up, I think, doing any of the seven-on-sevens
00:26or anything like that.
00:27So he's at least healthy, to a point, I guess.
00:33But how freaked out would you be, Ted, if Devin Weatherspoon gets himself a deal
00:38and Christian Gonzalez has not by the time the season starts?
00:42Yeah, because don't we all think that Christian Gonzalez is considered
00:47a better cornerback?
00:48Well, Wiggy had some list from Pro Football Focus this morning,
00:51which had Witherspoon number one in the league.
00:53But I guess it's not a consensus.
00:55But, yeah, I would think most – he just got ranked 28th in football
00:58by the new NFL Network list overall.
01:00I think it could be troublesome for Christian Gonzalez because Robert Kraft,
01:06the owner of the Patriots, has done something I have never, ever,
01:11ever heard him do, which is basically tell everyone that they've offered a player
01:18a contract that is the highest at their position and the highest in the franchise's history
01:23before the deal was done.
01:25And if you're – all year long, if you're still – you don't have a deal done with him
01:30on record, which he basically said two weeks ago, it is going to – I just think put pressure
01:35on him and put pressure on him.
01:37That push on Christian Gonzalez to, you know, maybe get the deal done.
01:42I don't know.
01:43I just think fans are going to put a lot of pressure on him.
01:46That's my feeling.
01:48Can he play – can he – some guys having that hanging over their head
01:54would affect their quality of their play.
01:56I would worry about does it affect his, you know, I don't know,
02:00Mitchell prowess, you know, week in, week out.
02:03You know, that would be something I would be concerned about.
02:05But, yeah, it would be disappointing.
02:07And I was looking at that draft class.
02:08So, he's part of the 2023 draft class.
02:10There are eight players that have been drafted in the first round
02:14that have gotten extensions from that draft.
02:18And so, you know, I don't know.
02:22If you were to redraft that draft, would you think Christian Gonzalez
02:24would be a top 10 player?
02:26A little higher than 17 or whatever.
02:27Yeah, yeah.
02:27So, he should have a deal done by the end of training camp.
02:31I just – I can't understand, like, why – if this deal is as great
02:37as Robert Kraft said it was, why he didn't sign it.
02:39Because it's not.
02:40Because there's obviously – there's some sort of manipulation of the numbers.
02:45On top of that, I still – even with that Ian Rappaport thing,
02:49like, do you consider Ian Rappaport a conduit of the Patriots?
02:54In other words, do you consider him to be one of those reporters
02:58who has inside information that benefits the team instead of the players
03:05sometimes?
03:05Because, I mean, he works for NFL Network, right?
03:08Sometimes, but I feel like Schefter is more tied in closely with Kraft.
03:11Yes.
03:12Yeah.
03:12Schefter is the one where you – when he says it to me, I would bank it.
03:16Yes.
03:17Okay.
03:17Because you're right.
03:18I just – because with Schefter, I immediately think, all right,
03:20well, this came from someone inside the Patriots, most likely the Krafts.
03:24With Ian Rappaport, there's still a question.
03:26Because it does sound like if this was an – if this was an Adam Schefter report,
03:30I'd be like, okay, they're trying to float this whole thing where he may not
03:34get signed until next year to scare him into signing whatever's in front of him
03:39right now.
03:40You know, nobody wants to get injured during the regular season,
03:42and then all of a sudden you're taking less money.
03:44So, when I heard that the first time, I had to ask, all right,
03:48who's benefiting from this report being out there?
03:51Is this indeed a plant by the Krafts?
03:54But you're right.
03:55Ian Rappaport, I don't – I can't right now draw the line between him
04:00and the Patriots.
04:00And in this case, he was asked by McAfee, and he's just kind of caught off guard.
04:04It's not like it's a planned report.
04:06It's just him in an interview, and he's like, boy, I don't know.
04:08I took note of it.
04:09It's kind of odd.
04:10I think it'll get done this year or next year, but I'm not sure.
04:12So, I don't think it's a – in this case, I don't think this is a
04:15planted report.
04:16I think he's truly unsure of where this is going.
04:19Dude, if you're Christian Gonzalez, I'm looking at the Patriots' schedule,
04:22I'm thinking, man, if I was to hold out, they got to play Seattle, which, okay,
04:27doesn't have the greatest quarterback, but they have a great offense.
04:30Then you play Pittsburgh, Aaron Rodgers.
04:33Then you play Jacksonville, and then you play Buffalo.
04:36Right.
04:36Yeah.
04:37Those are all teams where they –
04:40It's called leverage.
04:41Dude, they're going to need him.
04:44The defense for the Patriots, is my point, is going to be tested by those
04:47offenses.
04:48The first four games are against, you know, playoff teams.
04:53So, and if he's not there in those games, that's going to be a huge issue for
04:57that defense.
04:58And let's just say something amazing happened over the last couple of days for
05:01Christian Gonzalez, too, and that is that A.J.
05:03Brown was getting frustrated by Christian Gonzalez, the point where they were
05:06jawing at each other.
05:07And what did happen to Sauce Gardner today from A.J.
05:11Brown?
05:11Yeah.
05:11He got smoked.
05:12How'd that look out there, Ted?
05:13Did A.J. look good?
05:14Yeah, he looked good, man.
05:15I mean, in the red zone in particular, but that – yeah, that play, too.
05:18I mean, when you look at that play, I was like, okay, he did get a little step on
05:21him.
05:21I mean, you know, Sauce recovered, but at the end of the day, it was just an
05:25eight-yard game, but it was like a nice little route that he ran to get
05:28separation.
05:29But it's a good point, Rich.
05:30Like, so, Gonzalez is going hard with A.J.
05:33Brown.
05:33Why wouldn't he be out there and going hard with whoever, Alec Pierce?
05:36It's totally different.
05:37Totally different.
05:38Really?
05:38Go ahead.
05:39Control.
05:39Tell him why.
05:40It's because you've got guys on the other team that – they're trying to earn
05:45spots on this team.
05:46They're trying to get, like, cred, too.
05:48And you do something against a star player, like, listen, oops, sorry, that's
05:52all you have to do.
05:53But if it's one of your own guys, Vrabel could bench you, he could cut you.
05:57You know, they know not to hit these high-dollar guys.
06:00I mean, how would you think it would feel if, like, a Patriots player went and
06:03just, like, crushed Drake May?
06:05They're not going to do that.
06:06But some guy trying to make a name for himself on the Colts could do it.
06:10It's just an uncontrolled environment.
06:12Well, he's trash-talking with A.J. Brown.
06:13I mean, there's something going – it's not like that's been very polite.
06:15They've been going at it.
06:16Yeah, but I think that's all in friendly competition.
06:18And then also, what about the – what's going on with the grass?
06:20Maybe he doesn't feel safe with whatever's going on with the field.
06:23That's in the stadium.
06:23That's in the stadium.
06:24Yeah, but I hear you.
06:26I hear you, Stills.
06:27And also, it's kind of like a natural – you kind of – it's a natural kind of
06:32place to make your point without getting the wrath of the fan base.
06:37Like, no one's going to be too mad at him for not playing in the preseason game,
06:40not playing in the – but, you know, oh, you're playing in those first – you're
06:44practicing in those first two weeks against A.J. Brown, and you're not backing
06:47down?
06:48The fans – does it –
06:50Yeah, because Drake's not playing Thursday.
06:52So, he's picking his spots.
06:53Picking his spot.
06:54But here's what Gonzalez said a couple days ago.
06:56Stills has this clip of him.
06:57He loves competition, right?
06:58Here's Gonzalez.
06:59Oh, for sure.
07:00I mean, it's competition.
07:02That's how you get better.
07:04That's how he can get better, how I can get better.
07:06The defense team, you know, it all comes together.
07:11It's the dog days of camp.
07:12You know, it's starting – it's still hot.
07:15About to start getting into joints.
07:17All right, that's fine.
07:18Now we're really into camp.
07:19But he's talking about it's getting him better, but why not going against the Colts?
07:23Doesn't that get you better?
07:24Let's look at their depth.
07:26Let's look at their depth chart at wide receiver.
07:28I don't know.
07:28Alan Pierce, Josh Downs, and Ashton Doolin.
07:31Do those guys compare to A.J. Brown?
07:33Downs looks pretty good.
07:34Yeah, Downs and Pierce are good.
07:35They're not A.J. Brown.
07:37I'm A.J. Brown.
07:37There you go.
07:38So, he's like, let me lock down A.J. Brown for the first two weeks.
07:42And I think it's okay if I don't practice against Alex Pierce.
07:46Sorry, no disrespect.
07:47This has just all been weird since Kraft came out and just talked about, like, they're offering more money than
07:52anybody else, any other page.
07:53It's been weird since then.
07:55And I'm still convinced that they're going to get this done before the season starts, and this is all posturing.
08:00But it's gross.
08:01And, you know, it's like, you know, why should we care?
08:03We're just people watching, and most likely this is all going to happen.
08:06But it does kind of gross you out that behind the scenes, that there's these kind of, it almost seems
08:12like leaking of information and dirty tactics because millions of dollars are at stake.
08:17So, they're going to do by any means necessary, try to save a buck, try to get what they want.
08:22But this is the story of the NFL for decades, right?
08:25It's not like this is new.
08:26I mean, this is Ty Law versus Robert Kraft.
08:28This goes back decades.
08:29We love Christians.
08:31I mean, we just love.
08:33Yet it does.
08:34Yes, and I think why it's the nickel and diming that they do where you're just like, really?
08:40I mean, God.
08:41It's because it sets the standard for every other contract.
08:45They use Christian Gonzalez's contract for every other cornerback's contract, you know, like they did with us, with Ruski.
08:52Okay, well, you're going to be like, so if they can get a contract they like that is within reason,
08:59then every other player at that position, you know, they're going to be judged off of that contract.
09:03You know what I mean?
09:04That's why we have Shime set the market over here.
09:06Boom.
09:07Same exact thing.
09:08No, honestly, it's not that different from any other business.
09:11This happens everywhere, right?
09:12It's a business negotiation.
09:14Hard not to take it personal, though, to be honest.
09:16No, no.
Comments