FOXBOROUGH — Practice No.1 is in the books; let’s run down all you need to know, including stats, lineup adjustments and observations:
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(Paul Johnson for BSJ)
TWO THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Christian Gonzalez was a full participant: A big topic of conversation this offseason has been about whether or not there’d be drama between the team and their top cornerback as he seeks a lucrative contract extension. There was no such drama on the first day of camp as Gonzalez was a full participant, even in team drills, as he was back in his usual right cornerback position.
That’s a sign that things are in a good place for the team, and Robert Kraft said as much to reporters, as he said the team has made Gonzalez a substantial contract offer.
“We love Christian Gonzalez,” said Kraft, who appeared with his wife, Dana, as part of the Paw-triots program. “We love him as a player, as a person. That’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL, and coincidentally, it’s the highest contract in the Patriots franchise history. So we’re glad we drafted them, and we developed him here, and we hope he will be with us for a long time.”
Of course, with all contracts, the devil is in the details. The Patriots could have offered Gonzalez an extension that makes him the highest-paid cornerback in new money — after his rookie contract concludes. And it’s possible Gonzalez could be eyeing top APY prior to that, starting this season.
Gabe Jacas reportedly signs his contract: Jordan Schultz reported that Jacas, the final positional draft pick unsigned, has agreed to his contract with the team. Mike Vrabel told reporters earlier that he didn’t believe Jacas was local, so it could be a couple of days before he is on the field. He’ll need to pass his physical exam and the conditioning test.
(Paul Johnson for BSJ)
Typical slow start to camp: The first few days of camp are spent
