Less than a month away from day one of the NFL Draft. Still working through a number of positions for our membership, including wide receivers and edge rushers. There are so many different sizes, shapes, and flavors that culling down the herd for both spots has been challenging. But I’ll get there and get them to you soon.
Meanwhile, some thoughts on the Patriots and I swear, I won’t mention AJ Brown once…
– I am sure most of you would like to see Christian Gonzalez get his extension this offseason. I, too, would prefer the team keep one of the few blup chip players on their roster. Both Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf have preached their desire to keep the cornerback around for the foreseeable future, so where’s the deal? It’s easy to sit here and say, “Get it done” as soon as possible (I would want to). But if you’re Gonzalez, don’t you want to wait and hope Devon Witherspoon blinks and signs first? Let the Seahawks CB set the new ceiling (Trent McDuffie got $100 million guaranteed, $11 million more than the previous high) and then see if you can get at least one dollar more.
Before you hit me with the bullcrap Robert Kraft kept selling about “Tommy” taking less, talk to the hand. 99.9% of the population would/will take every last dollar (and I’m still not totally convinced Brady did. See the TB12 facility at Patriot Place). Gonzalez has no obligation to be like TB12. His only obligation in negotiations is to do what’s best for him and his family. If that means grabbing every last dollar, I won’t fault him for that. NFL careers are over in a flash, and few will care about you when it’s gone. Get your bag, young fella, and don’t fret about what talk show hosts or writers or folks on message boards say. If they’re willing to pay it, you’ve earned it. Don’t forget, the moment they think you’re not worth it, they’ll show you the door, and your parting gift will be some social media post thanking you (I am on a one-man crusade against these things).
Finally, Patrick Surtain didn’t sign his extension – at the time, the largest at the position – until September 4th, many months after he was eligible to get it. Sauce Gardner eventually topped that deal. His contract didn’t get inked til mid-July. Meanwhile, both Derek Stingley (March 17) and Jaycee Horn (March 10) put pen to paper ASAP. There is no one-size-fits-all, and as of now, while we can talk about it, there’s no reason to fret. Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind, but until then, all is well.
– The more information I gather on the Romeo Doubs signing and how he fits into this offense, the more I believe he begins as the
