How are the Patriots going to handle Christian Gonzalez? And other thoughts with reporting day a week away

Veterans report for Patriots training camp a week from today, so it’s a good time to check in on Christian Gonzalez, Gabe Jacas and how the Patriots are viewed across the league…

• Let’s start with Gonzalez, who is looking for a raise, if not an entirely new contract, heading into his fourth season.

I don’t think things between the player and the club have changed all that much since we left them before the summer break, but I was told the next marker was training camp. That’s normally how these things go down in the NFL, unless you’re dealing with the team being sold. Seattle likely got Jaxon Smith-Njigba extended first because he was the priority. Now, with the league set to vote on the Seahawks’ sale on Aug. 26, that could bring an interesting timing dynamic when it comes to extending top cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who has the same agent as Gonzalez.

It’s possible the Seahawks have to wait until then to engage with Witherspoon. And, you never know, the new owners could pull a Bill Chisholm and ask for the spending to be brought in line quickly. Could that drag things out with Gonzalez? It’s possible, but I really don’t know. It could go in any direction. The new owners might OK Witherspoon’s deal quickly. They could mandate that he play his fourth and fifth year out. We don’t know. Could the Krafts put the brakes on Gonzalez to see what happens with Witherspoon — who has twice the number of Pro Bowls and nine more games played than Gonzalez? It’s certainly possible.

• Any delay will stem from the type of deal each side is seeking.

Gonzalez could very well be seeking a brand new contract, and not an extension, similar to what Derek Stingley Jr. received from the Texans (it was technically an extension, but he received a $25 million signing bonus, as all his cash flows went to at least $20 million in year four of his contract – so it really didn’t build on his rookie deal financially, it erased it).

This is a new regime in Foxboro that has done unprecedented things financially in just a year-plus (the Patriots have spent $312 million and $320 million in cash over the past two years, which previously seemed improbable), so it’s possible the Patriots could play ball with Gonzalez at some point.

But if the Krafts are still driving the contract bus as in the past, it would be a surprise to see them give Gonzalez a deal that would pay him over $25 million in cash this season. I think they would be more open to giving him a