Robert Kraft stood before reporters Saturday morning, ahead of the first snap of training camp, and did something NFL owners almost never do: he voluntarily disclosed the ceiling of an active contract negotiation.
“We love Christian Gonzalez. We love him as a player, as a person,” the Patriots owner said. “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 Patriots franchise history. So we’re glad we drafted him, and he’s developed here. And we hope he’ll be with us for a long time.”
Kraft offered no dollar figures. But the current apex of the cornerback market belongs to Rams corner Trent McDuffie, whose four-year extension averages $31 million per season. Whatever New England has put on the table clears that bar — and tops every individual contract the franchise has ever issued, a list that includes the recent agreements for wide receiver A.J. Brown and defensive tackle Milton Williams.
Spotrac’s market-value model, which regresses comparable contracts against age and statistical production, calculates Gonzalez’s worth at roughly $28.3 million annually over three years. That model, though, doesn’t account for what
