Insider speculates on Patriots, Christian Gonzalez contract saga

Once the Seattle Seahawks got cornerback Devon Witherspoon to sign a four-year, $132M deal this summer, some assumed that Christian Gonzalez and the New England Patriots would get an agreement done regarding a contract extension before August came to an end. 

While a Sunday report revealed that the Patriots and Gonzalez are "trying to bridge the gap" in contract talks, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said on Monday morning that he had no new update on the situation. During a Monday afternoon appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," insider Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network and ESPN shared a fresh update on the Gonzalez contract saga. 

"Matter of time" before Patriots, Christian Gonzalez work things out?

Specifically, Jeremiah said that it feels like it's "a matter of time" before Gonzalez puts pen to paper on an extension. 

"When you've got the same agent who had Witherspoon, they got that done. He's got Gonzalez," Jeremiah explained. "The market is well defined there at the very top. [Gonzalez] is gonna be clearing it. He's gonna be at the top of the list." 

The two players are represented by the Win Sports Group. Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk revealed on Sunday that "the sticking points have more to do with structure and total dollars" attached to what Florio expects to be a four-year extension for Gonzalez. 

Both Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and Patriots owner Robert Kraft have said the team is willing to make Gonzalez the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. Gonzalez has two years remaining on his current contract.

Will Patriots, Christian Gonzalez resolution be "pretty cut and dry?"

"That feels like one that is pretty cut and dry," Jeremiah added about the Patriots locking Gonzalez down. "I'd be surprised if that doesn't get done." 

Jeremiah's comments would lead one to believe that he thinks the Patriots and Gonzalez shouldn't have any issues getting an extension done before New England's Super Bowl rematch at the Seahawks on Sept. 9. However, it's unclear how close the two sides are to reaching a deal. 

Thus, one can only guess why Gonzalez hasn't yet been satisfied with what he's been offered by the Patriots. Nevertheless, it seems like Vrabel believes he'll have Gonzalez in the lineup on the season's opening night.