Adam Schefter shares update on Patriots, Christian Gonzalez contract standoff

Comments made by New England Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and cornerback Christian Gonzalez this week suggested that the two sides aren't all that close to coming to terms on a contract extension. 

Both Gonzalez and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon are represented by the Win Sports Group, and Witherspoon recently received a record-setting four-year, $132M contract. During a Thursday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," NFL insider Adam Schefter of ESPN shared an update on the Gonzalez situation. 

Patriots, Christian Gonzalez still not close to a deal?

"I don't think that at any one point here that they've been close to a deal," Schefter explained. "And Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez have the same agent. So in a way, he can kind of dictate how this is going to go and see into the future in a better way than each of the two teams can. So Witherspoon was going to get done first, and it got done at an average of [$33M] a year. The Patriots have not been in that category, but Witherspoon has established the benchmark. And the Patriots haven't gone there. They weren't there before, and they don't appear to be going there right now."

Wolf insisted that the Patriots are willing to make Gonzalez the new highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. However, Joey Porter Jr. of the Pittsburgh Steelers could potentially impact Gonzalez's asking price if the Steelers cave and give Porter the type of extension he reportedly wants this summer. 

Is Mike Vrabel a problem regarding Patriots, Christian Gonzalez contract talks?

Meanwhile, the holdup regarding Gonzalez inking an agreement may simply be related to the structure of the extension. That said, Schefter hinted that New England head coach Mike Vrabel may only want to spend so much money on an advertised shutdown defensive back. 

"The Patriots and Gonzalez haven't been close," Schefter continued. "Now, I kind of think Mike Vrabel views defensive linemen and getting pressure as the most important thing on a defense. He prioritizes that. Loves corners, of course, and he knows that Christian Gonzalez is a great player. But if we're going to pay players premium [prices], up front, that's something I think that's been important to him in the past. I think they want to pay Christian Gonzalez, but they're obviously not in the same neighborhood right now and haven't been."

Schefter added that he believes there will be "probably another push before the season begins or at the start of the season from both sides to try to get something done." Schefter did tease that a trade could be on the table if no deal is signed before the Patriots open the regular season with a matchup at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 9, but Gonzalez has not yet given any public indication that he would ask for a trade. 

Gonzalez still has two years remaining on his contract.