After weeks of speculation, the New England Patriots finally agreed on a new deal for star cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
It's a record-breaking four-year, $135 million deal with $102 million guaranteed, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
The deal made all of the sense in the world for the Patriots in only Mike Vrabel's second year in the league with the team. All of the talk about rewarding players and keeping homegrown talent wouldn't have been viewed as believable if the team failed to agree to a contract extension with Gonzalez, who is arguably the best cornerback in the NFL.
He went about the negotiations like a true professional, which undoubtedly put even more pressure on the team. The former All-Pro defensive back showed up at training
camp and participated in team drills in the middle of contract talks. He kept everything close to the chest, wasn't a distraction and continued to go about his work as normal.
The Patriots had to reward that guy.
A failure to do so might have set a bad precedent for years to come with the new regime. It also might have hurt the football team in the long run. Some suggested the team trade Gonzalez for a couple of first-round picks, but even if they did, there are no guarantees they would ever get the same return on talent that Gonzalez has been for the team.
The Patriots are the team that drafted Gonzalez, who just turned 24 years old in June. That's exactly the kind of player the team should be investing massive resources in.
His presence ensures that the team will have one of the top lockdown cornerbacks in the NFL for years to come. Between Drake Maye and Gonzalez, it gives the Patriots two major foundational pieces to build around on both sides of the ball.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Instant analysis of Patriots' blockbuster Christian Gonzalez extension
