"A top 2026 off-season priority for the Patriots' front office, while Vrabel rounds up his second batch of additions, must be to sign Gonzalez to a long-term extension. While he had an injury-plagued rookie season, his last two have shown that he not only has potential but is currently one of the best, if not the best, cornerbacks in the NFL."
"'I'm paying him. I'm not letting a young guy like that go,' Harrison said Thursday. 'The only thing I've said about him, personally, is sometimes he loses focus a little bit when he's going against lesser talent, but the kid can play. And if you want that level, if you want a shutdown corner, or a corner that can match up with No. 1, that's what it's going to cost you, e"
"After quarterback, maybe left tackle, and a top sack-producer, having a top-of-the-NFL cornerback on hand is as close to a guarantee that you'll have a solid chance to succeed as you'll get."
Mike Vrabel has moved into Phase II of rebuilding the Patriots roster and reduced personnel by roughly 50% while building around quarterback Drake Maye. Third-year cornerback Christian Gonzalez is a core defensive piece, a former first-round pick now eligible for a contract extension after multiple strong seasons following an injury-plagued rookie year. Gonzalez earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition and is viewed as one of the NFL's top cornerbacks. Extending Gonzalez is framed as a top 2026 offseason priority to preserve a potential shutdown corner as Vrabel adds more roster pieces.
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