Christian Gonzalez has ‘no idea’ about any Patriots edict regarding practice and negotiating

FOXBOROUGH – Last week, Mike Vrabel was asked if the Patriots had a policy – much like the Seattle Seahawks – that makes it clear the team won’t negotiate contracts with players who don’t practice.

Vrabel didn’t answer yes or no. The Patriots coach dodged the question.

On Thursday, Christian Gonzalez, who has been a full practice participant, was asked pretty much the same question. Was he obligated to practice thanks to an edict by the Patriots?

“I have no idea,” Gonzalez replied. “That’s for the agents. I don’t know.”

It seems odd that the Patriots star corner wouldn’t know if that was the case.

Asked if he felt like he had to practice because Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who is also trying to negotiate a new deal, was on the field, Gonzalez claimed that wasn’t behind his reason for continuing to participate.

“Spoon’s definitely one of my guys. But, I don’t feel like I have to practice because he’s practicing,” Gonzalez said. “I want to practice for myself, for my team, and, you know, get better. And that’s the nature of this business.

“If I’m sitting out, I’m not getting no better. And other people are getting better. So I gotta come out here, take my reps, and do what I gotta do.”

Gonzalez’ hotly contested matchups with A.J. Brown have been one of the highlights of camp.

The back-and-forth plays by each, their trash-talking, has been intense.

“It’s good on good. He’s the number one receiver in this league, going up against the number one corner,” Gonzalez said. “I mean, that’s how it’s going to go. It’s football at the end of the day; there’s never no disrespect or anything. We’re just battling and getting each other better.

“He’s going to face corners like that that are going to yap at him, get to try to get in his head. And I’m going to face receivers like that that are strong and come right back at me. So it’s great work for both of us.”

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BETTING: The Patriots are currently listed at +2000 to win the Super Bowl next year on BetMGM. Our complete BetMGM Sportsbook review provides a helpful guide on how to use their app. For an even closer look, check out our guide to Patriots Super Bowl odds if you’re interested in learning more about how to bet on NFL Futures.

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