Rookie first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez figures to be a key part in the New England Patriots’ secondary.
The former Oregon standout has been turning heads over the course of OTA’s and minicamp. In addition to impressing on the field, he is also learning the ropes of the NFL in real time.
Learning the ropes of the NFL will be important for a player like Gonzalez, who might be thrown into the equation right away. Patriots coach Bill Belichick sat down for an interview with the 33rd Team on Tuesday. He revealed that being a member of the New England organization is more than just showing up on Sundays. Spring is where it all begins.
“In the spring, the plan is always kind of the same for these guys. Bring them in, let them learn how to be a professional football player and a New England Patriot. That encompasses a lot of things, how to study, how to train, how to prepare, you know, how to learn the terminology and communicate with your teammates and so forth.
We’ll work him out at a number of positions, again, like we do almost all players at this point in time in the spring. Then, we’ll narrow down a bit when we get to training camp. Ultimately, he is most likely going to be a perimeter corner. But. I think there’s other situations where he could play inside or play in the deeper part of the field, depending on what the call is or how things present themselves, from a game plan structure, from time to time.”
How the Patriots utilize Gonzalez will be fascinating, as he has tremendous athleticism and playmaking skills.
He has the potential to be a big-time versatile asset for a defensive unit that already has a strong foundation. New England might need him to provide a spark immediately in an AFC East division loaded with offensive talent.
