Patriots S Kevin Byard makes multiple bold Christian Gonzalez claims

New England Patriots safety Kevin Byard had high praise for cornerback Christian Gonzalez when speaking with media members this week.

The three-time All-Pro defensive back claimed Gonzalez was the greatest player he has ever played with at the cornerback position. That's an exceptional shout-out for a 24-year-old cornerback who hasn't even reached his prime years yet.

"I'm excited to play with this whole secondary, but obviously you got the best corner in the league in my opinion," Byard said on Gonzalez, via Patriots Wire's Sophie Weller . "(Gonzalez is) the best player I've ever played with as far as the corner position, it's going to drastically kinda change how I see things and how he sees things. Super excited to be able to play with him."

Will Gonzalez be available for the Patriots ' Week 1 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks?

That's the biggest question for the Patriots right now as they continue to try and hammer out a contract extension with the star cornerback.

The two sides have remained far apart in negotiations, but things can quickly change given the right momentum. Gonzalez not playing would heap unbearable pressure on Byard and the rest of the defensive backfield.

So the best case scenario is that the Patriots lock up their star defender long-term and move on from the contract drama.

Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook .