I’m excited to be here. It’s probably the best professional football environment there is, so I’m excited for the opportunity,“ Gonzalez said. "I love the East Coast, I love this part of the country, so I’m excited. I’m happy and just glad for the opportunity.”

During his own pre-free agency research, Gonzalez said he targeted the Patriots as a team he’d like to land with, citing the team culture, winning history and offense as reasons why.

“The success part, for sure. That speaks for itself,” he said. “Just being in the NFL and being on the other side of that (Pats-Colts) rivalry for a while, there’s not a hatred or anything. It’s more of a respect. As you learn more about the teams you’re playing, especially this one, you kind of get an appreciation for how they do things. Just the way the (organization is) run and that sort of thing, to me it’s the perfect fit in a lot of ways.”