FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots will not have Christian Gonzalez available for Sunday’s season opener against the Raiders, coach Mike Vrabel told reporters on Friday afternoon.

Gonzalez has been out for more than a month with a hamstring injury. The third-year cornerback’s absence is not a surprise. He hasn’t practiced since July 28th.

Vrabel mentioned Alex Austin and Marcus Jones among the players who will see action during Gonzalez’s absence. Offseason signing Carlton Davis will also be in the mix, and training camp standout DJ James could see some action as well.

The Raiders are coming to town with a new head coach (Pete Carroll) and a new quarterback (Geno Smith) as they give this New England secondary its first test of the season.

Smith led the Seahawks to a Week 2 overtime win over the

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