Patriots give new contract, fairly big money to Davon Godchaux
BOSTON -- A year after going on an unprecedented free-agent spree, the Patriots kept things relatively quiet on the market this past spring and summer. Now one day into training camp, the team is giving a fairly large hunk of cash to one of those players from the 2021 free-agent crop.
The Patriots gave a new contract to defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, according to Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter (in nearly identical tweets). The deal is for two years and $20.8 million, with a reported $17.85 million guaranteed.
Godchaux, 27, signed with the Patriots in March 2021, after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Miami Dolphins, who drafted him out of LSU in the fifth round of the 2017 draft. Godchaux played in all 17 regular-season games for New England, starting 16 of them and recording 65 total tackles (32 solo), two tackles for a loss, five QB hits, one sack and one forced fumble. He recorded one tackle in the Patriots' playoff loss to the Bills. Pro Football Focus gave him a 64.6 grade (out of 100) in his debut season in New England.
Godchaux had initially signed a two-year contract worth $15 million total over the two seasons and with $9 million of that guaranteed. ESPN's Mike Reiss reported that the new contract is expected to create about $1.5 million in cap space for the Patriots this cap this season.
