4 Necessary Patriots Cap Casualty Cuts This Offseason
Davon Godchaux, Defensive Tackle
After a four-year stint with the Miami Dolphins, Davon Godchaux opted to take his talents to the Northeast and signed a two-year contract with the New England Patriots during the 2021 free agency.
Patriots’ DT Davon Godchaux has signed a two-year, $20.8 million extension with New England that includes $17.85 million fully guaranteed at signing, per @DrewJRosenhaus and @RyanMatha, who negotiated the deal.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 27, 2022
PatsPulpit in their analysis of the signing said:
"Adding Godchaux to the mix should help New England bolster its front line given that he is a big player well-suited to perform on early downs and versus the run in their two-gap scheme."
- Bernd Buchmasser, Pats Pulpit
Since putting on the Patriots’ uniform, Godchaux has had three different head coaches (Bill Belichick, Jerod Mayo, and now Mike Vrabel) and has been as reliable as they come, appearing in every regular season game except one and playing in the team’s last playoff game in 2021.
With last year being his best statistical season (67 combined tackles and assisted tackles), you may ask, why would Davon Godchaux possibly not be on the 2025 rendition of the Patriots? Per Over The Cap, Godchaux’s current cap number ($8,333,333) is the fifth-highest on the team, and they can save $1 million if he is cut after June 1st.
Additionally, the Patriots may look to pivot towards a younger option with a higher upside in the draft. According to The Sporting News, the team may look to address the defensive line with its first-round pick and select Michigan standout Mason Graham:
"Graham is a nasty run stopper whose flashes as an inside pass rusher suggest potential dominance in the NFL. "
- The Sporting News
While coach Mayo has since been replaced with Coach Vrabel, Vrabel understands the importance of having a stout defense since he was a key stalwart of the early 2000s Patriots teams that won 3 Super Bowls.