4 Patriots Who Will Be Cut Without a Strong Second Half of Season

Several New England Patriots have struggled to make an impact this season. If that doesn't change in the second half, these four players could be cut this offseason.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) runs with the ball during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

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3. Davon Godchaux, DT

Impressed by his performance in recent years, the Patriots rewarded Davon Godchaux with a two-year, $20.8 million contract extension this past offseason. It seemed like a good deal at the time based on the veteran defensive tackle's consistent play in the trenches.

Unfortunately, Godchaux's performance hasn't been matching the $9.6 million salary he's carrying this season. The ex-LSU product only has 15 solo tackles and a disrupted pass in the first 10 games and has played to a 54.3 defense grade on Pro Football Focus — 77th among 120 eligible interior defenders.

Godchaux's underwhelming performance has also led to his playing time declining. He went from playing at least 63% of defensive snaps in hist first nine appearances to begin the campaign to a season-low 48% in Week 10.

After Godchaux was involved in trade rumors ahead of the Nov. 5 deadline, the Patriots might turn back to a potential divorce this offseason. He's set to hold a $8.3 million cap hit next season and if New England doesn't think he's worth that cost, management may allocate that money elsewhere.

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