Patriots lock up defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, likely clear cap space
The New England Patriots and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux just made a deal that benefits both sides.
As first reported by Adam Schefter on Wednesday, Godchaux and the Pats have agreed to a two-year, $20.8 million extension that includes $17.85 million guaranteed at signing. Godchaux originally signed a two-year deal with New England last summer for up to $15 million.
The extension likely frees up a bit of cap space for the Patriots, who were sitting at just $1.4 million as of Wednesday, according to Pats cap expert Miguel Benzan. The space presumably comes from spreading his 2022 signing bonus over the next three seasons, but there’s no official math on that yet so I will refrain from speculating.
Miguel himself believes the deal “safely” lowers Godchaux’s cap hit for 2022, which had stood at $10.25 million, as he said on Twitter. (Update: According to Mike Reiss, the deal should create roughly $1.5 million in cap space for 2022.)
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The signing is a huge vote of confidence in Godchaux, who played in all 17 games last season with 16 starts. He compiled 65 total tackles, five QB hits, two tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble. He’s still just 27 years old entering the 2022 season.
Clearly, Bill Belichick likes what he’s seen from Godchaux, who could be paired with dynamic young defensive tackle Christian Barmore for years to come. The Patriots also still have Lawrence Guy at defensive tackle, as well as veteran Carl Davis and Daniel Ekuale.
Godchaux was in attendance for day 1 of Patriots training camp in Foxboro on Wednesday. Click here for a recap of the action from our own Alex Barth, and click here for complete training camp coverage.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. You can also email him at [email protected].
