It seems the New England Patriots’ reported contract extension with Davon Godchaux quickly caught the attention of one NFL executive. And not in a favorable way.
The Patriots signed the defensive tackle to a two-year extension worth $20.8 million with nearly $18 million fully guaranteed, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday evening.
One unnamed AFC executive, as shared by NFL Network’s Mike Giardi, raised a question about the deal while seemingly hinting at whether Godchaux was worth the cost.
“That’s a lot,” the executive told Giardi. “Weren’t they poor vs. the run last year?”
Godchaux during his first year in New England started 16 of 17 games, recording one sack, two tackles for loss and five quarterback hits to go along with 65 tackles. New England ranked 25th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per attempt and 22nd in rushing yards allowed. He has four total sacks in his five seasons in the league, the first four of which came with the Miami Dolphins.
“He’s way better than he got credit for,” one Patriots source told Giardi, pushing back on the suggestion Godchaux just got overpaid.
Godchaux was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the 42nd-highest-graded interior defender, as noted by NESN.com’s Zack Cox.
Godchaux had been poised to enter the second year of his two-year, $15 million contract he signed last March. He was set to carry a $10.25 million salary cap hit into the upcoming season, which would have been New England’s sixth-highest on the roster, and the extension is likely to lower said cap hit.
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