While the Patriots moved on from Matt Judon, the team was willing to commit to a new deal for defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. The latter’s public comments on his negotiation process provide further details on how his extension came to pass. 
“I didn’t do anything in OTAs, I just worked out at the facility, and I went home,” the 29-year-old said during a recent episode of his Chaux Talk YouTube show (video link). “Training camp came and I remember having this conversation with [de facto GM] Eliot [Wolf]… He called me and was like, ‘Look, what’s going on? We want you to be out on the field practicing.’ I’m like, ‘Look, Eliot, I don’t have guarantees.'”
Godchaux made public his desire for a new Patriots deal, something a number of in-house players received during Wolf’s first offseason at the helm of the franchise. While the former fifth-rounder is not an impact pass rusher, his play against the run made him a candidate for another New England pact. While it took longer to work out than many of his teammates, an agreement was indeed reached at the end of July.
“Me and my agent ended up taking a whole other approach when it came to training camp,” Godchaux added. “I practiced in pads the first couple of days, and then about the third day in pads, I got paid. We were just like a million or two off.”
Indeed, non-participation in OTAs and minicamp was substituted by engaging in some activities during training camp. Godchaux’s comments confirm the parties were not far apart on contract terms, which explains how quickly his extension was hammered out. The LSU product secured a two-year pact featuring $16.65MM in guarantees, including locked in base salaries for the next two seasons. Godchaux is on the books through 2026.
Expectations will therefore be high for the former Dolphin, who has collected between 56 and 65 tackles in each of his three Patriots campaigns. Godchaux has served as a full-time starter in New England throughout his tenure with the team, and that will likely remain the case moving forward. His extension process illustrates the willingness shown by Wolf and Co. to keep several members of the previous regime’s core in place along with how close team and player were in this case to reaching agreement on a deal before training camp began.