Davon Godchaux - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Rumors: Godchaux, QBs, Gonzalez

June 16th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots have a number of players on multi-year contracts who are heading into contract-years in 2024. One such player is veteran defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, who came to New England back in 2021. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Godchaux didn’t practice at all during last week’s mandatory minicamp amid desires for a new contract.

Godchaux’s initial deal in New England was a two-year, $15MM contract that he earned in free agency following the expiration of his rookie deal with the Dolphins. The following offseason, the Patriots helped Godchaux avoid a contract year, extending him on another two-year deal, this one worth $20.8MM.

Entering the final year of his current deal, Godchaux is set to earn a base salary of $7.15MM. He’ll have the opportunity to earn an additional $150K via workout bonus and an extra $58,823 in per game active roster bonuses (for a potential season total of $1MM). Additionally, Godchaux is set to represent an $11.8MM cap hit in 2024, the third-largest figure on the team’s roster.

If the Patriots are interested in retaining Godchaux past his age-30 season, it could behoove them to work with the veteran to reach a new deal in order to lessen his cap impact this season. That’s a big “if,” though. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Godchaux had the worst season of his career in 2023, grading out as the 102nd-best player at his position out of 130 graded interior defenders. He’s also now six years removed from his best season, in which he was the 39th-best interior defender.

New head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters that Godchaux is only one of a “bunch of guys” who want to “redo contracts.” Other players who are entering contract years who may be a part of that group include Matt Judon, Deatrich Wise, Jonathan Jones, Jabrill Peppers, Jahlani Tavai, Rhamondre Stevenson, Daniel Ekuale, and Raekwon McMillan.

Here are a couple of other rumors coming out of New England:

In one of our recent breakdowns of the Patriots’ quarterback situation, we mentioned that the intention of the team was to narrow the field of competition down to three guys by the end of spring. Jeff Howe of The Athletic partially echoed that sentiment, stating that, “ideally, the Patriots hope to enter the meat of training camp with three quarterbacks.” With No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett likely cemented on the roster in either the QB1 or QB2 roles, that gives Bailey Zappe and rookie sixth-round pick Joe Milton quite a bit more time to earn the QB3 job. In an emergency situation, Zappe has experience starting from a backup role, but Milton has the potential to serve as a more versatile scout team quarterback at practices with more years on his current contract. Regardless, the deadline to wrap up their battle for the third-string role has been potentially extended to training camp.
The Patriots’ first-round selection from last year, Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez, saw his rookie season come to a terribly early end as he suffered a torn labrum that would sideline him after only four games. After undergoing shoulder surgery last season, Gonzalez was finally back on the field at the team’s minicamp. He claims to be “feeling good” coming off of a long recovery period, according to Reiss.

Contract Details: Godchaux, Reiff, Alexander

July 30th, 2022 at 12:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Some recent deals and extensions have been signed around the NFL. We’ve provided some updates on those contracts below:

Davon Godchaux, DT (Patriots): Two-year, $20.8MM extension, including $17.85MM guaranteed. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter), Godchaux got a $10.5MM signing bonus, and he’ll have a base salary worth $1.5MM in 2022. The extension reduced the defensive lineman’s cap hit from $10.25MM to $8.75MM.
Riley Reiff, OT (Bears): One-year deal worth a maximum amount of $12.5MM ($10MM likely to be earned). Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Bears structured Reiff’s contract in such a way that it will count for just $3MM against the cap next season. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune provides more details on Twitter, noting that the lineman will earn a $3MM base salary, and he’ll earn another $4.5MM if he’s on the field for 10% of his team’s offense snaps. There are also incentives tied to offensive categories and a playoff appearance.
Kwon Alexander, LB (Jets): One-year deal. Contract is worth $1.12MM with a $152K signing bonus, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic (on Twitter). His cap hit will be around that $1.12MM mark for the 2022 campaign.

Patriots To Extend DT Davon Godchaux

July 27th, 2022 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely a year after signing Davon Godchaux, the Patriots are extending their partnership with the veteran defensive tackle. New England and Godchaux agreed on a two-year, $20.8MM deal, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

A 2017 Dolphins fifth-round pick, Godchaux will see most of his new money guaranteed. The Pats are fully guaranteeing $17.85MM of this accord, per Schefter. Godchaux started 16 games for the Pats in 2021.

New England made a deal for the ex-Miami starter part of its 2021 free agency spending spree. Godchaux, 27, was previously attached to a two-year, $15MM pact. This raise and guarantee structure certainly illustrates the good relationship formed between Godchaux and the Pats’ coaching staff during his short time in New England.

The Dolphins used the 311-pound defender as a full-time starter from 2018-20 and had identified him as a player they wanted to keep. The Pats, as they did with a few players during their uncharacteristic signing binge, poached him with a midlevel offer. New England added Godchaux two days before Miami signed ex-New England D-tackle starter Adam Butler. Pro Football Focus placed Godchaux just outside the top 40 interior defensive linemen last season, one in which he played 59% of New England’s defensive snaps.

Godchaux and 2021 second-round pick Christian Barmore headline the Pats’ D-tackle corps. Both players are now signed through 2024. Despite Godchaux being known more for run-stopping abilities than sacks (just four through five seasons), this contract ranks in the top 15 among interior D-linemen. This extension should also clear up cap space for the Pats, who came into the day ranking last in the NFL with $2.7MM in available funds. Godchaux was to count $10.25MM toward the Pats’ 2022 cap.

Patriots To Sign DT Davon Godchaux

March 15th, 2021 at 12:24pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Patriots stormed out of the gates by signing Jonnu Smith to a massive deal, and they didn’t stop there. Bill Belichick continue his aggressive start to free agency by agreeing to terms with defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, his agent Drew Rosenhaus told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Rosenhaus also reps Smith, for what it’s worth. Godchaux didn’t get quite as much money to sign, but he’s still getting a sizable two-year, $16MM deal that has $9MM in guaranteed money. It’s a great payday for a player drafted 178th overall by the Dolphins back in 2017. He spent each of his first four seasons in Miami, and quickly blossomed into a full-time starter in his sophomore season.

Interior defensive line, like tight end, was a weakness for the Patriots last season. Godchaux only played in five games last year due to biceps surgery, but it was the first major injury of his career and he had played in at least 15 games in each of the three prior seasons.

In his last full campaign in 2019, Godchaux had 75 tackles, four for a loss, two sacks, and one pass defended. He should immediately upgrade the run defense in New England.

Dolphins Want To Retain C Ted Karras, DT Davon Godchaux

March 1st, 2021 at 7:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Besides Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Dolphins really don’t have any big-name impending free agents. However, the organization is still focused on retaining at least a couple of those players. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the Dolphins are interested in re-signing center Ted Karras and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux.

According to Jackson, the Dolphins have told Karras that they want him back next season. The offensive lineman joined the Dolphins last offseason, and he proceeded to start all 16 games for Miami, playing on all 1,067 of their offensive snaps. The 27-year-old had spent the previous four years with the Patriots, winning a pair of Super Bowls. After starting only five games through his first three seasons in the NFL, Karras started 15 games for New England in 2019.

Godchaux was limited to only five games in 2020 thanks to a biceps injury, but the former fifth-rounder started all 32 games for Miami between the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Jackson notes that the organization would like to retain the 26-year-old, but financials could complicate the negotiations. Jackson passed along a quote from agent Drew Rosenhaus, who acknowledged that the Dolphins may not be able to afford his client after they “invested” in the likes of Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, and Zach Sieler.

“Davon is one of the most talented defensive tackles, I believe, and the Dolphins would have to be able to compensate him in that capacity,” Rosenhaus said (via Jackson). “I’m not sure that they will, given the talent they have on the team. We’ll see if the Dolphins are able to step up and be competitive with other teams that may not have as much talent at the defensive tackle position.”

Dolphins’ Davon Godchaux Done For Year?

October 13th, 2020 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

Dolphins defensive tackle Davon Godchaux suffered a biceps injury that could end his season, sources tell Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The former fifth-round pick will go for a second opinion, but it sounds like he’ll be out for an extended stretch, at the minimum.

Godchaux underwent surgery to repair the injury. The Dolphins placed the starting defender on IR, but Godchaux has not thrown in the towel on returning this season, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets.

Godchaux has been a full-time starter in Miami the last few years and he was gunning for a pay bump in his contract year. The run-stuffing nose tackle — making $2.1MM in 2020 — had 16 tackles, one tackle for a loss, and two QB hits through five games this season.

Last year, Godchaux made more stops within two yards of the line than any other defensive tackle in the NFL. He also turned in a career high of 75 tackles and a new watermark of seven pressures, plus three sacks from the interior. The Dolphins were high on him coming into this year, as shown by their lack of serious interest in top defensive tackles like D.J. Reader.

The Dolphins advanced to 2-3 after their 43-17 drumming of the 49ers. On Sunday, they’re set to face the Broncos in Denver as they try to close the gap with the division-leading Bills.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/16/17

May 16th, 2017 at 7:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s draft pick signings:

The Titans have signed third-round tight end Jonnu Smith, the club announced today. Tennessee has now signed five of its nine-man draft class. Heading into the draft, Smith was often compared to the tight end he’ll now be playing behind with the Titans, veteran Delanie Walker. Smith, who should earn roughly $3.1MM over the life of his four-year rookie deal, has a clear path to playing time in Tennessee, as the only other tight ends on the roster aside from Walker are Jace Amaro and Phillip Supernaw.
The Jets announced that they’ve signed fourth-round wide receiver Chad Hansen. A Cal product, Hansen is now the fourth Jets rookie to ink a contract. After posting more than 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns during his junior campaign, Hansen joins a wide open Gang Green depth chart at wideout. With Eric Decker coming off injury and still a release candidate, and Robby Anderson facing legal trouble, Hansen could contribute early in his rookie season.
The Jaguars have agreed to terms with fifth-round linebacker Blair Brown, the club announced today. While Jacksonville already boasts three starting linebackers in Myles Jack, Paul Posluszny, and Telvin Smith, the latter two are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents next spring. Brown, then, gives the Jaguars insurance at the position, and will likely serve as a high-end reserve in 2017. Heading into the draft, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com praised Brown’s “short area burst” and ability to “drop into space.”
The Dolphins announced that they’ve signed fifth-round defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. Miami was known to be searching for a rotational tackle to play behind Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips, and Goxchaux now figures to play that role. Godchaux, an LSU product, is the sixth member of the Dolphins’ draft class to get under contract — only first-rounder Charles Harris remains unsigned.
The Seahawks have signed sixth-round defensive back Mike Tyson, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Tyson, a Cincinnati product, is expected to be used as a cornerback in Seattle after playing safety at the collegiate level.