Godchaux Speaks Out on his contract

[Real fan 02]

I see a lot of "anyone can do his job" type comments... okay.

Armon Watts was a situational pass rusher from the DE position last year, not a nose tackle. I don't get where this perception is coming from. He has been on three different teams the last three years. The last time he started was two years ago when he started 12 games for the 2022 Bear's D, they ranked 31st worst in rush attempts, 31st worst in rush yards, dead last in rushing TD's and 27th worst in yards per attempt. The year before that he started 9 games for the Vikings and they were no better. Stop saying Armon Watts is a nose tackle, or even a run stuffer because he's not. I can place my body in the middle of a highway, it doesn't make me a traffic cone.

Pharms? Good grief... the guy blows. He was 6'1" 274 pounds when he entered the league. He has never started a game. He's been in the league since 2020 and last season was the first time he has been active for an actual game.

The only guys who can possibly play NT are Daniel Ekuale, Trysten Hill or Sam Roberts.

Trysten Hill is a supremely talented athlete at the DT position, unfortunately we've been waiting five years for this talent to emerge and for him to become a dominant force. He has never reached his potential since being drafted in the second round back in 2019, he started five games back in 2020 and wasn't good. But now we want to trade or cut our Nose Tackle and leave the job to this guy?

Ekuale is already 30 years old, he hasn't started a game since 2020. He played 9% of defensive snaps in year one for us, peaked at 32% in 2022, dropped to 5% of defensive snaps last year. The guy is a jag whose utility primarily lays on special teams.

For reference Godchaux has played roughly 60% of defensive snaps for three year's straight. The Pats defense ranked #4 and #1 in yards per rushing attempt the last two years. Suggesting anyone can do the job, or the NFL is no longer a rushing league, or Godchaux only has a job because BB liked him is absurd fan nonsense.

I was critical of the Godchaux signing when it was made, I panned it... now I'm saying we need him back, until we find a replacement at least. Extend him for another season or two, he's not that expensive for the amount of snaps he plays and how well he plays. Two gapping isn't "easy" and it's thankless work that casual football fans don't understand or appreciate at all.

If they can't come to an agreement they'd better be ready at the cutdown day with a big wad of cash in hand to find his replacement, because that person isn't here right now.

Agreed Wozzy with everything. But the thought is posters are saying that '"if" the team can come to a agreement with and he decides to sit out. Then it's next man up.. he's a solid piece in the middle.. but he's not a game wrecking player like a judon, Barmore, peppers.. not slight on goddy...

I remember when bill didn't want to pay Vince until RK got involved.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

I see a lot of "anyone can do his job" type comments... okay.

Armon Watts was a situational pass rusher from the DE position last year, not a nose tackle. I don't get where this perception is coming from. He has been on three different teams the last three years. The last time he started was two years ago when he started 12 games for the 2022 Bear's D, they ranked 31st worst in rush attempts, 31st worst in rush yards, dead last in rushing TD's and 27th worst in yards per attempt. The year before that he started 9 games for the Vikings and they were no better. Stop saying Armon Watts is a nose tackle, or even a run stuffer because he's not. I can place my body in the middle of a highway, it doesn't make me a traffic cone.

Pharms? Good grief... the guy blows. He was 6'1" 274 pounds when he entered the league. He has never started a game. He's been in the league since 2020 and last season was the first time he has been active for an actual game.

The only guys who can possibly play NT are Daniel Ekuale, Trysten Hill or Sam Roberts.

Trysten Hill is a supremely talented athlete at the DT position, unfortunately we've been waiting five years for this talent to emerge and for him to become a dominant force. He has never reached his potential since being drafted in the second round back in 2019, he started five games back in 2020 and wasn't good. But now we want to trade or cut our Nose Tackle and leave the job to this guy?

Ekuale is already 30 years old, he hasn't started a game since 2020. He played 9% of defensive snaps in year one for us, peaked at 32% in 2022, dropped to 5% of defensive snaps last year. The guy is a jag whose utility primarily lays on special teams.

For reference Godchaux has played roughly 60% of defensive snaps for three year's straight. The Pats defense ranked #4 and #1 in yards per rushing attempt the last two years. Suggesting anyone can do the job, or the NFL is no longer a rushing league, or Godchaux only has a job because BB liked him is absurd fan nonsense.

I was critical of the Godchaux signing when it was made, I panned it... now I'm saying we need him back, until we find a replacement at least. Extend him for another season or two, he's not that expensive for the amount of snaps he plays and how well he plays. Two gapping isn't "easy" and it's thankless work that casual football fans don't understand or appreciate at all.

If they can't come to an agreement they'd better be ready at the cutdown day with a big wad of cash in hand to find his replacement, because that person isn't here right now.

He's a good player and fills a need on the line, question is how much is he asking for? If it's reasonable they might get something done, Mayo and Wolf keep saying they have more guys to take care of, he's probably on the list but he has to be reasonable.

 

[scott99]

I am fine with him walking after the season. I think HE thinks he’s better than he is. I like a player having confidence, but he’s delusional. Let’s see if he can even get the deal Belichick gave him, on his next deal, with his next team.

 

[stinkypete]

the team owes him $7-$8m this year pending his per game incentive plays out. his cap hit with his pro rated bonus is $11.8m. it's a pretty fair deal for a DT that does not produce any stats, but handles the middle pretty effectively.
if he was 26 yrs old, I could definitely see extending him with his prime age seasons coming, similar to Barmore, who does what Godcheux does, plus gets to the QB. but at 30 yrs old, it gets trickier.
will the team get a better season out of him on a do nothing, go out and bet on yourself on the field, and watch an angry Godcheux play it out for a contract? or does he play better with a contract that pays him for 2-3 more seasons?
I would be willing to let it play out and have him go out and prove it.
if he goes out and plays like a pro bowler, I would think he has 1 more contract coming in at 31 yrs old. let the free market speak.

I bet he "holds in" and does not bet on himself.

I think we've seen Godchaux's ceiling. He's been basically the same player since 2020. He's a perfectly cromulent DT, but plays a devalued position.

The question for the FO is do we overpay for another devalued position (RB, S and potentially RG are already getting big money), or do we take advantage of 4 more years of cost controlled QB play and build the best roster we can as fast as we can to contend once he's ready? We have the cap space for the latter, but there will need to be a plan B at those positions in another 3 - 4 years.

 

[Joey007]

Good hell. I was considering Godchaux a cut candidate early in the offseason.

I’m just not overly impressed with his performance since coming here. I wouldn’t overpay.

 

[mgteich]

.

For reference Godchaux has played roughly 60% of defensive snaps for three year's straight. The Pats defense ranked #4 and #1 in yards per rushing attempt the last two years. Suggesting anyone can do the job, or the NFL is no longer a rushing league, or Godchaux only has a job because BB liked him is absurd fan nonsense.

I was critical of the Godchaux signing when it was made, I panned it... now I'm saying we need him back, until we find a replacement at least. Extend him for another season or two, he's not that expensive for the amount of snaps he plays and how well he plays. Two gapping isn't "easy" and it's thankless work that casual football fans don't understand or appreciate at all.

If they can't come to an agreement they'd better be ready at the cutdown day with a big wad of cash in hand to find his replacement, because that person isn't here right now.

#4

Godchaux isn't a true "NT". He's undersized and has been since Bill signed him. He's played well, but hasn't out-played his contract.

I'm confused. Some say we don't need a true NT anymore. ANd you say that Godchaux is undersized at 330. We are top 5 in stopping the run. I think that Godchaux has a lot to do with this.

Ekuale and Pharms are the backups. If he goes, I suspect that we will be signing a free agent AND drafting a DT high in the draft.

 

[Wozzy]

He's a good player and fills a need on the line, question is how much is he asking for? If it's reasonable they might get something done, Mayo and Wolf keep saying they have more guys to take care of, he's probably on the list but he has to be reasonable.

He was averaging roughly 10 million per season to play 60% of the defensive snaps from the NT position… which is a lot.

He rarely comes off the field and what he does two gapping allows others to shine.

The guy has got ridiculous stamina and even when he gets moved off the spot he makes the recovery tackle anyway… which explains why he posts so many tackles for a DT.

If nothing else guarantee his money for this year so he has some security and draft his replacement next offseason, but there is no replacement for him currently on the roster.

I suspect an extension is already in the works, or else they would have signed an alternative option in free agency.

 

[rkarp1]

for me, God is a fine player for this defensive scheme, and the players around him. his contract is fair for his role and production.
the issues are his age and remaining contract years (1)
I have no problem extending him thru 2026 with no 2026 guarantee and 2025 guarantees predicated on 2024 performance.
from my vantage point he is a roster lock for 2024 and his salary is a no brainer to be guaranteed for 2024.
seems one of the easier deals to get done. so why hasn't it? I have to think God is looking for much more than the Pats feel is reasonable

 

[203Pat]

I think we've seen Godchaux's ceiling. He's been basically the same player since 2020. He's a perfectly cromulent DT, but plays a devalued position.

This is where I am at with him. He's a fine player in his role but his role is basically a first down run stuffer and he's already the third highest cap hit on the team and will be off the books next year when he is 31. This is the perfect time to let him play out the last year of his already overpaid deal and let him walk. Paying him again would be nuts because I assume he would be looking for, at minimum the same money, and likely more.

This is one of the drawbacks of paying (and maybe overpaying) so many of your own guys in one offseason. All of a sudden even guys who just signed a deal or guys who are already more than fairly compensated want a new deal too. Mike Reiss even insinuated that Josh Uche may be conducting a hold-in of his own after just signing a couple months ago.

Fifth-year pass-rusher Joshua Uche also seemed to be working off a different script. He was mostly practicing by himself while the rest of the team was going through 11-on-11 drills -- an unusual situation for a non-injured player. It sparked the question of whether he too is part of that group referenced by Mayo despite just re-signing with the team in March.

 

[PatsFan2]

This is where I am at with him. He's a fine player in his role but his role is basically a first down run stuffer and he's already the third highest cap hit on the team and will be off the books next year when he is 31. This is the perfect time to let him play out the last year of his already overpaid deal and let him walk. Paying him again would be nuts because I assume he would be looking for, at minimum the same money, and likely more.

This is one of the drawbacks of paying (and maybe overpaying) so many of your own guys in one offseason. All of a sudden even guys who just signed a deal or guys who are already more than fairly compensated want a new deal too. Mike Reiss even insinuated that Josh Uche may be conducting a hold-in of his own after just signing a couple months ago.

Fifth-year pass-rusher Joshua Uche also seemed to be working off a different script. He was mostly practicing by himself while the rest of the team was going through 11-on-11 drills -- an unusual situation for a non-injured player. It sparked the question of whether he too is part of that group referenced by Mayo despite just re-signing with the team in March.

Josh Uche didn't have that FA market he envisioned: Patriots FA's had a Buyer Beware sign on them especially with what happened with JC Jackson and the Chargers. Those former BB FA's weren't exactly lighting it up for their other Teams.

 

[Wozzy]

Josh Uche didn't have that FA market he envisioned: Patriots FA's had a Buyer Beware sign on them especially with what happened with JC Jackson and the Chargers. Those former BB FA's weren't exactly lighting it up for their other Teams.

Only winning four games last season worked to the front office's favor this offseason... beyond the #3 overall pick.

They got a lot of their own free agents back at a discount, it's hard to ask for the moon when your team sucked.

 

[Wozzy]

This is where I am at with him. He's a fine player in his role but his role is basically a first down run stuffer and he's already the third highest cap hit on the team and will be off the books next year when he is 31. This is the perfect time to let him play out the last year of his already overpaid deal and let him walk. Paying him again would be nuts because I assume he would be looking for, at minimum the same money, and likely more.

He's played max snaps the last three years, he is hardly a "first down run stuffer" if he never comes off the field.

Also if you extend him you can lower his cap hit for this year and spread it out over the remainder of his new deal. His cap hit is large because they pushed his previous contract's cap debt into the future. It's an easy fix and his salary is manageable.

Letting him go and saving money sounds great, until you look at the depth chart and realize there is no better option to start on the bench.... there's literally nobody.

 

[203Pat]

He's played max snaps the last three years, he is hardly a "first down run stuffer" if he never comes off the field.

Also if you extend him you can lower his cap hit for this year and spread it out over the remainder of his new deal. His cap hit is large because they pushed his previous contract's cap debt into the future. It's an easy fix and his salary is manageable.

Letting him go and saving money sounds great, until you look at the depth chart and realize there is no better option to start on the bench.... there's literally nobody.

I agree they would need to do something to fill his spot for next year and ideally should have done it this year in the draft. I just don't know how much more are thy going to pay him than the $11 million he's getting this year? Maybe it is just me but it seems crazy to me to be paying a run stuffer more than $11 mill plus a year and extending him into his early 30's. Letting Guy walk and not drafting any potential replacement pretty much gave Godchaux all the leverage so I assume something will happen with his deal.

 

[Wozzy]

I agree they would need to do something to fill his spot for next year and ideally should have done it this year in the draft. I just don't know how much more are thy going to pay him than the $11 million he's getting this year? Maybe it is just me but it seems crazy to me to be paying a run stuffer more than $11 mill plus a year and extending him into his early 30's. Letting Guy walk and not drafting any potential replacement pretty much gave Godchaux all the leverage so I assume something will happen with his deal.

They could let it play out until roster cut down day, then pray some vet DT is sitting there... but Godchaux won't be practicing or will be grousing over his deal in the meantime.

At minimum he'll want his salary for 2024 to be guaranteed, much like Devante Parker did last year or Stefon Gilmore did his last season here. A slight tweak to his contract would get him in camp for this season. They could wait until next offseason to solve their roster hole.

 

[Zuma]

They could let it play out until roster cut down day, then pray some vet DT is sitting there... but Godchaux won't be practicing or will be grousing over his deal in the meantime.

At minimum he'll want his salary for 2024 to be guaranteed, much like Devante Parker did last year or Stefon Gilmore did his last season here. A slight tweak to his contract would get him in camp for this season. They could wait until next offseason to solve their roster hole.

Just guarantee the contract. I’m not sure he is worth more especially at his age but yeah…guarantee it.

 

[Real fan 02]

He's a good player and fills a need on the line, question is how much is he asking for? If it's reasonable they might get something done, Mayo and Wolf keep saying they have more guys to take care of, he's probably on the list but he has to be reasonable.

I believe the reason nothings been done is beucase goddy is likely asking for too much.. he's solid, he plays the run well and plays with a tenacity.. but let's not get him confused with Barmore.. barmore plays all over the front, stops the run rushes the passer all while getting doubled alot. Goddy isn't theat level of a player However I hope something does get done with him.

 

[Real fan 02]

Just guarantee the contract. I’m not sure he is worth more especially at his age but yeah…guarantee it.

I've said in my post.. if goddy chooses to sit out there are guys already on the roster waiting to have thier time to shine. I hope something gets done with him.. he is a good player. However not all contracts are created equal.

 

[Real fan 02]

They could let it play out until roster cut down day, then pray some vet DT is sitting there... but Godchaux won't be practicing or will be grousing over his deal in the meantime.

At minimum he'll want his salary for 2024 to be guaranteed, much like Devante Parker did last year or Stefon Gilmore did his last season here. A slight tweak to his contract would get him in camp for this season. They could wait until next offseason to solve their roster hole.

His current contract situation...

 

[mgteich]

Only winning four games last season worked to the front office's favor this offseason... beyond the #3 overall pick.

They got a lot of their own free agents back at a discount, it's hard to ask for the moon when your team sucked.

Wow, just wow.

You really think that Onwenu and Dugger came back at a discount?

 

[Real fan 02]

Wow, just wow.

You really think that Onwenu and Dugger came back at a discount?

I think ownenu and Dugger got massive extensions...