Patriots Give Defensive Starter Permission To Seek Trade
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With the new addition of head coach Mike Vrabel, there will likely be some changes in 2025 that will see roles diminish for certain players when it comes to the defensive side of the football.
We’ve already seen one domino fall this offseason. The club recently parted ways with Sione Takitaki, and it appears the Patriots are also getting ready to potentially part with another.
According to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux has been given permission by the team to seek a trade.
This news comes after Godchaux signed an extension last offseason, signing a two-year deal back on July 31, 2024. He had entered training camp in the final year of the deal he signed back in 2022, and had made it clear he wasn’t happy playing out his current deal.
“Yeah, DG, look, we want him here,” said then-head coach Jerod Mayo last June. “He’s one of our best players. He’s working. I will say that, he is working. He’s here every single day, has been here every single day, and look forward to getting him on the field in camp.”
Initially, it felt like the team giving him another deal heading into the season wasn’t necessarily a given. However, the news of Christian Barmore’s blood clot diagnosis seemed to change the landscape, making Godchaux’s value to the team a little more critical. As a result, New England ultimately gave him what he wanted and a new deal did get done. For the most part, Godchaux held up his end of the bargain and was a solid piece of their defense last season.
He finished 2024 fifth on the team in tackles with 67, including one quarterback hit and a pass defended. Still, the defense as a whole finished 23rd in the NFL against the run, allowing 131.4 yards per game, which ended up being a problem for a good portion of the season.
Godchaux also seemed to be a player who followed the guidelines in their defense and was among a handful of veterans who tried to set the right example. In an interview with WEEI last October, he called out teammates who he believed weren’t necessarily doing the same, calling them “selfish” for doing their own thing instead of playing within the scheme.
“Well, we just all got to be on the same page, man. We got guys, just to be honest, we got guys, some guys just being selfish,” said Godchaux. “Because guys, I get it, I mean, we’re down, guys want to make plays. I get it, but everybody got to play. I’m talking about defense. Everybody has to play as 11, and everybody has to sacrifice to do what’s best for the team. I know some guys want to make plays when we’re down, trying to get back in the game, but we got to just keep going as a team and play team defense.”
Godchaux finding a landing spot certainly isn’t guaranteed. Rapoport reported that there has been contact with interested teams, but it’s unknown what the compensation might be. The Patriots absolutely have needs they need to fill this offseason, and any additional draft capital they can acquire is definitely needed.
Meanwhile, the fact they’re allowing him to find a possible new home definitely signals the fact changes are coming. For Godchaux, depending on how this ultimately unfolds, it sounds like he might not end up being a part of it.
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