FOXBORO — The largest information to emerge from Day 1 of Patriots coaching camp had nothing to do with whistles, drills, passing, working or something on the sphere.
It was a negotiation that wrapped up a couple of hours after observe.
The Patriots and defensive sort out Davon Godchaux reached phrases on a 2-year extension value nearly $20.8 million, together with $17.85 million assured, in keeping with Godchaux’s brokers. Godchaux had been coming into the ultimate yr of the free-agent deal he signed in March 2021, however will now stay in New England by way of 2024. Before Thursday’s observe, Bill Belichick supplied a succinct clarification for why the Pats opted to increase their beginning nostril sort out.
“He’s one of the best defensive linemen in the league,” Belichick mentioned.
Naturally, Godchaux agreed together with his coach’s evaluation.
“If I’m being honest, yes, I do,” he mentioned Thursday. “I feel like for a good D-tackle, you’ve got to first be able to stop the run. No good D-tackle is just going to be a pass rusher. He has to be disruptive because it starts with the run. If you can’t stop the run, you can pass rush.”
The numbers provide a combined overview of Godchaux’s 2021 season.
Among inside defensive linemen who performed at the least 500 snaps, he graded out because the Thirty second-best participant general and Nineteenth-best in opposition to the run, per Pro Football Focus. According to Sports Info. Solutions, the Pats allowed the fifth-most speeding yards per sport between the tackles in 2021. They additionally allowed the seventh-highest yards per carry common inside.
Overall as a run protection, the Patriots completed tenth by Football Outsiders’ opponent-and-situation-adjusted metric, DVOA, however twenty fifth by yards per carry allowed. Godchaux ought to once more pair with 32-year-old Lawrence Guy or burgeoning second-year lineman Christian Barmore within the center this season.
Godchaux arrived in Foxboro after spending the primary 4 years of his profession in Miami, the place he performed below former Pats assistant Brian Flores.
“I felt like when I first signed here, this was home,” Godchaux mentioned. “Coming from Miami with coach (Brian( Flores, ran the same system, came here, and I felt like I was a plug-and-play (guy). Bill is honest. He gives positive criticism. He’s going to hold you accountable.”
By extending Godchaux, the Patriots are anticipated to create roughly $1.5 million in cap room. That ought to push them simply over $4 million whole, per Over The Cap.
Last season, Godchaux began 16 of 17 regular-season video games and recorded 65 tackles, one sack, 5 QB hits and a compelled fumble.
Source: www.bostonherald.com