FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots didn’t have much drama to deal with Tuesday, as all 90 players reported to Gillette Stadium for the start of training camp.
Yes, that includes Matthew Judon and Davon Godchaux.
New England is in a slight pickle with Judon and Godchaux, as each has stated their desire for new contracts at different points in the offseason. The Patriots have extended what feels like half the roster this offseason, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a rush with the two veteran defenders.
Can they get both Judon and Godchaux to play on lame duck contracts? Do they even want to?
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo addressed the entire situation Tuesday, perhaps giving fans some belief that deals could get done in the near future.
“The relationship is still good, at least from my perspective,” Mayo said. “I know their teammates definitely respect them. Those are valuable pieces to this organization. They’ve done a lot for us, and hopefully, we can get something done and those guys are here. I want them here. Eliot (Wolf) wants them here. The team wants them here. There is a business aspect to everything, though.”
New England has the money to bump up the salaries for both defenders, but it wouldn’t be smart to do so without extending the length of each contract. It’s likely why there’s pause, because at some point there will have to be a concession from one side.
The Patriots know how important Judon and Godchaux are, though — the former in particular. Ja’Whaun Bentley was asked Tuesday about the status of his teammates and made his stance on the whole ordeal pretty clear.
“It’s a question I think we all know the answer to,” Bentley said. “Obviously, he’s a very significant part of what we want to do as a defense. I’m not going to get into all the stuff they’ve got going on. I’ll leave it up to them, but obviously (Judon and Godchaux) are significant parts of this team. We love to have them on the field, so whatever we have to do to get that done — hopefully it gets done soon.”
Mayo and Wolf have been able to keep extension talks relatively quiet throughout their first offseason, so don’t be surprised if things get resolved rather quickly. If they don’t, however, some uncomfortable conversations might need to be had.
