Davon Godchaux is heading to his hometown team.
The New England Patriots agreed to trade the veteran defensive tackle to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Trade: the New England Patriots have agreed to send DT Davon Godchaux to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Godchaux attended high school in Plaquemine, La., before playing at LSU. He now returns to Louisiana once the trade can be… pic.twitter.com/cn4Kfqv1sG
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2025
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The Patriots reportedly gave Godchaux, a Louisiana native, permission to seek a trade last month.
Godchaux signed a two-year, $18 million contract extension with New England last offseason and started all 17 games for the Patriots in 2024. But the team completely overhauled its coaching staff this offseason, with new head coach Mike Vrabel installing a new defensive coordinator in Terrell Williams and a new defensive line coach in Clint McMillan.
As our Phil Perry noted at the time, the new coaching staff could institute a new scheme on the defensive front that may lead them to reevaluate their personnel along the defensive line.
"Davon Godchaux is more of a two-gapping, run-stuffing defensive tackle," Perry wrote on Feb. 26. "Allowing him to seek a trade is indicative of the Patriots changing what they’re looking for up front under head coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams."
While a 2026 seventh-round pick is a modest return for the 30-year-old defensive tackle, his trade frees up cap space for the Patriots and allows Vrabel to go in a new direction as he engineers a rebuild in New England.
