Belichick addresses Davon Godchaux extension with very hot take

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The New England Patriots turned plenty of heads Wednesday by handing a two-year, $20.8 million contract extension to defensive lineman Davon Godchaux.

Bill Belichick turned a few more heads Thursday morning when asked about Godchaux's new deal with New England.

"Well, he's one of the best defensive linemen in the league," Belichick told reporters during his training camp press conference. "Glad we were able to work that out with Davon and (his agent) Drew (Rosenhaus). Obviously both sides are happy."

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With all due respect to Belichick and Godchaux, that might be aĀ bitĀ of a stretch.

A fifth-round pick of the Dolphins in the 2017 NFL Draft, Godchaux was a solid but unspectacular defensive tackle in Miami, where he played in 52 games (42 starts) over four seasons without reaching a Pro Bowl. Godchaux played in all 17 games for the Patriots last season while starting 16, but New England's shortcomings against the run -- 123.7 yards allowed per game, 22nd in the NFL -- led one AFC pro personnel member to question the team giving him a $20 million extension.

"That's a lot. Weren't they poor vs. the run last year?" the staffer told NFL Network's Mike Giardi.

Pro Football Focus also ranked Godchaux 61st among NFL interior defensive linemen last season.Ā The Patriots clearly evaluated him differently, however, with a Patriots source telling Giardi, "He's way better than he got credit for."

If Godchaux plays like a $10.4 million-per-year defensive tackle -- 14th among all interior D-linemen in average annual salary -- then New England should be in good shape up front, with the talented Christian Barmore and veteran Lawrence Guy alongside him.

But if the Patriots continue to struggle defending the run, then Belichick will have some questions to answer about Godchaux's contract -- and his lofty praise of the 27-year-old.

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