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Patriots Daily: Are Extensions Off the Table for Pats Veterans?

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New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon faces reporters following an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Today is the day for New England Patriots veterans to report to training camp. For some, this is also a deadline day of sorts. The Patriots have a plethora of players set to hit free agency in 2025. The team extended the contracts of four such pending free agents: Christian Barmore, David Andrews, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Jahlani Tavai. But at least four key veterans have yet to sign an extension. At least one of those players had cited the beginning of training camp as a deadline to get things done.



Davon Godchaux, New England’s durable and productive defensive tackle, is one of the players entering the final year of his contract with the Patriots. He stated to Patriots Football Now, “Hopefully we can get something done that’s fair to me and my team before camp starts!” That doesn’t rule out the possibility of getting something done after camp starts, though it certainly seems like a soft deadline at the very least.

Four Potential Unhappy Campers

Among the other players entering the final year of their deals are Matthew Judon, Jabrill Peppers, and Jonathan Jones. All three, like Godchaux, are important players on the Patriots defense. Having unhappy campers would not make for a good start to the Jerod Mayo era in Foxboro. Eliot Wolf and Mayo have been preaching the opposite sentiment to date.

Matthew Judon reposted a trade proposal on X that would send him to the San Francisco 49ers in a package for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. I attempted to get some clarification on this (I will update you as soon as Judon responds):

Eliot Wolf made it clear that part of the “Packer Way” he is bringing to New England is to draft, develop, and extend core players. Is he sending a message to these four players that they are not part of the team’s core moving forward? In Week 1 of the season, Judon will be 32, Jones will be 30, Godchaux will be 29, and Peppers only 28. Important decisions need to be made on the futures of these players, sooner than later, to ensure that the opening training camp of the post-Belichick years isn’t filled with unnecessary drama. Will any more deals be done? Stay tuned.

Also in Tuesday’s Patriots Daily:

Patriots Fact of the Day

Matthew Judon ranks tenth for the New England Patriots’ career sack leaders since sacks became an official stat in 1982. If Judon plays the 2024 season for New England and continues at his current pace, he has a chance to move up the leaderboard significantly:

100.0 Andre Tippett
78.0 Willie McGinest
51.0 Chris Slade
48.0 Mike Vrabel
46.0 Rob Ninkovich
43.5 Brent Williams
39.0 Richard Seymour
36.0 Chandler Jones
36.0 Garin Veris
32.0 Matthew Judon

Post of the Day

A special tribute to Andre Tippett, courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There is a reason he was the favorite Patriots player for everyone of a certain age:

Patriots Football Now Coverage

Patriots Wide Receivers Work With RouteGod– The attention to detail is what separates good from great. If the Patriots wide receivers are not going to achieve greatness in 2024 it won’t be due to a lack of effort. The unit worked out with the man known as RouteGod to refine the finer points of their moves. New England hopes it translates to the NFL field on Sundays.

Charges Dropped Against Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte – The second-year receiver from LSU had been charged with a felony and a misdemeanor for underage online gambling. Now the charges against Boutte have been dropped and he can go back to focusing on football. Will Boutte be able to make the 53-man roster in 2024?

Training Camp Competition: Patriots Tight Ends – Veteran Hunter Henry appears to be the only player from this unit locked into a spot on the 53-man roster. Five others look to earn spots with their play in training camp. Who will emerge from this group to join Henry on the Patriots’ Week 1 roster?

Patriots Release Jontrey Hunter, Audition Demetric Felton – New England opened up a roster spot before the start of camp be releasing UDFA Jontrey Hunter from Georgia State. In perhaps a corresponding move, veteran RB/WR Demetric Felton auditioned for the team. Felton previously played for Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt in Cleveland.

NFL Coverage

CBS Sports – 2024 training camp holdout predictions. None of the New England Patriots players noted above are mentioned. Don’t expect to see San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk at camp. Who else could go AWOL?

NFL.com – Minnesota Vikings rookie Khyree Jackson was killed in an auto accident on July 6. The Vikings are honoring the late cornerback in several ways this season. His number (31) and locker will go unused. Minnesota will also have helmet decals to pay homage to Jackson.

Steelers Now – The Pittsburgh Steelers are shooting to win the margins on special teams. This includes bringing aboard former New England Patriot Cordarelle Patterson over the offseason. Of course, the new NFL kickoff rules will force teams to adapt to the new format. Doing it best could pay huge dividends.

Boston Bruins

Boston Hockey Now – Former Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk signed with the Vancouver Canucks this offseason. He opened up about his time in Boston, and specifically his trade request while with the Bruins. DeBrusk states, “I was fighting for my career.”

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