The Patriots may be off to parts unknown for the next month or so, but I'm still here, giving you positional snapshots, including kickers and punters (Yes, it's true). As I've chronicled here, I'd prefer not to go there, but for you, our dedicated members, I will take myself to uncomfortable places to provide the insight needed. The word hero gets thrown around a little too much for my liking, but in this case, it's accurate.
Interior defensive line: Christian Barmore, Davon Godchaux, Armon Watts, Daniel Ekuale, Jeremiah Pharms, Sam Roberts, and Trystan Hill.
After several seasons of being emasculated versus the run — a very un-Patriot-like situation — the 2023-24 Pats allowed just 3.3 yards per carry. Not only was that the best in the NFL, but it was also the lowest number in franchise history, dating back to the NFL/AFL merger in 1970. For a team whose long-stated goal is to make teams one-dimensional, I'd say that qualifies.
As Godchaux was in the middle of that — generally playing on the nose — it would be easy to correlate the stoutness of the run defense to him being the lynchpin in the middle. About that...while the eight-year vet had his moments, I had him graded as a C+ player (if you will). Godchaux has also regressed from the player he was in 2021, his first in New England, to what he is now. So when I see him conducting some sort of hold-in to finish off the mandatory mini-camp last week, I wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze.
None of Godchaux's $7.15 million 2024 salary is guaranteed, so perhaps the easiest answer to appease him is to lock it in fully. But my sense is it will take more than that, especially when you consider how much money the guy who generally lines up next to him - Barmore - just got in his extension. So, does Eliot Wolf try to extend Godchaux and make him part of the core? Or does the GM roll the dice that a contract year brings out the best in the player? Jerod Mayo may have given us a hint last week.
"What I will say is one thing I've learned is sometimes the value that the team has on a person is a little bit different than the value that the market has on a person."
I'll add one more note to this conversation. The team did reach out to at least one free agent at the position who went on to get paid well back in March. Was it foreshadowing their feelings on Godchaux's play and personality? Either way, it's a situation that bears monitoring.
As for Barmore, it all came together in year three of his professional career, and the team wisely inked the former Alabama star to a four-year extension worth up to $92 million, including $41 guaranteed. Considering the money paid to interior defenders this offseason, that number was lower than expected. That's a win for Wolf, but it's not as if Barmore got a raw deal. As a player who has had some injuries dating back to college, there's financial security for not only his family but his family's family (if they do it right).
Barmore had a career-high 64 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 13 QB hits, and 25 pressures. Can you say "beast?" And when you consider how much better and more consistently the big fella played the run, there's a chance Barmore takes another step forward this season.
"My goal is to take my game to another level and just be bigger than ever," he said during OTAs. "Be a baller. Let my game speak for itself. Just doing everything my coaches tell me to do and be the guy for my teammates.
"Everywhere I go, just dominate. That's my goal."
Barmore did that during the spring, chewing up the guards regularly. If the physicality ramps up come training camp, it may prove more difficult, but I doubt it. He's that good, and as he improves some of the technical aspects of his game - and hand usage - it's not crazy to think he could get All-Pro consideration.
As for depth, the Pats finally moved on from Lawrence Guy, even though his tape was sometimes better than Godchaux's. To fill that spot, Wolf plucked Watts in free agency. The former Steeler played half the number of snaps as Guy did but was excellent against the run. Considering the pass rush packages that new DC DeMarcus Covington can deploy - think Judon, White, Wise, and Barmore as a front four - I understand making that shift. Plus, it's not as if Watts is a one-trick pony. He can also push the pocket, giving Covington options.
Ekuale has caught my eye in the last couple of seasons. In limited snaps last year, he got off to a terrific start (he was excellent against the Jets) before suffering a season-ending injury in week three. The 6'3", 310-pounder can also take a heavier load in a two or three-game stretch should injuries hit. It will take a lot from someone else to get me even to consider keeping him off the 53-man roster.
Beyond those four, the Pats have two youngsters, Sam Roberts and Pharms, who are pushing to be part of a rotation. Roberts came on like gangbusters in the summer of '23 but only saw action in seven games, recording one quarterback hurry in 47 rushes. An undersized UDFA, Pharms had fewer snaps than Roberts but two more pressures. He was definitely a coaching staff favorite last year. We'll see if that holds with new leadership.
Hill was a second-rounder in 2019. In five years, he hasn't lived up to the billing, never becoming what the Cowboys hoped he would. The Pats are his third team, and maybe his last, best hope to show he's capable of being a rotational piece on someone's D-line. It is unlikely that it will be this one, however.
