On Monday, the New Orleans Saints made a trade that a lot of people thought made sense. They acquired veteran defensive tackle Davon Godchaux from the New England Patriots for a 2026 seventh-round pick. Not only did the deal only cost a future late-round pick, but it helped New Orleans address one of its biggest needs: interior defensive line. Godchaux has been productive against the run in his career, and that’s exactly what the Saints need.
However, this wasn’t universally considered a good deal for New Orleans. ESPN’s Seth Walder ripped the move not too long after it was completed. In a piece grading all of the signings and trades taking place this offseason, Walder gave the Saints a D-plus for this move, before detailing why it didn’t make sense to him.
"The Saints just can't help themselves from spending more money, even when they absolutely can't afford it. They are in a tight salary cap situation, are not Super Bowl contenders and likely won't return to being contenders until they clear themselves out of their financial mess. Spending more money - Godchaux is due $5 million in salary and bonuses -- on a 30-year-old nose tackle is not going to help…At a time when the Saints can't afford to add salary, they certainly shouldn't be adding it for an older player with no time left on his deal."Seth Walder (ESPN)
Saints are criticized for acquiring Davon Godchaux
Walder’s criticism didn’t have much to do with Godchaux as a player, or his fit with New Orleans. The analyst did acknowledge the veteran defensive tackle as a good run defender, despite his numbers dipping in 2024, but Walder mostly focused on the financial side of things.
He couldn’t understand a cash-strapped Saints team, that should be rebuilding, committing more money to an aging veteran. While that’s certainly a fair argument, Walder may have been too harsh in his assessment. New Orleans has to address its needs, and Godchaux is an inexpensive option that does that. The Saints didn’t commit a lot of long-term money to the defensive tackle, so the move makes sense as New Orleans tries to make the most of the 2025 season.