• The situation that unfolded in Foxborough on Monday certainly merits attention—with star pass rusher Matthew Judon showing up to the New England Patriots’ first padded practice in sweats, and then having animated conversations with coach Jerod Mayo, and then top front office guys Eliot Wolf and Matt Groh before leaving the field.
It was unusual to hear, especially from that particular address.
And it does make you wonder, just a little, about how the internal spending the team did might be impacting the roster. Christian Barmore signed a new deal at $21 million per year earlier in the offseason. He’s a really good player. But it’s fair to wonder about the impact his contract has had on the two best, most consistent, most dependable players on the team’s defensive front—Judon and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. Judon is making $7.5 million this year, Godchaux is at $8.3 million, and that’s pretty far off from Barmore.
Of course, the Patriots aren’t alone in these sorts of circumstances. It’s probably not a coincidence that Matthew Stafford went to the Los Angeles Rams for a raise with three years left on his deal, having seen Aaron Donald do the same two years ago; or that Trent Williams is rattling cages with the San Francisco 49ers after seeing Christian McCaffrey get a bump. It’s also a reason why teams can be so militant about contract precedents.
