Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce suffered a serious calf injury in Week 8, which could force the Ravens to trade for New England Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. A longtime Raven, Pierce entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and quickly became a featured part of the defensive line rotation. While he’s not the flashiest player in the world, the Samford product excels at taking on double teams in the run game and can provide pressure from the interior. According to Pro Football Focus, Pierce’s 68.6 overall grade ranked 25th out of 121 eligible interior defenders.
Now on the injured reserve with a calf injury, Pierce will miss at least the next four games. While head coach John Harbaugh believes the defensive tackle will return to the field sometime in 2024, the team could pursue a Davon Godchaux trade as a short-term measure. Despite signing an extension before the season, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the Patriots are shopping the defensive tackle. Only time will tell if a deal actually goes through, but the Ravens and Patriots could benefit from a trade.
Ravens, Patriots Could Agree to A Davon Godchaux Trade
Davon Godchuax is not a superstar, but the trade candidate could be a reliable piece of Baltimore’s defensive line. While he rarely gets after the quarterback, the 6′-3″, 330-pound defensive tackle excels in the run game. A specialized early-down player, Godchaux can eat double teams and clog run lanes, freeing up space for linebackers to take down the ball carrier. While this style of play rarely leads to big performances on the stat sheet, the right coaching staff should find a way to get the most out of a player like him.
The Ravens love rotating their defensive line to keep everyone fresh throughout the season. Even with Michael Pierce on the injured reserve, the team still has two reliable interior linemen in superstar Nnamdi Madubuike and former third-round pick Travis Jones. These two are great, but they can’t play every single snap. Davon Godchaux would ease the burden on Baltimore’s homegrown talent and allow everyone to remain fresh as the team prepares for yet another run at the Super Bowl.
Cost of Doing Business
A Davon Godchaux trade makes plenty of sense on paper, but could it come to fruition? The Patriots found their quarterback of the future in first-round pick Drake Maye, but they’re not ready to compete. This team has issues throughout the roster, and a draft pick will probably mean more to this organization than a 30-year-old defensive tackle. However, they won’t send him to the Ravens for free, so what would it take to get the job done?
The good news for the Ravens is that a Davon Godchaux trade shouldn’t cost too much. It’s been a buyer’s market, as contenders have largely received strong returns for their draft picks. The Ravens recently landed Diontae Johnson for a fifth- and sixth-round pick swap, and New England traded Josh Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2026 sixth-round pick. Seeing as Godchaux is under contract through the 2026 season, the Ravens would probably have to give up a fifth- or sixth-round pick for his services. Perhaps they trade the sixth-round pick they received from the Carolina Panthers in the Diontae Johnson trade.
Main Photo: Gregory Fisher – USA Today Sports
