The New England Patriots bolstered their defensive line by signing former Eagles’ defensive tackle and Super Bowl 59 champion Milton Williams to a four-year, $104 million contract Thursday morning. Williams is now the highest-paid Patriot of all-time and third highest annually paid interior lineman in the league ($26 million per season). The Patriots have been busy this offseason, but why did they pay a player like Williams so much? Let’s dive into what this signing means for the Patriots.
Williams was drafted in the 3rd round by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2021 NFL Draft. In four years in midnight green, Williams was a backup player who would make an impact when his name was called. In 2024, Williams took advanteg of logging the most snaps of his career with a career–high five sacks and according to Next Gen Stats, had a 12.5 quarterback pressure percentage, which was highest among defensive tackles. Williams’ uses his athleticism and finesse to get home with him being a lighter defensive tackle at 290 pounds.
Williams was a key contributor to the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. He recorded two of the six total sacks the Eagles had that evening. He also added a forced fumble and fumble recovery to the stat line. Williams’ Super Bowl performance sparked the interest of teams around the league, including the Panthers, Vikings, and Cardinals, who were all bidding for the 25-year-old’s talents. Ultimately, Williams decided to head north to Foxborough to a New England team desperate for some defensive help.
Last season, the Patriots ranked top 25 in points allowed, yards allowed, hurries, and they were last in sacks. Next season, I anticipate Williams being a full-time starter for the first time in his career. People believe Williams was a beneficiary of the Eagles’ top ranked defense in 2024, with him lining up alongside defensive studs like all-pro Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Josh Sweat. As a Patriot, Williams will not have the assistance he had in Philadelphia and will be the main focus in offensive line film sessions throughout the season, but I believe that Williams being around talent like that in Philadelphia helped him improve his skill set. He also played with veterans Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham in his tenure in Philadelphia, who were his captains throughout his career.
Williams will not be the only addition to New England’s defense. Defensive end Harold Landry III, linebacker Robert Spillane, and cornerback Carlton Davis all signed multi-year deals this offseason. Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel is looking to get the Patriots defense back to where it used to be and Williams will have an opportunity to contribute to that in 2025.
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Elias Meredith (@EAM_55)
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