he New England Patriots were one of the biggest spenders in the 2025 NFL Free Agency, spending over $200 million.
One of those additions to the Patriots this offseason is Milton Williams, who last played with the Philadelphia Eagles, winning Super Bowl LIX.
Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi was present at the Patriots’ organized team activities (OTAs) on Wednesday, and mentions Williams looks as advertised.
“Milton Williams was a pain in the hindquarters all afternoon. Again, some of this is unfair to the offensive linemen. As Vrabel noted, it’s like every play is 3rd and 10 this time of year,” Giardi wrote for BSJ. “But Williams’ quickness is noticeable, and the thought of him and a healthy (fingers crossed) Christian Barmore playing next to each other could give opposing offensive coordinators nightmares.”
Williams received a 70.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus last season, ranking him at 31 out of 219 qualified defensive linemen. The former Eagle had a pass-rush grade of 90.4, placing him second out of 219 players.
The former Louisiana Tech Bulldog signed a four-year, $104 million deal with New England.
Williams On Playing with His New Teammate
GettyChristian Barmore will return to the Patriots after being out with blood clots.
Milton Williams will pair with Christian Barmore on the defensive line in Foxborough.
“The defense is gonna start and end with what we do up front. And every day we come in, we’re gonna set the tone and then everybody’s gonna follow,” Williams said in a press conference on May 13th.
Barmore was only able to play in four games last season due to dealing with blood clots.
“He makes me work hard, man. He’s a hell of a worker, hell of a guy, hell of a player,” Barmore said of Williams. “Really excited [to] definitely see him.”
Barmore is on track to be available for the New England Patriots at the start of the season. The Patriots’ defensive tackle has been cleared for football activity.
In his four games played last season, Barmore had one sack and six tackles.
Head Coach Mike Vrabel on Milton Williams
GettyNew Patriots head coach praises his new $104 million signing.
The Patriots had holes to fill in the offseason. They resolved them quite well and are looking at a strong first season with Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel explains what makes Milton Williams a great player and a fit for his defense.
“There’s a high ceiling and great vision about the person, the effort, the skillset, the speed in which he plays, there’s power,” Vrabel said. “So certainly an aggressiveness and being able to add him to our defensive line is something that was really exciting.
Milton Williams was close to signing with the Carolina Panthers this offseason, before the Patriots sent a better contract.
