The New England Patriots have a big offseason in front of them. After firing Jerod Mayo and naming Mike Vrabel as the head coach, the Pats will use the next couple of months to build this team for long-term success.
The Patriots have $125 million available in cap space per Spotrac, which is first in the league. They have the funds to make some huge additions in free agency. The legal tampering period opens at Noon ET on March 10 and ESPN's Matt Bowen listed New England as the ideal landing spot for defensive tackle Milton Williams.
The best team fits for our Top 50 NFL free agents.
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) February 18, 2025
Tee Higgins — WASH
Trey Smith — CHI
Khalil Mack — GB
JK Dobbins — CLE
Nick Bolton — DEN
It’s up at ESPN+ https://t.co/WjLCc42Akj
ESPN Lists New England as Best Fit for Milton Williams
Bowen wrote, " The Patriots could make another defensive upgrade with Williams, who moved up our ranks after his two sacks and a forced fumble in Super Bowl LIX. Williams had five sacks and 18 pressures during the regular season, and I see a disruptor on tape with the strength to displace blockers at the point of attack. He also has the short-area burst to slip interior offensive linemen."
Williams was a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Eagles and has developed into a stout presence along the interior.
This past season, the 25-year-old finished with 24 total tackles and a career-high five sacks. According to PFF, Williams had a 90.4 pass-rush grade (2nd among 219 eligible defenders) and a 70.1 overall grade (31st among 219 eligible defenders). In the Super Bowl, he logged four total tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
This past season, New England was 32nd in the league in team sacks (28) so adding another difference-maker along the interior would be massive.
Putting Williams with Davon Godchaux and Christian Barmore inside would give New England one of the top interior defensive lines in the league.