Looking ahead to the upcoming NFL season, undoubtedly one of the teams making the strongest moves to contend in the AFC East are the New England Patriots. The arrival of former Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, Milton Williams, is a clear indication of the power the team under Mike Vrabel plans to showcase in the coming months.
One of the most sought-after defensive ends in this free agency was Williams, who debated until the very end between joining the Carolina Panthers or heading to Foxborough. In a recent interview with The Insiders, the former Louisiana Tech standout revealed the reasons why he ultimately chose the Patriots.
“My agent was on the phone, and I was kind of in the room,” he said. “They were on the phone talking to teams, and teams were coming in with new deals. There was a lot going on, and it happened really fast. They talked about Carolina then and I was like, ‘alright, it sounds like the best offer we are going to get, so, we were going to go there.’
“Then, a split second later, New England hopped on and was like, ‘Nah, this is what we got for you.’ Carolina felt like they went too high on their number, so, they stayed at where they were at. New England came in, and it was [over] after that. They wanted me the most and made me a priority. So, I made them a priority,” he finally admitted.
The Patriots’ welcome for Williams
After the departure of both Brady and Belichick from New England, things haven’t gone as expected. The arrival of Mike Vrabel as the new head coach, following Jerod Mayo’s departure, signals a period of change for the franchise, including shifts in mentality and sports culture.
This is something Williams felt upon arriving in Foxborough, where, after signing his contract, he revealed the special welcome he received from the franchise and his determination to achieve great things moving forward.
“They welcomed me with open arms,” he said. “I just came back from a visit up there last weekend, signing my contract, getting to know the staff, and touring the building. It’s going to be cool. Coach Vrabel was just preaching to me how they are going to use me in their defense. Also, how he wants a guy at every level of the defense for free agency. He wants us to come in and try to change the culture around with what’s been going on in New England the last couple of years. I definitely think he picked the right guys for that.”
Williams’ lucrative contract
It was known that Milton Williams would be one of the most sought-after players at his position by this time of the year. This meant that the defensive end could negotiate a lucrative contract with any franchise looking to secure his services, something that didn’t pose a challenge for the Patriots.
The recent Super Bowl champion with the Eagles put pen to paper with New England for a sum of $104 million, $51 million of which is guaranteed, over a span of four years.