After five years of less than mediocre play and offseasons spent not signing or trading for players the roster desperately needed, Mike Vrabel walked into the New England Patriots and knew it was time to turn things around. That prompted the new regime to sign some big-name players, many of whom were the most desirable at their position, most notably defensive tackle Milton Williams.
After an impressive start to his career with the Eagles, and a Super Bowl performance that made him a top name to pursue, the Patriots went at him hard and stole him from what appeared to be a done deal with the Carolina Panthers.
Instead, Williams signed the largest contract in Patriots history and has become one of the best players on the roster this season. But according to the latest reporting from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Williams was not the team's first target; he was more of a backup plan.
The Patriots were all-in on pursuing a wide receiver before dishing out big contract to Milton Williams
While discussing the Patriots' season before their latest win over the Bengals, Breer highlighted the importance of Williams' role on defense. Because this was the first game without him, he mentioned the Patriots almost didn't sign him because they were dead set on pursuing WR Tee Higgins.
There was a clear need for a WR1 on the offense, and there had been a lot of chatter connecting New England to the Bengals receiver, but he ultimately signed an extension after Cincinnati's hesitation to trade him, prompting the Patriots to switch to investing in Williams.
“Mike Vrabel uses this word a lot: Pivot. The Patriots’ pivot in this case was not to [Chris] Godwin or to [Stefon] Diggs, it was actually to Milton Williams. And with the money that they freed up — that they would have perhaps given to Tee Higgins — they went the extra mile to go get Milton Williams.”
It makes sense that they would have been ready to go all-in on Higgins if he were available, as he would immediately fill a role that hadn't been dealt with since Julian Edelman retired after the 2020 season.
However, they also needed a lot of help on the defensive line, and they certainly picked the best player to shift their efforts toward after Higgins was ruled out.
On top of that, they have gotten far more out of Stefon Diggs than anyone could have imagined from a player coming off an ACL injury. Not only has he been productive on the field and is projected to finish the season with 1,000+ receiving yards, but he has become a crucial part of their rebuilding process with his leadership and selflessness, all of which is foundational to Vrabel's culture.
Williams has been an integral part of that, as well, so it looks like the fate they were dealt might have been much better than what they were initially trying for.