The new regime leading the Patriots went into the 2025 offseason loaded with cap space to spend, and plenty of improvements needed to be made to the roster. Mike Vrabel took no time to dive into that assignment by making some big-time moves in free agency, with perhaps the biggest signing of all being defensive tackle Milton Williams.
He was the most desirable defender to hit the free agent market, with several teams vying to get him to sign on the dotted line, but the Patriots outbid them all, including the Panthers, who had a deal almost set in place. Williams became the highest-paid Patriots player of all time by earning a four-year, $104 million contract, and despite being an impressive player, he continues to be criticized for the payday.
Coming off a season with the Eagles that ended with a Super Bowl win, which was also the best year of his career, some analysts believe he was overpaid, with ESPN's Seth Walder being the latest to vocalize that concern.
It puts a lot of pressure on the 26-year-old in his first season with the Patriots, immediately putting him under the microscope as the team is set to begin training camp.
Milton Williams isn't being given a fair shake before even taking a snap for the Patriots
It's never surprising when a young and upcoming player is doubted when they earn their first major contract, so seeing that Williams is the latest to receive such harsh criticism is nothing new.
However, analysts like Walder believe it's valid, as he was surrounded by top talent during the Eagles' Super Bowl run last year, which he believes played more into Williams' success than anyone is willing to admit. That's why he feels the Patriots overpaid him.
"Williams earned a contract that, after adjusting for cap inflation, is comparable in fully guaranteed money ($51 million) to what Chris Jones received in 2020, Jonathan Allen in 2021 and Javon Hargrave in 2023. Although he's a nice player, Williams also played only 47% of Philadelphia's snaps in 2024 while playing next to other stout defensive linemen."
Williams' contract is Walder's most disliked move of the Patriots' offseason, which is a bold statement to make considering how big of a deal it was that he backed out of an alleged agreement with the Panthers to move to New England. It was considered a huge win for Mike Vrabel and Co., but is now under a lot of scrutiny given the amount of money they dished out to get him.
Anytime a team decides to reward a player with a massive contract, it's easy to suggest that it was a bad move, no matter what player we're talking about. Anything can happen in the NFL, and players who were once superstars turn out to be the complete opposite, as we've seen recently with a player like Aaron Rodgers.
However, Williams has his youth on his side, on top of solid veterans he learned from during his time with the Eagles, and is now joining a team with an excellent staff in Foxboro. He's already impressed during spring practices and is expected to continue that when training camp begins, so there hasn't been any reason for concern to back up Walder's worries.
Only time will tell, but at this point, there's reason to believe Williams will prove to be worth every penny the Patriots are paying him, and he could easily become a pillar of their defense for years to come.