The Patriots have kicked off free agency with a bang, as the legal tampering period began on Monday afternoon. There was a heavy focus on the defense, with the biggest signing being the top defensive tackle target of the 2025 class in Milton Williams, with a pair of signings on offense to get the roster moving in the right direction.
Because the defensive line was a major concern throughout last year, it was bound to be a priority for Mike Vrabel and Co. this offseason, which explains how they spent most of the day.
To add more depth to the defensive tackle position, after already boosting the linebacker room with the signings of Harold Landry and Robert Spillane, the Patriots signed DT Khyiris Tonga to a one year deal, as reported by NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
The #Patriots are signing #AZCardinals DT Khyiris Tonga on a 1-year, $2.7M deal negotiated by @davidcanter and @NessMugrabi of @aurasportsgroup.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2025
The news comes just minutes after the Patriots seemingly missed out on one of their speculated top targets in free agency, as Malcolm Koonce signed a one year deal to return to the Raiders. Fortunately, although they missed out on Koonce, who Josh McDaniels worked with in Las Vegas, they still have a solid guy in Tonga.
Khyiris Tonga is a great addition to the Patriots' new defensive line
With the hope of Keion White having a third year breakout in 2025, there is a good chance the Patriots will have one of their more solid pass rushes in quite some time.
The addition of Williams and Spillane in free agency coupled with the return of Ja'Whaun Bentley and others on the roster, there is more need for a run stuffer, which is what Tonga does best.
The Patriots are in agreement with free-agent DT Khyiris Tonga (Cardinals) on a 1-year, $2.7 million deal, per agents @DavidCanter and @NessMugrabi of @aurasportsgroup.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 10, 2025
Tonga played in 13 games last season (1 start), with 22 tackles. He logged 27% of the defensive snaps.
The…
He's a sensible replacement for Davon Godchaux, who the Patriots traded earlier in the day to the Saints for a seventh round pick, as Tonga should take on the run stuffing role the nose tackle held since the 2021 season.
Tonga is a solid depth piece for an underwhelming defensive line and should help the ultimate goal of making the group more indestructible as soon as possible.