The New England Patriots took a big swing on Milton Williams in 2025 free agency, and one year later that move looks a lot safer than it did on paper.
Williams arrived on a four-year, $104 million deal after head coach Mike Vrabel moved fast to strengthen a defensive front that needed help. He had never played more than 50 percent of his team’s snaps in a season, which made the price tag feel risky to some. Chad Graff of The Athletic now says that read was wrong.
"I thought it was a risk a year ago to give a guy who had never played more than 50 percent of his team’s snaps in a season so much money. I was dead wrong. Williams has been everything you’d want and looks primed for another strong year."
That assessment matches what Williams already put on tape. Even though he missed five regular-season games because of an injury, he still finished with 3.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits in 12 games. He then carried that production into the playoffs, making his presence felt all season long.
The Patriots needed that kind of return. Vrabel inherited a 2024 roster that had finished last in the AFC East, then pushed the team all the way to the top of the division and into the Super Bowl. That turnaround was built in part on impact additions like Williams, linebacker Robert Spillane, and cornerback Carlton Davis III on defense, plus Diggs and Mack Hollins on offense.
New England also got major help from a draft class that delivered starting left tackle Will Campbell, explosive running back TreVeyon Henderson, and safety Craig Woodson, who outperformed expectations. Together, those moves helped fuel the Patriots’ Cinderella run.
There is still work to do up front. The Patriots entered 2026 free agency with three defensive tackles they liked in Williams, veteran Christian Barmore, and the underrated Khyiris Tonga, but Tonga left this offseason and the depth behind the starters is now much thinner. If Barmore can rediscover his 2023 form and both he and Williams stay healthy, the Patriots could have one of the league’s best interior pairings for Vrabel.
For now, Williams stands as the clear headliner. If he plays all 17 games in 2026, another big season should be right there waiting.
In Other News...
Patriots Camp Battles Are Starting To Reveal How This Roster Could Shift
A day before a joint practice with the Colts, the Patriots were back on the field Monday and getting a better sense of how the roster is taking shape. Carlton Davis returned in a limited capacity after an injury, while Kyle Dixon was out because of his own injury, a reminder that these late-summer practices are as much about availability as they are about evaluation. The session also offered another look at some of the names trying to carve out roles, with Romeo Doubs, Efton Chism III and Tommy DeVito among the players drawing attention.
For New England, these are the kinds of practices that can quietly change a depth chart. With positional shuffling still happening and injury management part of the equation, every rep matters for players trying to make the right impression before the Colts get a closer look. The competition is not settled yet, and Monday only added to the sense that a few roster decisions could be moving in real time. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Move On From A Recent Draft Pick Before Preseason
The Patriots are making another early-summer adjustment to their offensive line depth chart, and this one involves a player they invested in only a year ago. Before the preseason gets rolling, the team is moving on from a recent draft pick as it continues sorting out the best mix up front for the 2026 season.
Caedan Wallace, New Englands 2024 third-round selection, had seen limited action since arriving in Foxborough, appearing in 10 games and making two starts across the past two seasons. For a team still trying to stabilize and reshape its protection plan, the release underscores how quickly roster math can change when a young lineman has not carved out a steady role. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Just Moved On From A Recent Draft Pick As Camp Tightens
Training camp always has a way of sharpening roster decisions, and the Patriots have already made one of the more notable ones on the line. Caedan Wallace, a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is no longer on the roster as New England keeps trimming and sorting through its depth ahead of the season.
Niko Lalos is back in the picture too, after first joining the Patriots on a one-year deal, getting let go in May and now returning to the roster. Moves like these are part of the churn this time of year, but with camp tightening, every transaction carries a little more weight as New England keeps refining the group it plans to carry forward. [Read more 🡒]