The Patriots opened up their checkbook this week in order to land arguably the top free agent on the market in Milton Williams.
After the 25-year-old defensive tackle tormented Patrick Mahomes during the Eagles’ victory over Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX, New England handed Williams a four-year, $104 million contract on Monday, giving them a dynamic defensive tackle to build around moving forward.
That contract represents the largest contract handed out by the Patriots per average annual value and makes Williams the third-highest-paid interior defender on an annual basis in the NFL.
Speaking on Thursday at Gillette Stadium, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel — who stressed building up the trenches as a top priority for New England — explained why it was important to hand Williams such a hefty deal.