Mike Vrabel Calls Out Patriots' Top Offseason Addition

The New England Patriots spent a ton of money in free agency this offseason, and a good chunk of it went to defensive tackle Milton Williams, who signed a four-year, $104 million contract.

The deal was immediately scrutinized, as expected. After all, Williams never even played of 50 percent of his team's snaps in any one individual campaign during his four-year run with the Philadelphia Eagles. He topped out at 48 percent last season.

Generally speaking, Williams was paid the big bucks largely due to his monster performance in the Super Bowl, when he logged four tackles, a couple of sacks, a forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in the Eagles' resounding win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

That's not to say that the 26-year-old isn't an impactful player. He registered 24 tackles and five sacks in 2024 and posted a 90.4 pass-rushing grade at Pro Football Focus.

However, Williams no longer has names like Josh Sweat, Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis flanking him. He is essentially the guy in New England, and it's already becoming obvious that the Louisiana Tech product is in the crosshairs of Mike Vrabel.

On Tuesday, Williams recounted a story from a conditioning drill in which Vrabel called him out for not hustling toward the finish line. On the bright side, the Williams absorbed the criticism well.

“Coach told me: ‘If you are going to be here, it’s on you to set the standard,’” Williams said, via Patriots on SI's Mike D'Abate. ”I don't mind getting called out. ... It's just going to help the other guys. He just wants me to go ahead and empty the tank every rep."

Vrabel is known for employing a hard-nosed, no-nonsense style, which is a big reason why New England hired the former Tennessee Titans coach to begin with. And clearly, Vrabel sees massive potential in Williams, which is why he wants to ensure the defensive lineman is giving 100 percent.

Because Williams received such a gargantuan contract, you can bet that Pats fans and media pundits will be watching his every move in 2025. He will surely be expected to play in more than half of the defensive snaps, and he will also probably be pressured to record a bit more of an impactful stat line.

The Crowley, TX. native seems to be up for the challenge, so we'll see if he is able to produce next fall.