Patriots' Milton Williams Eagerly Accepts Mike Vrabel’s Challenge

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams arrived in Foxborough amid a great deal of fanfare, excitement … and a four-year, $104 million contract.

Though such “power” ultimately comes with great responsibility, the crown jewel of the Pats 2025 free agent class is ready to accept the challenge of leading his teammates.

Williams, who spoke with local media members at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday, revealed that head coach Mile Vrabel has already charged him with the duty of being a paragon atop a new-look Patriots defense this season.

“Come in. Set an example. Just go to work,” Williams said while quoting Vrabel.

In fact, the Pats new head coach recently galvanized his expectations by publicly admonishing Williams for not finishing strongly on a sprint during the team’s offseason workout program. Rather than weakening his resolve, Williams is willing and eager to accept Vrabel’s challenge.

“Coach told me: ‘If you are going to be here, it’s on you to set the standard,’” Williams recounted. ”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"

Williams’ addition should immediately upgrade New England’s front seven, as evidenced by his impressive resume. The Louisiana Tech product had five sacks and a career-high 40 quarterback pressures last season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Williams also set a career-best in defensive playing time, having aligned on 47.8 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. The 6’3” 290-pound lineman shined brightest in the Eagles’ Super Bowl  win against the Kansas City Chiefs — finishing the game with two sacks, two stops and four total pressures.

Still, Williams' potential fit in the Patriots defensive scheme may prove to be his most valuable asset. Under new coach Mike Vrabel and new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, the Patriots are widely expected to deploy a new defensive scheme this season — a more aggressive, four-down scheme.

Now, the benefit of transitioning to a four-down defense is that it tends to be more proactive. Rather than reading and reacting to run or pass, the defensive line becomes unlocked to get upfield, leading to more plays behind the line of scrimmage. Last season, the Pats struggled to generate early-down pressure, ranking at 31 of the NFL’s 32 teams in pressure rate on first and second down.

This season, Williams is expected to bolster New England’s line, while forming quite the formidable tandem with fellow defensive tackle Christian Barmore. With Barmore’s hopeful recovery from blood clots seemingly on-track, Terrell Williams is already excited by the possibilities for his defense this season — and potentially beyond. Although a health scare of his own is keeping him from being at Gillette Stadium, the Pats’ DC is already making a strong impression on Williams.

"It's been good,” Williams said of his relationship with his new coordinator. “[Coach Williams has] been talking to us on zoom, communicating with us...I don't think we've missed a beat yet installing our scheme."