The New England Patriots haven't been able to land any of the top offensive players in NFL free agency such as wide receiver Chris Godwin and left tackle Ronnie Stanley, but they are bolstering the other side of the ball.
The legal tampering period of free agency began Monday at 12 p.m. ET, and the Patriots have been busy adding players to head coach Mike Vrabel's defense.
The most notable addition so far is defensive tackle Milton Williams, who ranked as The Athletic's No. 1 free agent in the entire 2025 class. Williams played the first four years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. He had five sacks last season and played a really important role in the Eagles' run to a Super Bowl LIX title.
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He has the potential to be a dominant force for New England's defense. In fact, Pro Football Focus gave Williams a 91.7/100 pass rush grade for last season, which led all interior defenders.
Williams didn't come cheap. It's a four-year contract worth $104 million, per The MMQB's Albert Breer. He's the highest-paid player in team history.
The Patriots also added linebacker Robert Spillane, whose 158 tackles for the Las Vegas Raiders last season were tied for the third-most in the league. He also tallied two sacks, two interceptions and seven pass breakups in 17 games for the Raiders.
Spillane's deal with the Patriots is $37.5 million over three years, with $20.6 million guaranteed, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
The Patriots also added cornerback Carlton Davis on Monday. The two sides agreed to a three-year deal worth $60 million, including $34.5 million guaranteed, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Davis tallied 56 total tackles with two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and 11 pass breakups in 13 games for the Detroit Lions last season.
He spent the first six seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won Super Bowl LV with Tom Brady.
All of a sudden, the Patriots have a strong cornerback duo with 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez and Davis.
On Sunday, the Patriots reportedly signed former Tennessee Titans linebacker Harold Landry to a three-year, $43.5 million contract. Landry played under Vrabel in Tennessee for the first five years of his career. The 29-year-old veteran has tallied at least nine sacks in three straight seasons.
The Patriots had an awful defense last season, ranking 22nd in yards allowed, 26th in opposing QB rating, 27th in third down conversion rate, 31st in takeaways and 32nd in sacks.
The additions of Landry, Spillane and Davis give the Patriots three talented veterans at positions that were weaknesses for the team last season.
