The Patriots entered free agency with a number of needs they wanted to fill. Both sides of the ball. Across positions.
They understood there was a good chance they wouldn't fill them all. But with so many needs, it allowed them to be flexible in their spending. It allowed them to pivot.
Miss out on a wide receiver? Go for a cornerback. No left tackle? Bump up the offer to a defensive game-wrecker.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Go where the market takes you. Add good players. Period.
That's what the Patriots were able to do in wrestling interior defensive lineman Milton Williams -- one of the most coveted free agents at any position this offseason -- away from the Panthers, per a source.
It was reported this afternoon by ESPN that Carolina and the Patriots were finalizing a new deal. Soon thereafter, the Patriots landed him instead, and made it clear they got their man.
The move represents a change in defensive scheme, with Williams doing his best work as a penetrating interior defender. He ranked second in pressure rate among defensive tackles, per NextGen Stats.
But his signing -- the deal reportedly will pay him over $100 million over four years -- also represents a shift in New England's ability to attract high-end talent in free agency. Milton's contract is the largest the Patriots have ever handed out on a per-year basis.
Williams was part of a dominant rotation of defensive linemen in Philadelphia, racking up pressures while never eclipsing 50 percent of his team's defensive snaps. It's unclear how effective he'll be in a different situation -- one where fellow defensive tackle Christian Barmore's availability is uncertain due to blood clots.
But the Patriots knew they needed help, and they adjusted in real time to make sure they added real talent in the trenches, landing one of the best players on the market.
Williams was always a player the Patriots had interest in. But bumping up their initial offer to lock him up could end up being their most productive pivot of the offseason.
