When the legal tampering period before free agency opened up, it looked like Milton Williams was going to be joining the Carolina Panthers.
Reporters noted Carolina was the front front-runner for the former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle, the top interior rusher on the board appeared to have found a new home, and the rest of the League would have to look elsewhere for help at the position, from players like Bobby Brown III to Poona Ford.
And yet, the New England Patriots would not be denied. After heavy negotiations, Eliot Wolf and company got their man, agreeing to a four-year, $104 million contract to make Williams the proud owner of the grandest contract in franchise history.
Discussing how the negotiations shook out with reporters, Williams noted how he ended up in New England, which came down to which team made him a priority.
“My agent was on the phone, and I was kind of in the room. They were on the phone talking to teams, and teams were coming in with new deals. There was a lot going on, and it happened really fast,” Williams told reporters via NFL.com.
“They talked about Carolina then, and I was like, ‘Alright, it sounds like the best offer we are going to get, so we were going to go there.' Then, a split second later, New England hopped on and was like, ‘Nah, this is what we got for you.' Carolina felt like they went too high on their number, so, they stayed at where they were at. New England came in, and it was [over] after that. They wanted me the most and made me a priority. So, I made them a priority.”
Asked about the culture in New England and how he fits into the team's plans moving forward, Williams noted that he really likes what Mike Vrabel is building in Foxboro and wants to be part of it.
“They welcomed me with open arms. I just came back from a visit up there last weekend, signing my contract, getting to know the staff, and touring the building. It's going to be cool,” Williams explained. “Coach Vrabel was just preaching to me how they are going to use me in their defense. Also, how he wants a guy at every level of the defense for free agency. He wants us to come in and try to change the culture around with what's been going on in New England the last couple of years. I definitely think he picked the right guys for that.”
Would Williams have chosen New England if the Panthers had matched their offer? Frankly, it's hard to say, but because they didn't, the pride of Louisiana Tech joined the Patriots, and fans in Foxboro remain very excited about that fact.
