New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots’ biggest signing in free agency this offseason saw them hand former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams a four-year, $104 million contract. Now, the team is pairing him up alongside Christian Barmore, and they have high hopes for what this duo can accomplish together.
Williams acted as more of a rotation piece on the Eagles’ loaded defensive line last year, but he still managed to rack up 24 tackles, five sacks, one pass deflection, and one fumble forced during his time on the field.
Much of the time, Williams’ presence on the field opened things up for second-year star Jalen Carter. In Super Bowl LIX, when the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t pay attention to Williams, he enjoyed arguably the best game of his career, as he totaled four tackles, two sacks, and one fumble forced.
With the Patriots, the expectation is that Williams will be a three-down player anchoring their defensive line. And while his role may be different, Williams believes that his partnership with Barmore will be similar to the one he enjoyed in 2024 with Carter.
“I already told him, it’s gonna be how it was last year with me and [Eagles defensive tackle] Jalen Carter,” Williams said, per Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston. “They’re going to have to pick where they’re going to slide to. Somebody’s gonna be 1-on-1, you know?”
“We’ve been on each other to win. Whoever you’re going against, it don’t matter. You got to figure out a way to win, especially in game times. It’s just the bottom line. Winning 1-on-1s and go from there.”
Barmore missed the majority of the 2024 season with blood clots, but he’s gotten the green light from the medical team to return to action. With Williams alongside him now, that should help Barmore return to his prior high level of play.
If this duo can get on the same page early in the 2025 campaign, they are going to be one of the most lethal defensive tackle duos in the league. That’s precisely what the Patriots were hoping for when they signed Williams, and they will likely be thrilled to hear him compare Barmore to Carter.
