Milton Williams has been worth the price that the Patriots paid this offseason to lure the former Eagles standout lineman to New England — with the 26-year-old Williams helping turn Mike Vrabel’s defense into one of the stingiest in the league against the run.
A young defensive lineman capable of both generating pressure up the middle and clogging up running lanes was one of the priorities for the Patriots last offseason as Eliot Wolf and Co. tried to shore up multiple holes across the depth chart.
But, speaking on NBC Sports Boston’s “Patriots Pregame Live” before New England’s win over the Bengals, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said that New England’s decision to hand Williams the largest contract in franchise history in March was actually a contingency plan.