No acquisitions among NFL free agents can become official until the league year starts Wednesday. Agreements certainly aren’t official a couple hours into the so-called legal tampering period.
The New England Patriots never stopped pursuing former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams, and reportedly got an agreement on a deal with him.
The Carolina Panthers were reportedly finalizing a deal with Williams, who starred for the Eagles in their Super Bowl LIX win. But shortly after, a report from NFL Media said the Patriots had come in and gotten Williams to agree to join their team instead.
Williams got a four-year, $104 million deal with the Patriots, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer; $63 million is guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Eagles had two of the biggest free agents on the market, and it wasn’t a surprise that Williams found a big payday elsewhere. Early in the tampering period it was reported Williams was finalizing a deal with the Panthers on Monday, according to multiple reports, including ESPN and The Athletic. The Athletic added that the deal was merely close and not totally done.
It turns out, it was not done as the Patriots reportedly upped the ante against the Panthers.
Either way, the Eagles lost a big part of their championship team. Another Eagles Super Bowl star, defensive end Josh Sweat, is leaving for the Arizona Cardinals on a four-year, $76.4 million deal, per ESPN.
Williams was going to be a hot commodity as the so-called legal tampering period began in free agency Monday. He was overshadowed a bit by Eagles defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, but NFL teams understood he was talented. When Williams had two sacks in the Super Bowl, many fans were introduced to him.
Williams is still just 25 years old and a former third-round draft pick. The Patriots had the most salary cap space in the NFL and made a few big moves, including agreeing to deals with Williams and cornerback Carton Davis III. They also signed pass rusher Harold Landry, who was free to sign early because he was released by the Titans.
The Eagles will be fine. They had the deepest roster in the NFL and plenty of good players along the defensive line. But some departures were inevitable as teams pick at the Eagles’ championship roster. The Panthers need to regroup after coming close on Williams and missing out.
