The price tag for Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams just got significantly higher as he approaches free agency, putting potential suitors like the New England Patriots in a position where they'll need to open their wallets wider than initially expected.
On the final day to use the franchise tag, the Dallas Cowboys made a market-shifting move by signing defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to a mammoth four-year, $80 million contract with $58 million guaranteed. This deal has immediately reset the defensive tackle market for the 2025 NFL offseason, establishing a new benchmark that free agents like Williams will undoubtedly use in negotiations.
Williams, 26, is coming off a breakout 2024 campaign that culminated in a dominant Super Bowl performance where he was part of one of the most ferocious pass-rushing displays in championship game history. His timing couldn't be better as he enters the open market as one of the premier defensive tackles available.
The Patriots, armed with the most salary cap space in the NFL, have been heavily linked to Williams by NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe among other insiders. But what once might have been considered a straightforward signing now appears poised to become a bidding war, with Williams likely commanding a contract that exceeds Odighizuwa's fresh payday.
Odighizuwa's contract is particularly significant as it represents the first major defensive tackle signing of the 2025 offseason. At $20 million annually with 72.5% guaranteed, it establishes a floor rather than a ceiling for a player of Williams' caliber, especially considering Williams' championship pedigree following the Eagles' Super Bowl victory, his ascension as one of the league's most disruptive interior defenders, the relative scarcity of elite defensive tackle talent in this free agent class, and multiple teams with significant cap space looking to upgrade their defensive fronts.
The good news for Patriots fans is that the organization possesses the financial resources to compete for Williams' services. With the most available cap space in the league, New England has the flexibility to outbid competitors if they view Williams as a cornerstone piece for their defensive rebuild.
