The New England Patriots made a splash in free agency, signing defensive tackle Milton Williams to a massive four-year deal worth $104 million and $26 million per year.
Williams described the free agency process in an interview with The Insiders on NFL Network. He detailed what happened with the Carolina Panthers and how the Patriots came to sign him.
It had been initially reported that Williams and the Panthers had been very close to a deal, but out of nowhere, the Patriots swooped in and won Williams over. Williams provided details on the chaotic free agency period.
"They (Williams's agent) 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.'"
The Patriots nearly lost Williams to the Panthers, as the deal was on the doorstep of completion. But New England stepped in and won Williams over.
He said, "New England came in, and it was [over] after that."
New England's aggressiveness was what attracted Williams to the Patriots. His market was the strongest in free agency, and the Patriots landed the biggest fish by offering significantly more than the Panthers were prepared to accept.
"Carolina felt like they (Patriots) went too high on their number, so, they stayed where they were at." Williams joined the Patriots at the last second because New England was putting up an offer that was too good to refuse.
With the most cap space in the NFL by far, the Patriots wouldn't let the best defensive tackle on the market slip away after missing out on other free agents.
A Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams joined the New England Patriots to help bolster a defense that's on the upswing.
He reflected on the Patriots' massive free-agent offer and chaotic free agency, saying, "They wanted me the most and made me a priority. So, I made them a priority."
