The New England Patriots made a huge splash in free agency when they signed defensive tackle Milton Williams to a four-year, $104 million contract. It made Williams the highest-paid player in team history in terms of annual value, and has given the 26-year-old plenty of motivation heading into his first season with the Patriots.

Williams is coming to New England a Super Bowl champion, having helped the Philadelphia Eagles capture a title last season. The Texas native wasn't a big fan of the Patriots growing up, but now he's looking to help bring back those winning ways to New England. 

"I was telling people I was never really a Patriots fan, because I was like, 'These guys are always winning.' But I was telling them at the [The Patriots Premiere event] now that I'm here, I want to be on a team that is always winning. I definitely want to be a part of that legacy," Williams told WBZ-TV's Dan Roche in a 1-on-1 on Sunday night's Sports Final. 

Williams helped clog the defensive line for a Philadelphia defense that was one of the best in the NFL in 2024. But he only started seven games and played just 48 percent of the team's defensive snaps for the Eagles last season. He's eager to play more and have an even bigger impact for the Patriots.

But the impact Williams can have in New England doesn't end on the playing field. Throughout training camp, he was urged by head coach Mike Vrabel to step up and become one of the leaders of the Patriots defense. Williams has answered Vrabel's call.

"It's going good. My approach has really been the same, being who I and and being where I'm supposed to be. Being a pro, taking care of my body, being on time, and helping out the young guys whenever they have questions or giving my opinion on things if they need it or want it," Williams explained to Roche.

His advice to younger players is pretty simple: Just keep working and keep showing up every day.

"I showed up raw, the speed of the game was fast for me when I first came in. But my coaches made sure I kept working, kept harping on me, and made sure I was following the plan to be the type of player I am today," said Williams. "I'm striving to keep getting better and keep leading those young guys. Hopefully that leads us to a lot of wins this year."

The quest for victories will start Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium when the Patriots welcome in the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1. Williams is eager to make his New England debut. 

"We've been out there working every day. Coach Vrabel has been pushing us every day after practice, making sure we're perfecting our technique, making sure we're where we're supposed to be, and just executing," said Williams. "I'm ready for it. We're all ready for it. We're tired of practicing against each other. We enjoyed the joint practices, but now it's real game time. I think we're ready for the challenge."

How good can the Patriots defense be in 2025?

In addition to Williams, the Patriots made a number of upgrades to the defensive side in the offseason. Vrabel and company brought in veteran pass rusher Harold Landry and K'Lavon Chaisson to help off the edge, linebacker Robert Spillane to rack up a bunch of tackles in the middle, and corner Carlton Davis to give the team a formidable 1-2 punch at corner along with All Pro Christian Gonzalez.

There are visions of the New England defense being a Top 10 -- potentially even Top 5 -- unit in the NFL. Williams is confident they can live up to those lofty expectations.

"I think we have a chance to do something special on defense, for sure. With the guys they brought in, with the coaching staff, all throughout training camp we've been building chemistry every single day, challenging each other," Williams told Roche. "We don't have too many big egos in our room or our defensive front. We're all building that camaraderie , the chemistry together. When it's time to unleash it, it's going to be a sight to see."

The team's stout defense won't just make life miserable for opposing offenses on Sunday. Williams said it will help the Patriots' own offense and second-year quarterback Drake Maye throughout the week as they go head-to-head in practice.

"He's a young player but he's got a big arm. He's an athletic dude and he's going to put the ball where it needs to be, get it to whoever is open. He's been leading those guys over there," Williams said of Maye. "It's been good to go against him. I'm pretty sure we've been helping him get better in practice. Seeing our front and what we do on defense, it ain't going to get too much harder in the games. He's definitely learning from what we're doing and how we affect him in practice. 

"The future is bright for him," Williams added of Maye.

Milton Williams on Mike Vrabel

Williams said he didn't know much about his Vrabel before he signed with the Patriots, other than he used to coach the Tennessee Titans and also had a knack for catching some clutch touchdowns during his playing career despite his calling card being a play-making linebacker. 

Vrabel's experience as a player makes him the ultimate player-coach, said Williams. But Vrabel also isn't going to let anyone take any shortcuts, no matter their status on the team.

"Since I've been here, he's a super down-to-earth guy. Football is definitely in his blood and coursing through his veins," said Williams. "He's a player's coach. He gives us time off, gives us breaks when we've been grinding because he's been in our seats. At the same time, he doesn't let anybody slide by. He doesn't care who you are, how you got here, how much you make -- he's going to call you out. You have to be OK with that. That's the only way to make our team better; call out the best players. Make sure everyone is on their Ps and Qs and ready to go."

Williams said what makes Vrabel unique is his knowledge and level of involvement in every aspect of the team.

"I've never seen a coach like that. He'd be talking to us (the defense) with our calls, and then in a team meeting he'd be talking about the offense and their calls. He knows both sides, both calls," said Williams. "What the offensive line is supposed to be doing, what the receivers routes, how tight end routes are supposed to look on the back end. I don't know how he does it, but he has football coursing through his veins. That's a mastermind, for sure, behind everything."

Tune in to New England's Week 1 clash with the Las Vegas Raiders on WBZ-TV -- the television home of the New England Patriots! Pregame coverage kicks off at 11:30 a.m. with Patriots GameDay, the Pats and the Raiders go at it at 1 p.m., and we'll wrap it all up on Patriots 5th Quarter on TV38 after the game.