Patriots introduce first wave of free-agent signings at Gillette Stadium
The New England Patriots held a press conference on Thursday to officially introduce their initial wave of moves in the first week of NFL free agency.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft also spoke to begin the event, followed by VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf and first-year head coach Mike Vrabel. It was at that point the Patriots introduced Milton Williams, Carlton Davis, Morgan Moses and Robert Spillane as the newest member of the team.
Milton Williams motived by his big contract with Patriots
Williams was the biggest signing by the Patriots this week, and he's got the contract to prove it. New England signed Williams to a four-year, $104 million contract, with an average annual value of $26 million. That makes him the highest-paid Patriots player ever in terms of his annual payday.
Williams is fresh off winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, and is now determined to help the Patriots reach that promised land once again. New England's determination to sign him and that big contract will only give him more motivation to succeed with the Patriots.
"That's a blessing. I just won a Super Bowl a couple weeks ago so I thought that was the biggest day of my life. This is probably going to jump that for sure," he said.
Williams said he'll do whatever the Patriots ask him to do along the defensive line, and he's expecting to play a lot more than he did in Philadelphia. He played just 48 percent of the Eagles defensive snaps last season, but expects that snap count to jump up in New England.
As for what he'll bring to Vrabel's defense, Williams highlighted three things.
"Physicality, toughness, determination," he said. "Ya know, I thrive on people telling me that I can't do something. Bring it on."
Morgan Moses is going to be a leader on the Patriots
Moses is heading into his 12th NFL season, and it's clear he's going to be a leader in New England on the field and in the locker room. He's not just going to try to bring the Patriots offensive line together, but the entire team.
"Iron sharpening iron. We're not just building a team but a brotherhood," he said.
Moses said he believes the Patriots have the right mix of players, coaches, and leadership at the top to win a lot of games in 2025.
"You don't need a miracle to win football games, just need the right people," he said. "It's important for us to learn from one another. Everyone has different qualities.
"We're going to talk football, talk brotherhood. No adversity that touches us on the field is going to break us because we're going to have an incredible bond," he added.
Robert Spillane discusses his path to New England
Spillane came into the NFL as an undrafted free-agent in 2018 when Vrabel signed him to the Titans. He's known Vrabel since his high school days -- when Vrabel was scouting him for Ohio State -- and is eager to get to work in New England.
Spillane was the NFL's third-leading tackler last season, and said it's taken a lot of hard work to get to this point. But he always leaves it out on the field, and is ready to do the same for the Patriots.
I'm going to pour my heart into this city, community, and this team. I bring passion and heart everywhere I go. Excited to get my feet in the building and get started, get to know the guys," he said. "I'm going to pour my heart into my teammates."
Spillane is always getting his hands on the ball, which he said is the product of practicing with his eyes closed.
"One of the things I study on the field is spatial awareness. I like to know where I am on the field without having to open my eyes," he said. "So I do a lot of eyes-closed training to be better spatially aware of where I'm going without having to look."
Back in 2018, Spillane found out he had earned his spot on the Titans on Mother's Day. He officially signed his contract with the Patriots on his mother's birthday, making the moment all the more special.
"Very special woman in my life and I just want to make her proud," he said.
Spillane also made great use of the jersey he held up on stage:
Carlton Davis ready to line up with Christian Gonzalez
Davis said he appreciated that the Patriots made signing him a priority to come in and be their No. 2 cornerback. When asked about pairing up with Christian Gonzalez, Davis said the sky is the limit for the two of them.
"I'm excited. He is a young, great player. I watched his film, even when he was coming out of college," said Davis. "He's long, rangy, has got good ball skills. He had a really good year last year in my opinion. From what I've seen, he was playing good ball. I'm always eager to match up or team up with guys who have a similar skillset as me, who will push me in practice and I'll push him in practice.
"Iron sharpens iron," added Davis. "I want to see how we can help each other grow."
Davis has only played at Gillette Stadium once, which came as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Tom Brady made his return in 2021. Davis tore his quad that night, so it was an evening he'd like to forget. But the special crowd in Foxboro always stuck with him.
"The crowd was so into it and the lights seemed a little bit brighter. I was impressed," he said. "You could feel the love of football in the city."
Patriots welcome 4 players but say goodbye to David Andrews
While Kraft is excited about the additions of Williams, Davis, Moses, and Spillane, he did make it a point to say a heartfelt farewell to David Andrews. The Patriots released the eight-time captain on Thursday.
"I'm very excited about what is coming and I've been told to calm down. But I'd be remiss if I didn't first acknowledge a departure.," Kraft said at the podium. "Today we released a two-time Super Bowl champ, one of my favorite players to ever come through our locker room in David Andrews.
"He was just not a leader in the locker room, but an outstanding individual in the community and very special. On a personal level, I was able to spend time with David and his incredible wife, Mackenzie, on a trip to the Holy Land. Really got to know them very well five or six years ago. Just a very special guy," Kraft continued. "It's the hard part of this business when you have to release people. But, as we look ahead and continue to build for the future, we have made some wonderful key additions to this team.
"I'm happy to welcome them to the Patriot family. I'm looking forward to the impact they're going to have hopefully on game day. We are really committed to build a team that all of our fans can be proud of," said Kraft.
Patriots free agent additions
New England opened its moves on Sunday, signing former Boston College and Titans pass-rusher Harold Landry, who was drafted by first-year Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel when he was with the Titans.
The Patriots continued to rebuild their defense by adding linebacker Robert Spillane and Detroit Lions cornerback Carlton Davis.
Next on the agenda for New England was an offensive move, bringing right tackle Morgan Moses, a 34-year-old veteran, on board to protect Drake Maye.
One of the biggest signings across the NFL came Monday afternoon. Reports had indicated that defensive tackle Williams of the Philadelphia Eagles had agreed to a deal with the Carolina Panthers. Instead, the Patriots swooped in and signed him to a massive deal worth $26 million per year.
The Patriots ended the day with depth signings that included backup quarterback Josh Dobbs and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins.
Much of the focus in the NFL Wednesday was on the release of wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who was released by the Los Angeles Rams. It's unclear if the Patriots are interested, but he is reportedly "curious" about coming to New England.
