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There’s a new sheriff in town for the New England Patriots — granted, it’s an old friend — in Mike Vrabel, and he’s vocal about holding his players accountable.
“I like that,” defensive lineman Milton Williams, one of New England’s biggest additions this offseason, said on Tuesday. “I don’t mind. I don’t think I’m bigger than the next person. I don’t mind getting called out, because him calling me out is just going to help the other guys. We ain’t got no excuses for nobody to be not giving their all.”
Vrabel was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23, with the team going 54-45 in the regular season and, most notably, reaching the 2019 AFC Championship Game. After being fired, Vrabel spent the 2024 NFL season as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns. Now, Vrabel is coaching a Patriots franchise that he played eight seasons for (2001-08) and won three Super Bowls with (2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons).
Williams, who inked a four-year, $104 million deal with the Patriots in March, is coming off arguably the best season of his career, totaling a career-high five sacks, one forced fumble and 24 combined tackles for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024; he then posted two sacks for the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
Williams ranked second among defensive linemen in pass-rush grade (90.4), 31st in overall grade (70.1) and 167th in run-defense grade (43.1), according to Pro Football Focus. Philadelphia selected Williams with the No. 73 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Louisiana Tech.
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Williams was the most expensive player New England added in an offseason that was centered around revamping its defense, also adding cornerback Carlton Davis (three-year, $54 million deal) and linebackers Harold Landry (three-year, $43.5 million deal) and Robert Spillane (three-year, $33 million deal), among others.
Julian Edelman on what to expect from Mike Vrabel’s first year with Patriots
Williams explained how Vrabel, who the defensive lineman says wants his players to “empty the tank every rep,” has been hard on the team’s defensive line on a timed run — in a good way.
“Just instead of, like, we running and we got a time we were supposed to make it in, and I already made it on my way back,” Williams said. “So I’m kind of like chilling until I get to the line, he’s [Vrabel] like ‘Nah, don’t let them catch you. If you can make it faster, make it.’ So I’m like, ‘Alright.’
“So every rep since then, I’ve just been trying to make sure I’m the first one back. I feel like that’s going to help me, just push me to where I want to be. And the guys that are running with me, that’s going to push them to run even harder.”
Williams joins a Patriots defense that was 10th in the NFL in opponent passing yards (211.5 per game), 22nd in opponent total yards (343.4 per game) and opponent points (24.5 per game) and 23rd in opponent rushing yards (131.4 per game) last season. New England is coming off a second consecutive 4-13 season that saw it fire head coach Jerod Mayo after one season.
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