The Patriots opened the free agency negotiation period by reportedly agreeing to terms with several notable additions in a flurry of signings.

Along with signing former Titans edge rusher Harold Landry on Sunday night, one could estimate that the Patriots added five starters over the first few days of free agency: Landry, CB Carlton Davis, LB Robert Spillane, OT Morgan Moses, and their biggest splash was highly coveted DT Milton Williams, who is fresh off winning the Super Bowl with the Eagles. The team also added contributors such as WR Mack Hollins and EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson.

After ranking 30th in DVOA last season, head coach Mike Vrabel and personnel chief Eliot Wolf didn't waste any time revamping the Patriots defense. There's a good chance that nearly half of New England's defense will be new arrivals next season, which makes sense following a year where the defense underperformed. Plus, under Vrabel and DC Terrell Williams, the expectation is that the Patriots will play a more aggressive brand of defense moving forward.

When the Patriots head coach tabbed Williams as his new defensive coordinator, we wrote about the possibility of New England playing more four-man defensive fronts. In Tennessee, the Vrabel-Williams duo leaned on four-man fronts that were more attack-minded than the Patriots odd front, two-gapping system. The Titans unlocked their D-Line to "play on the other side of the line of scrimmage" with one-gapping principles while overloading a side to play games with offensive lines on passing downs.

With a more aggressive defensive approach possibly incoming, it makes sense that the Patriots made Williams their top free-agent target. The 25-year-old landed a lucrative second contract from New England as a prototypical penetrating three-technique. The best way to describe Williams, who typically lines up over the guard, is that he's a disruptive interior rusher with game-wrecking potential.

Last season, Williams ranked second among defensive tackles in pressure rate (12.5%) with 40 total pressures on 418 pass-rush snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams's elite 91.7 pass-rushing grade was second only to Chiefs All-Pro Chris Jones. During their championship run, Williams tallied 10 total pressures in three playoff games, including two sacks and four pressures in Philly's victory over Kansas City in the Super Bowl.

Although he'll have to prove it in an expanded role, the advanced metrics love Williams. He is the latest undersized but twitched-up interior rusher to cash in on the open market, using his lower center of gravity, elite athleticism, and a deep bag of pass-rush moves to defeat blocks. As a third-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, Williams registered a 9.96 relative athletic score out of 10, making up for his lack of size (6-3 290 pounds) with explosive movements.

The Patriots marquee free-agent signing will now join a defensive line in New England that's suddenly stacked with elite athletes, with Williams joining Keion White (9.92 RAS), Christian Barmore (8.21 RAS), and Landry (9.47 RAS). If you want to build a D-Line that can make splash plays in the backfield, the Patriots certainly have the explosiveness to do so now.

On film, Williams's calling cards are a relentless motor that's always running hot and varied hand usage with a series of pass-rush moves in his repertoire. A non-negotiable for Vrabel, per VP of Player Personnel Ryan Cowden, is rostering players with great "effort and finish." Williams checks that box, flashing great range to run plays down outside his area.

As he told Patriots Unfiltered last week, Williams's foundational rush is his speed-to-power. By establishing that he can convert his explosiveness into a power or bull rush, Williams dents the pocket and makes tackles adjust to handle his power throughout the game.

"I feel like I'm fast with my size and explosive enough to generate that power. Just with my upper-body strength being able to get my hands inside trying to either collapse the pocket or pushing back far enough where I can disengage. That was my go-to," Williams said.

After establishing his speed-to-power rush, Williams has several effective counters like a swipe-rip and arm over, which take advantage of aggressive blockers who try to throw quick punches to stop Williams. In the clip above, Williams gets a one-on-one with the left guard. After crossing the blocker's face to the outside edge, Williams swipes the hands away and clears his frame by ripping through to force Commanders QB Jayden Daniels into a throwaway.

The other counter that's all over Williams's tape is his arm over or swim move. Typically, Williams will get guards leaning by using inside-out crossover footwork, and then he'll swim over the top of the blockers' punch to get into the backfield and pressure the quarterback.

Another way Williams can be impactful in the pass rush is by using his first-step explosiveness to set picks for his teammates on line stunts. In Philly, Williams was usually the penetrator in these schemes, allowing better sack finishers like Jalen Carter to wrap around like a pick-and-roll in basketball to apply pressure on quarterbacks. Above, Williams occupies two blockers on the interior to free up Carter for a run at Daniels.

Due to tremendous depth on their defensive line, the Eagles were able to rotate their interior defenders to keep them fresh and play them in their ideal roles. As a result, Williams only played on 47.9% of Philly's defensive snaps a year ago, with a roughly 35 percent snap usage against the run. There's some projecting regarding how Williams will handle a larger role in New England, but his eight run stops show he can hold up in all situations.

For example, Williams is at his best as a run defender when he's working laterally down the line of scrimmage to overtake gaps against zone schemes. In this example, Washington is running a zone read where the backside guard wants to cut off Williams's ability to reach the front side. However, Williams's lateral quickness is too good, and he's there to plug the gap for a stuff.

As Titans head coach, Vrabel coached a similar player in Titans star Jeffery Simmons to two Pro Bowls as the game-wrecker in Tennessee's front. Simmons played roughly half his snaps as a three-technique defensive tackle, the same as Williams, and has a similar body type at 6-3, 300 pounds. From this perspective, it's relatively easy to project Williams into the Simmons role in Vrabel and Terrell Williams's scheme, which is likely why the Pats coveted him in free agency.

The Patriots have a new cornerstone defender on the interior of their defensive line, but that wasn't the only move they made on day one. After reviewing their film, here are reports on Davis, Moses, and Spillane.

OT Morgan Moses

Rather than continuing the defense theme, let's discuss the first major addition to the offense, which addressed a major need for the Patriots.

New England began fixing its offensive line by signing steady 34-year-old right tackle Morgan Moses. Moses has been incredibly consistent throughout his career as a power-centric blocker who has made at least 14 starts in 10 consecutive seasons. Along with being available and reliable, Moses is a high-floor blocker who doesn't have many "quick" losses on his tape. Although he was aided at times by former Jets QB Aaron Rodgers's snappy release, Moses only allowed two sacks and 16 total pressures on 467 pass-blocking snaps at right tackle.

According to O-Line guru Brandon Thorn, Moses was the third-best tackle on the free-agent market. Thorn placed the veteran in the "average starter" tier of his rankings. For an offensive line that was among the worst in the NFL in pass protection (31st in pass-blocking win rate) and run blocking (32nd in run-blocking win rate) in 2024, Moses is a plug-and-play starter and experienced leader on the right side.

In pass protection, Moses meets rushers at the junction point with good initial movements out of his stance while using a vertical or 45-degree set. While reviewing his tape, you wanted to see Moses's ability to stay square against explosive edge rushers. We reviewed his games versus twitched-up Dolphins pass-rusher Chop Robinson, and Moses held his own, only giving up his edge once to Robinson. As the clips above show, Moses also has a very stout anchor, using his 35-inch arms to keep rushers at his fingertips and absorb power. By forcing defenders to take longer rush paths and playing with a stout anchor, Moses has the baseline ability to hold up in pass protection.

The veteran also flashes people-moving power in the run game on the front side of gap schemes. Moses can generate movement on double teams (first clip), down block to turn out defenders on base blocks (second clip) and create rushing lanes by executing backside cutoff blocks in outside zone schemes (third clip).

From this perspective, there aren't any questions about who the Patriots starting right tackle is for the 2025 season, which is comforting given where they've been at both tackle spots lately. Filling that hole in free agency is huge, with Moses penciled in at right tackle to likely form a bulldozing right side with incumbent starter Mike Onwenu at right guard.

The Patriots still need to invest in a starting left tackle and could use some interior line depth. The Pats need options to compete with Cole Strange, Layden Robinson, Sidy Sow, and Ben Brown at center and left guard. Still, they're off to a good start by adding Moses to start at right tackle.

CB Carlton Davis

Moving back over to the defense, the Patriots prioritized adding a No. 2 cornerback to play opposite All-Pro CB Christian Gonzalez, and they got their guy in Davis.

During the lead-up to free agency, New England was linked to several pending free agents who could play high-volume roles as outside corners. Over the last few years, the Pats have relied on slot corner body types on the outside, such as vet Jonathan Jones and third-rounder Marcus Jones. The Joneses are solid cover corners, but they're both undersized to play on the perimeter against bigger receivers who can win the ball downfield.

After spending last season in Detroit with DC Terrell Williams, Davis will now team-up with Gonzalez in New England. At 6-1, 206 pounds with a 96th percentile wingspan, Davis is a physical corner who specializes in playing press-man and can match up with contested catch artists on the outside. According to NextGen Stats, Davis allowed the fourth-lowest completion rate into his man coverage last season (45.2%). The 28-year-old uses his length and physicality to smother receivers at the line of scrimmage and clog passing lanes. Plus, he has the mirroring quickness to stay attached to first and second-level routes.

In zone coverage, Davis showed the savviness on film to layer routes properly and was able to operate the Lions match coverages. Above, Detroit is playing a match coverage in the low red zone. When the primary receiver over Davis runs across the field, he passes off the crosser to the "cut" defender in the middle of the field and falls into a help position on the intersecting crossing pattern. The Lions defend the crossers perfectly, forcing the quarterback to check it down.

Davis has the skill set to play outside corner and the pedigree as a Super Bowl champ to build a winning culture. The knocks on Davis are average long speed to stay connected with vertical routes and some durability issues, with his 2024 season ending early due to a fractured jaw. Overall, Davis is a capable No. 2 corner who can play at a very high level if his matchups are managed, which they will be playing alongside Gonzalez.

LB Robert Spillane

Next, the Patriots added an underrated former Raiders defender, who ranked third among linebackers in run defense grade last season.

Spillane registered an elite 91.2 run defense grade with 34 run stops for Vegas last season (12th among LBs, via PFF). The 29-year-old also logged 13 total pressures as an interior blitzer, profiling as a fiery off-ball linebacker with an explosive downhill trigger. For a run defense that was 28th in DVOA last season, Spillane will help improve the Pats run defense, while he also has excellent instincts and a nose for the football with five interceptions over the last two seasons.

As a run defender, Spillane is quick to diagnose blocking schemes to shoot gaps and play through blocks by converting speed to power. In this clip, the Chargers are running a power scheme with the backside puller working up to Spillane at the second level. The Pats new linebacker sniffs out the blocking scheme and is the hammer rather than the nail at the point of attack to blow up the puller for a run stuff.

Spillane's downhill explosiveness also translates as an interior blitzer, where he can blitz from off the line or rush in-line in pass-rushing fronts. Above, Spillane blitzes from depth to create a back-on-backer situation with the running back in blitz pickup. The Pats linebacker goes through the running back to apply pressure on the QB, forcing an errant throw.

Although he's not a high-level man coverage defender, Spillane is instinctive in his zone drops to read the quarterback's eyes to jump passing lanes in short zones. In this example, Spillane is a hook defender in a cover-two zone, jumping the spot route for an interception.

Over the last two seasons, Spillane has been an unsung hero in the Raiders defense. His non-stop motor and instincts led to 158 tackles last season, third in the NFL, and made him a favorite among film junkies. With the makings of a disruptive defensive line in front of him, Spillane will be there to collect the trash.

WR Mack Hollins

The next addition from the initial free agency flurry is a fan favorite at every stop he's made in his eight-year career. Hollins is a smart, tough, dependable receiver with high football character who can contribute on all four downs. The 31-year-old had a career-high 57 catches for 690 receiving yards playing for OC Josh McDaniels during the 2022 season in Las Vegas. Last season, Hollins set a new career-high in receiving touchdowns while playing in Buffalo (5).

On film, Hollins has some juice off the line of scrimmage and release quickness to defeat man coverage. Hollins uses his 6-foot-4 frame to win as a big slot, working the tough areas over the middle of the field while presenting a big target in the red zone. Above, Hollins aligns to the two-receiver side in an empty formation, creating a matchup with Jets DB Ashtyn Davis in the slot. Hollins uses a sudden stretch release to win up the seam for a touchdown.

Another area of Hollins's game that stands out is his ability to make himself QB-friendly against zone coverage or off-script with his quarterback on extended plays. In this clip, Hollins mirrors QB Josh Allen's movements in the pocket when Allen rolls to his right, providing an outlet for the league MVP in playground mode. As we know, Patriots QB Drake Maye makes similar plays by buying time with his legs, so it'll be beneficial that Hollins played with Allen.

New England is still searching for a coverage-dictating receiver to be the number-one option in its offense, but the Patriots are getting a gritty pro in Hollins.

EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson (reported signing)

The last reported addition to the Patriots defense we'll cover here is the twitched-up pass rusher who was a former first-round draft choice by the Jaguars in 2020 (20th overall). Chaisson fills a need as a situational edge rusher who can pressure quarterbacks in obvious passing situations.

Given head coach Mike Vrabel and DC Terrell Williams's expertise in coaching the defensive line, adding Chaisson is a good flier to take on a player with first-round talent. Hopefully, Chaisson can realize his potential as an explosive rusher who wins with first-step explosiveness, excellent bend to turn a tight corner, and closing burst to chase down quarterbacks. Last season, the 25-year-old logged five sacks and 29 total pressures for a respectable pass-rush win rate of 12.8%, which ranked 36th out of 95 qualified edge rushers, according to Pro Football Focus.

Chaisson is at his best when he's allowed to use his explosiveness off the snap to corner the edge, with his go-to move being the double swipe. The clip above shows how tight a corner Chaisson turns while keeping the tackles' punch off his frame by using the double swipe. He can then flatten his rush and close to sack the quarterback. Those traits also make Chaisson useful as a "wrap" defender on stunt schemes, working off interior penetrators who set picks for him in the pass rush.

After adding veteran Harold Landry, the Patriots reportedly signing Chaisson gives them another edge rusher who can win with pure speed.

DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer