Mid-May usually isn’t the season for huge, game-changing NFL headlines. Besides the schedule drop and a handful of rookie practices, it’s basically the NFL’s version of summer TV filler replays, reality competitions, and obstacle course shows full of wannabe warriors. Not much to vibe with.
That said, we’re getting into what I like to call the Patriots’ Optimism Era. It’s the time when we stop stressing about coaching drama and a thin roster, and finally start catching good energy like the kind you’d get at a chill music fest. Only difference? I’m way more hyped on the Pats than any laid-back, weed-loving dad grooving to Bob Marley covers in his hybrid.
There are a bunch of reasons I’m irrationally pumped for the 2025 season, but Milton Williams tops the list. Just a reminder, it’s still May, and the NFL scene is dead quiet. Yet the highest-paid Patriot ever has me more fired up than a playlist full of old-school hits. (Y’all really missed out growing up without tracks that slapped like those.)
Coming off a title run with the Eagles, where he could’ve easily snagged Super Bowl MVP, Williams earned top marks for pass rushing and was a beast in the win percentage game. Now that he’s in Foxboro, he’s not just down for Mike Vrabel’s system but already stepping up as a straight up leader.
Objectively speaking, Williams is fresh off a championship run with the Eagles, where he honestly could’ve walked away with Super Bowl MVP. He scored the top Pro Football Focus pass rush grade for all defensive tackles and had the fourth-best win rate when going after the QB. And as soon as he touched down in Foxboro, he proved he’s not just vibing with Mike Vrabel’s system, he’s already taking charge like a boss.
Look at him in the weight room:
On practice:
Setting the tone with his new teammate:
… front, and everyday we come in we’re gonna set the tone, and then everybody else will follow. Me and him are gonna set the table for the defense we’re gonna be this year, and we’re gonna carry us throughout the year.”
Let’s talk about Barmore, easily one of the top dudes on the Patriots since they picked him in 2021. Last season hit him hard, though, thanks to blood clots (and yeah, even without a med degree, those sound seriously terrifying). He only suited up for four games, but the good news is he looks healthy now. Shoutout to Greg Bedard for flagging that some folks doubted Barmore’s hustle coming out of Alabama, but since landing in New England, there’s been zero drama on that front. Dude’s been locked in.
Still, Williams is totally that guy. The kind with the kind of contagious energy that makes everyone around him want to grind harder. Especially his position group. And now that he and Barmore are basically in a friendly flex-off over who can hit the gym first every morning, Williams is already showing he’s about that life.
Bedard also brings up a 2023 Eagles podcast that dives into how Milton Williams turned into a full-on workaholic. And for Patriots fans in 2025, that kind of content hits different. It’s the sort of gold you used to have to call a 1-900 number and drop five bucks an hour just to hear this:
Uncovering the Birds – The Eagles’ defensive tackle rotation is stacked – anchored by blue chip talent. So how did Milton Williams, a former third-round pick, get in the mix? Far from a household name, Williams started to show signs of promise down the stretch last year, in 2022. Now, the Eagles think Williams is ready for a bigger role. Williams, though, has always believed in himself. His father has, too, maybe even more than Williams himself. But in order to fulfill his NFL dream, Williams had to put in the work, and lots of that work was done on a hill back in Williams’ hometown.
Bedard’s made it clear he’s not a Patriots fan. Me? In case the last twenty years didn’t give it away, I am. And I’m all in on players who win a ring, cash in during free agency, and then grind like they’re still trying to prove something. Guys who welcome tough coaching, lead by example, and stay hungry for that next championship. That’s exactly the kind of energy Mike Vrabel brought onto a roster that was seriously lacking it.
The more I hear about Williams, the more I’m vibing with him. That used to be the norm with almost every new face in Foxboro. Lately? Not so much. But man, it would be clutch to see that vibe make a comeback.
So, no there’s no doubt – it’s a new day and maybe a new era for a new optimism, Time will tell.
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