Patriots standout defender reveals how close he was to signing with the Panthers and that miss could make Dan Morgan even more aggressive
The Carolina Panthers can’t afford to lose out on another top free agent this offseason.
It’s officially Super Bowl week and on Monday we got to here from a few different players and coaches ahead of Sunday’s big game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.
It’s going to be an eventual week for all involved, and for the 30 teams not involved, it’s a week filled with what-ifs and what-could-have-beens.
Carolina Panthers fans got a small taste of that on Monday night when New England Patriots standout defensive lineman Milton Williams spoke with the media and shared how close he came to signing with the Panthers last offseason, and why things fell through.
Milton Williams addresses Panthers interest in signing him and why he chose New England
Coming off a Super Bowl win with the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams was one of the hottest names on the free agent market among the defensive linemen available. It’s already well known that the Panthers made a strong push to sign him but couldn’t get the deal over the finish line.
“Definitely,” Williams said when asked if he thought he’d join the Panthers. “I actually was pulling up some Little League photos of me. One of my Little League teams I played football for was the Panthers, so I was looking, I was trying to find them, but it didn’t end up working out that way.”
It didn’t work out because the Patriots swooped in at the last moment with a four-year, $104 million contract offer right when he started finalizing a deal with the Panthers. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel led the strong push to steal Williams away and land a player he always had his eyes on.
“New England showed me that they wanted me more,” Williams added. “They believed in me more. They believed in who I am and what I bring to the table. They showed that. Talking to coach Vrabel, his plan for me. This organization, winning, knowing what winning looks like, being there, done that multiple times, I wanted to be a part of that.”
Instead, the Panthers used that money to sign Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III to the interior of the defensive line. Wharton and Brown combined for 2.5 sacks and 24 total pressures. Williams, by himself, totaled 3.5 sacks and 53 total pressures with the Patriots.
Dan Morgan shouldn’t allow the Panthers to lose out on another top free agent
After the season ended, Panthers general manager Dan Morgan wasn’t pleased with the pass rush performance his unit put together during the 2025-26 season and made it clear that will be an area he looks to attack again this offseason.
“I think our pass rush, obviously to me and as everyone in the building would tell you, wasn’t up to par,” Morgan explained. “We had the second lowest pressure rate in the league this year. Obviously, that is not acceptable. If you’re not protecting the quarterback and you’re not affecting the quarterback, you’re not going to win many games in this league. Especially at a consistent level.”
Morgan also noted that after a successful season that included a division title and playoff appearance, top free agents would be more willing to come to Carolina and be a part of what the team is building.
All of that bodes well for the Panthers chances of reeling in the big fish this time around. The one everyone seems to be focused on is edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, a player the Panthers were also linked two last offseason.
Time will tell if the Panthers can get the deal across the finish line this time or if they get burned by a top free agent for the second offseason in a row.
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