The New England Patriots began rebuilding their roster on Monday, the first day of NFL free agency.
Defensive tackle Milton Williams, linebacker Robert Spillane, cornerback Carlton Davis and offensive tackle Morgan Moses have agreed to contracts with the New England Patriots, four people with knowledge of the deals told The Associated Press on Monday.
The Patriots also agreed on a deal with edge rusher Harold Landry on Sunday.
Also Monday, the Patriots agreed to trade defensive lineman Davon Godchaux to the Saints for a 2026 seventh-round pick, a source confirmed to the Boston Herald.
Williams, who sacked Patrick Mahomes twice in Philadelphia’s win over Kansas City in the Super Bowl, will average $26 million per year for four years in his new deal, according to one person. Williams, 25, finished with five sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and 24 tackles.
Spillane is getting a three-year, $37.5 million deal, one person said. The 29-year-old Spillane started every game for the Las Vegas Raiders the past two seasons, averaging 153 tackles.
Spillane entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan with the Titans under new Patriots coach Mike Vrabel in 2018. After four years with the Steelers, Spillane signed with the Raiders in 2023 when Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was head coach.
The 29-year-old linebacker fits the Patriots’ new defense, which focuses more on speed. The 6-foot-1, 229-pound linebacker would have been undersized in the Patriots’ past regime.
Robert Spillane, who started every game the last two seasons at linebacker for the Raiders, agreed to a three-year deal with the Patriots. Nick Wass/Associated Press
He joins Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jahlani Tavai, Curtis Jacobs, Andrew Parker Jr., Monty Rice and Christian Elliss in the Patriots’ linebacker corps.
Davis is getting a three-year, $60 million deal, one person said. The seven-year veteran stabilized Detroit’s secondary in his first year with the Lions after spending the first six in Tampa Bay.
Davis, 28, played 13 games for Detroit, missing one game with a knee injury before suffering a broken jaw in Week 15 that officially ended his season.
The Patriots needed an upgrade at cornerback opposite Christian Gonzalez. Davis registered 56 tackles, two interceptions, 11 pass breakups, one forced fumble and two tackles for loss in 2024 with the Lions.
Moses agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal.
Morgan Moses
Moses, 34, is an 11-year veteran who’s started 158 out of 166 games played in the NFL. He spent last year as the New York Jets starting right tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, Moses allowed two sacks and two quarterback hits in 14 starts. By comparison, last year’s right tackle Demontrey Jacobs allowed nine sacks last season.
A third-round pick in 2014, Moses spent his first seven seasons in Washington where he primarily started at right tackle. The veteran has some experience at left tackle, but it’s minimal as he’s logged 9,258 snaps at right tackle compared to 287 snaps on the left side.
Moses was in Washington from 2014-2020. In 2021, he signed a 1-year deal with the New York where he started 16 games at right tackle. The next year, he signed a three-year, $15 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens. After starting two seasons for the Ravens he was traded to the Jets last year for a fourth-round pick.
The Patriots granted Godchaux permission to seek a trade two weeks ago. Despite starting each of the past four seasons, he was not seen as a scheme fit in Vrabel’s new defensive system. The 6-foot-3, 330-pounder often played nose tackle for the Patriots, who will now run a four-down scheme where defensive linemen shoot gaps inside of occupying blockers.
Last season, Godchaux recorded 67 tackles, one QB hit and a pass deflection. He appeared in every game over four years with the team, collecting 250 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The Patriots were unhappy with his leadership last year, including comments he made to the media following losses.
Before the season, the Patriots signed Godchaux to a two-year, $21 million extension, which mirrored an extension he signed in July 2022, barely a year after originally joining the team as a free agent.
