Patriots Spend Over $230 Million On Defense In Opening Hours Of NFL Free Agency

The New England Patriots came into the 2025 NFL free agency period with more cap space than any other team in the league. They didn’t hold on to it for very long, as they looked to bolster their defense by spending more than $230 million on that side of the ball during the early hours of the player signing period.

Patriots Are Big Spenders To Start NFL Free Agency

The Patriots were bad all across the board in 2024, and had plenty of holes to fill for the current off-season. The front line of their defense was set to be a point of emphasis in free agency, as they ranked dead last in the league in sacks last season, and in the bottom third in rushing yards allowed. The team wanted to have a new identity on that side of the ball under new head coach Mike Vrabel, and they made many of the necessary moves in order to head in that direction.

Within the first few hours of free agency, New England has revamped at every level. They started off by signing former Tennessee Titans pass rusher Harold Landry III to a 3-year, $43.5 million deal, hoping that his 50.5 career sacks would help their pass rush. They followed that up by nabbing one of the best available linebackers on the market in Robert Spillane, the former Las Vegas Raider. Spillane was also handed a 3-year contract, his worth slightly less at $37 million.

Then, in order to shore up the secondary, they gave another 3-year deal to former Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III, one worth $60 million.

New England Takes Top Free Agent Off Of The Board

But the biggest splash came with their fourth signing of the day. Defensive tackle Milton Williams was one of the top players overall in this year’s NFL free agency period, and was coming off of a Super Bowl win and personally productive season with the Eagles in 2024. New England was the one to take him off of the market, rewarding him with a 4-year deal worth roughly $104 million.

Within the first few hours of the free agency period opening, the Patriots have spent over $230 million on their defense alone.

It was somewhat expected. No team entered the 2025 with more money to spend than New England, having by far the highest amount of cap space in the NFL. And considering how many holes they had to fill up and down their roster, their only option was to spend big to bring in fresh new talent.