NFL Analysis
3/5/25
6 min read
2025 NFL Free Agency: 5 Best Fits For Philadelphia Eagles IDL Milton Williams
The Philadelphia Eagles are still enjoying their Super Bowl win, but general manager Howie Roseman has some difficult decisions to make regarding key free agents like Milton Williams.
A former third-round pick in 2021, Williams had a breakout season in 2024, playing alongside Jalen Carter. He became a huge pass-rush threat on the interior, generating seven sacks and 54 pressures over the regular season and playoffs. He capped off a strong season with two sacks and a forced fumble in a dominant Super Bowl performance over the Kansas City Chiefs.
That breakout season came at the perfect time for Williams, who now hits free agency with the chance to get a huge payday. Let's take a look at some of the best landing spots for the Eagles interior pass rusher, based off positional need and cap space.
All salary cap numbers are provided by Over the Cap.
Milton Williams Landing Spots
Arizona Cardinals 
For a defense that lacked true star power outside of Budda Baker, the Arizona Cardinals have done an admirable job staying above water on that side of the ball.
The Cardinals still had the 14th-ranked defense by DVOA in 2024 despite that lack of defensive talent. Now, they have a chance to reload on that side of the ball with more than $77 million in cap space to work with this offseason.
Despite being an average defensive unit, the Cardinals ranked just 28th in pass rush win rate, and are losing multiple interior defensive linemen to free agency. An addition like Williams could do a lot to boost up Arizona's pass-rushing prowess, and they could continue to add pieces up front through the draft.
New England Patriots
Teams can get made fun of for being "in on every conversation" when it comes to free agents. However, for the New England Patriots, that's almost certainly going to be the case with a league-leading $127 million in cap space to work with this offseason.
The Patriots will be looking to upgrade just about every position, but somewhere where they could quickly get a top-tier unit is their defensive front. Keion White has emerged as a solid three-down EDGE, while a fully healthy season from Christian Barmore should help at nose in the middle of the defense.
Adding an interior rusher like Williams would give New England one of the more talented and versatile defensive fronts in the AFC, particularly on passing downs. Barmore generated 49 pressures in 2023 when he was fully healthy, and White took a big step forward with 45 pressures this past season.
A pass-rushing front of White, Barmore, and Williams would make things a lot easier on New England's secondary and be a good first step to build out that defense while they use other offseason resources at other positions.
Jacksonville Jaguars
All of the talk this offseason for the Jacksonville Jaguars has been about their offensive with head coach Liam Coen taking over. However, for the Jaguars to become a real playoff contender, continuing to bolster their defense will be a legitimate path to success.
Despite having two talented EDGEs in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, the Jaguars ranked dead last in pass rush win rate in 2024. Only three players on their roster had more than 16 pressures all season, and none of them came from the defensive interior.
Williams would quickly fix that lack of pass-rushing juice on the defensive line. For the skeptics about Williams' ability to rush the passer when playing opposite of a talent like Jalen Carter, this situation would still allow him to get into one-on-one situations while offenses have to deal with Hines-Allen and Walker on the edge.
The Jaguars have other needs, however, and just over $37 million in cap space. Williams could be seeking some top-of-market money, but if the market isn't as hot for him as expected, a team like the Jaguars could be a good landing spot for him to continue having success getting after quarterbacks.
Carolina Panthers
After such a bleak outlook after the 2023 season, things are looking a bit more optimistic for the Carolina Panthers heading into this offseason.
The offense is in a relatively stable place thanks to a bounce-back season from Bryce Young. However, the defense still needs an infusion of talent, both through the draft and free agency. Only five players had more than eight pressures this past season, and only one (Jadeveon Clowney) had more than 26.
Carolina's issue is that it only has so much cap space, with just under $30 million to work with. If the Panthers are confident in where they stand offensively, however, then they might be willing to take a big swing on a player like Williams.
Philadelphia Eagles
Howie Roseman is already making some difficult decisions by cutting key contributors to this past year's Super Bowl team.
All of cap-saving moves are likely to bring someone back. It could be to retain someone like Zack Baun or Josh Sweat, or they could believe that Williams is the perfect chess piece to unlock their pass rush up front alongside Carter and Jordan Davis.
Roseman's philosophy throughout his time in Philadelphia has been building through the trenches. As dominant of a season that Baun had, the Eagles may be more interested in keeping the front four together than retaining a top off-ball linebacker.
Either way, the Eagles still have work to do to afford any of their free agents, even after cutting Darius Slay and James Bradberry. They have just under $22 million in cap space before rookie deals, and will need a bit more than that to be able to compete with other teams for Williams' services.
