Mario Williams could be headed for free agency due to discord between he and first-year Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Mario Williams could be done with Bills due to ‘fundamental disconnect’ with Rex Ryan
Williams has just four sacks in 2015 and his $19.9 million price tag in 2016 could mean his time in Buffalo is through.
"One of the problems in Buffalo is that Rex Ryan's defense, his pride and joy, has simply not played to expectations and there is a clear, fundamental disconnect between Ryan and his defensive line, specifically, star pass rusher Mario Williams." Rapoport said on NFL GameDay Morning.
“Ryan is looking to retool that defensive line. Headed into the offseason, they have $160 million committed to the cap, do not be surprised if Mario Williams is set free from the Bills and is a coveted free agent.”
Williams, 30, is scheduled to count $19.9 million against the salary cap for the Bills in 2016 and the team can save $12.9 million of that by releasing him after the season. The veteran pass rusher has been frustrated at times during the season with the Bills’ new defensive scheme under Ryan, which asks him to drop into coverage more than he ever has.
In his first three seasons with the Bills, Williams tallied 38 sacks, but has just four during the 2015 season. That lack of production is frustrating for Williams, but could also make him an expendable piece for the Bills, with plenty of players able to produce at that level or higher for a much better price -- especially if Williams has lost the trust of his team:
Mario Williams missed team meeting this past week, per source. Williams told Bills he was sick, not everyone there believed it.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 20, 2015 Only two teams have fewer sacks than the Bills and the team is No. 19 in total defense. In four seasons as defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens and six seasons as head coach of the New York Jets, his worst defense finished No. 11 in the NFL and the other nine finished in the top eight.
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