Once among the most feared pass rushers in the NFL, Miami Dolphins defensive end Mario Williams is likely to be looking for a new job this spring.
“It is almost certain Miami will make the decision this offseason to move on from Williams and save on his $8.5 million salary,” wroteJames Walker of ESPN. “The former four-time Pro Bowler was the team’s most disappointing acquisition last year. The Dolphins signed Williams to a two-year, $17 million contract with the expectation he would replace 2015 sack leader Olivier Vernon. Instead, Williams was mostly a non-factor and registered a career-low 1.5 sacks.”
That Miami needs to fix its defense is unquestionably the biggest task facing this burgeoning team.
Winners of 10 games this past season, the Dolphins began to thrive under rookie head coach Adam Gase after getting off to a terrible 1-4 start. The offense has some huge bright spots, and if they can continue adding talent on the offensive line it could become one of the NFL’s best young units on that side of the ball.
But defensively the Dolphins were a train wreck for much of the season, despite a few dominant games. They finished No. 29 in the league in total defense and No. 18 in scoring defense.
The lack of production by Williams had plenty to do with the inability to stop teams from imposing their will on the Fins, though there are other worries, such as a lack of depth at linebacker and cornerback.
Since racking up 38 sacks from 2012-14, Williams has seen his production fall off a cliff the past two years. He left Buffalo on less than ideal terms after struggling in Rex Ryan’s defense and posting just five sacks. Then he was almost a non-factor for Miami this past season.
Throw in his big salary in 2017 and it’s easy to see why the Dolphins would cut Williams as they attempt to rebuild their defense.