Former Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams has agreed to a two-year contract with the division-rival Miami Dolphins.
Immediately following the reported signing, unnamed members of the Bills have come out to leak some rather damning opinions regarding the former No. 1 overall pick.
In what appears to be a coordinated attack using the media as a medium, Bills players have now gone on record to tell us a story of a Pro Bowler that gave up on the team and was solely in it for himself last season.
From this report by NFL Media’s Jeff Darlington:
Bills players told me they saw a teammate in Mario Williams who gave up on them. Maybe he’ll turn the switch back on — but why take chance?
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) March 8, 2016
To this report from Darlington’s colleague Albert Breer:
One ex-Bills teammate said Mario Williams' effort was "Bad. Ask the Jets, they were talking about it before we played them."
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 8, 2016
We know there were issues between Williams and the Bills coaching staff during the 2015 season, Rex Ryan’s first as the team’s head coach.
From Williams questioning his role following a Week 6 game against the Cincinnati Bengals to questions about his ability to understand the nuances of Ryan’s complex defense, these issues were widespread.
What most of us didn’t know was the perceived split between Williams and his now former teammates.
Now that Williams has landed a two-year, $16 million deal with Miami, there promises to be no love lost between him and his former team when they suit up against one another twice next season.
That much was made clear by the media leaks in the minutes following reports of his deal tricking in.