In a move that shocks absolutely nobody who has been paying attention, the Buffalo Bills have reportedly released defensive end Mario Williams, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.
I'm told by a source Bills DE Mario Williams has been informed he's been released.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 1, 2016
It was no secret Williams was disgruntled last season playing out of position in Rex Ryan’s 3-4 defensive scheme. A player who has always pinned his ears back to get to the quarterback, he was oftentimes tasked with dropping into coverage or playing inside the tackles as a defensive end in that scheme.
Back in October after Week 6, Williams made it clear he was frustrated with his role:
“I think I probably set a record on dropping [into coverage] today, but that’s part of the scheme for us to go out and be put in a position to win,” Mario Williams said, via Syracuse.com.
A couple months later and things were no different. Williams made it clear that he and others on the defense were still not locked into what Ryan was trying to do. The stats backed up this fact, too, as Buffalo’s defense finished the year ranked No. 19 in total defense and second-to-last place in total sacks with just 21 on the year.
Williams himself only managed five sacks, which was shocking. His first three years in Buffalo after leaving Houston, he racked up 38 sacks, re-establishing himself as one of the most ferocious pass-rushers in the league.
Williams insists he’s going to be better than ever after his bitter 2015 campaign. He once again lamented how things turned out last year with the Bills and talked about his current outlook with ESPN NFL Insider Josina Anderson, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com:
“At the end of the day, if I’m not there, I’ll show you that I’m better than what I’ve been before. Like, that’s just a chip on my shoulder regardless of whether I am there or not, because given the opportunity I’ll get back to what I was.”
Now a free agent, Williams should be a hot target for teams that run a 4-3 scheme and have the cap space to entice him. At the age of 31, he still seems to have plenty of gas left in the tank and is clearly eager to prove he’s still one of the league’s best pass-rushers.