NFL Rumors: Mario Williams Released By Buffalo Bills, Mulling Potential Dallas Cowboys Signing


NFL rumors have long stated that Mario Williams would be in a different uniform in 2016 because of comments that he made towards Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan and his complicated defensive scheme. According to USA Today, those rumors appear to be pretty accurate, as the Bills have officially released Williams. As a gifted pass rusher, Mario should have plenty of options in the National Football League, including the Dallas Cowboys.

Rex Ryan likes to confuse opposing quarterbacks in the NFL by having as many exotic blitzing and pass coverage schemes as possible. That’s the reason why Ryan often times has his defensive linemen dropping back into coverage. Mario Williams prefers to just put his hand on the ground and chase the quarterback. Both are great at what they do, but Ryan and Williams are simply as much of a match for one another as a square peg and a round hole.

Rex Ryan of the Buffalo Bills
Rex Ryan [Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images]
Mario Williams didn’t struggle with the Buffalo Bills because his skills had declined. Coaches and executives in the NFL are aware that Williams only had five sacks during his first season under Rex Ryan because he is not a good fit for their defensive scheme. Mario can still be quite productive at 31 years of age. For Williams, it is now a matter of finding a defensive coordinator that’s going to allow him to unleash his pass rushing dominance.

A team that desperately needs a pass rusher is the Dallas Cowboys. They took a risk on Greg Hardy, and he provided more headaches than sacks. According to a rather cold response from Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett recently, it appears that Hardy will no longer be playing for Dallas. The Cowboys also took a gamble on Randy Gregory, who dropped down from the first round of the draft to the second round, and he rewarded them with repeated drug test failures.

Dallas Cowboys dropping Greg Hardy
Greg Hardy [Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images]
In regard to fitting in with the defensive scheme, Mario Williams appears to be a very good fit with what Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli is trying to accomplish. Long known as a disciple of the Tampa 2, Marinelli prefers to have all of his linebackers and defensive backs in coverage, which means that he needs a pass rush from his front four solely, which is something that Williams has proven that he can provide consistently in the NFL.

With seven guys in coverage, Mario Williams will find himself chasing uphill as opposed to peddling back and looking for wide receivers and tight ends. In a 3-4 defense, Williams usually will end up as one of the outside linebackers. However, Rod Marinelli prefers the 4-3 defense, which means that Williams will get to line up at one of the defensive ends spots, presumably opposite Demarcus Lawrence, who is developing quite nicely for the Dallas Cowboys.

Rod Marinelli coaching Mario Williams
Rod Marinelli [Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images]
There may be some concerns within the Dallas Cowboys organization that Mario Williams has grown to become a malcontent. His bad attitude from his stint with the Buffalo Bills might carry with him to Texas. That’s been known to happen before in the NFL, and Williams is human. However, the belief is that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will be more than willing to give Williams a chance because he’s less of a risk than Greg Hardy and has just as much pass rush potential.

The quest to win another Super Bowl after such a lengthy absence is going to cause Jerry Jones to seriously consider bringing Mario Williams on board as a potential missing piece.

[Featured Photo by Michael Adamucci/Getty Images]

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