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Mario Williams close to signing contract with Buffalo Bills (1 Viewer)

Aaron Rudnicki

Aaron Rudnicki

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I think this warrants it's own thread.http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/mario-williams-contract-with-nfl-buffalo-bills-031512

Source: Bills about to sign DE WilliamsAlex MarvezShare This StoryUpdated Mar 15, 2012 12:05 PM ET The Buffalo Bills hope they have found the next Bruce Smith.A source told FOXSports.com that a contract with defensive end Mario Williams "will be done." Further details weren’t immediately available.The deal ends a two-day courtship of Williams that included a trip to Buffalo by his fiancé. Having failed to reach the playoffs since the 1999 season, the Bills made Williams the focus of their free-agent push after re-signing wide receiver Stevie Johnson to a multiyear contract extension on Monday.Williams is Buffalo’s most dynamic defensive roster acquisition since Smith, the Hall of Fame defensive end who spent the first 15 years of his NFL career (1985 to 1999) with the Bills. Williams also was considered the top defensive player on this year’s free-agent market. The Texans didn’t have enough money under the salary cap to re-sign him to a contract extension.Williams, 27, was the top pick in the 2006 NFL Draft following his junior season at North Carolina State. He signed a six-year, $54 million-deal and was selected ahead of hyped stars such as Reggie Bush and Vince Young.Williams started slow during his rookie season, compiling 47 tackles and 4.5 sacks. However, he improved greatly in his second season by racking up 14 sacks along with 59 total tackles.Williams came into his own in his third season. He lived up to his No. 1 pick reputation and was a first-team All-Pro selection as the anchor of a steadily improving Texans defense. In 2008, he was a first-team All-Pro again and earned the first of back-to-back Pro Bowl selections.Under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the Texans converted Williams into a hybrid end/outside linebacker for the 2011 season. Williams had five sacks in Houston’s first five games before missing the rest of the year with a torn pectoral muscle.Williams will now be paired with defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, who had a solid rookie season as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft, in Buffalo’s front four.
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I am far from a Bills fan, but as a fan of football you have to be excited for this franchise scoring arguably the best FA on the market and one of the top pass rushers in the NFL.

 
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article763200.ece

Bills land prized free agent Mario Williams

The biggest free-agent acquisition in Buffalo Bills history is finally complete.

The Bills have an agreement with Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams, a source has confirmed for The Buffalo News. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports a 1:30 p.m. news conference is scheduled.

The deal will make Williams the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL and caps an intensive recruiting effort that lasted about 44 hours.

Williams, 27, gives the Bills their most accomplished pass rusher since Bruce Smith left the team after the 2000 season. Williams, 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds, has 53 sacks over 5 1-3 seasons as a pro.

The deal is a milestone in the 52-year history of the Bills. In the 20 years the NFL has used an unrestricted free-agent system, the biggest Buffalo signing was a $7 million-a-year deal given to guard Derrick Dockery in 2007. That move flamed out, as Dockery lasted only two seasons in Buffalo. Williams comes to the Bills with a far superior pedigree and track record.

Before the free-agency era, the Bills’ highest-profile acquisition outside of the draft was a 1987 trade for star linebacker Cornelius Bennett that included three teams, three players and three draft picks. Bennett was the No. 2 pick of the draft that year. While his five-year, $3.5 million contract was big at the time, it didn’t make him the highest-paid defensive player in the league. He also didn’t hit town as the best player at his position in the league.

That’s the reputation Williams brings. The Bills are counting on Williams to be the key piece in the rehabilitation of their defense, which ranked 26th last season.

Williams has the ability to dominate games. He was the first overall pick in the 2006 draft out of North Carolina State. He’s coming off an injury-shortened season in which he played only the first five games (and had five sacks). He went on the injured-reserve list for the rest of the year with a torn pectoral muscle, which is healed.

Williams had 14 sacks in 2007, 12 in 2008, nine in 2009 and 8.5 in 2010. Houston would have loved to retain him, but the Texans entered free agency with only about $1 million in space under the salary cap and had no chance to strike a deal.

The Bills have two high-quality defensive tackles in Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams. Adding Williams to the right end spot would give them a potentially dominant defensive front. Veteran Chris Kelsay is the returning starter at left defensive end. The Bills are hoping linebacker Shawne Merriman can recover from an Achilles tendon injury and be a situational pass rusher. They are likely to add a pass-rush prospect in the draft, as well.

Williams was back at One Bills Drive this morning after spending an second night in Western New York. He was joined Wednesday by his fiancé, who flew into town at midday Wednesday.
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RT @AaronRodgers12: Congrats to Mario Williams signing in buffalo... far away from the NFC north, thanks big guy

 
Great... Maybe it's time to change my avatar. I've been all-In for this guy since everyone else thought Reggie Bush was the Next great thing and now he's a Bill.. Uggghh.

 
Good luck Mario, will miss you. You had to deal with a lot of crap being picked over Reggie & Vince and still aren't getting your due from a lot of folks. Wish we could have afforded to keep you. Should be interesting when the Bills come to Houston this year.

Guess I'll have to get a JJ Watt jersey to replace my Mario one, but I'm not too broken up about that.

 
'Buckna said:
Good luck Mario, will miss you. You had to deal with a lot of crap being picked over Reggie & Vince and still aren't getting your due from a lot of folks. Wish we could have afforded to keep you. Should be interesting when the Bills come to Houston this year.Guess I'll have to get a JJ Watt jersey to replace my Mario one, but I'm not too broken up about that.
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Yeah, I wish him well other than the week they play the Texans. Glad he's not going to Tennessee, and if he has to sign with an AFC team, not upset to see him land somewhere he'll be playing Brady twice a year.If the contract is that big, it bodes well for Houston's compensatory picks next year.
 
Sad. Seems like he cares more about money than winning. NTTAWWT, just thought he might want to go to a winner after having played for a loser so long.

 
'SacramentoBob said:
Sad. Seems like he cares more about money than winning. NTTAWWT, just thought he might want to go to a winner after having played for a loser so long.
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I dont get this type of attitude. I find it ignorant actually.1) Who's to say the Bills are not going to be much improved? 2) It is a business in the end.3) Location Location Location....certain teams have to overpay to get players. Are you mad he didn't go to your favorite team?
 
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