Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus isn’t talking to the media during this week’s minicamp, so we can’t get his take on the pair of arrests that have marred his offseason.
Dareus was charged with possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia in early May and then with a series of traffic violations after an alleged street racing incident at the end of the month, leading coach Doug Marrone to wonder aloud whether or not Dareus gets what he needs to do to have a long NFL career. Defensive tackle Kyle Williams shares some of the same concern and hopes this offseason is a “watershed moment” for a player he thinks can be a great player for the Bills.
“You can pour into people as much as you possibly can. We’re here together every single day. And you hope that when they leave the building, that some of those things that you poured into them, some of the ideas that you’ve given them, some of the direction you’ve given them, goes with them,” Williams said, via the Buffalo News. “That’s kind of what we’re hoping sticks -- and I think it will. I believe in him, and I think he’s going to do a great job. Everybody’s got their own circumstances. Yes, you’d hope that decisions would have been avoided, but like I said, that stuff is hopefully behind him. Myself and Mario [Williams], we’re going to continue to pour into him and hopefully show him the right way. ... I think he’s going in the right direction.”
Dareus was in his usual position next to Williams on the defensive line during Tuesday’s practice and his talent will keep him there as long as the fallout from his legal issues doesn’t render him unavailable to the team. How long that talent continues to win out will likely have much to do with whether Dareus proves Williams correct about the direction he’ll take from this point forward.