Report: Bills have decided they’re cutting Mario Williams

AP

The Bills are hanging onto both General Manager Doug Whaley and coach Rex Ryan, but the “drastic changes” in Buffalo are coming, nonetheless.

According to the Associated Press, the Bills have decided to cut pass-rusher Mario Williams this offseason.

While doing so hardly qualifies as a surprise — he recently suggested he a pay cut wasn’t anything he was interested in — the timing is interesting.

Williams still has a game to play Sunday against the Jets, so it will be curious to see if they keep him active and motivated to play when he knows he’s on his way out.

The Bills can save more than $12 million in cap room next year, and since Williams isn’t a great fit for their defense, it seems reasonable.

Williams turns 31 in January, and has 4.0 sacks this year after posting 38.5 in the first three years of the six-year, $100 million deal he signed in 2012.

118 responses to “Report: Bills have decided they’re cutting Mario Williams

  1. Solid player but does not fit the 3-4 style that Rex likes to implement. He should get a cap friendly deal somewhere and continue to play well.

    Or a team like the Raiders will pay too much for him and he will just collect money.

  2. Why announce this now, before the game? Hes going to be even less motivated to play now. That’s just dumb.

  3. So many Jets fans always commenting on the Bills state of affairs. Makes it sweeter to see Rex and his band of underperforming misfits end your playoff hopes this Sunday. Jets fans hated Rex so much but cant resist continuously talking about him.

  4. Mario was awesome while he was here. No regrets. I dont know if I will route for him elsewhere like Fred Jackson because he didnt play much of a leadership role and hates talking to the media, but I wish him luck after four great season in Buf!

  5. Nothing new. Anyone who follows the Bills saw this coming a while ago. Definitely not breaking news

  6. The Jets will be right there with them after they lose to Buffalo tomorrow, mogluv545.

    As for Williams, he was great before Rex got there and changed what was working fine with their defensive line. Chip Kelly Lite.

  7. mogluv545 | Dec 31, 2015, 1:41 PM EST
    Another Bill getting ready for a great offseason in the Bahamas!!!
    GO JETS!!!!

    ——————————————————————————-
    After Sundays game, the Jets will be joining them 😂😂😂

  8. This is as good a time as any to remind everyone that the Bills spent so much time and so many resources into convincing Williams to sign in Buffalo that it crippled their free agent hunt that year.

    I’m glad it all worked out though. That billion dollar defensive line with Dareus, Williams, etc really terrorized the AFC. Tom Brady was never the same after all those hundreds of sacks, and the Bills have a Super Bowl victory to bask in and gloat about forever. Enjoy another giant payday on a worse team in free agency, Mario!

  9. .
    Multiple Choice

    Bill Belichick played a role in the :

    A Bills overpriced signing of Williams
    B. Dolphins overpriced signing of Suh
    C. Jets overpriced signing of Revis
    D. All of the Above
    .

  10. tjacks7 says:
    Dec 31, 2015 1:53 PM
    Overrated, washed up linebacker hitting the market?…

    Pretty good 4-3 DE, though….

  11. Honestly as a bills fan I’m pretty sad to see him go. Yes, he had a large salary, but the dude was an absolute animal in comination with the rest of our D line from 2012 – 2014. There were games where he would completely take over ( see: 2013 @ Miami, home vs Carolina. 2014 vs Green Bay, jets, amongst many others) when this guy was on his game he was simply unblock able. I really hope that The only reason he’s leaving isn’t just from the change in defensive scheme…. because he will find success somewhere else if that’s the case.

  12. Most of the time a high profile head coach goes to a new team it will play very well in the first season anyhow. But not the bill’s. This team is responding to rex like he’s been there for years and are sick of him already.

  13. Except Ted Thompson rarely signs FA’s but on the rare occasion he has he’s hit grand slams in Charles Woodson and Julius Peppers. But don’t let facts get in your way tjacks…

  14. yep, it’s all Mario’s fault, bills fans…get your reservations in early for the 2017 playoff couch as you sit on your 2016 playoff couches this year…can’t wait for next year’s predictions, losers…

  15. What the writer and all of the posters on here failed to mention is that along with his 4 sacks, Mario has only 17 tackles this season. 17!!!!!

    Everyone talks about how he’s in the wrong system, etc., but 17 tackles means he’s not winning many 1-on-1 battles.

    Either he no longer has physical ability to compete, or he wasn’t giving a full effort once he had decided Ryan’s system wasn’t to his liking. Either way, he’s not someone you want on your team.

  16. Don’t blame Ryan, Mario played an almost identical scheme under Pettine, Mario lost his will to play. Guys like this do not get my sympathy. I will be the first to tell you Rex Ryan’s biggest failure in his first year was trying to shoe-horn these players into his defense, instead of taking the high-road and mixing in his defense with what was already a successful unit. However, Mario Williams is being paid big money, to dominate from the line of scrimmage. He never did, regardless of how many time he dropped into coverage. He would play patty-cake with the RT, the “weak link” in pass-pro, all game long. Give up on running plays allowing cutbacks, or just flat out give up in pursuit. Ryan will get blame for this, and haters will hate, but the facts are Mario Willimas talent is bigger than any scheme, he should have still dominated while on the field, and he flat out didn’t. Glad he’s gone, Jerry Hughes proved this season he doesn’t need bigger names to be successful. I want Kyle Williams back on that line with Dareus and Hughes, anything is better than what Mario brought to the table this season.

  17. Wow finally an intelligent move. Based on the effort he has put out this year, if he is allowed to set foot in the field this week the entire front office and coaching staff should be terminated.

  18. He should sign with the Chargers where we will use him incorrectly for a couple of years. Then we’ll pay another team to take him off our hands, where he will enjoy great success.

    Just like we did with another great pass rusher, Dwight Freeney.

  19. Maybe someone should whisper in Mario’s ear that you don’t help your chances to a big payday with another team by showing less than stellar effort and calling out your current team.

  20. “He poisoned the locker room. No one will pay him $20 per year.”

    I am fairly sure that nfl rules will guarantee him some sort of minimum of more than twenty dollars. Someone will pick him up.

  21. I’m surprised they didn’t try to trade him to Oakland. Remember, Raiders gave up two firsts for Carson Palmer after he announced his retirement.

  22. For where he was drafted and how much money he has been paid, he should be a first ballet HOF but as it stands the only way he gets into Canton is with a ticket like the rest of us. He’s not quite the Sam Bradford of D Linemen but he’s in the same conversation. Moments of brilliance that interrupt years of blah.

  23. This is got Green death written all over it, old, tired has-beens, will fit right in with the rest of the losers!#Skol

  24. Patskrieg says:
    Dec 31, 2015 1:57 PM
    This is as good a time as any to remind everyone that the Bills spent so much time and so many resources into convincing Williams to sign in Buffalo that it crippled their free agent hunt that year.

    I’m glad it all worked out though. That billion dollar defensive line with Dareus, Williams, etc really terrorized the AFC. Tom Brady was never the same after all those hundreds of sacks, and the Bills have a Super Bowl victory to bask in and gloat about forever. Enjoy another giant payday on a worse team in free agency, Mario!

    Hey patskrieg…Shady Brady’s end by retirement or injury is imminent…you better brace yourself for mediocrity

  25. Yes, Marshawn, if he’s ‘cut’ (which he won’t be until after the season, IMHO) then, he could, in theory sign with anyone.

  26. Seen hundreds of posts here how the Jets are going lose. Not that many how we’re gonna win. That’s because Jets fans have taken the lead from our coach and don’t talk smack. Good luck to both teams, and happy new year to the haters!

  27. so, he averaged almost 13 sacks a season his first 3 years in Buffalo, a new coaching staff comes in, he only gets 4 sacks, the team as a whole under performs from their previous year, and its Mario Williams fault. got cha.

  28. He actually should be more motivated if he was a team to pick him up! He will have his best game of the year in hopes of getting a big contract from another team

  29. Before this year Williams averaged 13 sacks per year for the Bills playing in a 4-3 defense. He’ll get picked up by someone for a nice sum….not as nice as his prior contract but better than most.

  30. jetsfan136 says:
    Dec 31, 2015 2:34 PM
    Seen hundreds of posts here how the Jets are going lose. Not that many how we’re gonna win. That’s because Jets fans have taken the lead from our coach and don’t talk smack. Good luck to both teams, and happy new year to the haters!
    ————

    It’s called reality.

  31. gobolts says:
    Dec 31, 2015 2:13 PM
    He should sign with the Chargers where we will use him incorrectly for a couple of years. Then we’ll pay another team to take him off our hands, where he will enjoy great success.

    Just like we did with another great pass rusher, Dwight Freeney.

    You put this idea in my head. I thought Freeney was done, but the Cardinals the last couple of years got something out of him and Abraham. Maybe they go after him.

  32. Sounds like lots of fans have either forgotten or just don’t know Mario has actually played well in Buffalo, he made the probowl last season and dominated took over several games as a Bill. Don’t know exactly what happened this season but Whaley has been pretty good at knowing when to cut ties with vets.

  33. At least the Bills tried.
    In an era in which dying cities can rarely attract quality free agents, Buffalo delivered a star. Unfortunately, quick strike passing attacks neutralized Mario’s skills.

  34. Actually it’s good for Mario to be announced he is not coming back in 2016. Not sure if he is playing Sunday but if he does it will be a nice dress rehearsal for him to show other teams he still has something

    Regardless of scheme, Mario Williams won very few one on one match ups this year. That’s not scheme, that’s an over paid player mailing it in.

    So. If he wants to even get paid less the. League minimum he will certainly play his best game of the season Sunday. As I said, if he is playing this week at all. Don’t know the Bills injury status on him.

  35. jetsfan136 | Dec 31, 2015, 2:34 PM EST
    Seen hundreds of posts here how the Jets are going lose. Not that many how we’re gonna win. That’s because Jets fans have taken the lead from our coach and don’t talk smack. Good luck to both teams, and happy new year to the haters!

    ——————

    Jets fans don’t talk trash? That had to be sarcasm cause there is no way you actually believe that. On many other sites all I’ve seen many Jets fans talking about how the Bills will get destroyed including on this thread. Maybe not you so much, but yall are as bad as Pats and Bills fans.

  36. Bills did him a favor. Let him have a job interview while still playing for them. Now all Mario has to do is take his head out of his Azzz and play a great game Sunday. If that’s possible

  37. At the end of this season, Mario Williams would have pocketed $56.1m of his supposed 6-years $100m contract. Now he could go get, say, $10m/yr for the next two years. That would be actual pocketed $76m in 6 years. That’s big money.

  38. It just doesn’t make sense why they want to overhaul the defense when it was extremely good in ’14. Now let’s force players to fit our new scheme or cut them even if they are very good? You really have to wonder about the motivations of some of these teams.

  39. This guy’s clearly being hamstrung by the Buffalo coaches. If the Bills do let him play Sunday he’ll probably just say “Heck with these idiotiic schemes” and get 8 sacks.

  40. Mr. Wright 212 says:

    It’s called reality.

    ———————-

    Actually, it’s more of a prediction on your part. Reality would be the fact that NY Giants are OUT of the playoffs already.

    ..and Giants Stadium was knocked down and is just a memory. New stadium is shared. Built by both teams. Lights up green for the Jets, blue for the Giants. That’s a reality as well, no matter what anyone says. Deal…

  41. Bills fans know the truth: The guy was a cancer in the locker room this season.

    Its not that he doesn’t still have the physical ability. He definitely does. Its the fact that he only plays hard when he wants to, and he absolutely didn’t want to play hard this season.

    You can argue that it was Rex Ryan’s fault, but the bottom line is this: When a team pays you $100 million dollars, you should probably shut up and do your job, instead of playing with 30% effort and whining to the media.

    His 12 sacks per year aren’t worth his awful attitude and abhorrent effort level. Thanks for your efforts in years 1-3 as a Bill, Mario. But after this season? Don’t let the door hit ya where they good lord split ya.

  42. @tunechi90

    You must not be up on your current events.

    Al Davis passed away several years ago.

    McKenzie is the GM and he has turned the Raiders around in terms of cap space and personnel. The wins are coming.

    The old jokes about the Raiders are trite nonsense.

    The RAIDERS are on the upswing and they will hurt alot of feelings along the way.

    Yours included.

  43. Same thing happened to him in Houston when they switched to the 3-4. He’s a good 4-3 DE pass rusher – and pretty good against the run, too – but expecting him to drop into pass coverage just kills his game.
    Don’t know how much he’ll sign for but if the team that signs him lets him play to his strengths they’ll have a very good player.

  44. Mario left Houston because they switched to a 3-4 whete he was not as effective as the 4-3.
    He was awesome in the 4-3 with Jim Schwartz and Pettine as DC. I was hoping that Pettine or Schwartz would come back as DC and let Rex do the press conferences

  45. downgoesbrady says:
    Dec 31, 2015 2:32 PM

    Hey patskrieg…Shady Brady’s end by retirement or injury is imminent…you better brace yourself for mediocrity

    ————-
    No question, it certainly helps to have a HoF QB running your offense, but what trolls like you will never understand is that Belichick is even more essential to winning in NE; they went 11-5 in 2008 with Matt freaking Cassell, for gawd’s sake. Jimmy G will have his shot, and you’ll still be crying about the same thing you’re crying about now when your team gets shellacked by the Pats (“They cheated!”).

    When (if) Bill retires, *then* we can talk about what’s next besides consistent winning.

  46. bettywhiteshairnet says:

    Jets fans don’t talk trash? That had to be sarcasm cause there is no way you actually believe that. On many other sites all I’ve seen many Jets fans talking about how the Bills will get destroyed including on this thread. Maybe not you so much, but yall are as bad as Pats and Bills fans.

    —————–

    I don’t see any on this thread, Betty….but I apologize for my guys aross the internet and I’ll try to do a better job controlling them. World wide web moves fast. Seriously, though, if you’ve been reading all the threads here the amount of people saying the Jets are going to lose as opposed to us predicting a victory is like 25-1. We understand, though, that it’s a lot of hater Pats fans and bitter Giants fans, so I’m not taking shots of the good people of Buffalo.

  47. ‘Pretty Feet’ has his head firmly implanted in his well know big butt on this one. Had he stuck with the defensive schemes of last season instead of thinking he was still a defensive genius like his idiot brother does, Buffalo may have actually given the Pats some competition this year. Anyway……..go ‘Bills’!!!!

  48. For a team that encourages not shuting their mouths, they sure ran Mario out of town real quick for buying into the system…..what a joke. Is there any way I can opt out of my tax money going towards this stadium? I want a winning team, not a Rex team. Every coach that has finished the season with a winning record here has been forced out immediately following the season. I don’t get it anymore. This Is Football Purgatory.

  49. mogluv545 | Dec 31, 2015, 1:41 PM EST
    Another Bill getting ready for a great offseason in the Bahamas!!!
    GO JETS!!!!

    ——————————————————————————-

    It seems almost inevitable that the Jets will lose to the Bills on Sunday now, and then gloating Jets fans like yourself can look in the mirror and cry little green tears. Booo hooooo hoooooooooo!

  50. I was just saying today if there was anything the Jaguars could do to add Mario Williams as a vet to this young roster and just turn him loose on QB’s…….Mario…..please, PLEASE!!!!!!!! Playoffs. My guarantee is more solid than not-so-sexy Rexy

  51. boycord says:
    Dec 31, 2015 4:31 PM
    Jets fans are laughable.

    The hater can be identified by his mouth being open as is necessary for breathing, his lips moving when he reads posts, and counting likes and dislikes with his fingers. If you see one, do not attempt to subdue it. Contact PFT employees, who have large nets leaning against their desks in order to snare them.

  52. It seems like yesterday that Bills fans were acting like they won the Super Bowl after finally signing him, by giving him way more than anybody else would.

    Oh, Buffalol.

  53. He put out great production, not so much his first year and this year….but was a beast in between that. Time to move on though, not worth the money, and he doesn’t want to be here anymore, won’t take a pay cut…nobody will pay that. I wish him the best of luck. He got paid and did his job for the most part….just not this year.

  54. Will be interestingy to see where Williams lands. Panthers could be, because DE Jared Allen hasn’t decided if be wanted to retire. Also the Panthers Keep trending upward. So players like Williams want to go and land in a system where he Cam flurish in rotation and be on top contending team. Allen did and the Bears age 13.5 million in dead cap. So don’t under estimate GM Dave Gettleman.

    Now Bills HC Rex Ryan pointsy fingers and uses scape goats while destroying a team. Now keep in mind when Ryan was the HC of the Jets the WR coach quit when Ryan was hired and the Jets drafted WR Stephen Hill 2 nd round 43 overall. Wait, Ryan hired a WR coach who only had 2 years experience too. Now you also have to remember that Hill played at GT which runs the triple option offense. Meaning Hill’s route tree lacked a lot in his first 2 years and the lack of coaching didn’t help. Hence, Hill was labeled a bust and then tagged as a scape goat.

    Fast forward to Panthers. WR coach Ricky Proehl and GM Dave Gettleman brought Hill in. Rolled the dice by placing him on the PS
    Greatest move ever because Hill is 2 month’s younger than Kelvin Benjamin at 23. Think KB as #1 and Hill as #2 and WR Devin Funcy as a rotating #2#3 etc. Proehl has even had media interviews and has stated as much about Hill.
    Who could have predicated that both Hill and KB would go down in training camp.

    Anyway that’s how I view Ryan as a HC. He can get talent, but doesn’t know how toy use it. GM Dave Gettleman is great, he not only evaluates talent as a player, but Gettleman signs asst coaches to train to. Then he combos on signing player coaches like DE Jared Allen and CB Charles Peanut Punch Tillman to go along with the guys we already had like TE Greg Olsen, DE Charles Johnson, SS Roman Harper, RB Mike Tolbert, QB Derek Anderson etc.

    Look for the Bill’s to take another step backwards while the Jets take off.

    Hey Mario Williams drop your name in the Panthers ear, because next year we will repeat as Super Bowl Champions. Bold statement until you look at the roster and realize who are we losing? No one, because Gettleman cleaned up the cap mess. Room!

  55. They are getting rid of him because he criticised the coaching of the defense. Rex says he is OK with people questioning him but does he really. Kesp him lose rex.

  56. The team failed on the field..as a team. So when you ask a guy why and he gives you an example of how he isn’t being used properly, he’s a cancer?

    How about looking at the facts of the situation and here it is..the Jets were going NO WHERE with Ryan..

    Bowles takes over the Jets (same players) and they are the hottest team in the league going into the playoffs. And the healthiest team in the AFC too.

    So who really is the problem on that Bills??? Williams or Ryan??????????

  57. “Williams still has a game to play Sunday against the Jets, so it will be curious to see if they keep him active and motivated to play when he knows he’s on his way out.”

    Whoever leaked that needs to be out as much as Mario.

  58. brianh992 says:
    Dec 31, 2015 1:43 PM
    Yet their keeping Ryan. Morons

    —————————————————————–

    If you want to call people morons, you may want to spell *they’re* correctly. There, their, they’re are used in different ways and it really isn’t hard to determine which to use.

  59. Yea Mario Williams come by the Panthers & look Players here love the game of football Older players other teams throw away & working out here

  60. bassplucker says:
    Dec 31, 2015 2:32 PM
    For where he was drafted and how much money he has been paid, he should be a first ballet HOF but as it stands the only way he gets into Canton is with a ticket like the rest of us. He’s not quite the Sam Bradford of D Linemen but he’s in the same conversation. Moments of brilliance that interrupt years of blah.
    ______________

    This is a fine example of someone talking about something they know nothing about. Mario Williams has 95.0 career sacks, 4 pro-bowls, plus an all-pro selection. He’s averaged 10.6 sacks per 16 games played. Yet you call him the “Sam Bradford” of D linemen? Lol. He’d be in consideration for the HOF if he played his entire career for the Pats. Either way, he’s a great player. Just didn’t fit in a 3-4.

  61. Welcome to Denver. Mario will reunite with his old defensive staff that made him one of the greatest pass rushers in the NFL.

  62. kenberthiaume says:
    Dec 31, 2015 1:55 PM
    Ninkovich is more productive and makes about 1/4 of what he does.

    69 17
    Report comment

    You mean nincompoop?

    This is t breaking news at all. Everyone in the Buffalo area has known this was going to happen. He doesn’t fit the philosophy and has been complaining publicly about it.

    His cap money will be better spent elsewhere.

  63. thrillomania says:
    Dec 31, 2015 2:38 PM
    so, he averaged almost 13 sacks a season his first 3 years in Buffalo, a new coaching staff comes in, he only gets 4 sacks, the team as a whole under performs from their previous year, and its Mario Williams fault. got cha.
    ——————————
    If you actually watched the Bills it wouldn’t be so shocking. Mario has just been going through the motions for much of the season. It’s not the scheme, it’s his lack of respect, lack of heart and lack of effort.

    Good riddance.

  64. That is a blessing in disguise for him. The bills are a team going nowhere fast. He is too good to be on that team. If I was him I would say ” see ya wouldn’t want to be ya!”

  65. As good as the eagles d-line has been the last two years, they really would be better suited in a 4-3 and there’s already been talk about going back to that next season. if you have fletcher cox inside with bennie logan and cedric thorton and mario williams and vinny curry as your DEs with brandon graham and connor barwin rotating as well the d-line could be even better. then you have demeco at mlb with hicks on the weak side and kendricks on the strong side. could be a scary front 7. give alonzo one more season to see if this year’s struggles were just a result of coming back from injury. if he plays better then you have him, hicks and kendricks as the LB core for the foreseeable fututre with demeco’s career winding down. and if he doesn’t prove himself you get him out the door. i don’t think barwin is a great fit for a 4-3, so even though seeing him go would hurt because he’s been great on the field and carries himself as a really respectable guy off of it, you can always trade him and maybe get back a 3rd rounder. williams in FA and a corner in the 1st round would really boost the defense.

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