Buffalo Bills: Marcell Dareus Rues Departure of Mario Williams
By Paul Taylor
While Marcell Dareus understands the business nature of the NFL, he still wishes the Buffalo Bills had done more to keep Mario Williams around.
As Buffalo Bills fans will attest, its stunning how quickly things can change in the NFL. Look no further than the Bills defense last year, compared to 2014.
The team entered the 2015 campaign with high hopes, thanks to a defensive unit which had led the league in sacks and finished fourth in yards allowed the year before. However, by the end of the season, they had fallen dramatically, registering the second-fewest sacks in the NFL, while dropping to 19th in yards given up.
One of the main reasons for this decline, was linked to the players’ struggles to pick up Rex Ryan’s defensive system. Compared to Jim Schwartz’s simplistic scheme, it was akin to studying quantum physics, at least if you listened to the complaints.
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Most vocal among the dissenters was Mario Williams, who had no problem telling the media how he felt about Ryan’s system. His struggles were best highlighted by finishing with just five sacks – the lowest total since his rookie year. (He also recorded five sacks in 2011, but he only played in five games.)
Williams didn’t help his cause, with people within the organization suggesting he wasn’t put enough effort in. Throw in the size of his contract, and in truth, he made it easy for the Bills to release him back in March.
While not condoning the conduct of the 2006 first overall draft pick, you can still understand his frustrations to a certain extent. Despite Ryan’s reputation as a defensive guru, there is no denying Williams had arguably the worst year of his professional career.
In that respect, you can’t put it all on the 31-year old, especially when you consider how successful he was during his first three seasons in Western New York. Regardless, what’s done is done, and the Bills now have to face him twice a year, when they play their hated divisional rivals, the Miami Dolphins.
If Marcell Dareus had his way though, that wouldn’t be the case. He discussed his former teammate with Matthew Fairburn of newyorkupstate.com and the rest of the media.
Dareus said: “He’s a real close friend of mine. I wish we could have (done) something, but at the same time, hey, it’s a business.
“They’re going to do what they have to do. It hit us all different ways, but that’s how it is.”
When you consider the 26-year old was also vocal with his complaints about Ryan’s schemes last season, you know he’s not happy about how things turned. As such, he was asked to elaborate.
Dareus decided not to take the bait as such, although he did allude to his displeasure: “It’s a business. How I feel really doesn’t matter.”
From Fairburn’s point of view, the Bills have moved on, with the majority of the players buying into their head coach’s system. However, it won’t mean much if their best defender isn’t fully committed.
In that respect, Dareus is entitled to feel aggrieved about his friend being released, but he still has a job to do. He’s being paid a lot of money, so it is up to him to get past any resentment and help his team end their 16-year postseason drought.
Next: Is Marcell Dareus becoming a long-term concern?
Everyone is well aware of the issues surrounding Mario Williams last season. However, also taking into account his overall production during his time in Buffalo, do you wish he was still around or are you glad to see the back of him? Let us know in the comments section below.