Written by Kevin Patra and Connor Orr at NFL.com
The Buffalo Bills cut Mario Williams on Tuesday. The pass rusher immediately leapt into the No. 7 slot of Around The NFL’s Top 99 Free Agents list.
As the Denver Broncos proved this season, disrupting the quarterback is paramount to success, especially in January. Even as a 31-year-old veteran, Williams should field plenty of offers for his services in a league always desperate for pass rushers.
Williams is best served as a defensive end in a 4-3, when getting after the quarterback is his main priority. However, he also owns the ability to play linebacker in a 3-4 — compiling 13 sacks in Mike Pettine’s scheme in 2013.
The biggest question teams will have about Williams is the bevy of plays he took off last season under Rex Ryan and the consistent blasting of his coach to the media. If a team is satisfied that it was a blip on the radar, Williams is a veteran many teams could and should look to add.
On NFL Network’s NFL HQ, Charley Casserly, the former general manager who selected Williams No. 1 overall in 2006, noted several teams on which he believes the pass rusher would fit — including the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens.
We decided to offer some of our own potential landing spots:
Dallas Cowboys
The offseason focus might be on the quarterback and running back positions, but adding a pass rusher is vital for Jerry Jones. Greg Hardy is gone. Randy Gregory is suspended for four games. Dallas sacked the quarterback just 31 times in 2015, ranking 25th in the NFL. The Cowboys’ back end is solid with the emergence of Byron Jones, but they need to put pressure on the quarterback in 2016. Pairing Williams with Demarcus Lawrence would give the Cowboys two rushers who can win off the edge. Also, signing an aging former star with some character questions to a big contract just feels like a Jones move.
Arizona Cardinals
General manager Steve Keim promised to upgrade the pass rush this offseason. Williams could step in and provide an instant upgrade while the Cards bring along younger pieces. Bruce Arians loves veteran players and would nip in the bud any of the effort issues with Williams. The Cardinals put their players in the best position to make plays, so we wouldn’t worry about Williams dropping into coverage much under defensive coordinator James Bettcher. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, adding pass rushers is the priority, and Williams would fit the bill.
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