Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan and GM Doug Whaley will be back for the 2016 NFL season, but according to a Thursday report from The Associated Press, the same can't be said of high-paid defensive end-turned-outside linebacker Mario Williams. Per the AP, the Bills will cut Williams this offseason, though no timetable has been provided as to when the move will occur.
The Bills are set to square off against the New York Jets in their final game of the 2015 season this weekend.
According to the report, the reason for Williams' expected dismissal is two-fold:
"Williams has become expendable because his contract is deemed to be too expensive, and also because he has struggled to make the transition to the defensive system introduced by first-year coach Rex Ryan. Williams has two years left on the six-year, $100 million contract he signed in free agency in 2012."
Williams will make $11.5 million next season under his current deal. By cutting him, the Bills will save themselves approximately $12 million.
The former first-overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, Williams joined the Bills in 2012 in free agency after leaving the Houston Texans. A natural 4-3 defensive end, Williams excelled in Buffalo at first, 10.5, 13 and 14.5 his first three seasons. But with the arrival of Ryan came a move to outside linebacker, where Williams has since struggled.
He has 4.0 sacks and just 17 tackles on the season. He also hasn't been shy about voicing his displeasure with the way things are trending in Buffalo, going so far as to question why he's being asked to drop into coverage more this year.
While one Williams is headed out the door in Buffalo, another, defensive tackle Kyle Williams, is safe, according to the AP.
Williams is a 10-year NFL veteran with four Pro Bowls to his name. His season ended in mid-October during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals in which he injured his knee.
Ryan and Co. are said to covet his leadership and work ethic and want him back, assuming his rehab goes as planned.
