The Buffalo Bills released pass rusher Mario Williams earlier this week, as they looked to save cap space and were ready to move on from the expensive defensive end after four seasons in Buffalo.
The former number one overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft is expected to garner interest around the league, despite a less than productive season for the talented pass rusher. Williams recorded 19 combined tackles and five sacks last season, and while those numbers are solid, it was the first time since 2011 that he had been held under double digit sacks.
One team that reportedly has interest in the veteran pass rusher is Bills AFC East rival the Miami Dolphins. The 31-year-old defensive end is reportedly heading to Miami to meet with the Dolphins, despite their lack of salary cap space. It's unknown how highly the Dolphins front office views Williams, but the move could have significant implications with defensive end Cameron Wake.
The Dolphins have been trying to rework their salary structure, especially after signing defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to a massive contract last offseason, and some believe that Miami's front office may look to move on from Wake if he doesn't restructure his deal or sign an extension to lower the salary cap for the 2016 season.
Wake is in the final year of his contract, but he creates a $9.8 million salary cap hit during the 2016 season and is coming off a torn Achilles. The Dolphins also placed the transition tag on defensive end Olivier Vernon and will have to wait and see what offers he receives around the league.
Miami arguably has one of the best defensive lines in the league, at least on paper, but failed to produce sacks, as they finished tied 25th in the league with just 31 total team sacks. Injuries were clearly a factor in their production last season, but Miami's front office is expecting much better results in 2016, especially given the amount money they are willing to spend on creating a pass rush.
The Dolphins are looking to be keep all their options open, and bringing Williams in for a visit could open another potential opportunity for their defense next season. Williams will likely draw interest from multiple teams this offseason and could prove to be too expensive for Miami, but only time will tell what the market value will be for the veteran pass rusher.
