New York Giants don’t need Mario Williams
By Ryan Disdier
The Buffalo Bills are expected to release four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Mario Williams. Should the New York Giants target him?
With the New York Giants set to have a plethora of money to spend in free agency, where exactly do they need to improve?
It’s no secret that the New York Giants need help along the defensive line. Jason Pierre-Paul‘s unfortunate injury affected the unit immensely, and JPP hasn’t looked like his old self.
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The once sack-heavy Steve Spagnuolo defense has been held in check for most of the year, only registering 22 total sacks.
The deficiencies were obvious all season long. At times, it was painful to watch. When the Giants were unable to close games, opposing quarterbacks routinely had all day to throw the ball and execute comeback drives.
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Improvements obviously need to be made. Superstar defensive lineman Mario Williams is expected to be released by the Buffalo Bills after a disappointing season, according to John Wawrow of the Associated Press.
Despite his age, Williams is probably at least worth a look by the Giants. After all, they really need all the help they can get. But is Williams really worth it?
Well, first things first, money is not really a huge issue for the Giants. New York will have a ton of cap room to make lucrative moves in free agency. Williams’ last deal was good for $100 million, which is obviously a lot more than the deal he’ll be getting this year.
With that being said, the Giants probably won’t want to overpay for Williams. But then again, with pass-rushing such a need for New York, it wouldn’t shock me to see the Giants pay a little more.
Williams is in the midst of his worst season from a sack-standpoint since his rookie year. Obviously, those numbers are also because of Rex Ryan’s scheme.
The market for a star pass-rushing end is always pricey, though, so while Williams won’t get another $100 million deal, it won’t be cheap to lock him up. In fact, a reason Buffalo is willing to cut ties with him probably has something to do with Williams’ refusal to take a pay cut.
A good comparison level may be a contract similar to the one DeMarcus Ware signed with Denver two years ago.
Williams’ insistence on not taking a pay cut may eventually spook teams from giving hi big-time money.
Despite his age, Williams is still an enormously talented player with tremendous amounts of athletic ability. The former first-overall pick has a phenomenal burst and first step, and his combination of size and speed makes him a headache for offensive lines to deal with.
He’s 6-6 and close to 295 lbs. and he can be a high-energy player, but only when he wants to be. If he’s not motivated, Williams could possibly be a distraction for the Giants, who will likely be with a new coach in 2016. In a bad fit, the disgruntled Williams has ‘totally checked out,’ according to an anonymous Bills teammate.
“It’s clear to me that Mario doesn’t care about anyone but himself,” the Buffalo player said, according to Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News. “He followed that up by not giving any effort during the season and complaining about the scheme instead of manning up and saying he played like crap and doesn’t care.”
That may be the reason New York doesn’t go out and get Williams. It’s hard to believe a new head coach would want a guy who could create dissension and drama in a locker room. Remember, Williams’ antics were highly publicized in the Buffalo market. And while the Bills’ fan base is as dedicated as they come, nothing compares to playing under the bright lights in the big city.
Look, as good of an idea as this seems, it’s hard for me to imagine it happening. The Giants have their own pass rusher to lock up, too. And while Jason Pierre-Paul won’t be earning a huge contract, he did enough in 2015 to make a decent amount.
Furthermore, Robert Ayers Jr. is also set to hit the open market. Ayers’ 8.5 sacks led the Giants, and he was the Giants’ best pass rusher when he was healthy. Allocating millions of dollars to three defensive linemen would likely hinder other positions’ improvement.
Ayers and JPP proved to be a good duo last year, and retaining both of them may be cheaper than signing Williams.
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With that being said, joining Williams with Ayers and JPP would give the Giants one of the best pass-rushing trios in franchise history.
Of course the Giants need to make some improvements at the defensive line position. But the pricey and aging Williams likely isn’t the answer.
Verdict:
It’s certainly a good idea, but unless Williams convinces the Giants’ coaches, especially Spags, he can be a viable leader with no drama, don’t count on this deal coming to fruition. I just don’t think this would be an ideal fit, especially for the price.