Mario Williams will have a chance to revive his image as a dominant player on defense in Miami.
The veteran defensive end is set to sign a two-year contract with the Dolphins. This according to multiple reports including NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. His new deal will reportedly pay him around $8 million per year. Williams was released by the Buffalo Bills on March 1st.
The #Dolphins deal with pass-rusher Mario Williams should come today, sources says, and it's expected to land him $8M per year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2016
Mario Williams Will Sign 2-Year Deal with Miami Dolphins
The 31-year-old Williams had spent his previous four NFL seasons in Western New York. There, he was part of a front seven that was among the league’s best at sacking the quarterback during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. The unit averaged 55.5 sacks over that time period. The Bills would finish second in the sack category in 2013 and led the NFL a year later.
Williams played a huge part. He finished as the team leader in sacks both seasons. His combined total of 27.5 was third best in the league, with only Robert Quinn and J.J. Watt finishing ahead of him. As a result, he would be named to consecutive Pro Bowls.
But things were not so rosy in 2015. Williams struggled grasping new defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman’s 3-4 scheme and was much less effective at getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He managed a measly five sacks on the season which, with the exception of his rookie year, was a career low. And the only other season where he had fewer tackles (15) was in 2011 when he missed 11 games due to injury.
The Richlands, NC native will be entering his 11th NFL season in 2016. He played collegiately at NC State and was originally picked first overall by the Houston Texans during the 2006 NFL Draft. His first six years in the league were spent in Houston. He made the Pro Bowl in 2008 and 2009 as a member of the Texans.
