Report: Bills sign Mario Williams

Williams to Buffalo about to happen? (Getty Images)

Update, 12:40 p.m. ET, via CBSSports.com Rapid Reporter Mark Ludwiczak: The Bills have reportedly sealed the deal on the biggest free-agent acquisition in franchise history. Williams has signed a six-year deal with the team, according to a tweet from ESPN's Adam Schefter. (FoxSports' Jay Glazer tweets that the deal includes $50 million in guarantees.)

Here's the latest as we wait for official word (via the Associated Press):

"A person familiar with the negotiations says free-agent defensive end Mario Williams is getting closer to signing with the Buffalo Bills. The person says Thursday that while no deal is done, progress has been made on the third day of talks. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing."

Then there's this: team has scheduled a 1:45 p.m. ET press conference for Thursday, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

The Bills had Williams in on Tuesday shortly after free agency began and haven't let him leave. Wednesday was spent selling him on the organization (along with the requisite sight-seeing), he remained in town overnight, and on Thursday the two sides were working to hammer out a deal that will make him the NFL's highest paid defender.

Williams was the first-overall pick in 2006, when then-Texans general manager Charley Casserly took Williams over Reggie Bush. It proved to be the right move even though it was criticized at the time. Williams leaves Houston after six seasons, 241 tackles, 11 forced fumbles and 53 sacks.

As the Buffalo News first reported, the Bills' offer will likely surpasses the six-year, $91.5 million deal that the Bears gave defensive end Julius Peppers in 2010. Peppers got $42 million guaranteed, and the package, at the time, made him the league's top earning defender.


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