Does Rex Ryan wish Mario Williams well in Miami? 'Not really'
It's probably for the best that Mario Williams and the Bills went their separate ways
By
Ryan Wilson
•
2 min read
On the one hand, it's refreshing to have an NFL coach speak his mind. On the other hand, Rex Ryan could probably stand to dial it down a few notches because he seems to weigh in on just about any topic brought to his attention.
The latest: In an interview with TheMMQB.com's Jenny Vrentas, Ryan spoke frankly about defensive end Mario Williams, whose tenure in Buffalo can kindly be described as less than exemplary. The Bills dumped Williams this offseason and he signed with the Dolphins a few weeks later.
"Now look, with some of the comments (Williams made), do I wish him well? Not really," Ryan said last week. "But, he's on Miami. If he would have gone somewhere else, maybe. He's a good kid, but I am used to some mean motherf---ers that play out there. The Terrell Suggs, Jarrett Johnsons of the world. I screwed them, too; I had them drop (into coverage), too. Not one of them bitched."
Ryan's referring to Williams reportedly complaining that he didn't like the way he was used in Buffalo, at least when Ryan took over after the 2014 season. Not helping: An anonymous Bills teammate blasting Williams for "checking out."
Meanwhile, Williams signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins worth about $8 million a year. That's a lot to pay a player who seemed uninterested in football for much of last season. In fact, CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco went back and looked at the tape and found evidence that Williams wasn't exactly trying his hardest.
It's clear to anybody who watched the Bills' tape from last season that Williams wasn't the same player. Yes, he was asked to do some different things in Rex Ryan's defensive scheme, but not much. He dropped out maybe once or twice a game into coverage, yet his on-field demeanor for much of the season was awful. The body language was bad.The tape was even worse.
When he was released Tuesday, making him free to sign anywhere he wants, I contacted three general managers and asked if they thought Williams dogged it.
"Badly," one said.
"The tape I watched this morning was awful," another general manager said.
Ryan contends that while, yes, Williams is best utilized as a pass rusher, there are other requirements of the position.
"Von Miller (dropped into coverage) in the Super Bowl," Ryan said. "Why? Because that's what's asked of him; that's what his job is. Your job is to play. Coaches spend a hell of a lot more time studying tape and everything else. They are trying to put the team in the best position to be successful, not an individual."
It's a hard point to argue. Either way, Ryan even has thoughts on where Williams will play in Miami.
"I think he'll play left end, and when you've got (Ndamukong) Suh inside, it's set up to play a 4-3 defense, so I think that's what they'll do with him," he said back in March. "Play a nine technique, everything he wants."
So has Ryan has made note of the Bills' Week 7 matchup against Williams and the Dolphins? He only offered this: "I don't know, we may have it circled," he said.
