Friday, March 16, 2012

Bills to use Williams strictly as a left defensive end

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The money was important, but the role was too.

The Bills made defensive end Mario Williams the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history Thursday when they signed him to a deal worth $100 million with $50 million guaranteed.

And while the money was a big sell for Williams, so was the job description.

“We knew that he liked to play on the left side,” Bills general manager Buddy Nix told WGR Sportsradio 550, according to BuffaloBills.com. ”He was used on both sides at Houston, but he was a left defensive end at N.C. State so that was important to him."

Nix added that "it is important to him (Williams) that he his a pass rusher, not an outside backer that's going to drop two out of every five or six plays."

Fortunately for Williams and the Bills, Buffalo was the right fit.

"We made it clear to him that wasn’t what we were interested in having him do," Nix said. "We want him with his hair swooped back and in a three-point stance and chasing the quarterback. That was important.

“Another thing was our inside players. He felt if he could have some quality defensive tackles in there that could push the pocket and rush the passer from inside it would give him a lot better chance. And there’s no doubt it does. Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams did a good job selling him on that and that was important to him.”

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