Rex blasts Mario for 'bitching' about coaching calls

The Mario Williams saga may be over in Buffalo, but his presence in the division is still very real.

Rex Ryan went off about the former defensive end's decision to speak out about the coaching decisions Friday, comparing him to other former greats that he's coached who acted less selfish in similar situations.

Per Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com:

"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. 

Von Miller [dropped into coverage] in the Super Bowl. 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."

Tell us how you really feel, Rex.

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Williams looking forward to working opposite Wake

Defensive end Mario Williams is ready to prove himself to the Miami Dolphins, and he's looking forward to doing so opposite Cameron Wake.

Per the Palm Beach Post:

“It’s going to be great,” Williams said Wednesday. “Over the years, (Wake) has definitely caused a lot of havoc. Being able to play alongside him, it’s just going to make it a little bit easier for the whole defense.”

The pair have a combined eight Pro Bowls under their collective belt... They also have some years (by football standards), with Wake at 34 years old and Williams 31.

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Former Bills Alonso, Williams have Gase licking chops

Former Bills Kiko Alonso and Mario Williams are set to start for the Miami Dolphins defense this season, and coach Adam Gase couldn't be happier.

Miami acquired Alonso, Byron Maxwell and the 13th overall pick for their eighth overall pick, while signing Williams to a two-year, $17 million free-agent contract.

Gase spoke about the team's recent acquisitions Tuesday via MiamiDolphins.com, offering nothing but praise for the duo.

On Alonso:

"We see a guy that runs well, that he hits, he strikes. He's going to fit into what we do really well. Him being back in a 4-3 defense, that probably suits him a little bit better. Really excited to get this guy going and getting him in our program and having that kind of speed at linebacker is really going to be helpful for us."

On Williams:

"We're excited to get him back to playing like he did in 2013, 2014. I feel like he's in a good place. ... When I talked to him when we signed him, you could tell he was ready to kind of get last year, that taste out of his mouth. He’s a good addition for us."

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Mario signs with Dolphins a week after leaving Bills

Mario Williams is moving South.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Miami Dolphins signed the 31-year-old defensive end  Tuesday to a two-year contract, a week after being let go by the Buffalo Bills and a day before free agency kicked off.

After early success in Buffalo, Williams struggled last year in Rex Ryan's defense, managing just five sacks for the season and apparently unhappy with his role. He amassed 38 sacks in three years prior to Ryan's arrival.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports Williams will make $16 million on the short contract.

Eyes are now on defensive ends Olivier Vernon and Cameron Wake.

Dolphins announce visit in most matter-of-fact way

Yesterday morning, multiple media outlets reported former Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams visited the Miami Dolphins.

Apparently, it's officially official. Via the Dolphins' official Twitter feed:

The following player visited the team:

- Mario Williams

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) March 6, 2016

It was a funny way for the Dolphins to announce the visit. But what the heck... it's a Sunday in the offseason.

Anyway, Hal Habib of The Palm Beach Post wrote Saturday that the Dolphins must thoroughly check Williams, who allegedly "checked out" on the Bills.

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Bills cuts continue as team releases Dixon, Urbik, Gray

Freeing up cap space and preparing for free agency, the Bills were busy thinning the roster Tuesday, as three players said their good-byes to Buffalo fans via Twitter.

Running back Anthony Dixon, offensive lineman Kraig Urbik and tight end MarQueis Gray seemingly joined defensive end Mario Williams on the free agent line, cuts that will help general manager Doug Whaley afford the contracts of the offensive lineman he is targeting this offseason.

Here are the Twitter comments by each player, courtesy of the Buffalo News:

Thank you @buffalobills it was a pleasure!

— MarQueis Gray (@MarQueisG) March 1, 2016

Thank You to the Buffalo Bills Organization and to the fans,my time is up,but you will always have a special place in my heart #BillsMafia 💯

— Anthony Dixon (@Boobie24Dixon) March 1, 2016

pic.twitter.com/mEMjLE2sco

— Kraig Urbik (@kraigurbik) March 1, 2016

Bills cut Mario Williams, free up major cap space

Mario Williams was very vocal about his thoughts on the Buffalo's defensive scheme last season. Rex Ryan and the Bills have now been vocal about Mario's future with the team.

According to Josina Anderson of ESPN, Williams has been let go, opening up nearly $13 million in cap space.   

I'm told by a source Bills DE Mario Williams has been informed he's been released.

— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 1, 2016

After three consecutive seasons with double-digit sacks with Buffalo, Williams tallied only five sacks in 2015. His overall tackle total dropped as well, averaging barely more than one per game.

Mario Williams back to practice after illness

BY EDITOR

Mario Williams was under the weather Wednesday, but the start defensive end re-joined his Buffalo Bills teammates at practice a day later.

According to ESPN.com, Williams and offensive lineman Chris Hairston returned to the field Thursday after being absent the day before to illness.

Tight end Chris Gragg, with a knee ailment, was the only player absent.

SOURCE: ESPN.com

Schlereth picks Broncos 100-0, trolls Bills fans

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

It's no secret that Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense are a potent bunch. Heck, they're averaging 30 points a game, and Manning leads all quarterbacks with 36 touchdowns.

The Buffalo Bills defense, however, is ranked No. 5 in the league, and many see Sunday's game between the two as one of the week's intriguing matchups.

ESPN NFL analyst Mark Schlereth is apparently not one of those people.

Mario continues to lead Bills' defensive tirade

BY LANDON RODY

The Buffalo Bills lead the NFL in sacks with 46, thanks in part to defensive end Mario Williams, who has 13 of them.

Williams has been hot of late, tallying six quarterback takedowns in the last two weeks. Head coach Doug Marrone thinks Williams is playing with a chip on his shoulder.

“I’ll tell you what. I don’t disagree with that,” Marrone said this week, via BuffaloBills.com. “He came out [Monday] and I was like, ‘Whoa.’ I really was, I was like, ‘Holy cow. There he goes.’ Whatever that is that’s what we need to keep getting no doubt about it.”

Schwartz: Mario has Megatron-type effect on defense

BY LANDON RODY

Is Mario Williams a Calvin Johnson on defense? Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz seems to think so.

Schwartz, who coached Megatron in Detroit, likens Williams to Johnson, despite their playing on opposite sides of the ball.

"Mario's got a lot of the same in him," Schwartz said recently, via BuffaloBills.com. "He's just so damn big, and he's such an explosive player, even if you want to move him around, they're still going to account for him."

Mario, Bills' defense 'starting to grasp' new system

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

While the Buffalo Bills' offense garnered much of the attention in the team's first two training camp sessions, the defense -- particularly the team's strong front four -- is boning up on the intricacies of Jim Schwartz's newly installed schematic.

A season after posting the second-most sacks in the league, the Bills defensive squad will now try to replicate its feverish style from a year ago in a completely different style, one that will rely even more heavily on its talent up front.

Defensive lineman Mario Williams said via the team's website Tuesday that transition still has a little ways to go.

Bills' D-line pressure a key factor under Schwartz

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

In a scheme that blitzed more than most last season, the Buffalo Bills' defensive line under Mike Pettine wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

Under newly hired defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, however, those opportunities may have to be more individually established.

While talking shop with colleague and Bills beat writer Mike Rodak, ESPN's Detroit Lions writer Michael Rothstein filled in the Bills faithful on what to expect from their new acquisition, particularly when it comes to creating pressure in the backfield.

Clabo 'going to show up' for rematch with Mario

BY SEAN DONOVAN

When the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills first met in Week 7, one specific play shifted the game's balance from one side to the other.

That play was a late fourth quarter strip-sack by Bills defensive end Mario Williams, who beat Dolphins right tackle Tyson Clabo en route to the quarterback and a turnover for his defense. The fortuitous field position allowed Buffalo to run down the clock and kick a field goal in the final minute to win, 23-21.

Williams recorded two total sacks on the day, and Pro Football Focus credited him with five other quarterback hits and hurries.

Mario Williams on record-setting pace for sacks

BY NICK ST. DENIS

In 2001, New York Giants pass rusher Michael Strahan took the single-season NFL sack record from former New York Jets star defener Mark Gastineau. Strahan removed the title from the AFC East but kept it in the state.

In 2013, Mario Williams has a chance to bring the record back to the AFC East but keep it in the state yet again.

Williams, the Buffalo Bills' top pass rusher, is on pace to break Strahan's single-season sack record of 22.5.

Super Mario's late heroics seal victory for Bills

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

Last year, Mario Williams caught his fair share of criticism for his sack numbers early on.

This year, not so much.

Williams added two sacks to his then league-leading total Sunday, which included a game-saving hit and forced fumble on quarterback Ryan Tannehill late in the fourth quarter, and the Buffalo Bills picked up a key divisional win on the road against the Miami Dolphins.

Mario Williams capitalizes on third down

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The Buffalo Bills finally got the game they were paying Mario Williams all that money for.

Williams, the Bills' $100 million defender, tallied a team-record 4.5 sacks in Buffalo's 24-23 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Buffalo's defense got in third-down situations where it was able to pin its ears back, and Williams capitalized.

“I think that when you get people behind in the sticks, that’s where the pass rushing ability really takes a level up,” Bills coach Doug Marrone said after the game, via BuffaloBills.com. “When they’re not worried about run or pass and if you can get them in a situation, I think then those elite pass rushers really rise to the top.”

Bills still can't elaborate on Mario's foot issue

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Mario Williams sat out of team drills Sunday and wasn't on the field at all Monday for the team's second training camp practice.

Sunday evening, Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone said Williams had a "sore foot" and would be evaluated by the team's medical staff. Late Monday afternoon, Marrone still didn't have an update.

“I probably again and I apologize if I miscommunicated it yesterday, but he’s going to be evaluated by our doctors so he’s off campus being evaluated and I have not heard anything or any report back,” Marrone said, via Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com.

Bills DE Mario Williams nursing a sore foot

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Mario Williams didn't participate in team drills Sunday evening during the Buffalo Bills' first training camp practice. Coach Doug Marrone later revealed why.

"Mario reported to our athletic training staff that he had a sore foot," Marrone told reporters after practice, according to Tim Graham of The Buffalo News. "So what we wanted to do was hold him out of practice and let our medical staff evaluate him."

Williams didn't elaborate on the injury.

Bills' defensive players tout Pettine's new playbook

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine promised change when he took over for the maligned Dave Wannstedt in January.

The Bills' defensive squad is now noticing those changes, and they like what they see. (photo: Matt Britt, Flickr)

Defensive end Mario Williams and linebacker Nigel Bradham are the latest Bills to tout Pettine's work. The players, both coming into their second year with the team, had similar observations about the differences between Wannstedt's scheme and Pettine's, mainly the latter's up-tempo style.