The New York Giants need pass rushers after notching just 23 sacks last year. Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers are free agents, while Owa Odighizuwa was healthy enough to appear in only a couple of games. The Giants’ pass rush needs help and one intriguing name just hit the open market — Mario Williams.
Williams was released by the Buffalo Bills Tuesday in an effort to save $12.9 million on their cap. The move comes in the wake of Williams expressing displeasure with Rex Ryan’s defensive schemes which saw him drop into coverage too often. He recorded just five sacks and 19 tackles but is only a year removed from a 2014 season that saw him record 14.5 sacks and 42 tackles.
The Giants could certainly use someone like Williams and his 96 sacks over his 10-year career. He would be an instant upgrade at defensive end and should thrive in the Giants’ 4-3 scheme where he would be able to focus on putting the quarterback on his back.
Cost shouldn’t be much of an issue given the approximately $60 million in cap room the Giants currently have. That doesn’t mean they should go nuts and sign him to a huge contract. Williams is a 31-year-old defensive end coming off of the worst season of his career, even if it is a direct result to the role he was asked to play and not his actual talent. In other words, don’t expect the Giants to offer him a huge contract like the Bills did prior to the 2012 season when they signed him to a six-year, $100 million deal.
The Giants should pursue Williams because, despite missing the playoffs the last three seasons, they are a team built to win now thanks to Eli Manning. Their window to get back to the Super Bowl is as long as Eli’s effectiveness. Williams would be a leader in the locker room and would be a huge upgrade at defensive end, especially if the Giants also re-sign one of Ayers or Pierre-Paul and spend a high draft pick on a defensive end.
Williams will certainly look to cash in one more time and might price himself out of the range the Giants would feel comfortable with. There are few teams, if any, that can pay Williams like the Giants can. They should at least show an interest in him and offer a contract. He would be a huge upgrade to the Giants’ pass rush and would go a long way toward improving their overall defense.
