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The Buffalo Bills are releasing defensive end Mario Williams, according to ESPN's Josina Anderson. Williams had two years left on a six year contract worth $96 million that he signed back in 2012.
I'm told by a source Bills DE Mario Williams has been informed he's been released.
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 1, 2016
Williams was reportedly willing to take a pay cut, but that the team would have to meet "at least halfway" for a contract to get done. It looks like that didn't happen. He most naturally plays the wide 9 position (which is essentially the LEO position in Gus Bradley's defensive scheme here in Jacksonville) and had a three-year stretch where he had 38 sacks in three seasons with the Bills before Rex Ryan ruined him.
At 31 years old, he still has some years left, and in a better system he'll surely do better than the five-sack year he had last season.