After days of speculation and rumors that a deal would be imminent, it appears that Mario Williams will be signing a free-agent contract with the Buffalo Bills:
Mario Williams gets a six-year deal from the Buffalo Bills.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2012
Details of the deal have yet to be announced, but many have speculated that Buffalo, eager to make a splash in free agency and needing to boost their payroll to reach the salary floor minimum established by the new CBA, will break the bank for the All-Pro DE.
Williams came to Houston amidst great controversy when the Texans picked him ahead of Reggie Bush and Vince Young in the 2006 NFL Draft, but he rewarded the front office's faith in him by turning himself into one of the NFL's dominant pass rushers.
In six seasons in Houston, the 6'6 290 DE had 53 sacks and made two Pro Bowls. But while losing such an elite pass rusher can be a devastating blow for an NFL franchise, the Texans, under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, actually improved defensively in 2011 after Williams was ruled out for the season.