How is Mario Williams a free agent?

[IGotWorms 3,315]

So Mario Williams is an elite pass rusher just hitting the peak of his career. And Houston is going to let him go? How does that happen?

 

Elite pass rushers are highly coveted. They are extremely hard to come by and usually when a team lands one they hold on to them for dear life as long as they remain elite. It seems to me that DeMarcus Ware is the only pass rusher in the NFL right now who is clearly better than Williams. And Williams is two years younger than Ware!

 

Basically the only thing that would be more odd than this situation is if a team let an elite quarterback hit the market in his prime.

 

So how does this happen? Why is Houston letting him go? Why don't they franchise him? How come they didn't lock him up to a long-term contract earlier? Why is it that everyone is assuming he won't return to the Texans?

 

Is Houston in some kind of salary cap hell or something? It just doesn't make sense.

[southcarolina 166]

Why don't they franchise him?

 

Because his salary cap hit would be almost 20 mil for next season. I also thing Arian Foster is an FA, and i think they can only use the tag on one of them.

 

 

 

EDIT: Cap hit would actually be 21.99 mil, according to this

 

https://twitter.com/#!/adbrandt/status/169868886987120641

[Cara 0]

While letting someone of his caliber hit the open market would be devastating, look at the view from the Texans sideline. If they sign him, they will not only lose other players, but they will also not be able to make a run for anyone in free agency for the next few years. Mario will become the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. Only a few teams can even offer him a contract that isn't heavily backloaded.

 

If you look at the Texans defense after he went down, they were still very tough. Add in another defensive player or two, the fact they are now heading into the second year of the switch to a 3-4, and you have a pretty nice defense even without Williams. No doubt it would be MUCH more devastating with him, but is signing one player worth hamstringing yourself at other positions?

 

If I were the Texans, I would clear the room to franchise him, then I would trade him. He is the hottest free agent in years, and maybe the best ever available in free agency. Some team will part with a first round pick, no doubt. Look what Reggie White did for Green Bay.....

[southcarolina 166]

 

 

If I were the Texans, I would clear the room to franchise him, then I would trade him. He is the hottest free agent in years, and maybe the best ever available in free agency. Some team will part with a first round pick, no doubt. Look what Reggie White did for Green Bay.....

 

I am far from a salary cap expert, but ive been reading up on it this morning, and as i understand it, the Texans right now are only something like $800,000 under the cap. Making another 22 million dollars worth of cap space to franchise Williams would require an almost impossible amount of contract restructuring and roster cuts, and all by a deadline that is fast approaching. The moment they put the tag on him, and he signs it, the Texans are on the hook for the full 22.9 million, and they cant risk that.

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

I am far from a salary cap expert, but ive been reading up on it this morning, and as i understand it, the Texans right now are only something like $800,000 under the cap. Making another 22 million dollars worth of cap space to franchise Williams would require an almost impossible amount of contract restructuring and roster cuts, and all by a deadline that is fast approaching. The moment they put the tag on him, and he signs it, the Texans are on the hook for the full 22.9 million, and they cant risk that.

 

This is why I am baffled that many supposed "experts" feel Houston is a possible landing spot for Peyton Manning.

[Pavlov 0]

The Texans have about $6.8 million in space and have Foster and Williams to resign--obviously, both can't happen. Even with really aggressive restructuring (ala the Steelers), there isn't going to be enough room to keep both those guys. As for Manning, it would not be tough for a post-Schaub/post-Williams Texans' cap (getting rid of both takes the 6.8 figure to around $27 million) to accommodate Manning at all, given the expectations of what his new contract will look like. The play for the Texans in this scenario is to let Williams walk and resign the various UFAs they have on the O-Line (or sign equivalent talent in free agency). I'm not totally convinced this is a great idea, but it's certainly economically feasible.

 

The good news is that the Texans don't have a lot of weaknesses. The bad news is that they have a decent amount of dead money on the books, they have a lot of contracts coming up in 2013 that they need to keep in mind, and they have essentially zero wiggle room.

 

Best case scenario: Williams walks, Johnson and Schaub restructure, resign Myers (assuming there isn't some health issue--30-year old centers aren't long term deal candidates), lock up Foster, franchise Dreessen. You don't want to franchise Foster because the RB number is much higher than the TE number and because you're right back in this situation in 2013 when a bunch of rookie contracts for good players expire.

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

So it sounds like he's definately out of Houston...

 

 

Where does he land? Man, I wish my Titans would pony up, but they won't.

[Phurfur 70]

If they had drafted Reggie Bush they wouldn't have this problem.

[IGotWorms 3,315]

Because his salary cap hit would be almost 20 mil for next season. I also thing Arian Foster is an FA, and i think they can only use the tag on one of them.

 

So the Texans are going to prioritize a running back over an elite front seven defensive player? If so, that is focking stupid. Foster is very good, yes, but running backs are a dime a dozen. High impact pass rushers obviously are not.

 

Plus RBs break down very quickly. Nearly every team that has ever signed a veteran RB to a huge contract has regretted it.

[IGotWorms 3,315]

So it sounds like he's definately out of Houston...

 

 

Where does he land? Man, I wish my Titans would pony up, but they won't.

 

Well there's talk of Seattle and New England. Jacksonville was rumored to be a suitor for a while but their GM basically said they aren't going to focus on free agency until they've built through the draft.

 

I'd love to see my Pats go after him. In the end I think he will command more money than they are willing to pay, but still...you don't get the opportunity to sign a player like this very often. And the Pats desperately need an impact player on that defense.

[Pavlov 0]

Well there's talk of Seattle and New England. Jacksonville was rumored to be a suitor for a while but their GM basically said they aren't going to focus on free agency until they've built through the draft.

 

I'd love to see my Pats go after him. In the end I think he will command more money than they are willing to pay, but still...you don't get the opportunity to sign a player like this very often. And the Pats desperately need an impact player on that defense.

 

After my last post, I spent around 15 minutes trying to figure out how the Pats could sign Williams. The Pats have a decent amount of cap space and should have enough money to pursue at least one impact player after Welker should they choose to, but it's tricky and would probably require Williams to sign a back-loaded contract like he did in Texas. As a Pats fan, I'd rather see them make a run at Carlos Rogers (who would cost about $7 million/season) and not trade out of their draft spot and actually pick a 5-technique rusher like I've been telling them to do for years. Years!

[IGotWorms 3,315]

After my last post, I spent around 15 minutes trying to figure out how the Pats could sign Williams. The Pats have a decent amount of cap space and should have enough money to pursue at least one impact player after Welker should they choose to, but it's tricky and would probably require Williams to sign a back-loaded contract like he did in Texas. As a Pats fan, I'd rather see them make a run at Carlos Rogers (who would cost about $7 million/season) and not trade out of their draft spot and actually pick a 5-technique rusher like I've been telling them to do for years. Years!

 

It seems like they just aren't going to take a pass rusher early in the draft. People have been calling for it and projecting it since at least 2008 and they just haven't done it.

 

I think part of the reason is that a lot of those guys don't pan out. And to the extent that there have been some great options, they are usually gone well before the Pats pick (like Aldon Smith last year).

 

That's why I'd like to see them go after Williams. We know he can play at an elite level. When you try to get a guy like that in the bottom half of the first round there's just too much risk you end up with a Vernon Gholston.

 

On the other hand it should be noted that both Andre Carter and Mark Anderson played well last year. Maybe the answer is just to bring those guys back?

[MicktheGreat 1]

At first, I was shocked that the Texans weren't trying harder to re-sign Mario Williams. However, I've heard from a lot of Texans fans who are actually support the franchise's decision to let Mario leave -- especially at his hefty price-tag. Apparently, Mario has been plagued by lots of injuries (some serious, some not so much) in recent years; and while he's been very good against the run, his sack totals haven't been "dominant" since 2008. (Though part of that, I think, is a result of the injuries.) Plus, the front-office and their fans seem to like what they have in J.J. Watt, Connor Barwin, and Brooks Reed -- all of whom are younger and cheaper than Mario. So...I guess that's the rationale for letting Mario leave via FA.

 

All that said, I would LOVE for the Titans to sign him (but they won't).

 

[Reality 2,710]

I would be concerned with his recent injury history.

[IGotWorms 3,315]

I would be concerned with his recent injury history.

 

Interesting. I wonder if this might be one of the reasons that Houston is willing to part with him?

 

He did miss three games in 2010 (hernia). That's not a ton but then he missed 11 in 2011 (torn pectoral muscle). Personally I don't see it as a problem but I could see how others might.

[remote controller 133]

Didn't the defense actually improve by most measures after he went down???

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,590]

when you have Wade Phillips as your DC you dont need superstars on Defense to be a top 5 defense

[dream_team 2]

I agree with the OP, you don't let elite pass rushers like Mario Williams go. Ask KC if they were happy about letting Jared Allen go.

 

But here's the deal... I think if they didn't switch to a 3-4, they would have extended Mario last season. There was a lot of uncertainty how, and if, he would fit in a 3-4 defense. Then you know what happened last season, he proved he can play OLB, but then the injury occurred. Even though he was having a dominant season, the Texans defense still played at a high level after he went down. So these are the two main reasons Mario hasn't been re-signed yet:

 

1) Texans don't have a lot of cap space. They also have to worry about other FAs like Arian Foster, Chris Myers, Mike Briesel, and Joel Dreesen.

2) Do they really need him? The defense still played at a high level, and was able to put pressure on the QB, even after he went down.

 

As a Texans fan, I still hope they find a way to make it work. I'm in the same boat as the OP, you don't let players like him get away for nothing. I hope they some how find a way to re-sign Mario, Foster, and Myers... but it may be virtually impossible, unless a lot of vets are willing to restructure their contracts.

[WhiteWonder 2,172]

unless he really wants to go back to full time 4-3 DE, i would LOVE for the Jets to land him. He is exactly what they need for their base 3-4 as a freak rush OLB.

[FUBARED AGAIN 1]

At first, I was shocked that the Texans weren't trying harder to re-sign Mario Williams. However, I've heard from a lot of Texans fans who are actually support the franchise's decision to let Mario leave -- especially at his hefty price-tag. Apparently, Mario has been plagued by lots of injuries (some serious, some not so much) in recent years; and while he's been very good against the run, his sack totals haven't been "dominant" since 2008. (Though part of that, I think, is a result of the injuries.) Plus, the front-office and their fans seem to like what they have in J.J. Watt, Connor Barwin, and Brooks Reed -- all of whom are younger and cheaper than Mario. So...I guess that's the rationale for letting Mario leave via FA.

 

All that said, I would LOVE for the Titans to sign him (but they won't).

 

Bam, you hit the nail on the head. Most of us Texans fans are of the opinion that if he re-signs then fine and if not then fine also.

We liked what we saw in the younger kids, Barwin, Watt and Reed. The poster above is correct, Williams is injury plagued

and something is constantly wrong with him plus you never know which Mario will show up. He very seldom gives it 100 percent.

Elite pass rusher, not even close especially the last couple of years. Don't let the start of the 2011 season fool you.

He would have slowed down and been right back to the old Mario.

[dhockster 0]

Bam, you hit the nail on the head. Most of us Texans fans are of the opinion that if he re-signs then fine and if not then fine also.

We liked what we saw in the younger kids, Barwin, Watt and Reed. The poster above is correct, Williams is injury plagued

and something is constantly wrong with him plus you never know which Mario will show up. He very seldom gives it 100 percent.

Elite pass rusher, not even close especially the last couple of years. Don't let the start of the 2011 season fool you.

He would have slowed down and been right back to the old Mario.

To support your point:

2008: 6 sacks in first 5 games; finished with 12 sacks

2010: 5 sacks in first 4 games; finished with 8.5 sacks

 

-While he had 5 sacks in the first 5 games in 2011, we still don't know if he would've become less productive over the

course of the season with all the additional running he would have had to do as LB.

-Most analysts think he is better suited to a 4-3 defense.

-Aside from his good sack numbers, Mario doesn't seem to elevate the players around him. The Texans defense has gotten better as

they have added better players, not because of anything Mario is specifically doing.

-The Texans simply don't have the cap space to sign such a high priced player, and the defense seemed to perform at a high level without

him.

-He is an injury risk: played hurt most of one season, and has missed 14 games over the course of the last two seasons. You shouldn't pay top dollars to someone you know is an injury risk.

[donhaas 18]

Packers will get him