Who was the Bills next best edge rusher after Bruce?

[FireChans]

On 2/28/2025 at 10:01 AM, msw2112 said:

 

As you correctly stated, when Mario Williams was signed, he was the highest paid defensive player in the NFL, but he was also the highest paid player in the HISTORY OF THE NFL.  He averaged just under 11 sacks per season with the Bills.  That's a very productive player, no question.  Opinions are subjective, but in my opinion, 11 sacks per season for the highest paid defensive player in NFL history is not that dominant or special.

 

Bryce Paup also averaged 11 sacks per season while with the Bills.  He had one outstanding season with 17.5 sacks (Mario's best was 14.5).  Paup was well-paid, but was not the highest paid defensive player in the history of the NFL.

 

Thus, I don't think it's wild to say that Mario Williams was not great RELATIVE TO HIS CONTRACT.  You may disagree, but it's not a "wild" or outlandish take.

 

Was he the best and most talented defensive lineman on the Bills during the drought?  No question.  Was he a great value, relative to his contract?  In my opinion, no.  His sack numbers were good, but not staggering, and he did not lead the team to a single playoff appearance.

No one on those Bills led the team to a single playoff appearance. If your judgement on “great value” is if they led the Bills to playoff appearances, Hamlin is better than Mario. 100% outlandish stuff.

[MarkyMannn]

On 2/27/2025 at 5:37 AM, GreggTX said:

Pretty self explainatory. Was it McDole? He played LE. Hanson? Schobel? Hanson? Mario? Hughes? I was thinking about and realized that outside of Bruce and Hughes, the cupboard has been pretty bare at RE. The LE and ROLB (Paup) positions have fated much better overall.

You got some good names there, other than Hanson LOL.  But kudos to you going back to Ron McDole. He was a force back in the day

[machine gun kelly]

Mario by far.  Wrex ruined him by outthinking conventional logic.  Why would you ever drop a beast like him into coverage.  That’s why Wrex is on ESPN, and not coaching as he’s an idiot.

[Buffalo716]

32 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said:

Mario by far.  Wrex ruined him by outthinking conventional logic.  Why would you ever drop a beast like him into coverage.  That’s why Wrex is on ESPN, and not coaching as he’s an idiot.

The whole dropping into coverage thing is the most overblown thing I've ever heard 

 

If you run a 34 defense you have defensive lineman dropping occasionally on overload blitzes 

 

People act like he was asking Mario to drop in coverage 25 times a game lol he dropped in coverage like 12 times all year lol

[Buftex]

On 2/27/2025 at 7:03 AM, Spiderweb said:

Yes, it was definitely based on overall production and length of service. Mario got ruined by Rex Ryan, who used Mario to drop into coverage? I recall how upset he was with the way Ryan used him. 

Not defending Rex at all (he was awful), but as I recall, Mario was pretty awful after he left Buffalo... he was great his first 3 years for us, but I think he really did hit the proverbal "wall"in 2015.  He was terrible in Miami, in 2016 and then out of the league.

[Spiderweb]

7 hours ago, Buftex said:

Not defending Rex at all (he was awful), but as I recall, Mario was pretty awful after he left Buffalo... he was great his first 3 years for us, but I think he really did hit the proverbal "wall"in 2015.  He was terrible in Miami, in 2016 and then out of the league.

Agreed. He began to play like he no longer cared. Yet I do believe Rex killed what drive he had. When he left, he was done.

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

On 2/27/2025 at 6:41 AM, OldTimer1960 said:

I think Phil Hansen would be up there.  

Phil Hansen - Bruce Smith = Chris Kelsay 

[Big Turk]

On 2/27/2025 at 5:37 AM, GreggTX said:

Pretty self explainatory. Was it McDole? He played LE. Hanson? Schobel? Hanson? Mario? Hughes? I was thinking about and realized that outside of Bruce and Hughes, the cupboard has been pretty bare at RE. The LE and ROLB (Paup) positions have fated much better overall.

 

Bryce Paup and not close. He led the NFL in sacks, something even Bruce never did somehow, and won DPOY.

Edited Monday at 02:49 PM by Big Turk

[msw2112]

On 3/1/2025 at 12:08 PM, FireChans said:

No one on those Bills led the team to a single playoff appearance. If your judgement on “great value” is if they led the Bills to playoff appearances, Hamlin is better than Mario. 100% outlandish stuff.

 

Last I checked Hamlin was not given the largest contact for defensive player in the history of the NFL.  Nor was any other player (that I'm aware of) on a Bills drought-era team made the highest-player in the history of the NFL at their position.

 

It's OK for people to have a difference of opinion, but to call a reasonable opinion that differs from yours "outlandish" it a bit much.