Media treatment of Williams

[DesertFox24]

I do not live in Buffalo and I know Mario has not played up to expectations but I think the guy is taking some unnecessary shots from the media.

Who cares about the fridge maybe he put it there himself
I do not see him loafing around he is playing hard from what I can see, albeit not productive enough for the money. That being said he will never produce enough for that money no player beside a QB can play to that expectations and make that much of an impact. Teams can take away a corner by going away him and double a DE or load the box for a rb. Yes it opens up other people to do things but only a QB who touches the ball every play can play up to that level of money. Mario needs to show up more though no doubt, but even if he gets 15 sacks in a season it will not be enough it never will be.

In conclusion players around the league notice how the media treats stars or high paid players, does the local media of treatment of Mario potentially make Buffalo a harder place to land elite FA talent. Buffalo had a hard enough time before but could this make it worse.

[Historian]

Horse hockey!

The media in Denver used to report what candy John Elway used to give out at Halloween and it didn't stop the Broncos from aquiring talent.

The guy has underachieved. Plain and simple.

And the 'wrist' excuse seems kinda lame, given the pain most players play through on a weekly basis.

[RedEyE]

I agree with Historian. If the guy is doing his job, I believe the local and national press plays a different tune.

[DesertFox24]

Sorry my question was not so much the deserved negative media attention Mario is getting due to his play.

My question was more could this have a negative impact on other players impression of Buffalo.

Players know if they go to NY or dallas that microscope is on, but places like Green Bay and Buffalo are supposed to not be as visceral.

[trapezeus]

other players should note that if you sign money on any team and the team gets worse specifically at what you were paid to do, you will get negative treatment out of 31 NFL cities. Boston would never have issues because the NFL would make sure that every move the patriots make is the right move.

If mario signed with the patriots he'd have 3.5 sacks, but the team would be winning. no one would say boo.

[BLeonard]

Players know if they go to NY or dallas that microscope is on, but places like Green Bay and Buffalo are supposed to not be as visceral.

Why not? Because Green Bay and Buffalo are smaller markets, the players should expect less criticism when they don't perform? Sorry, I don't want a player that says "Yeah, I'll sign with you, because the expectations are less than they would be elsewhere."

The man signed a $100 million contract, the richest for a defensive player in NFL history... I don't care what team you're on... If you're making $100 million, people expect you to perform.

I'm not even saying he has to get sacks... If he's taking on double teams, which in turn allows other linemen to get pressure or sacks, then, as far as I'm concerned, Mario is doing his job.

However, on most plays, that's not the case. Most of the time, he's been 1 on 1 and at times, even blocked by a Tight End. Hell, anyone on this board can go out and get beat 1 on 1... For $100 million, Mario is supposed to win a fair share of those battles.

-Bill

[justasportsfan]

It would've been worse if he played for the giants. He deserves all the criticism he's getting for the $$$ he sifned for and especially the way the others are playing. I would rather start Kelsay or Moore over Marrio at this point . At least with them, you know they're going to give it 150%

[OLDSRIP]

Buffalo is a great place for a player if the player has heart and determination. Look how many ex Bills and Sabres live around here after retiring. They are are treated very well, with much respect.
Buffalo fans are also smart. They know if a player is giving it his all or just going thru the motions. Up to this point Mario has neither played or talked like he has any desire to be the best he can be. If he comes around and starts playing well and has a winners attitude he will be treated better here than any ware. If he keeps moping around and making excuses he will be treated badly. He will get what ever he earns.

[SABURZFAN]

i'm tired of reading the paper and Gailey looking like an idiot when he's asked questions about Williams. the Bills get fined for not putting his injury in the injury reports. did the Bills not know about this to not do so? did Williams not tell the team? none of us here will truly know.

[EDS]

I think every player in the league can appreciate and understand that signing the richest free agent contract in NFL history for a defensive player paints a significant bullseye on such a players back. The media scrutiny would be far worse if he signed for the Jets, as an example.

[Skooby]

How can you defend playing near the worst on defense when you get paid the most on defense ?