Houston Texans: Should Mario Williams Be Resigned?

Right now, Houston Texan fans are freaking out at the possibility of Mario Williams, the team's star defensive player, leaving the team in free agency. 

Trust me, Texan fans, Williams' contract situation is a win-win scenario.

If the Texans offer Williams a good contract and he decides to re-sign, then that is great for the Texans. Williams has been the face of the Texans defense for the majority of his career, and he has totaled 53 sacks in his six seasons as a pro. Williams had five sacks in four-and-a-half games this season before being place on the IR because of a torn pectoral muscle.

If Williams returns, he will contribute to the constant pressure the Texans' defense has been putting on the quarterback. In the divisional playoff game, Joe Flacco appeared to be under pressure on every play. Add Williams to that game and the result would be scary. Williams is a prolific pass rusher, and he would make the Texans' already dangerous pass rush absolutely formidable. 

Williams would make the Texans' second-ranked defense even better.

However, the Texans can benefit from not re-signing Williams as well.

Williams plays outside linebacker in the Texans' 3-4 scheme, and the Texans already have two exceptional outside backers. Connor Barwin and rookie Brooks Reed combined for 18.5 sacks this season. To add to that, Reed filled in for Williams after he got injured, and he would have probably totaled even more sacks if he had started for the whole season.

The best part is that both players have a lot of room for improvement. Barwin was picked in the 2009 NFL draft, and Reed is a rookie. Barwin was drafted with the expectations of being a superstar, but injuries limited his early career as he missed all of last season on IR.

Now, at age 25, Barwin seems poised to fulfill his superstar expectations. With 11.5 sacks this season, Barwin is the star the Texans intended him to be.

Reed, too, is a very young player who was drafted with the expectation of contributing immediately. As a rookie, Reed finished the season with seven sacks, and he seemed to improve every week. Reed is a player with a tremendous upside who will take the opportunity to improve with every chance he gets. Reed was a star for the Texans this season, and he will only improve in the coming years.

Barwin and Reed are great outside linebackers who are extremely capable of providing pressure for one of the best defenses in the NFL. They proved this year that the Texans' defense can be just as good without Williams as they could be with him.

Barwin and Reed proved that Mario Williams is expendable.

The money the Texans can save from the resigning Williams will give them an edge in free agency. They will be able to pursue and offer a contract to a star wide receiver such as Vincent Jackson, Dwayne Bowe or Marcus Colston. The Texans need a wide receiver who can produce behind Andre Johnson, and not resigning Williams will give them the opportunity to go and get one.

Williams is a great player who can largely contribute to any team in the NFL. The Texans, however, may be better off not resigning him.