Atlanta Falcons Free Agency: 4 Reasons Not to Pursue Mario Williams

With running back Arian Foster having recently received a big five-year deal from the Houston Texans, defensive end Mario Williams is all but guaranteed to play in a different city next season. Atlanta has money under the cap, and could very well end up making a run at his services.

But is it really in the team's best interests to do so?

Here are four reasons the Atlanta Falcons shouldn’t go after the prized free agent.

1. Injuries

After starting every game for the Houston Texans since being drafted No. 1 overall by the team in 2006, Williams has battled injuries the past two seasons.

Williams apparently played most of the 2010 season with a sports hernia, for which he was placed on injured reserve with three games left to play that year.

Williams was again placed on injured reserve last season, this time with a torn pectoral muscle after playing just five games. While missing only 14 games in six seasons doesn’t necessarily make him injury prone, the fact that those 14 have come in the past 32 games is definitely cause for concern.

2. Price

As this year’s top free agent, Williams will no doubt command a top-dollar contract.

That means Atlanta would most likely have to break the bank to acquire the two-time pro bowler—something along the lines of the six-year, $91.5 million dollar contract DE Julius Peppers signed with the Chicago Bears last season.

At that price, coupled with the recent re-signings of RB Jason Snelling and DE Kroy Biermann, Atlanta might find itself with little cap space left to re-sign starting linebacker Curtis Lofton, who has been a pro-bowl caliber player for the Falcons since debuting with the team in 2008.  

3. Production

Does Williams’ production merit the enormous payout he’s bound to receive? Let’s take a look.

At first glance, his 53 sacks in six seasons certainly stand out—that’s an average of just under nine sacks a season. But don’t forget, 26 of those came in the 2007 and 2008 seasons—the only double digit sack seasons of his career.

Compare those numbers to the league’s top pass rusher, Jared Allen. An eight-year veteran, the last time Allen recorded fewer than ten sacks in a season was back in 2006. Four years ago, Allen only signed a six-year, $73 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

Sacks may not be everything in football, but until Williams can consistently produce at the level Allen has throughout his career, signing him to what will probably be one of the richest contracts in NFL history might be a big gamble at this point.

Just ask the Washington Redskins how a move like that turned out for them.  

4. Elite Player or Elite Scheme?

In his first season as defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans last year, Wade Phillips orchestrated one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history.

After ranking 30th in total defense in 2010, the Texans finished second overall by the end of 2011. The team also went from dead last in the league against the pass in 2010 to third last season, among other notable jumps in defensive rankings.

Probably the biggest surprise, however, is the fact that Phillips accomplished all of this without the help of Mario Williams for most of the season.

Phillips' turnaround proves once again that a good scheme is more important than an elite player (see: New England Patriots), and maybe the recent acquisition of defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is all the Falcons need to improve on defense.