Marcell Dareus missed a portion of last season with an early suspension, followed by a hamstring injury.
While he played in several games, he never really made a big impact.
Mr. Big Stuff is motivated and energized coming into this season. He knows that this is no longer about talking, its time for actions. The former #3 pick in the draft, the $96 million man is a large investment for Buffalo.
Dareus has been to multiple pro-bowls and been a dominant man in the middle. Last year needs to be a blip on the radar, and not the new norm. Most of the problems last year were clearly rooted in off-field incidents.
It hasn’t been easy for Dareus off the field, both personally and legally. The ball is 100% in his court, and he can change the script back to being the next elite defensive tackle in the NFL. Being next to Kyle Williams and Jerry Hughes should help his stats, as well as keep offenses struggling to find answers.
The Buffalo Bills hit snags last year allowing 200 yard rushers in on 2 separate occasions last year. A healthy Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams should prevent that. If Dareus can make it to training camp free and clear of off-field issues, he should get back to being a force on defense.
If Dareus is the Bills comeback player of the year, it won’t be a shock to anybody. Yet the Bills investment in Dareus means he is expected to dominate. With Kyle Williams, should Dareus struggle the Bills can temporarily cope. So for me, Dareus getting back into form isn’t the biggest need to get over the hump.
There’s one more player who should he standout with a healthy Dareus and Watkins playing, will be the key sign the Bills are going to make the playoffs in 2018.