Bills Relevant With Mario Williams, but Realism Needed March 16, 2012, 6:00 am O.K., so maybe we didn't foresee the Buffalo Toronto Bills making the biggest splash in free agency this off-season. As the esteemed Bills writer Mark Gaughan pointed out in The Buffalo News, "In the 20 years the NFL has used an unrestricted free-agent system, the biggest Buffalo signing was a $7 million-a-year deal given to guard Derrick Dockery in 2007." Williams's annual salary is more than double that. In all, he's reeling in $50 million in guarantees. Consider that the 27-year-old Williams is coming off a season-ending torn pectoral muscle and that he made nearly $60 million off his rookie contract in Houston. Williams, our No. 1-rated defensive lineman in free agency, must be - unofficially - the first N.F.L. player to make over ten figures primarily on potential. The Texans didn't know for sure what they were getting when they signed him to a mega deal. And now, neither do the Bills. What the Bills hope they're getting is a top-five defensive end. Or do they view Williams as a top-five outside linebacker? Williams played the stand-up position for five games in Houston last season, and in recent years Buffalo's D has changed back and forth from 4-3 to 3-4 the way some people change back and forth from dress shoes to tennis shoes. Whatever scheme the Bills settle on, Williams will be a one-gap player. It's up to recently promoted defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt to devise attacks that put the pricey pickup in one-on-one situations (Williams's previous coordinator, Wade Phillips, was excellent at that). Easy as it is to get swept up in the hype, let's acknowledge that the addition of Williams does not suddenly make the Bills" defense elite. They still have a middling linebacking corps (Kirk Morrison at the Mike? Really?). And even with Williams, their pass rush is closer to mediocre than mesmerizing. No player had more than 5.5 sacks for them last season. Not counting 2011 or his "06 rookie campaign, Williams has averaged 11 sacks a year in his career. Very good, yes. Great? Though not a consummate edge rusher, Williams is a superb all-around run defender, which is probably why the Bills felt they could justify overspending to make him the highest-paid defensive player in N.F.L history. Helping owner Ralph Wilson Jr. and General Manager Buddy Nix was the knowledge that, in a few years, the league's new television contracts will rain money on all 32 franchises, no matter how small the market. That's the beauty of the N.F.L. - a team like the Bills can make itself suddenly relevant with one swipe of the pen. Follow @Andy_Benoit; e-mail andy.benoit@nfltouchdown.com