Why the Bills need to re-sign Dareus long-term. Quickly

The Buffalo Bills consider themselves to have one of, if not the best, defensive lines in the NFL.

There is a finite window of dominance for every great defensive unit in NFL history.  The Bills led the NFL in sacks last season.  The Bills now have the prolific defensive minded shot caller Rex Ryan.  Compounded together, this unit has the potential of another top-five defensive finish this season.

The Bills’ defensive dominance is contingent upon ensuring the main pieces to the puzzle remain in place throughout the primes of their career.

Marcell Dareus is one of those key pieces, as he is an All-Pro caliber defensive tackle who commands double teams on a regular basis.  His defensive line counterparts, Kyle Williams, Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes are equally as important, making it nearly impossible for teams to confidently double team one of these Bills upfront.

The Bills will be without Dareus for the season opener Sunday due to a one-game suspension. The team announced Corbin Bryant will start in place of Dareus. Although Bryant is a capable backup, the Colts will be sure to adapt their offensive game plan with the two-time Pro Bowler out upfront.

Dareus landed on the NFL’s annual top 100 players of the past season, as voted by fellow NFL players, and came in at No. 64.  Every player on the list has a paragraph describing their value to their respective team.

“The big debate in Buffalo is how much the Bills will need to pay Dareus to stick around long-term, unless they want to franchise him in 2016. It’s fair to say the price isn’t going down. Dareus isn’t just one of the NFL’s best run defenders; he piled up 10.0 sacks last season. That combination of talent makes him a centerpiece player for a good defense.“

High praise for the All-Pro defensive tackle, currently in his fifth season, all with the Bills.

The team has made their intentions of re-signing Dareus to a long-term deal before Sunday’s season opener public, after Dareus spoke with Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News:

“They’re making it hard,” Dareus said, per Tyler Dunne. “And it’s just really making me unhappy. I feel like they don’t really want me here.

“I feel like they don’t want me here as bad as I want to be here,” Dareus added, per Dunne. “I feel like they’re saying, ‘Whatever. You come a dime a dozen.”

Dareus’ statement comes after the Bills reportedly offered him an extension in August

The #Bills have offered Marcell Dareus more than $90 million in a deal that would add 6 yrs to 1 yr he has, according to #NFL source.

— Vic Carucci (@viccarucci) August 21, 2015

When asked if he had a number in mind, Dareus replied “I’ll just say, ‘Thank you, Suh.‘”  This, of course, is referencing the $114 million deal the Miami Dolphins used to lure Ndamukong Suh to South Beach this past offseason. 

Reports state if a deal is not agreed upon by both sides ahead of the season opener, the Bills will not address an extension until the end of the season.

Dareus, 25, was the third overall pick in 2011 and will be one of the most sought after free agents next year if he does not re-sign long term with Buffalo.