The Jacksonville Jaguars announced on Friday that they have acquired the Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, sending a 2018 sixth-round pick in the opposite direction. According to the reports, the pick can turn in a fifth rounder depending on Dareus’ performance. The news was confirmed on the team’s official Twitter profile.
We have traded a 2018 sixth-round pick for @buffalobills DT @marcelldareus, pending a physical. pic.twitter.com/ie1dW9hrUj
— #Sacksonville (@Jaguars) October 27, 2017
It may look like the Bills didn’t receive much in compensation for Dareus, but they did clear the salary of their highest-paid player off their books. According to ESPN, the Bills will save $5.73 million off their 2017 salary cap and further $2.375 million in 2018 with the Dareus’ trade. They will further save more than $46 million through 2021. Dareus signed a 6-year, $100 million extension in 2015. This trade is just another step taken by the new GM Brandon Beane in order to reshape the team’s roster and salary-cap. Previously, the Bills with several other players including wide receiver Sammy Watkins.
The trade for Dareus comes after the Jacksonville Jaguars signed linebacker Telvin Smith to a four-year extension. Although the team has the defense with most sacks in the league and rank second in opponents scoring, there are still problems with run defense where they rank 31st in NFL. Dareus may not be able to fix the problem by himself, but he will surely be a good addition. In the 2017 NFL season, Dareus put up 8 tackles and 1 sack.
After playing college football at Alabama, Marcell Dareus was drafted by the Buffalo Bills with the third overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. During his time with the Bills, Dareus earned First-team All-Pro honors in 2014 and had two Pro Bowl selections in 2013 and 2014. His career NFL statistics include 295 tackles, 35.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 13 pass deflections. Dareus’ steady performance with the Bills was often overshadowed by his problematic off-field behavior. He was arrested on several occasions and violated the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
