San Diego and Mario Williams?

Could Williams be wearing powder blue soon?

The San Diego Chargers are in desperate need of a pass rusher. Many expect San Diego to take a long hard look at USC prospect Nick Perry come draft day. On the other hand, A.J. Smith could use free agency as a way to upgrade this position. With his job on the line, is it possible that Smith will take a risk and pursue Texans DE/OLB Mario Williams? Williams was a dominant defensive end in Houston's old 4-3 scheme, and he looked good as a 3-4 outside linebacker. We didn't really get to see much of him as he missed the majority of the season because of a pectoral injury sustained during the Texans 5th game of the season. Williams had already recorded 5 sacks prior to his injury. Williams is obviously an elite talent. Signing him would do wonders for the Chargers in terms of PR, which they could really use at this point. The only thing that concerns me is the amount of money that it would take to sign an elite player like Williams. He is going to be one of if not the highest paid free agent of this group. San Diego may just not have the money to compete for his services and address all of the other issues on the team. I would love to see Williams in powder blue, but I just don't see it happening. In the end, if A.J. can put together a talented team, that is all that matters. Still, Williams would be a great addition. The only issue I would wonder about would be his skills in coverage. While Houston did run a 3-4, it more resembled a 5-2 team, with the linebackers lining up very close to the line. The best part is that if Manning signs with the Broncos, he wouldn't get away from Williams. We won't know anything for sure until free agency actually starts.