Marcell Dareus enters the final season of his rookie deal looking for a massive new contract from the Buffalo Bills. The defensive tackle thought not holding out of training camp might spur a deal, but the sides haven't moved any closer.
It's making life frustrating for the 25-year-old.
"They're making it hard," Dareus told the Buffalo News' Tyler Dunne after the Bills' 11-10 win over the Cleveland Browns on Thursday. "And it's just really making me unhappy. I feel like they don't really want me here."
After watching the Bills import and pay players like LeSean McCoy, Charles Clay and Jerry Hughes, Dareus is left wondering when his turn will come.
"We're still waiting," Dareus said. "I feel like they don't want me here as bad as I want to be here, as bad as the fans and my team wants me here. I feel like they're saying, 'Whatever. You come a dime a dozen.' "
At 6-foot-3 and 331 pounds, the former Alabama product is far from a humdrum talent. Combining the quickness and agility of a much smaller player with the power and size to play inside, Dareus is a wrecking force for the Bills. He's compiled 28.5 sacks in four seasons, including 10 in 2014.
The Bills have offered more than $90 million on a six-year extension, per the News, but Dareus is reportedly seeking something closer to Ndamukong Suh's six-year, $114 million deal.
"They're playing," Dareus said. "It's a contract game. They're playing. They're going back and forth. I play one game, they play this game. There's not much I can really say. I know what I'm worth.
"When it comes to comparing talents, I'll let other people judge it. You watch the tape and you tell me. It'll answer itself. ... You turn the tape on and you look at who's been handling business and that'll tell you. They see it, they know it. So we're just sitting back waiting."
The middle of preseason isn't when teams want contract controversies to creep up and become a distraction. The 2014 All-Pro player is a stud. Deals with those types of players generally get done -- eventually -- or the franchise tag is wielded.
Dareus would like to feel that love sooner rather than later.
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