Sean McDermott Gave Marcell Dareus All He Could Have Asked For: A Chance

When the Bills fired Rex Ryan and subsequently hired Sean McDermott as the new head coach, it was clear that the team was headed in a new direction philosophically. While Rex Ryan was laid back, cracked jokes at press conferences, and didn't seem to hold too many players accountable, Sean McDermott preaches accountability, character, and the "process."

A change in regime and philosophy meant that some players from the previous regime wouldn't fit the type of team build that McDermott wanted. One of those players was Marcell Dareus.

It is known that Dareus has talent, as he's a two-time Pro Bowl selection and a one-time NFL All-Pro. He was selected third overall in the 2011 draft after a solid junior season at Alabama and a monster combine showing. Selected before him was the likes of Cam Newton and Von Miller, and after him AJ Green, Patrick Patterson, and Julio Jones. Being selected among those type of elite players means that the talent is in Dareus.

While the talent is abundant, so are the off-field issues that have plagued Dareus from reaching his full potential. In May of 2014, Dareus was arrested in Alabama on charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. A month later, he was arraigned in Hamburg, New York on charges over a car accident from an alleged drag race with former teammate, and current Bill, Jerry Hughes. In May of 2015, Dareus was suspended for the first game of the 2015 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. After all of that, the Bills gave Dareus a six year, 95 million dollar contract.

The issues didn't stop there. In August of 2016, Dareus was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 NFL season. Dareus was also sent home by Sean McDermott during this past preseason as he arrived late to the game against the Baltimore Ravens.

A new coaching change usually comes with an overhaul of the roster. That is exactly what Sean McDermott has done so far in his first season as head coach. However, as Ronald Darby, Sammy Watkins, and Reggie Ragland were shipped away, Dareus got something that those three did not: A chance with the new coaching staff.

Dareus didn't take advantage.