The Buffalo Bills made headlines over the weekend when they hired former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan to oversee their next chapter. Joining Ryan will be Greg Roman, the former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator who will now call plays for Buffalo, per FOX Sports' Alex Marvez.
Greg Roman hired as Bills offensive coordinator
The former 49ers offensive coordinator moves to Buffalo to take on the same role.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
While the Jets earned multiple trips to the AFC Championship with Ryan at the helm, offensive issues stemming from an inability to develop quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith marred his tenure. The Bills have a contention-ready defense led by Mario Williams and Marcell Dareus, but they too lack stability at the game's most important position. For Ryan to take the next step and go to the Super Bowl, developing quarterback EJ Manuel or whoever Buffalo adds this offseason will be key.
Enter Roman. He served as an integral member of the 49ers offensive coaching staff that developed Colin Kaepernick from a somewhat anonymous second-round pick to a star. Kaepernick replaced San Francisco's solid but unspectacular starter Alex Smith midway through the 2012 season, sparking a run to Super Bowl XLVII. While the 49ers would lose that game, Kaepernick brought the 49ers back to the conference championship a season later.
However, Kaepernick severely regressed in 2014 and many around the organization pointed to Roman as part of the problem. While the team interviewed several members of its coaching staff as potential replacements for departed head coach Jim Harbaugh, Roman -- once a hot head coach candidate himself -- was not considered. If he desires to become a head coach one day, his first step needs to be building a successful offense in Buffalo.
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