After the 2015 season, Bills coach Rex Ryan had no qualms about making the changes necessary to allow him to be as successful as possible, headlined by the arrival of his twin brother to help run the defense. It’s now clear that one change Rex didn’t make should have been made.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman, fired less than one full week into the 2016 regular season, should have been relieved of his duties months ago. According to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, Roman told at least one person that he regards Ryan as a “buffoon,” and that working with him wouldn’t be good for Roman’s career. If that’s how Roman truly felt, he should have resigned.
“I know what kind of coach Anthony [Lynn] is, I know what kind of person he is,” Ryan said of Roman’s replacement on Friday. “And I think the direction he can take us, I think we need the change. I think we have a lot of talent on offense. I believe we’re going to do what we can to put the ball in our playmakers’ hands.”
If that’s how Rex truly felt, he should have fired Roman based on 16 games in 2015, not two more in 2016.
At a time when many are searching the entire organization for signs of dysfunction, the decision to dump Roman only 120 minutes into the 2016 season becomes Exhibit A. If this were a franchise that operates in the normal, usual, competent way, Roman’s relationship with Ryan would have been brought to a head at some point long before the first two games that count in what clearly has become an up-or-out campaign for Ryan.
Currently, it’s looking more likely that it will be out instead of up, with Ryan eventually having something in common with Roman: Getting paid to not work for the Bills.