Rex Ryan's coaching staff nearly complete

[MidnightVoice]

http://espn.go.com/blog/buffalo-bills/

Here is an overview of each coaching spot:.................

Offensive coordinator: Greg Roman
Quick take: At this point, Roman won't be working with any of his former assistants from San Francisco. Instead, a group of Jets offensive coaches have migrated north with Ryan. How they mesh with Roman will be something to watch.

Quarterbacks: David Lee
Quick take: The Bills haven't announced Lee yet but he is expected to take the job with the Bills, according to multiple reports. He returns to Buffalo after serving as Bills' quarterbacks coach in 2012. ....... his results with Geno Smith the past two seasons leave something to be desired.

Running backs: None
Quick take: Anthony Lynn, who served as Jets' running backs coach last season, will interview with the Cleveland Browns for their offensive coordinator vacancy. If he doesn't get the job, he could follow Ryan to Buffalo.

Wide receivers: Sanjay Lal
Quick take: Lal, a native of London believed to be the first NFL coach of Indian descent, served as Ryan's receivers coach the past three seasons. ....his results with the Jets' receivers ..... don't exactly inspire confidence. However, Lal is known as a bright coach who will now have young talent (Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods) to coach up.

Tight ends: Tony Sparano, Jr.
Quick take: One of the youngest coaches on the Bills' new staff, Sparano now has his first position-coaching duties in the NFL. He spent the 2012 as an intern with the Jets and was promoted to a full-time offensive assistant this past season.

Offensive line: Aaron Kromer
Aaron Kromer is the only external addition to the Bills' coaching staff so far.
Quick take: This is the Bills' only known outside coaching hire to this point. ...... Kromer brings experience to the Bills' offensive staff but his comments about Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler last season put him in the news for the wrong reasons.

Defensive coordinator: Dennis Thurman
Quick take: This will be Thurman's third season as an NFL coordinator after a long playing career. He'll work closely with Ryan in running the defense.

Defensive line: Karl Dunbar
Quick take: Dunbar follows Ryan from the Jets, where like the Bills, their defensive line was one of the strengths of the team. Dunbar takes over for Pepper Johnson, who lost out on the New York Giants' defensive coordinator vacancy this week. Where Johnson lands now is unclear.

Assistant defensive line: Jeff Weeks
Quick take: A long-time college coach, Weeks joined the Bills in 2009 and assisted their defensive staff in a variety of roles. He takes over for Jason Rebrovich, who the Buffalo News reported will have a role working with outside linebackers.

Linebackers: Bobby April III
Quick take: One of the younger coaches on the staff, April joined the Jets in 2013 and was promoted to full-time linebackers coach this past season.

Defensive backs: Tim McDonald
Quick take: The six-time Pro Bowl cornerback played for the St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals, as well as the San Francisco 49ers. He joined the Jets in 2013 after Thurman was promoted to defensive coordinator.

Defensive backs: Donnie Henderson
Quick take: The Bills are retaining Henderson, a long-time NFL assistant who has done well with the Bills' secondary the past two seasons. It's unclear how he and McDonald will split duties in the defensive backfield; one could focus on safeties while the other handles cornerbacks.

Special teams coordinator: Danny Crossman
Quick take: Crossman, a close friend of Doug Marrone, is one of the few holdovers from Marrone's staff. The Bills' special teams saw across-the-board improvement last season, so Crossman is deserving to stick.

Special teams assistant: Eric Smith
Quick take: The former Jets safety (2006-12) gets his first full-time coaching gig after serving as an intern for Ryan last season.

[SpikedLemonade]

I really think the Bills could have done much better than some of these hires especially given they were the first team to hire their HC.

Then again it is all in when it comes to hiring a new HC and these are the guys Ryan is comfortable with.

[streetkings01]

These hires are what has me worried about our team. I wish Rex would've brought in more guys from outside his former staff.

[harmonkoz]

These hires are what has me worried about our team. I wish Rex would've brought in more guys from outside his former staff.

Does Roman not have any connections? Why all the Jets guys on offense? Troubling.

[casdhf]

I like that we kept Crossman and Henderson. Both deserved to stick.

[YardRat]

Very underwhelming, except for Roman and Kromer. Especially Sparano Jr., and April III. Would rather have more experience for most of those, but especially LBers and TEs.

[harmonkoz]

I like that we kept Crossman and Henderson. Both deserved to stick.

Definitely agree with Donnie staying on. I am on the fence with Crossman, 1 year does not make a coach. That being said he did not do anything to earn the boot. I feel our improved ST play could be a result of better depth--but I have no gripes with him staying. They kick ass again this season and I will be in his corner.

And I am with YardRat on the O side. Kromer and Roman are solid. I think they could have bought themselves so more time with more of a fresh slate. If the offense has problems right out of the gate, I think a lot of fans will be pointing back to the rest of the hires on O.

[Mace]

I'm fine with the defensive hires. Ryan defense/Ryan staff.

No reason whatever to hire a single Jets offensive assistant, not a one. Certainly not the QB/Receiver battery off Lee & Lol, er, Lal.

Either Roman has no choices, his choices wouldn't/couldn't come here with him, tried to please Rex by being happy with Rex's choices, or could care less about what offensive assistants he has to to set about implementing his notably complex rushing offense/blocking and integrating it with a passing game, which leads me to think various shades of bad and worse.

Not real happy with Kromer. I'd have thrown Cutler under the bus too by now. But the fact that he was made to apologize to the whole team, became emotional and broke down in tears over it is kind of something unnerving to me for a coach of the bloodthirsty tough trenches. Had he stood up before the team, said "yeah I did it, it was stupid, I'm sorry", then said "freaking reporters" and broke a laptop over his head and gnawed it with his teeth in helpless rage, it would have been better.

With my track record of wrong, two things may happen here to save the day.

Roman may prove to be so adept, his offensive staff may be a whatever to him, and Kromer will prove to be a psychopath who reflects whatever emotions he thinks are appropriate for a moment. He will introduce himself to his new o-line, weep without shame, then suddenly laugh, break a laptop over his head, gnaw on it, and tell them he'll strangle the first player who says a crap about Chicago with the players own entrails.

With my track record of wrong sometimes being wrong, there is a worst case also. That would be that Rex Ryan just carefully replicated what helped him fail in NYC though in a more peaceful place.

[tonyc37]

I am not happy with the hire of Kromer.Out of the guys Rex hired he was the worst choice.At New Orleans they were never the physicalO-Line that Rex promised we would have.And they never had a great running game.Solari's teams could always run the ball well and were physical.he would have been my chicle plus he worked with Roman at San Fran.

[Dr. Who]

Apparently Solari just didn't want to be here.

I have my reservations about the staff, but the Jets really had little to work with on offense.
Last year, everyone wanted Danny Crossman gone. An effort was made to upgrade the talent on special teams and suddenly the coach doesn't look incompetent.
Anyway, at this point, I am hoping for the best.

[Mr. Miyagi]

I hate that Rex brings back pretty much all the Jets coaches, especially on a crappy offense they had.

Guess it's par for the course to have a players' coach, a man's man. Hey let's get the band back together in Buffalo! I hate that Rex isn't trying to do anything different to be better than his last 6 years in NY.

[swiper]

Garbage. We've seen so many staffs put together since Levy left and this is one of the poorest. Fact.

Lal, Lee, Lynn, Sparano, April are just pure garbage hires. Thurman is a glorified secondary coach. We don't need McDonald because we have Henderson, who has proven to be better. And WHY would the Bills brass let him have Dunbar over Pepper Johnson - who is still available.

Aaron Kromer I have no opinion on, but the Bears offense was not great and you all are over-hyping his reputation.

When Crossman looks like the best assistant, someone who every Bills fan wanted fired two seasons ago, that means you have a lousy staff.

And it fits. because they match the new head coach. Lousy. This Bills team is going to implode because of the coaching staff.

[Ed]

The Bills requested permission to interview Ronald Curry, an offensive assistant coach with the 49ers, but they were denied. Not sure what his role would have been here, but it looks like Roman at least tried to get one of his buddies for San Fran.

http://espn.go.com/blog/san-francisco-49ers/post/_/id/11986/report-49ers-deny-bills-permission-to-interview-ronald-curry

[swiper]

The Bills requested permission to interview Ronald Curry, an offensive assistant coach with the 49ers, but they were denied. Not sure what his role would have been here, but it looks like Roman at least tried to get one of his buddies for San Fran.

http://espn.go.com/blog/san-francisco-49ers/post/_/id/11986/report-49ers-deny-bills-permission-to-interview-ronald-curry

Roman was being beaten up badly all throughout California for the downturn of the SF offense. He comes to Buffalo and the fans think he's great. Buffalo fans are so stupid.

SF lets Roman walk (Thanks Mr Pegula for taking this albatross off our hands) and hold on tight to an offensive assistant? LOL. It would tell a reasoned person that they think Roman sucks.

[harmonkoz]

Roman was being beaten up badly all throughout California for the downturn of the SF offense. He comes to Buffalo and the fans think he's great. Buffalo fans are so stupid.

SF lets Roman walk (Thanks Mr Pegula for taking this albatross off our hands) and hold on tight to an offensive assistant? LOL. It would tell a reasoned person that they think Roman sucks.

Who cares? Your short term memory is very poor.

There would have been no downturn if he had not made them into something they sucked on offense when he got there.

[Mace]

Garbage. We've seen so many staffs put together since Levy left and this is one of the poorest. Fact.

Lal, Lee, Lynn, Sparano, April are just pure garbage hires. Thurman is a glorified secondary coach. We don't need McDonald because we have Henderson, who has proven to be better. And WHY would the Bills brass let him have Dunbar over Pepper Johnson - who is still available.

Aaron Kromer I have no opinion on, but the Bears offense was not great and you all are over-hyping his reputation.

When Crossman looks like the best assistant, someone who every Bills fan wanted fired two seasons ago, that means you have a lousy staff.

And it fits. because they match the new head coach. Lousy. This Bills team is going to implode because of the coaching staff.

Tough to criticize any defensive hires. They are "system" oriented, 4-6 concept hybrid scheme experienced. Rex, Rob, Pettine, and I think maybe the guy in KC are the only once that use variations of it so the pool is limited.

He's coming in here all about his defenses, they had to go all in on them. Ryan worked with Henderson before, Henderson is staying. No clue what is going on with Pepper Johnson, but he's not officially gone yet in any case. No way to tell what he may know or not know about Ryan's Way.

The defensive side had to all come over though for this to have a prayer of working.

[HAMMER]

Rex is bringing the whole tree fort gang.

The amount of Jets offensive assistants coming over is ludicrous. It reeks of oppression, if I were Roman I certainly would want to see more of "my guys" and less of Rexs'. It would make sense if the Jets had any semblance of an offense, but they haven't in the last several years.

[The Jokeman]

Very underwhelming, except for Roman and Kromer. Especially Sparano Jr., and April III. Would rather have more experience for most of those, but especially LBers and TEs.

I have a feeling if Pepper comes back he gets named LB coach and April III gets name LB assistant or something to that effect.

[CommissarSpartacus]

Great.

We're now the Buffalo Jets.

Makes me feel all warm and fu22y....

[Mace]

Great.

We're now the Buffalo Jets.

Makes me feel all warm and fu22y....

You'll feel so much better when we sign Sanchez to make it that much more comfortable in predicting what will happen next.

[swiper]

Who cares? Your short term memory is very poor.

There would have been no downturn if he had not made them into something they sucked on offense when he got there.

My short term memory is fine. He took that team and dragged them down. Opponents figured him out.

[YardRat]

I have a feeling if Pepper comes back he gets named LB coach and April III gets name LB assistant or something to that effect.

Damn, I hope so.