The details of Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer‘s arrest are pretty unsettling, and while it’s obviously too early for speculation, it’s hard to see how Buffalo can keep Kromer on staff. Let’s take a look at some reaction to the incident, as well as some preliminary options if the Bills do decide to move on from Kromer…
- If Kromer loses his job as a result of his arrest, Buffalo will need to find someone to fill his role, and Mike Rodak of ESPN.com runs through several options. Promoting assistant OL coach Kurt Anderson probably makes the most sense, writes Rodak, as Anderson is the only Bills coach who has dealt with club’s offensive line since the spring. Other options might include asking OC Greg Roman to handle dual roles, or hiring from the outside, which is unlikely. Rodak adds that Buffalo did interview both Chris Foerster and Mike Solari during the offseason, but both have since found work with other teams.
- Along the same lines, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) says the Bills could look to bring Pat Thomas — who was the club’s offensive line coach from 2013-14 — back in the fold. Thomas was let go by the Rex Ryan regime following last season, so it’d be a little strange for him to return to Buffalo at this point. Ex-Jaguars O-line coach George Yarno could also be an option, per Cole; Yarno is doing quite well in his recovery from cancer, so much so that he could re-enter the coaching ranks.
- In a separate piece, Rodak examines which Bills offensive lineman would be most affected by the loss of Kromer, pointing to two young lineman — Seantrel Henderson and Cyrus Kouandjio — as two players whose outlook might change if Kromer is out. Henderson, for his part, was recently demoted to the second team, and Rodak believes he might actually benefit from a change in coaches. Kouandjio, however, seems to have to taken to Kromer, so the loss of a position coach would presumably have an adverse effect.