Former Ravens wide-out Dez Bryant advises Bears against hiring Greg Roman
After firing Luke Getsy, the Bears require a new offensive coordinator. Baltimore’s Greg Roman was interviewed on Monday for the position. While Greg Roman might be the most qualified out of all the candidates the Bears have interviewed for the OC vacancy, one of Roman’s former players advised the Bears against hiring Roman.
Dez Bryant played 6 games for the Ravens in 2020. And he suggested all Bears receivers demand a trade if Roman is hired as the next OC in Chicago.
Is Bryant’s claim about Greg Roman warranted?
Greg Roman has 10 full years as an NFL offensive coordinator. That is by far the most direct experience out of any candidate the Bears have talked to. However, consistency is key, especially for an offensive coordinator. Now it’s time to look at some stats and see if Bryant’s comments about Roman were justified.
As an offensive coordinator, Greg Roman has orchestrated a top 10 offense in point differential 6 times in 10 years, 3 with San Francisco and 3 with Baltimore. In 7 out of 10 years Roman has also led a top 15 offense in yard differential.
Greg Roman helped engineer the best offensive year of Colin Kaepernick’s career in 2014 as well as the best year of Lamar Jackson’s career in 2019.
Roman is by far the most proven and most consistent coordinator available for the Bears OC position. Roman’s career stats and tendencies are much better than Seattle offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who has also been linked to the Bears.
Roman has helped Lamar Jackson reach the best passing season of his career with very little on offense in terms of weapons. Despite a mountain of injuries, the Ravens offense continues to fire on all cylinders, landing them a first round bey in the playoffs and home field advantage in the AFC.
Roman’s scheme is good and effective, the Ravens have consistently had a receiving room that ranks in the bottom 10 in the NFL during his tenure as OC. The fact that he has been able to work with Lamar to create consistently sustainable offense in this fashion is impressive. When a team gets the quarterback right, offense becomes much easier, regardless of the team around the QB.
To wrap up this section, no Dez Bryant’s comments about Bears receivers demanding a trade if Roman is hired were not justified. The offensive stats combined with an impressive win-loss record of 56-27 with Roman at OC paints a completely different picture than Bryant’s comments.
How Greg Roman fits with the Bears
Roman has proven that he can develop and coordinate an effective passing attack, regardless of who is at the skill positions on his offense.
Roman has had the most success with Colin Kaepernick and Lamar Jackson, notice anything similar between these QB’s? They both are dual threat quarterbacks who can carve up a defense on the ground or in the air. Which just so happens to be the skill set Caleb Williams possesses.
If the Bears decide to draft Williams, Greg Roman could be the perfect coordinator to help turn him into a star NFL QB. The Bears also already feature a solid offensive line and a decent rushing attack, the Bears have almost everything Roman needs to succeed. Everything besides a certified franchise QB, Caleb Williams could be that.
Roman also has an edge over Shane Waldron because Roman can orchestrate a strong running game on top of a successful passing game. Waldron’s offense has been in the bottom 5 in the NFL in rushing attempts in all three seasons as the OC in Seattle. Unlike Roman, Waldron has had access to elite offensive talent in Seattle and produced inconsistent results.
Based on the body of his work, Greg Roman is the best option for the Bears offensive coordinator job. He everything a good OC needs. Consistent production out of his offense, success with multiple different teams, and an offensive scheme with enough variety to keep defenses on their heels.
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