After the loss on Sunday to the Green Bay Packers, Matt Nagy is now 1-6 against the Chicago Bears’ longtime rivals. No stat sums up his tenure better than that. Losing games in general anger fans. Losing to the Packers is something they stomach even less. Combine this with an offense that hasn’t scored three touchdowns in a game since last December? It is becoming more and more difficult to see Nagy back in 2022. So let’s explore a possible replacement. This time Greg Roman.
The name should sound familiar. It seems like the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator has been in head coaching conversations for a long time. That is because he has. Going all the way back to the early 2010s. For whatever reason, the man hasn’t landed a job yet. Should the Bears make him a serious option to succeed Nagy?
Let us take a dive into Roman the person and the coach to see if he might have what it takes.
Expertise background:
Roman is a classic American story. He grew up in a single-parent household in New Jersey and learned how to work at a very young age. He used that money to support his family and put himself through high school. This made him a self-reliant person. He eventually attended John Carroll University. This is significant as that college has produced several successful NFL coaches and executives including Don Shula, Brandon Staley, Nick Caserio, Josh McDaniels, and Tom Telesco.
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Roman played defensive line while there but didn’t get any looks from the NFL. So he shifted to coaching, getting his first look as an assistant with the upstart Carolina Panthers in 1995. He quickly worked his way up the ranks, moving from position to position including offensive line, tight ends, and quarterbacks. After a successful two-year stint at Stanford, he got his first big opportunity as offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011.
Why he’s a top candidate:
The mark of a good coach is that he tends to have success wherever he goes. That is the case with Greg Roman. Across nine years as an offensive coordinator, his unit has ranked at least 12th in scoring eight times. They’ve never finished outside the top 10 in rushing. With San Francisco, he reached three NFC championships games. One with Alex Smith and two with Colin Kaepernick. He then moved on to Buffalo where he turned Tyrod Taylor, a former 6th round backup, into a Pro Bowler with the Bills.
His greatest work though is undoubtedly with the Baltimore Ravens. Here he transformed Lamar Jackson, a “running back” playing the QB position into a league MVP and now one of the best players in the game. He’s already accounted for over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns. This after the offense suffered a myriad of injuries. Roman’s ability to mold the system to Jackson’s strengths and adjust as the QB changed is the hallmark of any good coaching mind.
Fit with the Bears:
One could argue Roman is long past due for an opportunity to be a head coach. He probably should’ve been one 10 years ago. Circumstances got in the way. Now people have a better idea of how consistently effective his offense can be. The solid ground attack. The ability to adjust the system around the players he has. This is something the Bears desperately need. Justin Fields is the sort of talent he’s seen before.
The size, arm strength, and mobility. It wouldn’t be too difficult for him to figure out how best to utilize the young Bears quarterback. His Jersey mentality and learning under guys like Jim and John Harbaugh doesn’t hurt. He’d come into Chicago with the exact sort of identity that fits this town. Blue collar and physical.