Buffalo Bills Hire Former LA Rams OC Rob Boras

The Buffalo Bills have hired former Los Angeles Rams Offensive Coordinator Rob Boras as their new tight ends coach:

Boras spent a decade in the NFL as a TE coach before losing out on the Rams’ offensive coordinator vacancy to begin the 2015 season. As the Rams’ offense sputtered through the 4-8 start under OC Frank Cignetti, Jr., then-HC Jeff Fisher reversed his decision from the offseason firing Cignetti and promoting Boras to OC after losing out on the gig just four months prior. Boras helped guide starting QB Case Keenum churn out a paltry 173 yards per game over the last four games, but a 3-1 record fooled a significant portion of Rams fans as to the potential success of a Boras-Keenum marriage. As the Rams petered out to a repeat 4-8 start on the back of the league’s worst offense, Jeff Fisher’s firing after Week 14 ensured Boras’ time with the franchise was likely limited to 2016.

For what it’s worth, I think Boras is getting a bit of an unfair rep from fans on the way out. Once Fisher parted with former OC Brian Schottenheimer who left to ruin Georgia’s offense and help ensure Mark Richt got fired in 2015, Fisher’s inability to hire an offensive coordinator from outside his sphere emphasized two main points: his unwillingness to seek solutions from others for the problems he created and the general unpopularity of his tenure from potential labor pool applicants. That both Cignetti and Boras failed as offensive coordinators to lead suitable units is fair evidence for condemnation of their performances, but they should come with Fisherball asterisks in underlined, boldfaced, 32-point font.

That Fisher was adamant on executing the offense that he was limited both Cignetti and Boras in terms of what they could call. Asking them to operate a functional offense with the caliber of offensive line they had was asking too much. Expecting them to be able to stretch the field without suitable protection for 7-step drops or a wide receiver corps that could threaten opposing secondaries was foolish.

In the end, Boras gets a chance to reboot his career ascendancy out from under the management of Jeff Fisher. Good for him.