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The New Orleans Saints have just lost their first familiar face of the offseason. Former offensive line coach Aaron Kromer will now become the Bears' new offensive coordinator/line coach. Here's more information courtesy of ProFootballTalk.com:
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Aaron Kromer will be the team’s new offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Kromer’s contract with the Saints expired at the end of the season, making him a free agent after a year that began with him serving as their interim head coach for the first six games of the year while Sean Payton and Joe Vitt were both serving suspensions.
The Saints went 2-4 in those games, although it doesn’t seem to have done much to dim Kromer’s reputation as an assistant. Trestman was hired because of his background as an offensive architect so he’ll be calling the plays while Kromer handles the other coordinator duties in addition to his responsibilities on the offensive line. Those responsibilities will be vital for a Bears team that’s struggled to protect Jay Cutler in recent years.
Kromer and Trestman have worked together before and the quickness of the hire suggests that Trestman was working to line up a staff while denying he had the Bears job. Both men were on the offensive staff of the Raiders from 2001-2003, a period that included a losing trip to Super Bowl XXXVII against the Buccaneers.
This leaves the Saints without an offensive line coach at a time when the team cannot hire a replacement until Sean Payton is finally reinstated. Mickey Loomis has already said that he will leave coaching decisions to his head coach. Unfortunately, Roger Goodell isn't yet finished with the unleashing of his megalomaniacal wrath, so this is beginning to cause problems for the Saints' 2013 season. An offensive line coach may not be at the top of the offseason priorities list, but with each passing day the Saints are unable to act on this need, the pool of worthy coaches to fill it grows smaller.
How do you see the departure of Aaron Kromer affecting the Saints?