Et tu, Aaron Kromer? Why have the LA Rams cleared out coaches?

The LA Rams offense is certainly taking on a bit of a sinister tone. The team’s ability to score on offense has most certainly plummeted in recent years. We know that the Rams have cut deeply into the positional coaching staff of offense. Ramblin Fan Jay Blucher was johnny-on-the-spot when it came to connecting the dots.

His radar sounded the alarm when the Rams’ passing game coordinator Shane Waldron hired on with the division rival Seattle Seahawks as their new offensive coordinator. Something didn’t sit right about those circumstances.

And yet, through it all, the one tether that even I relied upon was the knowledge that Run game coordinator and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer would be back, teaching the guy in the trenches, coaching up young raw rookies.  And even his daughter Brooke Kromer was there to reassure us all that Aaron Kromer wasn’t going anywhere.

Only now he is.

Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times was the first to break the news. In his article (SUBSCRIPTION MAY BE REQUIRED), he indicates reports that suggest that NY Giants assistant offensive line coach Ben Wilkerson has interviewed with the Rams for the offensive line position. Aaron Kromer is no longer listed among the team’s coaching staff.

The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue confirmed the rumor, citing the ‘agreed to mutually part ways’ which can indicate anything from needing a break to a shouting match in the hallway.

This is not good news. Is it related to the report of Rob Havenstein available for trade from the Rams?  Was this a disagreement about the news release? Or was it something more, a coach standing up for one of his trusted veteran players?

Whatever it is, the news and backstory will eventually work themselves out. But the impact for the ‘win now’ Rams will be deep and widespread. This offensive line is built upon raw talented players who have been mentored, developed, and coached up.  The Kromer family name is synonymous with ‘passionate LA Rams fans’.

This move doesn’t feel like a business move. It feels like a mistake. A horrible mistake over that blows every logical circuit in the motherboard.  Aaron Kromer delivered in 2019 when the wave of injuries rolled the Rams to the brink of oblivion. Instead, he kept the faith, swapped offensive linemen until he found a cohesive unit, and held the team together for a 9-7 finish.

A year later, he helps the Rams offensive line return to a Top-Five ranking, helped the team to a 10-6 record, and to compete in the Divisional Round in the NFL Playoffs. A month later? He cleared his desk.

Thank you, Coach Kromer.  The LA Rams didn’t win a Super Bowl trophy during your watch. But you did win something more valuable. You won the hearts of LA Rams fans.