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I think the bigger question I have is what needs to happen (other than injury, rest, game already decided) for MOS and his coaching staff to substitute a starter for a dressed depth player? I'd enjoy hearing the real answers because it will vary per position, per player, per junction in the game/season. I'm assuming head coaches and their coordinators will have similarities in their approaches but also have their own unique and different nuances and philosophies.

There's roughly 60 reps a game on D. If Shay and Smith were playing say 12 reps a game that's only 20%. I can't see how them playing would hurt the club but I can see how it would help aid their development and help the team. If I am wrong, explain why.

Dru Brown is out this week. said it before, say it again, I hate seeing young gun QBs get hurt. League needs those guys on the field so bad, I don't care who they play for. (no disrespect on the Bomber who hurt him -- was it Vaughters? It was a clean football play. Just stupid bad luck.)

I offer you as an example out new starting safety, Cam Allen. He shone in training camp, had great credentials, and yet it took a half-season for him to be given a chance. And then he showed he belonged. (shakes head).

Or you could say he was evaluated thoroughly and promptly released.

Right. I don’t think anyone is advocating rushing them into the lineup and starting them, but I can’t see how people would be against giving them a handful of reps each game and maybe a few more in garbage time. IMO that would really help their development.

That's fair... I think rushing them to start and play full reps is unnecessary right now, but giving them SOME reps could definitely be helpful in Year 1.

So I think with guys like our rookie lb draftees... is that we are also using a bunch of American linebackers as special teams depth and the first in line backups. It's just too many linebackers and if we drafted these guys with a mind to having them become starters then what purpose does blocking them with Americans do? They should be the primary backups.

ha!...we have a ton of scrubs who play incessantly...whats one more that less a scrub...and if a scrub..Why did dear leader keep him then??? I agree about looking down the road tho...of we did...likely 3..4 guys would not be currently here....but we dont do that here we have several no-stringers taking regular reps...so a 3rd stringer would be welcome....

Different position I know but we gave a bunch of reps to a guy in Kornelson that we just cut.

I hear we plan to trade down, our 1st for 8 8th rounders which we will spend assembling the greatest team of ST aces to ever grace a CFL roster.

Demski

I dunno, they exhausted every option before they even gave Mitchell a chance despite him being a quick grab when he became available.

People who retire from another pro sport don't go and make the PGA Tour. That has to be your one and only sport from college on, just the same as anything else. Pro golf isn't some hobby or pastime... It's a legit pro sport same as hockey, baseball or football... Same level of dedication required.

Sadly, I think we might be in the running for a high draft pick.

The big problem we have is the stubbornness of coach(es) in using the same, obviously overmatched players again and again rather than giving potentially better players onto the field. It is not universal, as yet, but there is a growing lack of confidence in most of our coaching staff. If we here feel this way, the players must as well.

Doubtful but who knows really. I’m sure if he 100 percent committed he might have a chance.

Right which emphasizes the need for some game reps obviously with some thought before doling them out. There is a risk of course, i.e., player crapping the bed when their number is called ergo confidence hit but that's what it's all about, that's how one grows, develops not just in sport but in life generally.

3 years can go pretty fast without really seeing anything a ton from them if we go that route. Personally I'd like to get more than a season & a half from a top draft pick. Year 1 - ST only Year 2 - some rotation on D Year 3 - maybe starting? Year 4 - potentially gone. Not quite the same situation as Judge & Singleton. Judge only played 3 games (didn't record anything but ST tackles) in year 1 before getting hurt and missing the rest of the year. He rotated in quite a bit in year 2 before becoming a starter in year 3. Maybe it would have been sooner had he not been hurt but we'll never know. The 3 year scenario I mentioned above is exactly how it played out for Sask with Judge - 1 year as a starter and then he bolted as soon as he could. I hope that's not the case with our guys. Singleton did get real playing time in year one with Calgary but that was after spending 2015 on NFL PR's so it wasn't a straight transition from college to seeing the field as a pro.

Because O'Shea was a linebacker who didn't want his career to end. Those are big "ifs".

Thanks for that memory Debbie.

Honestly we spend so much time dissecting whether our 3rd stringers should be on the roster and how much of an impact they would create. For the most part almost none. Here we are with big time holes at 1st string at many positions and we aren't talking about it but Cobb over Ball....that's the winning formula? All so that coaching can be blamed for our weak season thus far....smh. Where are our quality IMP receivers, DL, and LBers. Right now we are probably the weakest in the league for starters at 2 out of 3 of those groups and at best maybe 6th or 7th in starting LBer strength but that gives MOS too much of an out for most here. Instead of it being partly coaching and mostly talent, the narrative around here is that it's all on coaching and development failure and that is simply not true.

It isn't all about physicality or speed as to how a team develops a player. The mental aspect of the game is big. The comfort level, the confidence level. Like I said I am not against anyone getting reps in garbage time but to throw a guy into the fire as a first year pro is not a great idea unless they have demonstrated they are someone you just can't keep out of the lineup. We don't even do that, nor does any CFL team, for the vast majority of IMP guys who are far more polished and game ready. Are their rookies who break through, of course, but the number league wide is small compared to how many end up tossed away.

My abiding Buck / Zach moment is the TSN turning point pick that Zach threw right after tearing up his finger in the 2024 Grey Cup. That's one I'd like to dissect. Was that Zach gunslinging or was that play call intended as a deep shot?

And hardly anything to worry about when you're getting nothing from too many American spots, particularly at receiver.