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That's my worry about Eli. We've seen guys with less talent start over others for a hand full of games...if not entire seasons. But usually if both are still around there is a switch starting the next year. Eli has been here for 5 or 6 seasons now...? That's hard to over look. However, he has also been very good as the 6th man. So there's that to consider as well.

Yes fans on this discussion board and thank goodness for that because it would be awfully boring around here if not.

That was not what was said in the post I originally responded to. So don't say "we" didn't say. It was said. The original post was that the Bombers should plan to move him inside to try get a few extra years out of him. That was the post I took issue with. I have no trouble with Stan moving inside in an emergency or should in season circumstances dictate, I just think it would be stupid if that was our plan in January of the offseason. What we should be planning is getting our hands on a bonafide centre and any interior OL we may need this offseason without having Stan as anything in our plans at the interior more than break glass if needed. Debate by who? The fans. I haven't heard anything to suggest that Marty, Hogan, JJ, or MOS were debating anything of the sort.

Last season seemed to be full of debate about who should be starting not just reserved at the center position.

If Eli is better, why hasn't he been the starter?

Little has changed with OL conditioning. They are asked to keep their weight up as a general rule and consume ungodly amounts of carbs and protein to do so. Tons have changed with the guys they line up against. They used to be carbon copies of the OL in the middle and were big men that could run a bit on the edge, now DL are chiseled man mountains that can run 4.5/40s. Take a look at a guy like Ceresna, guys like that didn't exist in Walby and Gorrell days. We won't re-sign him if Vanterpool is the plan. He's 40. We are not going to sign Stan to play inside. It would be bad for the ratio, and would hinder development of our young OGs. It would make no sense. There is no upside to it.

We never said to move Stan to Center. We said he could play there if needed.

I'm not willing to roll the dice on Eli without at least trying to get a Centre in FA. There is a reason he never got into the lineup. I don't believe that if he was a better option he would have remained on the bench. The MOS argument is a dud because he has arguably shown more loyalty to Eli than most coaches would have after he walked away. If Marty believed that Eli was better I don't believe for one second he wouldn't have been playing. I truly think Kola was only intended to be a short term stop gap while we got Eli ready and that just never happened. I could be wrong, but it's just as likely as the alternative. My view is backed up by Eli only briefly being used as an injury replacement at OG, and then sat after playing horribly. I like Eli and hope I'm wrong but we have seen with our own eyes that he may represent zero upgrade to us.

It's true that we wont know for a couple of games. We've used the heavy set pretty extensively, especially prior to Hogan's year. I'm not worried about his confidence or game experience. He's come back from two lengthy times away from football in his career, and hes not the type of guy you worry about confidence with. The question will be, does he do a significantly better job in pass pro at C than he did at G? He will be, at worst, a slight upgrade in pass pro at C over Kola, and a significant upgrade in run blocking, and in the nuance of playing C. That will dictate if he is a Couture-level or another stopgap. They also really value his contributions as a 6th ol, if we go back to the heavy set usage, they might want to keep him there.

Yup we took care of ourselves by being told ‘throw some dirt on it and get back out there’.

Bell would be doing Johnston a huge favour by signing any deal before even a snap of Stewball has been played. They likely want to see what the game looks like and if it's digestible, if people care and if people still watch.

NEVER give up. Aaron Rogers made a comeback (sort of) after all.

Eli might be the answer, but we will not know until he has had a few games at center and we need to bear in mind that all those games where he mostly warmed the bench did nothing to enhance his confidence or game experience.

https://3downnation.com/2026/01/14/cfl-sets-start-of-2026-season-as-self-imposed-deadline-for-new-broadcast-deal/ Well, same ****, different year. The CFL screwed itself 100 times over by going to a single game provider in 2008. The other networks basically said, Eff You. Now, they're stuck with a shitty provider who chronically underpays because they can do what they want. And a former TSN president negotiating with his old company?? What good can come from that?

I see SB Bruce Boyko #14 had a huge growth spurt over training camp that year.

I don't understand the hills you choose to die on, sometimes. If he & the coaches think he can do it, then they'll move him over to Center or Guard. The guy can still play. No one says he can't. It's time to work in a new guy like Vanterpool at LT to protect Zach's back while he can help us inside. He can still perform outside as well.

Still have my CFL rookie contract from '97. Staying in shape in case they need me. https://grandmamma.com/2026/01/14/running-with-the-big-boys/

Flip side is the training and treatment athletes get these days can allow for them to play longer. A lot of guys didn't take care of themselves properly back then... at least not compared to today's standards.

We have way bigger priorities than DB. Pickett is a luxury we don't really need on a team that needs quite a bit of upgrading in some pretty expensive areas

For sure, ‘recruiting plan’ for any top prospect.

OL career longevity is actually lower now than in Walby and Gorrells time. Different level of athletes on both sides of LOS now.

Not late into their 40's but yes both were starting right up until retirement (1996 was the last season for both). Walby had turned 40 at the end of his last season so he only played a few games past that 40 mark while Gorrell had turned 41 at the end of his final season..

Last year I woulda chased Pickett...but like said here....we way over spending in secondary as it is so that be just robbing from Peter to pay Paul and not really benefitting us I like what we have in Woodbey, Allen, Smith and Shay and we need to let that young talent keeo getting better, and by what has been seen all will be pretty damn good Hopefully we sign Griffin to round it out as he would be a big loss, and is just hitting his prime too, and is also just so dam versatile and perfect for Younger's system

I dunno. I think the Swede would help us more long term or honestly any of the top 2 D.

I’m a Gus fan. I think he has stood out at the moose games I’ve been 2. Him Yager and Fagemo (he’s slow tho and awful defensively but laine like release) have all looked good at forward. I’d call up Gus cuz he’s better than Nyquist Pearson and prob a few others. Solid defensively and great at face offs. Great at the pk also.