TBURGESS

Its the way you write your posts that makes me skip over them usually That's preferable to whining about them.

Why do you keep bringing that up? Nobody, but nobody, is trying to turn Marve into strictly a pocket passer. But why you are missing is the suggestion that Marve must be able to show the ability to pass from the pocket. There's a big difference. It's not me bringing it up. I was replying to a post where the poster said that Marve needs to prove himself as a pocket passer. That's pure bunk. I'm not 'Missing anything', I'm disagreeing with the premise. There's more than one way to play QB effectively. You're splitting hairs by using the word 'strictly'. Marve is a scrambler with a big arm who's accurate on the run. He doesn't just run the ball, he extends plays with his legs and throws. That's something that most QB's can't do, Willy included. Before anyone goes off about how I hate Willy or how I think Marve should be our starting QB, that's not what I'm saying. Willy is our best pocket passer. I have zero problems with him being our #1 QB. I'd like to see him get pulled earlier in games he isn't being effective, but that's a coaching issue IMO, not a QB one.

What a lot of crap from some posters. For the record (Although it shouldn't need to be said) I wouldn't be here if I didn't bleed blue and gold and I love the Bombers I like about 90% of the changes this offseason I don't sign on to find something to complain about. I sign on to discuss Football. I totally understand what preseason games are for and that they are extended practises. That's not the same as saying I like to see my team get beaten up by anyone. I'd watch the game if it was on TV or being streamed. I'll listen on CJOB if I can't watch. I take a ton of crap on these forums simply because I don't agree with everything the Bombers do. (Maybe it's because I'm right way more often than I'm wrong) If you don't like my opinion, then disagree with it. Argue the post, not the poster.

One of the big reasons Hurl signed with us in the first place is because he would be given a chance to start here. The Riders, who've seen Hurl daily for 3 years and had him as a starter for 5 games, don't see him as a starter. Either they are wrong, or we are wrong, or it takes a different level of talent to be a Bomber starter than a Rider starter.

No one should expect that it will look like a regular season game because there will be tons of changes in personal, but folks should expect CFL quality players because that's what every player out there wants to be. The point of preseason is to find out who can play well with and against CFL calibre talent. A 90% rookie team doesn't tell you anything about playing with CFL quality talent. Assuming Toronto plays their first team guys for less than a quarter, it doesn't tell you much about playing against CFL quality talent either. I didn't agree with it when we got beat 52-0 in a preseason game a couple of years ago and I don't agree with it now. Hopefully the next preseason game will have most of our starters in for the first quarter or so so we get a look at where were really at this year.

Based on the depth chart, the team isn't interested in winning the first pre season game so I hope there's lots of work for Brohm and Marve so the coaches can see which is the better choice for #2 QB. The O line we're sending to TO is better for Marve's style of game than Brohm's. Brohm 'isn't a terrible option' is hardly a glowing endorsement of our #2 QB. I agree that it's his job to lose though. Trying to turn Marve into a pocket passer is a horrible idea because it doesn't play to his strengths. It would be like trying to turn Willy into a scrambler so he's not a one dimensional pocket QB. Reilly scrambles and runs and is pretty darn effective. I'd love to have that kind of change of pace at #2.

Why's that? Very few of our starters are on the depth chart. Watching Willy behind that O line would bring back bad memories from last year. We're obviously not trying to win the game with that group, just looking at the players so I doubt it's going to be much of game.

Looking at the depth chart for the game, it's probably a good thing it won't be televised.

I don't like one dimensional QB's, but I can't say that Marve's a one dimensional QB yet. He had very little choice but to move around last year because of the O line. I don't think that means he can't read a defense. I suppose it could be true, but there isn't enough evidence either way yet. QB's need to do what they do well to be competitive. Marve uses his feet and throws very well on the move. He has the arm to throw from the pocket for sure, but I don't think that's the way to use his best attributes. I don't think he will get a sniff in the NFL next year, no matter what he wants unless he starts for most of the season and plays lights out. I have no expectation that either will be true. I could see him as the #2 this year if Brohm flames out.

I'll never understand why folks want to make a scrambling QB into a pocket passer. Scramblers can be very effective. Flutie for example was a terrific scrambler. He rarely won games from the pocket. He moved the pocket around to gain extra time to throw. Now, I'm not suggesting that Marve is Flutie like. That would be dumb at this point in time. I am, however, suggesting that a scrambling QB can get the job done if the offense is set up correctly.

That truly sucks. I was looking forward to seeing his returns.

It's a business. If the coach doesn't think any player has it anymore, then it's time to replace them. It shouldn't matter if the player has 1 year or a ton of years under his belt. BC gave McCallum a choice to retire or to be cut. He chose to be cut. Nothing the matter with that IMO.

Pencer left the practise field yesterday too. Trail of vomit behind him likely means he's not badly injured though.

O'Shea thinks everyone on the team is good in interviews. I haven't heard him say anything negative about any player or coach while they were on the team since he got to Winnipeg. Kuale? Big name MLB according to O'Shea. Kept starting him even though Wild was there. Etch? Running game doesn't matter according to O'Shea we'll be fine. Long losing streak last year? Blame no one, just keep trotting out the positives. Makes all his positive declarations kind of suspect IMO. (That's not the same as lying like one poster suggested yesterday.) Why was O'Shea annoyed at the MLB question yesterday? Who our MLB's going to be is one of the biggest stories in camp this year. It's one of the position battles to watch, yet O'Shea says something to the reporter like "Your going to ask that question?". Praise for Hurl's intangibles, not his measurables. Runs well and doesn't have to think about it... Hurl's going into his 4th season in Halls defense. He shouldn't have to think about it anymore he be assignment perfect. He knows what the expectations are and the things that will be taught later in TC to his competition who haven't even had a week of Halls defense yet. The tangibles will come to the surface later in TC IMO.

I don't see 2 imports being used as kickers in BC. It just doesn't make any sense to me ratio wise. I don't have a problem with giving McCallum a choice of retiring or being cut. Kinda a vet advantage. If McCallum's time has come, cut him behind closed doors like every other player.

Of course it's my opinion, but my opinion isn't based on nothing or simple assumptions. Facts... Hurl lost his starting job in Regina last year. (No one is saying that's the only reason the Riders were losing) We signed Hurl as a FA for starters money. O'Shea has said multiple times, even before he saw Hurl at TC, that 'We' think he's ready to be a starter. O'Shea said last year that Willy was the starting QB before TC which turned out to be true. Allen has a much better pedigree than Hurl. Some of the best CFL'rs are guys with NFL talent but are a little too small or a little too slow to play in the NFL. We don't NEED to start Hurl anymore because we signed Westerman. Opinion.... Given the above, I'd rather have Allen than Hurl because I think that would make us a better team. Assumption.... Given that O'Shea has already penciled Hurl into the starting job, he's likely to start.

I saw Hurl play last year for the Riders and I wasn't impressed. I said as much when we signed him in FA, so no, I don't think he's starter material, but should be an upgrade on special teams and good for rotation when we need him. Them's the facts as I see them.

I prefer Allen over Hurl because he's played LB very well at a high level, has NFL talent, but is too small for MLB and too slow for DB in the big league. It'll be Hurl though because they brought him in, paid him as a starter and said they thought he was ready to start. Goosen/Chungh at guard/6th is better than Goosen/Neufeld IMHO. I liked the way Daniels played at the end of last year, especially his run blocking. Younger, cheaper and less injury concerns make him a better choice than Dile in my mind. Still... they brought Dile in in FA, put him at the top of the depth chart and paid him like a starter so we could easily see him as a starter at least at the beginning of the year.

I'd love to see that kind of reporting for the Bombers. Of course Drew Edwards is the best in the CFL at it so it might be a bit of a stretch for our media to do as good a job.

When a guy dresses and then gets hurt during TC, he's not been give a vet day off, so no, Neufeld didn't get a vet day off. I said Daniels would beat out Dile for the starting job when we signed Dile in FA. I've not been at TC to see if I'm right, but according to Lawless, I might be. Neufeld's being paid too much (2nd or 3rd highest on our O line IIRC) to be the 6th guy. If Chungh takes his spot, then I expect us to try and move him. I called either Dile or Neufeld to be the TC surprise cut. If Daniels/Chungh play well, it could come true.

What are you basing your opinion on?

Sounds like Neufeld's still fighting the injury bug. No use paying him big bucks if he can't stay healthy. (See how much fun it is to guess what's wrong with a player)

I don't think anyone here owes anyone an explanation for why they're not providing camp updates. I'm not suggesting they do. I've noticed a big difference this year in the number of folks sharing the TC experience around here, so I'm wondering why... Sideline access instead of stadium? Folks not wanting to take the heat for their opinions around here? No one going to camp? Folks lost interest in the Bombers? Relying on what the Bombers and the local media give us is good enough for most? Something else?

Maybe the media folks in Winnipeg finally figured out if they tweet it in real time, no one needs to read their articles the next day. Still doesn't answer why the fans aren't giving us updates this year.

I haven't gone once yet. Bad assumption by me then. Sorry.