TBURGESS

You didn't mention the Willy trade. Walters has done something that other GMs couldn't - get us a QB. That alone gives him an A in my books. Any of Collaros, Willy or Burris would have been a huge upgrade over last year. Walters couldn't make a bad choice at QB unless he decided he didn't want any of them.

If only the media had access to the assistant coaches. That's the problem. That's a different problem.

This type of depth chart is exactly what I want to see for the rest of the season. Younger guys getting a chance to prove they belong or to play themselves off of the team. I hope we've got a couple of receivers to take Bryant's and Kelly's spots next game.

I'd like to know what the options were. Someone in the media should have directly asked the question. My guess is that the only option was PR. If O'Shea offered the IR, then Grigsby would get a full paycheck this week which means he'd be an idiot to turn it down.

Worst idea yet.

Playing a new guy in place of a vet to see what we have for next season is exactly what I want the Bombers to do with the rest of the season. January's play has gone way down hill this year. I wouldn't be against replacing him with someone younger and cheaper next year.

Can someone give me a link to find the rule that you can't sign a player who was released after the trade deadline? (Just post the rule here if that's easier) I know you can't trade anyone, but once a player is cut, they aren't under contract and teams can sign players after the trade deadline. I guess was wrong about Smith. After watching him late last year, I thought he'd be a good one. I still think he's better than Brohm.

[sarcasm on] Asked and answered eh? Well that's it then. It can never be asked again, otherwise it's thought of as bitching. [/sarcasm Off] I'd love to know what the coordinators have to say for themselves. It's not about the media having a right to know... It's not good leadership for O'Shea to have to gag his coordinators in case they don't say the same things he would. Good leadership is selling your managers (Coordinators) that you are on the right course and having them to sell it to their people. Get buy in, and you don't have to worry what your coaches might say. In short you don't have to control the message yourself if your people believe in it.

maybe if fans could ask the questions but with our media here, you'd get nothing interesting at all. You may not understand it cuz you live out there in BC but the media here are pathetic and you'd learn absolutely nothing new from them if they were to speak with the assistant coaches. Can say what you want out there on the west coast but don't think you can truly understand unless you live here. That's absolute hogwash. I can and do truly understand, not because I live or lived in Winnipeg, but because I watch the media scrums and read the Winnipeg papers online. The only thing I can't do from out here on the coast is go to the practices. Most around here don't do that either,

Why the reporters aren't allowed to talk to the coordinators is a valid question. I'd like to know what they have to say... Wouldn't you?

Your worst grade is a C, which is average. If you were right, we'd have an average to above average team and we don't. You're a really really easy marker.

i'd like to see Goosen starting at guard for the rest of the season for two reasons: First, for experience. Second to allow for an additional Imp to start elsewhere. I don't want to see Bryant or Kuale or any other player that they are looking to replace in the off season get any more game time. It's time to give the backup guys a chance to prove they belong or that they shouldn't be invited back next year.

Best thing about this site is the practice updates. Thanks.

Mr. Dee you've changed my pick from Hammy to Argooooos. You better be right.

Bryant's faster. Kelly's got better hands. Neither scares the opposition. 6 of one and half a dozen of the other IMHO.

As opposed to non Grey Cup hosting years when we don't try to field a very good team? We try to field a very good team every year. We just don't succeed often enough.

It's not the number of players that matters. It's the number of players who can upgrade the current starter that matters. Booker and Hickman are only on the 44 due to injury. Neither are expected to be upgrades to our starters.

I'm not disregarding how bad we were. You're disregarding that any new group was likely to produce better results at least in the short term, because the comparison is one of the worst teams in Bomber history. Fill the staff with college coaches and we'd probably be better this year. That doesn't equal being on the right track. If you give up the stupid idea that comparing this years team to one of the worst teams we've ever had and start comparing this team to the other teams in the league, or even our average teams, you'd see where we actually stand. I've been hearing about this process that will turn us into a good team a couple or a few years down the line for over 20 years. Most of time it's just wishful thinking, but that doesn't stop fans form angrily arguing that it's obviously going to get better and we just have to believe in the current group is going to be way better than the last group.

Nope, I'm not suggesting blowing the whole thing up and starting over and for the umptenth time, I'm not saying we haven't made ANY progress. I'm saying we haven't made ENOUGH progress to say we're obviously heading in the right direction. Any half competent staff would make some progress when your comparison is one of the worst teams in Bomber history. I think Miller and Walters have done pretty good jobs. I like the idea of a larger scouting staff, but it hasn't provided many upgrades. Our best new players came from other scouting staffs. Maybe it will this offseason. I like the idea of additional coaches. O'Shea has the built in excuse of being a rookie HC who has to learn. I'm expecting him to get better next year as he will be higher on the learning curve. I don't see him as the next Buono or Huffer like a lot of folks do, but I'm more than willing to give him a 2nd year. Our OC and DC have lots of experience and they both are who we thought they were. Neither are guys I'd trust this this rebuild on. I'm not sold on our special teams coach either. They may have been the best we could attract last year, but doesn't make them good enough or the best coaches we can attract going forward.

and it's that stupid notion that is the reason you don't see the progress. I'm not over stating anything,you are simply choosing to believe that wins are the only thing that demonstrates progress and that is a ******* stupid mentality. It's not a stupid notion. W's are how teams are judged, unless there aren't enough W's for a positive spin, then folks like you are forced to look for something else point towards progress. It's not black and white either. I see some progress, just not enough to say we're moving in the right direction or that we're that much better than last year.

You're doing it again. Making up things that i neither said nor implied then arguing your side of your made up story. No one, including me, expected the team to become good in one season. Far from it. We didn't make enough of the right changes in the off season IMHO and we haven't made enough changes during the season. I didn't expect an instant fix and I'm not bitching that it isn't faster than can be reasonably expected. None of those things have anything to do with how much or how little better we are than last year anyway. If you haul your head outta your hiney you might be able to follow along. My perspective is... We're still not good enough. We're in a downward death spiral. That's not the right direction. We're doing nothing about it this year. We're hoping to get better in the off season from the draft, free agency, and scouting new players.... Just like every other team in the CFL. No you're basically disregarding the progress the team has made and insisting that wins and losses are the only thing that really matters. What I said is exactly what you are saying. You need to expand your focus and look at the big picture. I'm not disregarding the progress. I'm just not overstating it like you are. The big picture is we still aren't good enough and that we still have a long ways to go. W's are the only thing that matters.

They signed him to play QB? Really? I guess it's try and save this season at any cost time. Good luck with that.

You're doing it again. Making up things that i neither said nor implied then arguing your side of your made up story. No one, including me, expected the team to become good in one season. Far from it. We didn't make enough of the right changes in the off season IMHO and we haven't made enough changes during the season. I didn't expect an instant fix and I'm not bitching that it isn't faster than can be reasonably expected. None of those things have anything to do with how much or how little better we are than last year anyway. If you haul your head outta your hiney you might be able to follow along. My perspective is... We're still not good enough. We're in a downward death spiral. That's not the right direction. We're doing nothing about it this year. We're hoping to get better in the off season from the draft, free agency, and scouting new players.... Just like every other team in the CFL.

So I guess that Calgary lost to Montreal makes them a team on the decline. You guessed wrong. Losing 5 in a row and 7 out of our last 9 makes us a team in decline. Losing one game to an inferior team doesn't.

I get it. Folks who are looking for positives want to compare this years team to last years, because that's the only positive comparison they can find. Who cares if we are slightly better than last year? We're still not good enough to win enough games to make the freaking playoffs let alone be contenders. We're losing by less points? Oh boy! The important word in the sentence is still losing. It's easier to watch these games because we're close? I'll give you that one, but that's not enough to say we're headed in the right direction. IMO: We are better at QB, DB, kicker, returner and maybe slightly ahead at receiver when Moore's healthy but he hasn't been for most of the year. We are worse at D line, LB's and even starting 3 Imps on O our line. We still have a Canuck talent and depth problems. Our track record for finding new starting grade talent isn't good, even though we've beefed up our scouting. (Other CFL teams found our best new guys.) We aren't doing anything to get better this year. O'Shea said the new guys we are bringing in now are for next year.