TBURGESS

No, I'm saying fans know the backups names and think the new starters will play almost as well as the all-stars they are replacing because they believe the stories being put out by the Bombers media folks. Folks around the league, who don't follow the Bombers as closely know that the backups would still be backups if we hadn't lost 2 all star NI OL. Being on the Bombers for a few years doesn't equal being ready to start. Being a first round draft pick doesn't mean being good enough to start in your first season. Being on the team for a couple of games last year doesn't mean knowing the system and it doesn't make you a non-rookie. There are lots of examples of players who were with the team for years and never did anything. Lots of examples of first round draft picks who turned out to be busts. Sounds like Jones is already inked in at safety. Big gamble for a guy whose never been a starter and who is coming off of a season ending injury last year.

More hogwash.

What a bunch of hogwash. If you ever read anything I've typed, you'd know that wasn't remotely true.

People outside of Bomber fans sites think that losing our best two NI OL in the same year is a problem. They think that replacing two all star NI OL with guys who have a couple of starts each or no starts depending on who wins the starters spots, is a big issue. It's only around here that folks think last years backups will be as good as last years all star starters.

As in all work stoppages, both sides have something to lose. Usually management has the upper hand because they can last longer. I'm not sure that's the case in the CFL. A camp and a season delay would cost the CFL and teams revenue. TSN isn't going to pay them. No one in the stands. Teams have had no revenue at all for as long as the players and they still have to pay their staff. Some teams are just barely hanging on as it is. Losing a game or two's revenue could put them under and the league would have to take them over. That could literally kill the league. They also run the risk of losing fans, not just short term, but long term (Ex: I used to be a big baseball fan. I lost interest back in 1994 and now only watch a game or two a year). Fans in the stands are the lifeblood of the league and numbers have been dropping even before a strike.

Yes, I think the CFL cares. The players are the product. Without them, no games.

That's the same question I asked when the CFL decided not to pay players the bonus money. IMO and I'm no lawyer... It's likely that the AAF are in breach, but that doesn't mean the contracts are automatically and quickly brought to an end. More likely that the players would have to sue, which they'd win, but that would take time.

Am I reading it right? Did we make $2.6 Mil and then pay out $2.7 Mil meaning a $100K loss? Or.. is the $2.6 Mil over and above the payment meaning a $2.6 Mil gain?

Everyone I didn't name is below average. Tier 4 - 6 are below average.

The list needs to be tier'd. Tier 1 - All stars and Ratio Breakers. Harris. We had 3 more last year. Tier 2 - Solid contributors, guys you wouldn't want to lose. Woli, Neuf (for last 2 years play), Demski, (Although some folks think he's disposable), Miller, Remple? Tier 3 - Backups and young guys with an upside. Coutour, Gray, Peterman, Speller?, Simonise?, Augustine? Tier 4 - Starters/Special teamers until someone better comes along. Jones, Briggs, Thomas Tier 5 - JAG's (Just another guy) Tier 6 - Actively trying to replace.

Typical fan forum 'analysis'. None of our NI's are below average. 😄 BTW: Above average and average or better both kinda mean the same thing. I agree that Harris should be in his own category... ratio breaker.

I say there's no way we should be in cap hell. Got rid of 7 starters salaries, including 3 all star NI's and we got rid of some higher priced backups like Wild and Leggett. Paid some extra to a few players and added Jefferson and Rose. Likely it means we don't want to pay 2 more first round draft picks. In which case, make sure to draft someone who is going to the NFL this year.

FTR: 1974 - 12 day strike.

No I'm suggesting that last year's backups, who are now starters, shouldn't be considered as good as last years all stars who they are replacing until/unless they prove it. You're confusing where we are right now, with were we might be at the end of the season. Two very different things. I'm not worried. I'm not saying we won't be competitive. I'm not suggesting that the Stamps or us will be near the bottom of the league. In the beginning, I said that both teams lost a lot of talent in the off season and that I have them a 1 & 2 overall. FTR: We lost more NI talent (Which is what we're actually talking about) than the Stamps did. 3 all stars to 1. You have to assume that our new starters are as good as other teams last years starters to assume that we will be better than most teams in NI talent. I'm not going there with you.

'Isn't noticeably worse than the rest of the league' isn't the same as 'close to the best'. If you were talking last year, then I'd agree that our Canuck talent was one of, if not the best in the league. Take 3 all stars away and I don't think it's still true. The 'who knows what we will think of' group are just that. They may or may not be great this year or down the road. What we do know is 2 of them will likely be starters this year, because we don't have any other real choices. If the league goes down to 5 NI starters, then we're in a much better spot. Our top 5 may even be 'close to the best'. 1 star. 2 second tier. 2 average to below average.

Is it tho?

There's the crux of the matter. Do we really still have close to the best Canuck talent in the league? Harris is the best NI RB in the league. Woli had a breakout season, netting him 22nd in the league in receiving. Demski's 2nd tier or lower (28th in receiving). The rest are average to below average NI's.

They don't look stupid at all. They look like they paid the players what their contracts say they will get paid.

Any other team lose 3 all star NI's this off season? No? Then it's even better for us than other teams.

Loffler cracked the lineup in year 1. Jones was on that team and had 2 more years of pro experience than Loffler at the time. If the Bombers thought that Jones was 'the right guy' back then, they'd have given him more reps at safety. It could be argued that they wouldn't have even drafted Loffler if they thought that Jones could play safety. You're arguing that 4 years in, Jones was finally ready to supplant Loffler who had been an all star every year he was in the league, except that Jones he got injured. Your 'reasoning' is that stats be damned. Quite frankly, Walters saying that 3 year all star Loffler almost lost his job last year to a career special teams player when it became clear that Loffler wasn't going to sign with us, is very close to throwing a player under the bus. I didn't think that was the Canadian Mafia's way.

That would be great for us.

Crappy business practice to stop players from signing with other leagues. I'd expect that part of the league going under would be the cancelling of all player contracts. That being said a cornerstone of all leagues is honouring other leagues contracts. No one wants the NFL to ignore CFL contracts even tho they are a different league in a different country.

Jones is a 5 year vet with 18 Defensive tackles overall. He's never cracked the starting lineup. He's been a good special teams guy. He was injured most of last year. Loffler is a 3 year vet with 185 Defensive tackles in 2 years less playing time. He started in his rookie year and has been an all star every year he's been in the league. Huge difference in the two players CFL careers so far. Huge potential for a significant drop off too. It's way easier to replace an import than a NI which makes your Bond example a red herring. It wouldn't be as much of a potential problem to replace 1 all star NI as it is to replace 3 of them in the same year. When folks pivot from discussing the post to calling the poster a troll, they have already lost the argument.

Classic fan forum stuff, whether it's here or on the Riders forum. When a player is on our team he's great, an all star, likely best in the league. When he leaves, we won't miss a beat, he wasn't that good anyway, his backup will be just as good, likely better, heck, his backup woulda coulda shoulda taken his job last year (The GM said as much after we knew he wasn't coming back), his new team overpaid to get him and they'll be sorry. Anyone who disagrees is just a negative troll who must be argued with. SMITE HIM... SMITE HIM.

Every backup doesn't become a starter. Every starter wasn't a backup first. Lots of examples of draft picks and imports coming in and starting right away. The 2 new starters didn't 'move up because of injury'. Neither outplayed the starter. Both are backups who have become starters because the guys who used to be the starters left the team. How do I know that they didn't earn their spots? If they had, they'd have been the starters at the end of last season. Did the Bombers decide in advance how much they were willing to pay Chungh? Sure. Was it the right number? Not to get him to sign. Could he make more elsewhere? Yup, in BC. No, I didn't like it that Chungh and Goossen were forced to start year one because we didn't give ourselves any other choices. It worked out in the long run, but in both 2014, Goosen's first year and 2015, Chungh's first year, we missed the playoffs. Our O line wasn't exactly dominant back then. It has been for the last couple of seasons, but we're back at square one for 2 of the 3 NI OL spots. Can we continue produce the offence we have in the last couple of seasons without a dominant O line? Will Nichols be able to get back to 2017 form without as much time? Will Harris churn out as many yards without as big holes to run through? That's what we'll find out this year. I wouldn't be as worried if we only had to replace 1 all star NI as I am that we have to replace 3 of them.