17to85

That sounds counter intuitive to me. If we lack talent across the board the sensible thing to do is get the best player out there. I'd make sure someone is going to play in the CFL this year but it doesn't matter what position. We used a canadian in the secondary all year, an upgrade there would be great, we need an upgrade on DL more than we need OL if you ask me, we used a linebacker most of the year, an upgrade there would be great. If there's a star type receiver that would be great, if there's an OL that'd be fantastic too. About the only position you don't need to worry about is RB and qb. Good teams are built from the lines out. If we don't upgrade our O line, it will be more of the same next year. Our QB will get beat up. Our RB will need to make yards on his own. Our receivers will have to run short routes because we won't have time to complete the long ball. We'll end up hoping that other teams fail so we can sneak into the playoffs. I'd like to see us pick up a D lineman but I'm hoping that one of our NFL DL's will be available. but we used 3 americans on the OL at times this year and it still sucked. If we upgrade another NI position and have the ability to play 3 imports on the OL we can improve it that way. In this day and age you don't have to hold to the antiquated thinking that you must play 5 NIs on the OL. I would suggest that improving the american content of the Ol would do more to make the line better than drafting an OL. Take the best NI in the draft and I don't care what position he plays. Quite frankly, we need to upgrade both the NI's and the Imp's on the O line. We used 3 Americans on the O line and still sucked. That's hardly a reason not to take our best shot at upgrading the NI O lineman. We don't have 3 starting grade NI O lineman now, no way we are finding 5 starting grade NI O linemen this off season. That being said, it would be a great way to use 5 NI's, if we had them. I suggest improving the import content across the board is better than looking for 3 starting import O lineman, especially considering how badly our O line was starting 3 of them. When we get to the point that we have a good starting 7 NI's, then take the best player no matter what. Until then, we need to fill the spots we NEED to upgrade RFN. Draft a couple each year. Dump the ones who don't work out within 3 years. Rinse and repeat until we have a solid O line with a couple of guys in the pipeline. And I say take the best NI you can in the draft and find your best 7 NIs where ever you can find them and build the rest of the roster around them. If that means 2 NIs on the OL then so be it.

It's short sighted and doesn't take into account the starting point, and it's part of the reason why we've had this 25 year drought. Too many people have been fired because the instant results weren't there, or the team took a slight step back. All these knee jerk reactions because people only looked at wins and losses has done more damage to this team than anything. Name the people over the past 25 years who were fired because instant results weren't there as you put it. You will notice that I added a 2nd qualifier there as well right? The whole point is that a lack of patience has resulted in good people being fired too soon. Dave Ritchie, Doug Berry, even Lapo was fired prematurely. The worst part is they usually followed it up by hiring worse people after. The reality is that this team doesn't give coaches or GMs enough rope.

Then the problem you run into is that you won't be able to recruit anyone worth a damn because it's just further instability. No coach wants to go to a place where they're going to be fired after one season. And really why are we firing Etch again? The D has been ok this year. The biggest thing we need on D is some better defensive linemen in there. people are taking this dislike of Etchevary to ridiculous levels. He's not my ideal defensive coordinator but he certainly hasn't done anything to warrant being fired. He was better than I expected him to be and you don't fire a guy after one year when the D wasn't the big problem on this team. If I was putting the 3 phases in order of concerns about them it would be special teams > offense > defense. The payoffs for Etch's gambling were at least apparent in the early to mid-season but they dropped off the map later in the season. No real pressure on the QB's was sustained from the D-line of his blitz formations and they were burned heavily on both the run and the long pass. and did we notice that it was right around the time Anderson got hurt that the pressure really disappeared? This teams DL has been weak all year and losing a guy like Anderson meant that we could not generate pressure. Let's get some playmakers at DL for next season and see how the defense looks. The CFL is pretty simple, if you get pressure your D usually looks pretty good. Look how much the Riders D slipped when their pressure was negated just a bit.

It's short sighted and doesn't take into account the starting point, and it's part of the reason why we've had this 25 year drought. Too many people have been fired because the instant results weren't there, or the team took a slight step back. All these knee jerk reactions because people only looked at wins and losses has done more damage to this team than anything.

That sounds counter intuitive to me. If we lack talent across the board the sensible thing to do is get the best player out there. I'd make sure someone is going to play in the CFL this year but it doesn't matter what position. We used a canadian in the secondary all year, an upgrade there would be great, we need an upgrade on DL more than we need OL if you ask me, we used a linebacker most of the year, an upgrade there would be great. If there's a star type receiver that would be great, if there's an OL that'd be fantastic too. About the only position you don't need to worry about is RB and qb. Good teams are built from the lines out. If we don't upgrade our O line, it will be more of the same next year. Our QB will get beat up. Our RB will need to make yards on his own. Our receivers will have to run short routes because we won't have time to complete the long ball. We'll end up hoping that other teams fail so we can sneak into the playoffs. I'd like to see us pick up a D lineman but I'm hoping that one of our NFL DL's will be available. but we used 3 americans on the OL at times this year and it still sucked. If we upgrade another NI position and have the ability to play 3 imports on the OL we can improve it that way. In this day and age you don't have to hold to the antiquated thinking that you must play 5 NIs on the OL. I would suggest that improving the american content of the Ol would do more to make the line better than drafting an OL. Take the best NI in the draft and I don't care what position he plays.

If he's healthy your starting qb starts plain and simple. Especially when he's still as young as he is in terms of experience starting. Starting Willy is the right move. If he struggles though they should give him a break.

and yet Willy has a better completion percentage and more yards than Bo does... Bo plays on a better and more talented team with the best coaches in the league, that's the real difference at this point.which proves nothing other than you judge a QB more by his completion percentage than his overall ability, alas Damon allen.. What it proves is that for all the shitting you're doing on Drew Willy and despite all the issues he's had he is still performing pretty well all told. BLM is playing with the best coaches in the league, on the best team in the league. He's got a lot of support that Willy doesn't have. The fact that Willy is better in some statistical categories should tell all you haters to pump the brakes on the hating just a little bit.

Did you go to the Grey Cup in Calgary in 09 was it? Was one of the highlights of my CFL viewing experiences to witness first hand all those annoying as **** Rider fans having their hearts ripped from their chests on the too many men penalty. Just amazing.

People really need to get over this 25 year thing. I tried to explain it to some people in the chat room after the game. It's only year one for Walters and O'Shea. They need to be shown some patience. Forget all the mistakes that were made in the past, give these guys a proper chance to build something. I think we are on the right track over all. We have what appears to be a good quarterback situation right now and I am a believe in Mike O'Shea so that's two of the most key positions. The rest will come in time. People get too focussed on wins and losses and that's not the way to look at this season. Considering where this team ended last season and where we're going to end this season we are in so much of a better spot it's crazy to be angry.

That sounds counter intuitive to me. If we lack talent across the board the sensible thing to do is get the best player out there. I'd make sure someone is going to play in the CFL this year but it doesn't matter what position. We used a canadian in the secondary all year, an upgrade there would be great, we need an upgrade on DL more than we need OL if you ask me, we used a linebacker most of the year, an upgrade there would be great. If there's a star type receiver that would be great, if there's an OL that'd be fantastic too. About the only position you don't need to worry about is RB and qb.

and yet Willy has a better completion percentage and more yards than Bo does... Bo plays on a better and more talented team with the best coaches in the league, that's the real difference at this point.

Then the problem you run into is that you won't be able to recruit anyone worth a damn because it's just further instability. No coach wants to go to a place where they're going to be fired after one season. And really why are we firing Etch again? The D has been ok this year. The biggest thing we need on D is some better defensive linemen in there. people are taking this dislike of Etchevary to ridiculous levels. He's not my ideal defensive coordinator but he certainly hasn't done anything to warrant being fired. He was better than I expected him to be and you don't fire a guy after one year when the D wasn't the big problem on this team. If I was putting the 3 phases in order of concerns about them it would be special teams > offense > defense.

It was pretty solid. I don't think there was anything that'll go down as super memorable but some good laughs in there. The common theme of the season is, the less Aidy Bryant in the episodes the better it is.

This team needs quality Canadians at any position they can get them at. Take the best guy and don't worry about position.

Kyle Walters really has his work cut out for him this offseason. He absolutely needs to bring in some unknowns who can push guys for jobs and even take them outright in training camp. That's the next step for this team. It think in most places there's enough of a core there they can build on.

Whoa whoa whoa there. You mean..... nah iso, goalie, Mr P and the rest can't be wrong about Drew freaking Willy can they? .... Ummmm, nope, it's me, I'm the one who doesn't know what he's talking about. Its the water boy (right Willy boys) -he's the culprit. Not Drew Willy, He had the time to go to his fourth reads, no one was open. That's why he was sacked. Willy is God, he can do no wrong. Now Willy is Jesus Christ, and he's shouldering the burden of the whole team You'd probably get a lot more credit for your opinion if you didn't sound like such a clown while you convey it. "look at me look at me look at me look at me" The real issue is that he does get some things right but uses the wrong line of thinking to come to that conclusion. If you fall ass backwards into being right but don't have the proper method for coming to that conclusion it's still talking out your ass.

There is similarities to be made tho... Stand in pocket and throw, willing to take hits to make throw.. Very lethargic in escaping.. Both are bright, make right plays for the most part... Differences are willy accepts leadership and is wiling to accept blame.. Listens to coaches and players advice.. Elliot wishes he was a leader but blames everyone and doesn't listen to advice.. Believes he is much more then he is... Willy seems almost like he is wowed by the fact he is a starter and is overjoyed to be one.. I've said it before and I'll say it again, shouldn't we be praising Elliott for telling Crowton he was a moron and his offense didn't work? Seems to me that's what he needed to hear.

Why wouldn't he be able to stay healthy this offseason? Well, guess I was meaning like through training camp and then preseason as well, though I guess that doesn't count as offseason. It just seems like for the last 4 years or so we've had a different RB starting our season opener than the one we had finish the previous season: Ex 2011 - Fred Reid 2012 - Bloi-Dei Dorzon - started because Chris Garrett our new found star got injured 2013 - Chad Simpson - he always seemed to be on that injury cusp year in and year out 2014 - Nic Grigsby - got the job because Cotton was out. I don't know, I know probably about every team goes through a RB turnover more often than not at some point, but it'd be nice to see some continuity on our part in that department this next year with Cotton full ready to go week 1. Dorzon and Grigsby both started because both guys in front of them were hurt in preseason. Both were similarly bad, just that Grigsby managed a good first game and somehow kept the job. Cotton by rights earned the starting job in preseason, he was probably the best offensive player the Bombers had in both preseason games. Criminal that he didn't get in as soon as he was healthy.

You know I have two vivid memories of the Bombers going for it to end the half, once with Brink at qb and he lobbed a td pass up to carr (i think it was carr anyway) in the endzone rather than trying a field goal and the other was in 2005 against Ottawa. There was one play until half and I just assumed Jim Daley would do the Jim Daley thing and take a knee and go into the locker room so I head to the bathroom, well next thing you know the guys I was watching the game with are yelling and cheering, Chris Brazzell to the endzone! son of a *****. As long as you don't turn the ball over I'd try it all the time.

This is correct. They've made some puzzling roster decisions at times this year, but I do think they've gotten over that recently. Much more willing to make changes to things that aren't working. Losing will do that. Not as smart as they thought they were. It's a fine line to walk though, you want to show faith in your players. I really do think O'Shea learned a lot this season about head coaching. I think if we run this guy out of town we're going to regret it.

The frustrating part of that, is you know it's the last play and you know that it's a hope and a prayer, you have to just let the ball fly and hope for the best no matter what.

I still have a lot of time for Mike O'Shea. He is the least of our problems here. There are a lot of places that could use a talent upgrade. Notably defensive line needs to be a LOT better. I'd say they need to find one more receiver who can hit 1000 yards as well. Then there's the OL which needs to figure itself out.

at least the jets won

No one will argue that Willy played a good game last night, the problem people are having with the negative folks around here is how they are so keen to throw the guy under the bus. There are some very real explanations for why he's at the point he is, going full Tim Burke on the guy doesn't help anything.

The only thing that wrecked willy this year was having to do too much on his own. He took too many hits, he didn't have a good running game to lean on because they fell in love with Grigsby for some reason and the receivers overall as lacking.