K-Shack

For me, Castillo far and away the most important signing remaining.... glad to hear they're talking. Let's get it done! 

Pretty good day at Clandeboye School today, both Willie Jefferson and Patrick Neufeld made the trip out and read to the kids for I Love to Read month. Junior was able to wear the Oliviera jersey he got for Christmas and got autographs on his W chain. 

was talking about this with some guys recently.... it's not that I want Bighill outright replaced, but I'd like to see his reps significantly reduced. I think he can still be really effective, just in a limited role. We need to have more guys rotating through that LB corps, I think...

age and injuries are a mother f***er....

was just thinking, let's not forget about Miles Fox up the middle. He looked REALLY good in his limited reps last year and I know there's a few of us that wanted to see him getting full time reps. This could be the year for that. Walker and Jeffcoat leaving could mean Haba and Fox finally get the roster spot we kinda felt they'd earned last year.... that's not the worst thing. Along with some of the new bodies signed, as mentioned....... we might just have the bodies in house to step up. 
Right now, I'm more curious about who takes Houston's spot...

Bighill was unplayable with his injury. I can understand bringing Schoen out there with a snap count and for specific situations, and he did well in those situations as a clutch second down converter. But the roster decision of Bighill over Rose or Haba/Fox, and then having him out there in the second half covering a slotback instead of having Cole or Clements do it was in my opinion the biggest blunder. Gauthier was noticeable in a very good way compared to a hobbled Bighill.

Heartbreak only matters when you aren't a casual. We aren't a casual fan base, we don't abandon our team when **** hits the fans. A lot of you are veterans of the 29 year plague, and know that the heartbreak last night stings because we love our team and province. 
I am grateful to be a part of a fan base like ours that cares, is committed, and loves our team We didn't become obnoxious pigs with success like the rider fans did, and we didn't abandon our team to half empty crowds when the going got tough like whats happening in Alberta.
I tried to get this message across last night and maybe it was too soon or too poorly written. The raw emotion of last nights loss stung. But I want you to know that to all my fellow Bomber fans, you should keep your head high because you're part of something bigger than all of us individuals, greater than the sum of our parts. Our profession is Blue. We will be back next year and I can't wait. Enjoy the off season and I love and appreciate you all and I will always be Winnipeg no matter where I am.

I wouldn't be surprised if Holm gets some NFL looks, by the end of the season he was the most consistent DB and playing better than Nichols.

The only way Bighill should be back is if he's going to gain about 10 pounds and play nose at a 50% pay cut.  Will be disappointed if we give up a great player or two in their prime to keep him around.
Looks more like Alexander to me.  Holm is playing corner there and jumps the outside breaking route.  Alexander is at no depth to cover curls but also doesn't track the vertical.  That's the drive when Alexander dropped down to half and Hallett came in at safety because Parker got bopped on the kickoff cover.  The drive where we really could have used a backup DB.

Bighill in the Free Press today...
The veteran linebacker also wanted to clear the air on what happened on the 23-yard touchdown Als quarterback Cody Fajardo threw to Cole Spieker in the third quarter with Bighill in coverage.
“If you guys in the media are maybe a little bit more savvy watching football than maybe your average person, you know that we don’t ask linebackers to cover receivers vertically down the field,” Bighill said. “Let’s just say I was trying to cover up and help out. Was that my man in man-to-man coverage? No. But it’s OK, there was a miscommunication that Montreal did a good job of exploiting, coaching-wise.”
...
Tell us it was Holm's fault without telling us it was Holm's fault. And I'm sure he's not wrong but not a very leader-like thing to share in the media 
 

Two under-the-radar players they must retain are Walker and Lawson, too much invested in their progress and no obvious replacements for their skill level currently on the roster to let them walk away.

Not a chance. Running backs aren’t big earners.
The funny thing is we’ve asked Bighill to do this a ton. And he used to be able to.
He’s the first one I want to see go. Can’t stand him anymore.

I hated the reclaim the throne theme, reminded me too much of unfinished business! 

A bunch of guys deferred from last year is it should be stronger though you never really know till closer to the draft. Sudden nfl interest, guys getting hurt or going back to school etc. 
We needed to get younger, and better in the secondary pass rush depth nose tackle mac and dt. Didn’t go for any in free agency. 
We need most of those pieces again, especially db. Need to draft a young cheap ni rb, need a back up qb one way or another. 
 Castillo was pretty much a wash with legs actually. But legs could do all 3 jobs instead of the punter version of mourtada. Lawson was a trade the previous year and Eli just came back. 
 Keep in mind we lost out on guys like kongbo and desjarlais from our own group that went to the nfl too. 

meh... that play aside, I'm more than happy with Lawson and what he contributes. 

Actually I didn’t miss that part. I know that Osh’s players love him for that. I just don’t agree that that’s how a coach makes decisions about who gets to play.
Players love him for his loyalty and that’s why players want to come here and stay here. That’s a good thing.
But when that loyalty is dialled up too high it becomes too much of a good thing. Strength tips into excess. And this excess leads him to start 2 injured players who have no business being on the field. Two players who ultimately compromise our ability to win.
And that is not a good thing.
Finally, let me be absolutely crystal clear - I do NOT blame Dalton Schoen or Adam Bighill. Of course they want to play! It is the coach’s job, however, to balance that sense of loyalty with realism… To make those hard decisions that actually give us the best chance to win versus give him the greatest chance of being loved in the moment.
And I know O’Shea‘s philosophy is that ultimately his brand of loyalty pays off in the long run. But I think his practice and philosophy lacks balance and yesterday it cost us again.
 
 

DP had an exceptional game yesterday. Did everything asked of him and more. Props to him knowing what his role was and executing almost perfectly.

Pigrome was awful for Ottawa.  Don't really see him as a prospect in this league at all.
If anything might have conditioned Dru Brown more to that short yardage role so you could use his arm to having an actual threat on the field.

Yup. And further - since the covid season in 6 playoff games ZC has just 4 TDs and 8 INTs.

1:2 TD:INT. Unacceptable for a rookie, never mind the highest paid player in the league.   

Fajardo played well, but hell.......a major problem is that we got out coached big time in that one......

I bet moderating Politics threads is a walk in the park compared to moderating... well every thread post Grey Cup loss.
 
 
 
 
😆

Brown is the Aaron Rodgers behind a Favre of Zach Collaros. We may get a couple more good years out of Zach, or eight of Brown. I think the franchise would be better with the latter (my forum name aside)

Removed a couple of posts. Please - let's dial back the hyperbole about players. 

Bighill was unplayable with his injury. I can understand bringing Schoen out there with a snap count and for specific situations, and he did well in those situations as a clutch second down converter. But the roster decision of Bighill over Rose or Haba/Fox, and then having him out there in the second half covering a slotback instead of having Cole or Clements do it was in my opinion the biggest blunder. Gauthier was noticeable in a very good way compared to a hobbled Bighill.

Bighill was unplayable with his injury. I can understand bringing Schoen out there with a snap count and for specific situations, and he did well in those situations as a clutch second down converter. But the roster decision of Bighill over Rose or Haba/Fox, and then having him out there in the second half covering a slotback instead of having Cole or Clements do it was in my opinion the biggest blunder. Gauthier was noticeable in a very good way compared to a hobbled Bighill.