Floyd

Labbe only plays when guys are hurt - he does not come in on our 2nd and long package... not that I've seen - I did miss a few games this year though. Even when Labbe is in, we just send him almost as a fifth DL because there is no faith that he can cover the pass. I think your assessment that we will have more NIs on the field than necessary is completely wrong... but we will see. I really believe this is more a matter of either Labbe in OR we play a Dimeback... or Thomas. If we actually design plays where we sit our best players for NIs, well that's just crazy. Probably a moot point anyway, we'll be running around so much that someone on D will get hurt in the 1st half and we'll juggle everything.

Disagree with this statement. Benevides and Chamblin both very recently jumped into first time GC spots with immediate success. I think the thing with Burke is that he was wildly successful at DC for 2 teams, but despite that success, was passed over for multiple HC gigs. That speaks volumes about his potential at HC... but here come the white knight Bombers with an opportunity for him. I don't think we had anything to lose in giving him a shot midseason.. but why we decided to give him a 3-year contract after that is beyond me. How as a player can you get excited to play for an uninspiring coach that throws you under the bus in the media? Our half-time adjustments have been well behind the curve (if half-time adjustments are actually even made); he has already professed to knowing nothing about offense (although to be a great DC, one would think you would need a good understanding of what is coming against you), and his handling of the media will one day make a really fine case study. Agree 100% with 17to85... worst HC in Bomber history, worse than Kelly and Reinebold because at least they appeared to have an idea of what kind of team they were trying to build. I would argue that Benevides team is seriously underperforming and Chamblin's coaching only improved when Cortez showed up. Both were 'decent' coaches. The mistake that is made by rookie coaches is bringing in all their inexperienced guys with them - first Lapo and now Burke has done the same thing... Chamblin succeeds because of Richie Hall, Cortex and Khari Jones as QB coach doesn't hurt either. And, yeah, you are over-estimating Reinbold... he had no idea what team he was building...

So, this set up pretty much means Edm will run when Sherman is on the field and pass when Labbe is in... no...? Feels like we're going to drift back to zone coverages and probably pull back on our blitzing... although we'll keep Labbe along the line to spy Reilly and well, because he can't keep up anyway. Edm should have a big advantage just by looking at which NI is in on the play... Either Burke and Creehan are planning something or this could be a big game for Hugh Charles.

There is no way Burke is less inspiring than Jim 'Wonderbread' Daley... then again, I guess we'll find out this week.

In all honesty, I think his Mulumba pick will turn out to be the most scrutinized. -- Watson, no argument there. -- Muamba, actually made him look smart -- Pencer, now that he's actually playing, he's showing value -- Etienne, this one will still get knocked for a while, but really him and Parker (the #2 pick) are both progressing and turning into players Coehoorn and Ianuzzi have already made the Etienne pick look a bad choice... Pencer pick is bad primarily for the fact that we gave up two good picks to get him - Mack stated that talent dropped off in the 2nd round... but Hammie picked up Courtney Stephen (now playing) and Carson Rockhill with our picks - Rockhill and an NI LB were then traded for Wojt, Lawrence and a backup QB. Pencer is not even worth Stephen, let alone Wojt. I know you are high on Pencer but let's see if his shoulder hold up this season before determining value. They have the exact same stats this year. Is Ianuzzi really that much better. Coehoorn has more yards than any receiver on our team... but that could be a bit of an argument in favour of Etienne, I guess. Ianuzzi is just OK this year but his versatility makes him better - REC, KR/PR, ST. Plus he has been contributing in some way to the team for three years now. Etienne just won a starting spot this year, lost it and is now injured. Its not that I don't like Etienne, its more that the salary cap $$ and roster space wasted for two years now make him a worse pick than two receivers who have been contributing. He hasn't even really played ST very much. Anyway, for the record, I wanted Coehoorn or Junior Turner...

That's one confusing depth chart. So McGee, Gilmore, MSW and Poblah on 46...? Can't even figure out who our DIs are... Smith and Peach I guess? Why is MSW not a DI yet? Muamba still on the 42 even though he is injured...?

In all honesty, I think his Mulumba pick will turn out to be the most scrutinized. -- Watson, no argument there. -- Muamba, actually made him look smart -- Pencer, now that he's actually playing, he's showing value -- Etienne, this one will still get knocked for a while, but really him and Parker (the #2 pick) are both progressing and turning into players Coehoorn and Ianuzzi have already made the Etienne pick look a bad choice... Pencer pick is bad primarily for the fact that we gave up two good picks to get him - Mack stated that talent dropped off in the 2nd round... but Hammie picked up Courtney Stephen (now playing) and Carson Rockhill with our picks - Rockhill and an NI LB were then traded for Wojt, Lawrence and a backup QB. Pencer is not even worth Stephen, let alone Wojt. I know you are high on Pencer but let's see if his shoulder hold up this season before determining value.

Mark Dewitt, I thought, was a good FA pickup... just wonder what the deal was with his back? Was it that bad that we couldn't even keep him around... cutting him so early was strange.

January practicing today... but Burke saying he would rather start two import tackles with two days of practice experience instead of playing a 'knicked up' OL... I hope there is more to January's injury because that is just bizarre.

I like how guys are using the Mitchell over Muamba argument to defend Mack now... when that's about our least controversial pick.

For his age/experience, Norman is doing very well. If we inserted Greaves, Norman would be starting here as well, no doubt. Maybe if Norman and Jones are here, Pencer is at RT...? I am confused at the over-estimate of Pencer at RG, yet kind of bashing Norman... Neufeld is struggling this year but I thought was 'okay' at Tackle last year... probably because of his RG support though. Regardless, Smith and Woodson are no longer here... not sure if Parenteau is that much better than Neufeld given age, etc. Bilukidi and Mulumba are fine picks if you are Calgary or someone like that, Winnipeg needed help right now and Mack picked long-shots.

Wow, 10 changes in our 12 offensive starters compared to Game 1 roster...

Trial by fire for Walters' scouting... wouldn't be surprised if Randle is starting by the BC game too

People had input .. whether or not it was listened to is another matter entirely. I questioned why we didn't draft any o-linemen this year. I was told there weren't any worth drafting. And whoever told you that was mostly right. The only "ready" OL in this class was Brett Jones and I remember plenty of people bringing up that he was a risk because of his interest in a non-football related career path. If only Mack had answered my phone calls, we would have Edem and Jones!

Sigh.

From today's freep... "You have to be consistent in the draft," said Burke. "You've got to say to yourself there's certain positions that it's easier to find Canadian players at. Offensive line is an example, so you just have to keep drafting every year at those positions and not try to draft a fullback or something like that. "When you draft a lot of offensive linemen, you're not only drafting for your starters, you're drafting for your backups so that when that starter goes down you have a legitimately good backup. We haven't done that." Wow, Burke slagging Mack again... I wonder if anyone other than Mack actually had valid input into the draft.

Walters goin' crazy with the signings/releases... Definitely not going to complain about an NI OL coming in or another hot shot RB Lots of tinkering so far - not sure if he can make a real homerun signing/trade at this time of year... would be nice...

Carter and Black don't play defence. McCullough couldn't even hold a gap last week when the Argos ran the ball down their throats in the 4th quarter. Don't apply for a scouting job with the Bombers this off-season please! Labbe plays defence? He has four tackles this year... Career ST just like Carter and Black. I'll take McCollough over PLL any day. Be glad this list is not about Cdn LB/DB/S... only Muamba ranks in the top 15

Funny, how Buono was too worried about Buck's concussions to play him five years ago... but 1000 head injuries later and he's one step away from starting for them.

Ah, we're classifying Butler and Brouillette as DBs then... Well, that definitely helps Labbe's chances... on the other hand, Emry, Muamba, Pottinger, McCollough, Yurichuk are better... Black, Carter, etc - they are more along Labbe's level, Tristan Black is probably better though

That's kind of an ignorant take. Starting a guy who's arguably a top 5 NI LB in the league is a disaster, but starting a guy who was a hardly above average CIS DB at safety is a good idea? I am assuming that you misread and are not referring to Labbe as a top five NI LB... This isn't a witchunt for Labbe... its just that we already went down this road in 2011 and it cost us dearly. He is just too slow, that's the way it goes... He wasn't too slow tracking down a guy and forcing a fumble in Banjo Bowl. Labbe might not be as good as Muamba, but that's no slight. He's still a damn good player who can get the job done. To say that he "cost us dearly" is absurd. He was tracking down the guy after he whiffed on his first tackle... watch the replay. And if you think playing Labbe at MLB/OLB didn't cost us dearly late in 2011... well, I guess that's a difference of opinion.

That's kind of an ignorant take. Starting a guy who's arguably a top 5 NI LB in the league is a disaster, but starting a guy who was a hardly above average CIS DB at safety is a good idea? I am assuming that you misread and are not referring to Labbe as a top five NI LB... This isn't a witchunt for Labbe... its just that we already went down this road in 2011 and it cost us dearly. He is just too slow, that's the way it goes...

Reinders would solve our Cauchy problem...

If I kept anyone, it would be Plemons and Dickenson.

Wow, we will get destroyed with Labbe-Muamba as WIL-MLB... I'd take 3 NI receivers... activate Carter - Kohlert-Foster-Carter-Etienne... that works But honestly, is Dan West (and I wanted him cut last year...) any worse than Cauchy...? Throw Teague Sherman in there for experience... who knows? Starting Labbe should really get Burke canned. Maybe that's what he wants now... a fresh start as Ottawa's DC.