Booch

I'm glad we "missed" out on Thorpe actually

No he has made some nice shots...when he had the actually players to make that play via speed/seperation or jump ball ability. For the most part the last year and a bit we used JFG and Coates as that guy...not the ideal type of player for this. Also...just the threat of the guy doing that and being out there a defense has to respect it...if the cheat and break off too soon like they were they will be burned bad regardless of who is throwing the ball

A change in philosophy in coverage, and how we employ the MLB along with the right guy to play it is pretty much the hurdle we need to make to become legit grey cup favorites. All DB'S at the professional level can play man (some better than others) and mixing in more man, with our already aggressive D-line play (which will be better next year I would bet with the returnees one year wiser) and a legit linebacker I can see this defense leading in a lot of categories next year. That tho being with Randle and Heath re-signing but that I think is pretty much just a formality now. Alexander and Walker are going to be good...Heck Walker is what..21??...But they won't make the rookie errors again. If we could find one legit halback via free agency a backfiled of Randle, Heath, Loffler, Mr X and Alexander/Walker as the other and extra DB looks to be very solid. A lot of our over the top problems with the big plays was due to the fact the Safety a lot of the time was vacated and wasn't helping over the top (or being the threatening presence he was year before) due to the scheme of making the plays the MLB should have been making, or was compensating more for the deep middle and flats...poor scheme especially in CFL with most times 5 receivers and a lot time a RB looking to take a pass. Look back at a lot of the big plays...jump balls and what seemed like busted coverage's..there was rarely a safety to be seen anywhere close...that was scheme. Go more traditional...have Loffler in a safety position flowing to the play and coming down over top and you eliminate a lot of the issues..that and the fact in will be in the receivers heads again that number 16 might be flying in to knock them the eff out...you'd be surprised how that will affect an offense

Actually Demski would be a good pick-up by us and I bet Lapo could utilize his skill set very nicely in our system. My hope would be to use him inside and out of backfield ala Drurie and Flanders and line him up all over. Replace that wideside Canadian receiver with an import who can burn and stretch defenses...I would think that White we had on the PR at years end, or Givens could really do well there. Regardless we need that aspect to our offence...just the fact that we don't employ that hampers our offensive game somedays when defenses clamp down on our short/inside stuff...make a team not be able to cheat down, opens up a whole lotta room

I seem to recall to that being said...to look for guys who were good coverage guys...then went with a very passive keep it in front of you zone...

No...I am saying that is the biggest thing...a HC is only as good as his Co-Ordinators...been around enough in different capacities to have a fairly good idea as to what a good HC requires/has for traits..tendencies etc to make him good...or bad...played for both kinds Any HC worth anything is going to want to pick his guys...not inherit them. I was just trying to convey that the HC doesn't have to know some unique and super rare strategy, or have some secret skill to make him win...

Yeah that wasn't a normal every game hit..the fact he got right up was amazing...a similar hit was Loffler of Arceneaux and he got knocked the eff out..same with Roosevelt against Calgary. I wouldn't be too worried about Adams's as being injury prone...and injury prone isn't a real thing..guys are just unlucky.. and their style of play may subject them to more of a chance to be injured. Milt never got hurt cause he always ducked out of bounds and never put his head down to get extra yards, and he will admit it...but Adams is the opposite...he will try and truck a guy...never ducks out of bounds and always fights for yards...leaving himself vulnerable to be hit more..and his teamates love that and feed off it and it makes them better..same with Harris and how he plays...Give me an Adam's any day

To be honest, a head coach and what he does/brings and how he impacts a game is very over rated in these forums and over valued. The players play and 99 percent of in game decisions and and calls are pretty much a given (with the odd rogue cowboy call) and a lot of times discussed among co-ordintors..team spotters and players who's participation has impact on the plays considered...at least in my experiences..and generally if you are not an arrogant doucher who nobody likes and never listens to any ones suggestion or input then you do just fine. Kind of baffles me tho what went on in that EDM game with Mass tho...is he that much of a prick that no co-ordinator or assistant didn't wanna even question his call...or are they all just as dumb...guess we will never know If a guy is just plain dumb and does dumb things consistently well then that when the GM has to step in and get rid of him...and players will stop playing for him. A team wins based on the players they have, and the schemes they run, 90 percent of the time created by the co-ordinators, and sometimes depending on the HC with some of their input...but they trust their staff so usually let them do their job. I have played for HC's who basically put on the headset and let the game play out, offer encouragement, and criticism where warranted and made final say, or asked co-ordinator what they think in certain game situations and then made the call...and were very successful. I bet I could step behind the bench in CGY...WPG...EDM ...next summer as the HC and wheel off a winning season based on the personnel and support staff there by just not being dumb...to manage a team during a game isn't rocket science

On offense we really need to just add one impact big bodied receiver and if can resign Dressler for a mutually pleasing contract for both sides use him as the 3rd option and not the center piece to the offense...unless the game allows for it. We know we are set with Harris and Flanders...Adams is a lock and proven stud...for how we use the Canadian receiver again we are set with Coates and Drew developing behind him so no need to go spend big free-agent bucks there...Givens if back, and a full camp and reps may surprise and I am gonna go on record and say that White who we brought in late may turn into our find of the year. Feoli is nice depth, but getting older and I think not needed if Coates can continue what he did and Drew W progresses as most think he will...he may be a dark horse impact Canadian in the making

5 Bombers: Bryant, Randle, Westerman, Leggett, Heath 5 others: C. Fenner, T. Reed, M. Arceneaux, D. Daniels, W. Powell

A lil surprised with this one so early, but for the right price I like it. I would think he got some upfront money left from this year, so cheaper 2018 cap hit and if this so...pretty good move...we can develop Felix M and not rush him....nice to see a lot of the core coming back before the new year even begins

nice piece to have going in..experienced and proven

Pretty nice indication of where a team is at talent and coach wise when chosen by the Players Association Nice for Moe too...recognition from his peers probably means more as well...they are the guys in the league who really know who the true ballers are anyway

Once it was determined that the MLB experiment had failed we were hooped as we didn't have any ratio options to fix that spot, without severely impacting roster elsewhere in a negative way. 2 National receivers while the offence was humming would have hurt us more than Hurl in as the offense was able to for the most part mask the defensive deficiency. Thomas full-time spelled off with Ekakite would have made defense significantly weaker, and originally the thought of Bond out for Neufeld seemed like it would be a downgrade, but truthfully the line never skipped a beat and that was with a depleted receiving corp, and no Nichols for a game and a gimpy one when he was back . I think Neuf was just unfortunate injury wise and maybe the light load the last two years has helped him fully heal and recover to become that full-time guy now..we shall see. Would like to have seen tho how a backfield with Jones on a corner and Alexander/Walker at the half would have fared tho as an option...would have been no worse than what transpired all year, and would have been nice ratio wise...We do have Banning and Conteh to groom in behind him...so we do have the pieces..

Deserved all around...some may say that Dickenson got robbed, but what Trestman did coming in late...no say in a lot of player recruitment prior to him being there and not "his" guys and implementing a whole new system and culture over a course of season has to be recognized. CFL I think too dropped ball on not televising this...been great exposure and promotion for the league

Pobably holding out hope this year that he will get on somewhere for injury reasons or something...I think tho in winter CFL teams will be enticing him to sign..he'd be a good pick-up. He still has PR eligibility left too..so probably trying to make use of it

can't see why not..

Solid solid depth guy and emergency starter/replacement...special teams ace too. I think he could do well as wide side corner too...if ratio required

heres what u get with Glenn....typical hahaha

Dline yeah you will have and need some rotation...But Jeffcoat...Poop..Opo..Nevis and Westerman are all A-1 starter types so it's not really an issue but at times we had 3..4 guys coming in and out at a time...and it was constant...and generally in the linebacking/dback area and it I think can cause more issues than help with trying to match up a certain way. I don't know if it was just a gut instinct thing or a scouting determination that player X was better at this task or faired well against a certain player, or if certain guys played well in direct coverage and others were better in read and react zone play...who knows...Tho I don't think we employed much read/react zone coverage as we seemed to have our guys play safe in their zones and converge to ball once play was executed and it usually resulted in the receiver always appearing to be not covered and getting positive yardage, but kept drives alive and ate up the yardage. Now was it a trust thing in the players?...a belief by coaching they didn't have the talent to play this style?, or a defensive philosophy that was employed? I bet we as a team played the least man or press coverage in the league the last few years and well we seen the results of this. Which technically is somewhat encouraging because these are easy fixes and minor adjustments to a game plan can make this all disappear...now are we going to change the way we think defensively?...from sounds of what Oshea is saying and what Walter's alluded to today it sounds like we are

If we get Bryant inked...re-up Dressler and find 1 dominant game breaking receiver, and 1 dominant game altering linebacker, and 1 complimentary DB....we will be just fine...small needs to focus, but vital ones for sure

I never really liked the constant rotation to be honest...takes away too much for players getting in a groove and a feel for the game. Like Kyle said...have your best 12-13 guys and go with them...and I agree. Perhaps this message has been parlayed to Oshea/Hall (if he is back) that moving forward thats what we are going to do...that being said onus is on Walters and scouting staff to provide said 12-13 best players to do the playing as starters

Yeah don't profess to be a know it all blow hard but have seen a lot..done a lot and worked with a lot so like to share my first hand experience/knowledge as well as some insider insight I am privvy to at times as well... The original poster is somewhat correct, that there is I guess you can call it a set list and play-calls predetermined based on looks and if flow goes a certain way...thats a given and thats basically part of the gameplan ...and some coaches a lack there of. I was just trying to argue the perception that I got that a first drive was a pre-determined sequence of plays that are ran in succession regardless of the fact of anything else. That being said I have been in games where we ran basically 3 plays until the other team showed they could counter, or stop it

explosion is never a determination of 40 time at all..never said that. At combines we can judge and rank a players potential for explosion based on broad jump and vertical...never 40 time. Also, we use a thing we refer to as 6 inch burst and look for that aspect of a players skill set...Mulumba has played a rush end and the defensive end in the 3-4 set soley his last 3 years down south and translate very well to a stand up end here...he basically played (minimally) and practices at the same thing Westerman did. Jake Thomas would be a horrible linebacker

pretty sure i have a pretty good direct knowledge as have played in 2 of the 3 leagues u mentioned.as well as been involved in creating playbooks and packages.maybe some teams run a series of pre-determined plays...called game planning but to say to run play A...B..C..D...E in a series is yes laughable and not a recipe for success. Now you may yes have a set of plays based on scouting to counter act a teams sets..schemes..personel etc..etc but game flow and situation dictates what you run..as well as what seems to be working outside your game prep too