gbill2004

An article from 2011 outlining the relationship between O'Shea and Tracey: Mike O'Shea pays Pat Tracey the ultimate compliment when discussing his former defensive co-ordinator. "He set me up for my CFL career," O'Shea, a member of the all-time Toronto Argonauts team, said of the man in charge of the defence during his University of Guelph days. "Everyone on defence had to know the defence extremely well and you had to know what everyone around you was doing. He made you go up to the board and tested you (on concepts and plays). He set me up for success. He set me up with great habits to go on to the CFL." An endorsement from one of the great Canadian CFLers in recent memory gives you an idea of just how respected the Queen's Golden Gaels defensive co-ordinator is in football circles. Tracey, who played defensive back at Guelph and won a Vanier Cup as a player in 1984, started running the Gryphons' defence in 1989 - the same year O'Shea arrived on campus. O'Shea - now the special teams co-ordinator for the Argos and a man whose name has been mentioned as a strong head coaching candidate - went on to play 16 CFL seasons and 271 games as a linebacker, the most ever by a defensive player in professional three-down football. Tracey, a Belleville-area native, hasn't been nearly as visible as O'Shea in the public eye, but he's been instrumental in the success of two university football programs. After leaving Guelph in 2000 to move closer to home, Tracey has spent most of his work hours at the helm of a consistent Gaels defence. This year might be Tracey's best season yet. Tracey's D, remarkably, has not allowed a rushing touchdown all season (nine games). Heck, the defence hasn't given up a single touchdown in the past three games. On Saturday, the best defence in Ontario University Athletics matches up against the McMaster Marauders' top-ranked offence in a semifinal. This game simply never happens without the outstanding play of Tracey's charges. "I think what makes his defence so successful year after year is his ability to adjust it to the team he is playing," said T.J. Leeper, the underrated, undersized middle linebacker on the 2009 Vanier Cup team. He's now studying medicine at Western. "He's not afraid to completely retool his defence in a week. He knows that if he coaches it right, his players will run it right. There is never a lack of preparation in a coach T game plan." Dan McNally, the rookie head coach at Guelph when Tracey joined the staff in 1987, learned quickly that work ethic would be a great strength of his young assistant. Tracey, after his playing eligibility had expired, asked McNally if he could help the staff. "We didn't have a paid position at the time. He got a small honorarium. That's how he got started," McNally said from Nova Scotia, where he served as athletic director of Acadia University for a half-dozen years after leaving Guelph in 2001. "He was in the office like he was full time. It was clear right off the bat it was something he really took to. Football, in general, was a big, big part of his life. That doesn't always translate to coaching. Just because football has been fun (as a player), coaching is a different animal. But he just seemed to have a good feel for it." Within two years, Tracey was McNally's defensive co-ordinator. Together, they won a pair of Yates Cups before Tracey took a sabbatical to work under CFL legend Ron Lancaster on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' staff in 1998 (they lost in the Grey Cup). After one more year at Guelph, Tracey got an unexpected job offer. "I met him a few times, but I didn't know him," said Gaels head coach Pat Sheahan, who made Tracey one of his first hires after landing the top Queen's football job in 2000. "He had a very good football resume and he wanted to come back to the area (to be closer to his family). I had an immediate connection with him - he was from Belleville, I was from Brockville." Brought aboard as special teams co-ordinator, Tracey was promoted to defensive boss in 2001. The results have been superb. Players like Dee Sterling, Matt Kirk, Chris Smith and Shomari Williams have graduated to the pros. The team is in the OUA final four for the third time in four years. "I think the thing that makes him so successful is that he thinks outside the box," said Williams, the No. 1 overall pick of the Saskatchewan Roughriders after starring on the 2009 national championship team. Williams said former Roughriders defensive boss Gary Etcheverry, highly-regarded for his scheming ability, reminded him of Tracey. He said Tracey, like Etcheverry, tries to stop what the opposing offence does best. "The biggest thing he taught me was how to prepare and always stay the course," Williams said. "The season I was there, we won a lot of really close games and we were losing in some of those games at points. He never lost his composure and always just encouraged us to keep plugging along. "He always challenged you individually and the challenge was so specific, you felt like you had to do everything in your power to meet the challenge to make the team successful." Williams says Tracey is quiet. Sheahan says his fellow Pat is a private guy. Yet don't mistake this for a lack of intensity. "He's like a dad who never has to yell at his children," Williams said. "He just has to give that look and they know they better shape up. A lot of the players were intimidated by him because they knew once that look came on his face, it was all business and you better step your game up." Adds Leeper, "If I were to describe him, I would have to say coach Tracey is like Sun Tzu (an ancient Chinese military strategist) in Bruce Willis' body." Sadly, both of Tracey's parents died during his years at Queen's. But while they were alive, the father of two spent most Sundays cherishing more family time. Saturdays, game days, seem to be a different sort of family time when Tracey is involved. "I really enjoyed his personality," O'Shea said. "We were his guys and he was our coach. He looked after us and he fought for us." Tracey's players will be going punch for punch with the Big Mac attack this afternoon and early evening. Win or lose, it's a safe bet that Tracey's crew won't go down without a fight.

Per Madani... His bio from Queens website: Pat Tracey joined Queen?s in 2000 as Special Teams Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, and moved to his current post in 2001, becoming a full-time assistant to Coach Sheahan in 2008. Tracey is recognized nationally and internationally as a defensive specialist, and is the dean of current OUA defensive coordinators. In 2011, the Gaels defence did not concede a single rushing touchdown in the regular season. He enters the season with 105 career wins as a CIS defensive coordinator and the CIS leader with 14 career shut-out victories. Tracey has mentored many exceptional defensive players during his time at Queen?s, including four CIS award winners, eight OUA award winners, 39 conference All-Stars and 16 CIS All-Canadians. The Gaels defence has lead the OUA in several categories under his guidance including number one ranking against the Run 5-times, Pass 2-times, Overall 5-times and Scoring 4-times). He has coached the East team in recent CIS East-West Bowl games, serving as DB coac in 2003, Defensive Coordinator in 2004, and Special Teams coordinator in 2005, 2007 and 2008. Tracey was the Special Teams Coach for Canada at the 2007 Global Football Championship, held during the week of Super Bowl XLI, which the Canadians won for the third straight year. In 2009, he guided the Gaels defence to a Vanier Cup championship, as they finished as the top defence within the OUA. Tracey has also been deeply involved in coaching at the national level, as he was the Defensive Coordinator for the Eastern Ontario U-17 team at the Football Canada Cup, winning bronze medals in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and capturing a gold medal in 2009. Prior to joining Queen?s, Tracey coached with the Guelph Gryphons from 1987-97 and 1999. At Guelph, he held numerous positions including Defensive Backs and Return Units (1987-88), Inside Linebackers and Return Units (1989-90), Defensive Coordinator (1988-94), and Special Teams Coordinator (1996-97). He was the team?s recruiting coordinator from 1995 until leaving for Hamilton in early 1998. He coached in three Yates Cup finals with the Gryphons, winning two. Tracey spent the 1998 season on a leave of absence from Guelph, and joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as Special Teams Coach, on a staff led by CFL legend Ron Lancaster. Hamilton advanced to the Grey Cup with his assistance, losing the championship on a heart-breaking, last-second field goal by the Calgary Stampeders. Tracey started at defensive back from 1982 through 1986 with the Guelph Gryphons, winning the team?s most improved player award in 1982, and a Vanier Cup in 1984. He saw action as a punt returner, leading the team in 1983. In 1986, he was the football nominee for the Mitchell award as the Male Sportsman of the Year. Tracey was a team captain in 1986, and was named to the Gryphon Team of the Decade in 1989 at cornerback. He holds the school?s record for the longest fumble return (61 yards, set in 1983), and most games played in a career (51). Tracey is also ranked second in Guelph?s history for games started, with 49. Tracey is a native of Foxboro, Ontario, and resides in Kingston with his wife Denise, and daughters Devon and Darby.

Over on the Sask Roughriders forum, the Bombers are getting made fun of pretty bad like we are a huge joke. Saying no coaches wanna come here and that Mike O'Shea will regret coming here, amongst other insults. Really hope we land Wylie now that it seems we have lost out on Miles.

Aren't the Bomber offices closed for a few more days?

Kolhert or Durie?

Rumor has it Kolhert already has a deal in place with the Bombers. Apparently he has a long-time GF in Winnipeg so all signs point to him returning to the Bombers in 2014.

CFL reports this morning confirm that the Bombers and Eskimos are both competing for Special Teams Coordinator Craig Dickenson and OL Coach Bob Wylie. Dickenson was initially believed to be heading to Edmonton but may have had a change of heart with Mike O'Shea becoming Head Coach in Winnipeg.

What ever happened to the Winnipeg Fury?

Ya, why weren't the Bombers in on Barrette? He was a free agent NI.

It was on one of the CJOB coaches shows. Two posters on here recall Burke saying this. Sorry I don't have a full day to listen to every show to find the link for you. If you want to hear it go to the CJOB audio vault and listen to this seasons shows. It's there.

So you are saying Tim Burke is a liar.

It wasn't some great feat of drafting by the Stamps when they picked Jones. Jones told teams he would only play in Calgary. No, that is absolutely & unequivocally 100% wrong. What Jones told CFL teams was that he had applied & was waiting for acceptance to the University of Regina's Faculty of Medicine. At the time of the draft he hadn't heard yet if he was accepted or not. He told CFL teams that while he wanted to play in the CFL, if he did get accepted he would not play football. Hufnagel knew that & drafted him anyway.When Jones didn't get accepted into med school in Regina, Jones came to Calgary & enrolled in engineering at the U of C. So, it was a gamble that paid off for the Stamps. He never said he would only play for the Stamps. He'd have played for anyone providing he could get into Engineering at a university in a CFL city if he didn't get into medicine. The Stamps gambled with Jones. But no more of a gamble that Mack took on Mulamba or Hamilton on Gaydosh with their NFL aspirations. The only team that wasn't scared off were the Stampeders. Everybody else took a flyer on the guy. Even the Riders which is surprising considering that he would have been attending the U of R had he been accepted so they may have been able to convince him to do both. Go to med school & play for the Riders. Tim Burke is many things but I wouldn't call him a liar and Tim Burke said Jones told teams he would only play for the Stamps. Go to the CJOB audio vault and listen to the last few coach's show and you'll hear it. Jacquie is correct. I heard Tim Burke say this myself; that Jones told other teams he'd only play for Calgary.

Heard McAdoo is on his way to Edmonton to be their OC.

I read on a couple other forums that Bob Wylie is rumoured to be the Bombers next OL coach. I think he'd be a great hire. Edmonton rumoured to also be interested.

My vote goes to Miles. Any word on potential candidates for our ST coordinator with Dickenson landing in Edmonton?

Biggest problem with Douglas is his health. He's a decent OL when healthy.

If we can sign a free agent who is an upgrade at right guard then draft Lavertu to be our new starting centre, I'd consider that as significant progress.

What's wrong with Greaves? He must have meant RG.

Jay Cutler had some terrible footwork and Marc Trestman made huge improvements to that in Bears training camp this season.

Considering Vega and Turner probably didn't come cheap, I doubt this happens. Defensive end is easy to recruit. Not sure how I'd feel about paying three guys handsomely on the defensive line potentially. The distribution could be better. Word is the Bombers were $200k under the salary cap for 2013. I'd assume a big chunk of that is going towards signing Turner and Vega to extensions. Smart move by Walters to get guys signed in 2013 to free up cap money for 2014.

The Vega signing was announced in a press release - not at a press conference. There is a press conference later this morning.

I was at the Bomber Store yesterday. Season ticket girl told me she didn't have exact numbers but that season ticket sales are up this year, compared to the same time last year.

Interesting scouting report I found from 2011 when Collaros was coming out of College - thought I'd share: Zach Collaros: No. 12 (6-0, 223) A shorter, undersized quarterback prospect who seems to struggle to see over the line of scrimmage at times and routinely gets a number of his passes knocked down at the line. Plays mostly from the gun and does a good job with his pre-snap reads understanding the defense, locating his target and getting the ball out quickly. Stays compact with his footwork and his release is much quicker underneath. Possesses good touch and accuracy down the field, drops the football into tight areas and is very comfortable completing bucket throws down the field. However, the further down the field he’s asked to throw, the more of a wind-up he gets with his release and then he really needs to step up into throws in order to generate enough momentum for himself to get passes vertically. Possesses a good feel in the pocket, and is a natural athlete who not only can buy time for himself but create with his legs. Is a “plus” runner for the position in the open field, has some wiggle to his game with the strength to bounce off a tackle and keep churning his legs. However, relies too much on his legs at times and his eye level has a tendency to drop too quickly. He’s at his best when asked to improvise, however, looks to create on his own too often. If his pre-snap read isn’t on, he has a really tough time going through his progressions from the pocket. Is limited to more of a one side-of-the-field, read-only guy who routinely looks to take off and run if nothing is on. Will hang in the pocket and stare down the barrel of the shotgun in order to deliver the throw. However, doesn’t stay real balanced with his footwork. He trusts his accuracy and touch and routinely will fall off throws or not set/reset his feet into a throw. Can create some plays out of nothing, but too often causes his accuracy to run hot/cold. Lacks a big time arm, spins a clean football, but doesn’t have the natural arm strength to really drive the ball outside the numbers. Had to appear in court as a sophomore for being caught with a fake ID. Impression: Looks more like an ideal CFL type quarterback where his athleticism and ability to improvise will serve him well. Lacks ideal arm strength, size and coming from a spread, his learning curve looks to be too severe to make an NFL roster.

His long-term girlfriend also lives in Winnipeg.

Interesting Mike. For the most part, you rated everyone a full grade below mine. My thinking is that our OL isn't great, but is average. The lack of a legit mobile QB, and poor OL coaching has contributed to making the OL look worse than it is. A legit mobile QB can make an OL look much better. You also rate Pencer very low. Do you feel that he is a complete lost cause?