This is probably the softest D I've watched in decades a Bomber fan. I'm flummoxed. Owsh Walters and Hall (edit woops thats a bit embarrassing) had the off season to try and plug holes but it looks like it's the same old same old: not enough consistent pressure and incredibly  soft coverage. It's just infuriating. 

So what are some immediate things the coaches can do to try and make this D, arguably as bad or maybe worse than Hamilton's, closer to middle of the pack?

Edited September 3, 20178 yr by White Out

3 minutes ago, Goalie said:

DE in the CFL but... 

Have a weird feeling we'll be trading him to Montreal in the next two weeks.

5 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Have a weird feeling we'll be trading him to Montreal in the next two weeks.

Right after they fire Thorpe and replace him with Casey Creehan...

 

14 minutes ago, Floyd said:

He also said the terms have to be right and they're still looking at NFL... freep article didn't seem to promising...  I think its still a couple years before we see him

At this point I doubt that it is a couple of years. I think he's in the CFL this year or next year. Have to think his NFL opportunities are almost all dried up. He spent all of last year as a free agent, and cut by two teams this year. He has no PR eligibility left, and I believe his min salary is higher than a rookie.

If he wants to play football, it will be in the CFL.

1 hour ago, Floyd said:

Right after they fire Thorpe and replace him with Casey Creehan...

 

If they fire Thorpe I hope we are on the phone to bring him in as a consultant....and then next year who knows...

Lawrence alone would be worth the trade.

JBR, why Montreal? If so, who do you think we'd get back?

I'm a Defense guy but If I'm on the offense, if I'm on special teams, when I hear the statement the difference in the game was Nichols int and Demski's return I'm like what?

How about making the necessary in-game D adjustments and locking down 1st Q not 3rd Q?

We all know Football is a team game and every phase sucked, the difference was multiple plays in all three phases not one play on O and one play on special teams.  Plays that made the difference don't always have to be big plays.  We lost the key battles all game.

I hear the O given a hard time about Garbage time, how about the D, when the game is over by all accounts, they are getting garbage time to, i.e., offense more conservative, protecting a lead no turnovers.

We'll stomp them next week.  We can't win every game.

34 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

JBR, why Montreal? If so, who do you think we'd get back?

He's from Montreal and they need Canadians bad.  We don't really have a roster spot/cap space for him and would probably gladly take a  draft pick or two and a neg lister perhaps.

1 hour ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

He's from Montreal and they need Canadians bad.  We don't really have a roster spot/cap space for him and would probably gladly take a  draft pick or two and a neg lister perhaps.

Cutting Okpalaugo would take care of that in a heartbeat

1 hour ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

He's from Montreal and they need Canadians bad.  We don't really have a roster spot/cap space for him and would probably gladly take a  draft pick or two and a neg lister perhaps.

No, never can have too many top Canadians so if it's cap reasons you move some one else.  Hurl would be a good start...or Oka.

I'd say it's more the system than the players but it's definitely both.

It's not a championship calibre defense, that's for damn sure.

Anybody think Mulumba could play middle linebacker in the cfl??

6 minutes ago, Colin Unger said:

Anybody think Mulumba could play middle linebacker in the cfl??

Lol....as discussed all last week, he and Geoff Gray could rotate in and out......they'd be dynamite.

Not too sure why you laugh at that notion...I as a player of the same size, and also played the same positions as him I totally think and believe he could .  You have to let go of these perceived ideas as to what a LB is in the NFL and CFL...Body compositions...yadda...yadda yadda....it's crap

His measurable are similar to what several middle linebacker's had if you want to compare that, and as well in Hall's scheme right now Hurl is more of a gap occupier and an extension of the d-line responsibility and  coverage in the flats at times.

Mulumba is quicker...and faster...yes these are two different things and is the better athlete.  He would cover a RB out of the backfield no worse than whats going on now, but he would stuff runs, not be 2 seconds too late on plays and would be a better blitzer off the edge or right up the gut

He also plays all special teams and if came up would be game shape ready right away. This "opinion" on here by people who have never played, or only played at a highschool level makes me laugh at times.

If he came up here, I'd plug him in the middle pronto in a rotaion at first as he gets used to the cfl pace, then work him into the full time guy

Edited September 5, 20178 yr by Booch

31 minutes ago, Colin Unger said:

Anybody think Mulumba could play middle linebacker in the cfl??

totally

A guy who has never played off the line of scrimmage at a higher level is going to have a hell of a time with reads and footwork off of it IMO, in a league where 75-80% of the plays are passing.  It would be a project.

Why don't we put Westerman at MLB?

Edited September 5, 20178 yr by JuranBoldenRules

but he has played off the line before., so it's not a foreign thing to him. And did it lots in College as well. 

We use DE's in coverage at times anyway, so yeah...I bet Westerman  would do fine there and probably better than Hurl too.

Like I said...our MLB isn't a coverage guy generally and is responsible to control gaps...Hurl can't do it..gets washed out 9 times out of 10 and isn't a true thumper, so basically is just out there getting in the way of things

Well everyone in the front is in responsible for a gap but the "LB's" need to read run vs pass and pick in their zone/man too.  The whole D does that and that's where guys like Heath and Randle have been getting burned worrying about coming up to run support/keep contain.

Our MLB blitzes often but is also often in man coverage and zone coverage.  When a DL drops out they usually are just dropping to a spot.

I've only seen longer highlight tapes of Mulumba from his junior and senior year at EMU but vast majority of plays on those tapes (YouTube) he's in a 3 or 4 point rush stance and coming up field.

If we have any DL I'd have some confidence in to move to LB it's Jeffcoat.

 

30 minutes ago, Dirty30 said:

 

Cap space move for Mulumba lol

1 hour ago, Dirty30 said:

 

All posted earlier...just a heads up.....

1 hour ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Well everyone in the front is in responsible for a gap but the "LB's" need to read run vs pass and pick in their zone/man too.  The whole D does that and that's where guys like Heath and Randle have been getting burned worrying about coming up to run support/keep contain.

Our MLB blitzes often but is also often in man coverage and zone coverage.  When a DL drops out they usually are just dropping to a spot.

I've only seen longer highlight tapes of Mulumba from his junior and senior year at EMU but vast majority of plays on those tapes (YouTube) he's in a 3 or 4 point rush stance and coming up field.

If we have any DL I'd have some confidence in to move to LB it's Jeffcoat.

Great insight in how not trusting a teammate (s) to do their job can result in very bad decisions.  

Does anyone else here detect a whiff of bovine excrement when O'Shea and Hall talk about Hurl being used primarily to engage an opposing O-lineman as opposed to a "traditional" linebacking role? I cannot see how a 218 lb linebacker is expected to consistently stop or even slow down a 300lb O-lineman who will have 2-3 yards to pick up speed.   It seems to me that they are stuck with him in that position due to having no better options and they have sort of adapted the role to try to minimize his liabilities- in other words, he is expected to serve as a speed-bump with the number 10 on it.

That's why a Mulumba would fill that role nicely. That system can work effectively if you have the horse to pull that carriage, but Hurl isn't that horse

10 minutes ago, tracker said:

Does anyone else here detect a whiff of bovine excrement when O'Shea and Hall talk about Hurl being used primarily to engage an opposing O-lineman as opposed to a "traditional" linebacking role? I cannot see how a 218 lb linebacker is expected to consistently stop or even slow down a 300lb O-lineman who will have 2-3 yards to pick up speed.   It seems to me that they are stuck with him in that position due to having no better options and they have sort of adapted the role to try to minimize his liabilities- in other words, he is expected to serve as a speed-bump with the number 10 on it.

Oshea played the exact same role when he was an MLB.. you saying Oshea was just used as a speed bump and fit in, just because? Hes expected to occupy a blocker, making room for others to make plays.. He also runs the defense and sets up the game plan. 

 

just because you don't "see" it or it doesn't make sense to you, doesn't mean its not the way things are.   Oshea has said this countless times already.