With this off-season, what changes would you like to see? What types of changes do you think would vault us into elite status? Please share.

 

 

....And the trifecta is complete- one thread for ranting, showing appreciation and now one for improvements.

 

 

Some Notes from replies (pg 1):

• More Aggressive D-co-ordinator
• Better MLB
• Better SAM
• Better Scouting
• Game breaking WR
• better Back-up QBs 
• Quality National CB
• a Finch type of returner (Fast as ****)
• Keep acquiring new people all season long
• Let the coach adjust to the personnel's strengths and weaknesses
• talent trumps attitude

 

 

Edited November 13, 20178 yr by wanna-b-fanboy

1 minute ago, BigBlue said:

WE need to bring in a new philosophy about changing player personnel: the roster is not set on July 1 and rigidly adhered to unless a veteran is hurt: what barf!

Keep acquiring new people all season long and don't disqualify them because they have a history with another CFL club. Bring in the best of the talent and pay up for them, even if it means we have to adjust some of our schemes and protocols to fit the new player. Let the coach adjust to the personnel's strengths and weaknesses; don't force the players into a predetermined mould for either offence or defence

Have to agree with a lot of that....Thigpen sure looks good in Riderland for an example....We seem to be slow off the mark in bringing in late NFL cuts...If the player will improve the club get him in here...Of course that would be up to the player and his agent but we are definitely viewed as a good destination now....

 

8 minutes ago, Jacquie said:

How is that a knock on Fogg?

I think I'm just going to change my signature line to "It's Richie Hall - no 't'" until he's gone.

It's not that Fogg isn't a good returner....(I did say 'good')...he's just not that speed burner like a Rainy, who I would like to see returning punts

4 minutes ago, Stickem said:

It's not that Fogg isn't a good returner....(I did say 'good')...he's just not that speed burner like a Rainy, who I would like to see returning punts

Misread your post. When I saw Banks my brain turned returner to receiver since he wasn't their primary returner after Jones took over. 

16 minutes ago, Mike said:

I'm operating under the assumption his career is going to be over, Achilles at 30+ years old in an athletically demanding position ... Unfortunate

I hope he wants to and can come back. My favorite Bomber in a long time.

yea me too.. I think he will be back and try his damnest to get back into the lineup but it might be too much to overcome at this point.

The other thing that has to go is this "stand pat" thinking:   "we have a good core of players and just need to do a little tinkering here and there" .... Every year I have seen management do Stand Pat Tinkering I watched the club deteriorate. We need to aggressively improve ourselves at every position all year long and even if we have the best players in the league we need to be developing potential all-stars right behind them .... Football is a fluid game and the river don't stand still for long

I would like to see a legitimate game breaking 1a and a 1b receiver duo. 

You guys already have a great QB - the most important and hard to fill position on the field.  Some tinkering here and there and continuing to develop that existing talent base will go a long way. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!

Defensive co-ordinator first and foremost...though if Hall would change his philosophy on defence, and utilize the tools in the tool box this wouldn't be an issue, but as it goes in  footbal co-ordinators/schemes/philosophies come and go and Hall's has sailed...teams are onto it now and he needs to re-invent much like Lapo did.

I'd dump cash at Steinauer and the Asst/HC title on him to pull him outta Fresno State...and as an incentive have a private convo with him/Miller and Walters that if the team goes one and done again in the play-offs they will have the onions and pull the pin on Oshea and hand over the reins to him.  The culture and environment is here and re-established now, so canning the HC won't negatively impact that now.

I think on offense we are a bigger receiver away who plays angry/mean to compliment what we have right now.  Hello Arcenaeux and or Mathews...do what you need to get it done...if that means sacrificing Medlock money so be it..it would be money better spent elsewhere truthfully as we shouldn't have to rely on a kicker to constantly get the wins...it just lends to the attitude and  comfort in not doing what it takes to have a lethal offence if you ask me. 

You add a big bodied aforementioned receiver to Adams,  Harris, and yes I would resign Dressler to add to that mix as he would thrive in a system with a group like this and we should be fine with some of the existing complimentary pieces, or some new find or other free agent pick-up. Our line is sound and tho some free agent's are expected I hear that some are already a given to be back.

 At worst we are going to have art the least Couture/Goose/Chung/Spooner/Foketti and I'll go out there and say Bryant and Hardrick as well....only wild card is Bond,  Also, i bet that if Gray gets dumped this off-season he will sign here to get some game film...so o-line wise we are very set...as well as QB (starter)

Our weakness is linebacker without a doubt and that is where we need to address things.  Santos-Knox appears to be a keeper and so is Moe injury aside, and we should be bringing him back, but if initially...or reality wise the nickle position is too much to come back to...he goes to safety and you test out Loffler in the position of Santos Knox and move him into the middle or use in sets with a more traditional 3-4 look.

If we can Land Muamba I would like to see a defense predicatec with 3 down lineman and a Mulumba/Corney playing a Tyrone Jones/james Parker role and lining up all over..on the line...in the linebacking corp...causing mismatches and confusion all over the place...A rotation up front with Jeffcoat/Johnson/Opo/Ekakite /Westerman (if he resigns) and maybe another new run stuffing stud can be the makings of an exciting and aggressive defense....also a productive one. We play/played too passive the past 3 years....time for change

 

I'm backing Booch.... Get the dump truck full of money and back it up to Steinauer's front door. That's your guy, right there... 

we are not that far off...

I think landing Steinauer is a pipe dream. I truely wish we could but it is highly doubtful. He's doing good things with the Fresno State D, and is a Broyles Award nominee. I think this will only open up more doors for him down south.

The one thing with Steinhaur is that him and O'Shea are very close.

8 hours ago, shadybob said:

I think we have some good talent on D that is being wasted. Would like to see Hall get replaced with someone a little more aggressive on defense. I guess Thorpe would be the easy answer here, not sure how likely that is though. 

I fully agree. We've got the pieces(minus Hurl) that just aren't being placed in the proper spots.

In all honesty even with Adams and Dressler, we arguably had the worst set of receivers in the West.

Edmonton has Bowman, Zylstra, Walker, Watson and Hazelton with Mitchell and Williams as depth.

Riders have Carter, Roosevelt, Grant, Bagg, Owens with Desmki, and Holley as depth.

Calgary has Daniels, McDaniel, Jorden, Parker, Michel with Durant, Brescain, Begelton as depth.

BC with Williams, Manny, Burnham, Moore and Johnson and a guy like Ianuzzi as depth.

That said Adams/Dressler and a Manny/Matthews/Earnest Jackson + Coates/JFG and a young import would be excellent.

New DC (Mark Nelson or Noel Thorpe)

Sign Chris Matthews and Andy Muluamba

Re-sign our key free agents

Get better at the back end (db's). Is that thru coaching, new players, or more experience...not sure

 

There should be some interesting available free agent receivers... I hate that we will probably have to over pay for an American receiver but our scouting has proved at this point that we do need to do that if we want to give Nichols the weapons he needs to be successful. 

Roster wise 1) new mlber. 2) a wr to take the no3 slot whose a viable top level threat. 3) Back up qbs. A new vet back up, and a new developmental qb. 4) dbs to push the young guys 5) another NI that is a fringe starter to maintain flexibility when injuries hit. 6) Return man to push fogg. 

More so roster wise its gonna be about where we cut salary to add the pieces we need. 

Coach wise, new dc. I think plop is only gone if he takes a promo else where. His flashes of brilliance come with soo much confounding play calls a better OC would be great. But idk where that person would come from and dont think we would fire plop to upgrade. 

6 hours ago, Noeller said:

I'm backing Booch.... Get the dump truck full of money and back it up to Steinauer's front door. That's your guy, right there... 

So many more opportunities for Steinhauer in the NCAA & perhaps later the NFL.  I'll be shocked if he ever comes back. Thorpe is out there. 

I agree we need a DC; and a DC that plays aggressively and uses a typical defensive package.  I mean not an etch a sketch playbook that is super unique and hasn't done well in awhile or a soft bend but don't break defense either.  I also expect that we recruit some better receivers and agree we have to get rid of the minor tweak mentality; it seems the most successful teams this year made major upgrades through out the year.  Sure Calgary didn't but I also don't feel like they are favourites to win the grey cup.  Honestly, Edmonton and Saskatchewan right now are looking like the match-up and I mean; they made consistent changes even as much as we made fun of Chris Jones he did what he needed to do to make a competitive team.

3 hours ago, blueingreenland said:

New DC (Mark Nelson or Noel Thorpe)

Sign Chris Matthews and Andy Muluamba

Re-sign our key free agents

Get better at the back end (db's). Is that thru coaching, new players, or more experience...not sure

If things get blowed up real good in BC with a regime change, Mark Washington may come available and I believe he knows how to deploy LB's properly.

22 minutes ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

If things get blowed up real good in BC with a regime change, Mark Washington may come available and I believe he knows how to deploy LB's properly.

Mark Washington? Luke warm on that... 

Another thing we need to stress with whomever is in place as a coordinator, as well as personnel is lose the  mindset/tactic of always trying to to the lawnmower strip that has burned us over and over again in "hopes" of getting a turnover. Be a stout strong defense and smack em in the face and put them on their arses...the turn overs will come and in my experience most turn overs occur from a guy getting whalloped..stopped in his tracks, or just actually hit hard and hit often..Not this hold him up and try in most times in ernest pulling a ball out as the ball carrier keeps moving for 3..4..5...and as you seen on the Gable touchdown 15 yards ...Tho Hurl totally whiffed at LOS the most part of that was this stupid strip it out mentality.

If one thing drove me nuts this year as a former defensive guy it was this...such a stupid tactic and based on the unpredictable reffing as it is..just plain stupid..some plays they whistle it dead before the play is done...others early so it's just not worth it

2 hours ago, Booch said:

Another thing we need to stress with whomever is in place as a coordinator, as well as personnel is lose the  mindset/tactic of always trying to to the lawnmower strip that has burned us over and over again in "hopes" of getting a turnover. Be a stout strong defense and smack em in the face and put them on their arses...the turn overs will come and in my experience most turn overs occur from a guy getting whalloped..stopped in his tracks, or just actually hit hard and hit often..Not this hold him up and try in most times in ernest pulling a ball out as the ball carrier keeps moving for 3..4..5...and as you seen on the Gable touchdown 15 yards ...Tho Hurl totally whiffed at LOS the most part of that was this stupid strip it out mentality.

If one thing drove me nuts this year as a former defensive guy it was this...such a stupid tactic and based on the unpredictable reffing as it is..just plain stupid..some plays they whistle it dead before the play is done...others early so it's just not worth it

Not to defend Hall, but we do not know if he was told that he had to play Hurl.

Just now, tracker said:

Not to defend Hall, but we do not know if he was told that he had to play Hurl.

Why would you think that given that Hall started Hurl when he was DC of the Riders until he was overruled.

for sure, but we also don't know if he didn't lobby for someone else or a change to the bogus claim that his role is to fill a gap and occupy a lineman...watch some game film and that's not what he is doing...and even so...part of a defender job is to make a tackle while engaged and break off /disengage from the blocker...that he couldn't and didn't do. 

If this was the real intended scheme and role then it would have been better served to have Corney or Westerman fill this role, but I am siding on the reality that it was the team defending Hurl publically and not throwing him under the bus...plain and simple.