After another crushing defeat to the hands of the riders and some time to recover from the throbbing headache and pain from the loss the day before. I did a little bit of soul searching and some deep thinking while sitting at my desk at work today about the plight of the Bombers. Sure it would be easy to lay all the blame at the feet of the under performing veteran QB we just gave a big contract extension to, but in my day of meditation I think I've come to a realization that there are a couple things that could be hampering the Bombers and it runs deeper than just quarterback play.

Just a year or two ago everybody was celebrating the hiring of two Canadians at the clubs top positions, we were given hope with the signing of high profile Canadian talent and some big name american free agents. At this time the club was desperate for a turn around and had the cap space to make these quick changes. The club was also celebrated for having a much deeper Canadian prospect pool than they had ever had in recent memory. This turn around was exactly what we all wanted to see especially after Joe Mack had seemingly depleted our Canadian pool to nothing and was unable to find a quarterback.

Now I don't think the GM is the issue in Winnipeg and I actually think Walters has done a good job under the circumstances, my theory that I keep coming up with is basically comparing a head coach in the CFL more to a head coach in college football rather than comparing them to an NFL head coach.I think one of the issues we've been having here is not necessarily scouting but having a head coach that can recruit high profile american talent. Finding the talent is only half the battle and having an american head coach that is familiar with players agents, their college coaches, is able to tap in to these football pipelines in the south, and somebody these players are familiar with is a huge tool that some of the coaches in the league have over O'Shea that played his entire career in the CFL and went to a Canadian University. When people talk about recruiting in college football, one of the biggest things that is always brought up is the players went to that school to play for a specific head coach, I don't think young players who have generally never heard of the CFL are too excited to come play for a coach from Canada that never made it to the NFL which is ultimately their goal.

Football players coming up here I believe have to be convinced they will be put in a position to show their talent and be put in a position to succeed. Unless you know quite a bit about the CFL and know that Osh was an all time great up here I don't think that's a big sell to a player who will be coming up here essentially leaving everything behind and coming to make very little money rather than staying in the states and sitting on a practice roster.

A guy like Devone Claybrook in my opinion would instantly improve us in that area as he's played in the NFL and has a ton of experience coaching in this league as well as being from the southern american states.

 

Just my 2 cents....more like 10 cents.

 

 

 

Edited September 11, 20187 yr by Gotmilt

22 minutes ago, Floyd said:

Brock Ralph wasn't even a bomber when Taman was GM - wtf are you talking about?  

Kelly's Jabari Arthur experiment and gong show ratio management is what left us with Ralph starting...   Ralph was NEVER meant to be a starter - depth guy just like Neufeld...

You're right on Brock.  My mistake.

18 minutes ago, WBBFanWest said:

You're right on Brock.  My mistake.

I shouldn't be that hard on Kelly either...  I think both Arthur and Franklin were damaged goods - trade was basically Bryant for Willis which wasn't that bad actually

2 hours ago, DR. CFL said:

It’s always about depth.....Ralph was like...Kamaul Petersen....Adarius Bowman....and every other guy that has good and brutally bad seasons....Neufeld is a depth guy you hope you never have to play but can’t replace.

Neufeld has the worst footwork I have ever seen on an O-lineman.

MOS chose to hire Etch and Marcel. He chose to hire Lapo and Hall. MOS wears his big boy pants. Choices are on him. I have no confidence he would do any better with a third go around picking an OC and DC.

19 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

MOS chose to hire Etch and Marcel. He chose to hire Lapo and Hall. MOS wears his big boy pants. Choices are on him. I have no confidence he would do any better with a third go around picking an OC and DC.

I do, Etch and Bellefool were not the first choices for anyone, but people didn't sign in Winnipeg, it was a place notorious for not giving coaches a chance so they were the best we could get. People just desperate to have a job. 

Next time around there was a lot of pressure to hire guys with a lot more experience, including that head coaching experience because the teams record was awful and there was a lot of talk that if things didn't improve a guy like Lapolice would be next in line to be head coach. 

The next time Mike O'Shea hires coordinators he won't have any of those handicaps. I want to see what the guy does hiring people he truly believes in rather than hiring whatever he can get or simply looking for experienced faces. 

4 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

I do, Etch and Bellefool were not the first choices for anyone, but people didn't sign in Winnipeg, it was a place notorious for not giving coaches a chance so they were the best we could get. People just desperate to have a job. 

Next time around there was a lot of pressure to hire guys with a lot more experience, including that head coaching experience because the teams record was awful and there was a lot of talk that if things didn't improve a guy like Lapolice would be next in line to be head coach. 

The next time Mike O'Shea hires coordinators he won't have any of those handicaps. I want to see what the guy does hiring people he truly believes in rather than hiring whatever he can get or simply looking for experienced faces. 

Its nice you think that way but your opinions are not facts. No evidence he didn't truly believe in either Lapo or Hall. No evidence that MOS can attract a quality assistant. No evidence that any want to work for him.

3 hours ago, Floyd said:

Brock Ralph wasn't even a bomber when Taman was GM - wtf are you talking about?  

Kelly's Jabari Arthur experiment and gong show ratio management is what left us with Ralph starting...   Ralph was NEVER meant to be a starter - depth guy just like Neufeld...

Ralph was meant to be a starter.  He was here for half a season before Arthur was acquired, and Arthur was injured, not going to be available until 2010.

5 hours ago, WBBFanWest said:

We're starting Neufeld at tackle due to two injuries.  He's the third level of depth.  You'd have to be pretty thick not to expect a drop in play from the third guy in..  Brock on the other hand was a starter.  Bit of a difference.

 

He's been starting at guard all season. Why wouldn't Geoff Gray come up here now that he's cleared NFL waivers & try to work himself into the starting lineup? If any team needs upgrades at multiple positions it's us yet what does Walters do like he always does? Nothing. Unlike other teams.

Just now, SpeedFlex27 said:

He's been starting at guard all season. Why wouldn't Geoff Gray come up here now that he's cleared NFL waivers & try to work himself into the starting lineup? If any team needs upgrades at multiple positions it's us yet what does Walters do like he always does? Nothing. Unlike other teams.

The silence from Walters is deafening. Most disappointing.

1 hour ago, rebusrankin said:

Its nice you think that way but your opinions are not facts. No evidence he didn't truly believe in either Lapo or Hall. No evidence that MOS can attract a quality assistant. No evidence that any want to work for him.

Well if, heaven forbid MOS is given a chance to fire both  coordinators to save his own butt.....the only guys that are going to take the job are the ones that figure they get the HC job when the inevitable happens and MOS walks the blank.

My previous post made it seem like I blamed Walters for Geoff Gray not being signed. Didn't mean it to look that way. Gray & his agent will come up here when he's ready   Mbeef with Walters is we don't bring in players during the season who could help us.  It seems other teams aren't afraid to make personnel moves if they think it will make their team better. Yet, we seem to stand pat. Why would Davier Posey want to sign with BC when that team is struggling as well? Money. So, are the Bombers all in to build a winner or do we still pinch dimes to save a loonie? We all know that Winnipeg has always had a huge rep as a cheap organization.  I thought perhaps we had shed that image.  Maybe not. 

Edited September 12, 20187 yr by SpeedFlex27

7 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

My previous post made it seem like I blamed Walters for Geoff Gray not being signed. Didn't mean it to seem that way. Gray & his agent will come up here when he's ready. My beef with Walters is we don't bring in players during the season who could help us. Why would Davier Posey want to sign with BC when that team is struggling as well? Money. So, are the Bombers all in to build a winner or do we pinch corners to save a loonie? Winnipeg always has had a huge rep as a cheap organization. 

The Cap is the Cap...some times the issue becomes overpaying for FAs and not having enough entry level players that save you money....the cheap reputation goes back to time when the Club literally had no money and was on the brink of extinction.

I remember back in the late 80's when Cal Murphy put a Coke machine in the locker room. The players were upset because they had to pay for their soft drinks. That story got the attention of the national media & the team was ridiculed by fans & media types from other cities as well as the local Winnipeg media.  Murphy was GM & he was accused of being cheap & not treating his players very well.

2 hours ago, 17to85 said:

I do, Etch and Bellefool were not the first choices for anyone, but people didn't sign in Winnipeg, it was a place notorious for not giving coaches a chance so they were the best we could get. People just desperate to have a job. 

Next time around there was a lot of pressure to hire guys with a lot more experience, including that head coaching experience because the teams record was awful and there was a lot of talk that if things didn't improve a guy like Lapolice would be next in line to be head coach. 

The next time Mike O'Shea hires coordinators he won't have any of those handicaps. I want to see what the guy does hiring people he truly believes in rather than hiring whatever he can get or simply looking for experienced faces. 

I'm absolutely floored and dizzy from all this spin in this post. This is actually quality of political campaigns

5 minutes ago, White Out said:

I'm absolutely floored and dizzy from all this spin in this post. This is actually quality of political campaigns

8 hours ago, White Out said:

I'm absolutely floored and dizzy from all this spin in this post. This is actually quality of political campaigns

Agree, 17/85 is pretty good at it. I think that's the real point.

Is anyone concerned about whether O'Shea has actually learned anything on the job?

He seems to be doing the same thing with Nichols that he did with Drew Willy. 

 

This thread makes me sad...  people suggesting Taman was good for scouting Canadian talent?  Really? 

I understand the team is stinking it up...  but our Canadian talent is probably the best in the league and we are suggesting firing Walters?     How about instead of doing that we hire someone with good connections and/or a database not on a napkin and things will be ok.   As much as we make fun of Murphy /  Kelly era at least Murphy had some good imports (receivers)  that could play right away in a shitty confusing offense.   

17 hours ago, DR. CFL said:

Instead we can start Neufeld....there’s an upgrade.

Neufeld has been just fine at guard...actually more than fine...the fact he strugged a bit at Tackle is really insignificant, as technically he is an injury replacement there and 3rd in line for that spot

13 hours ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Ralph was meant to be a starter.  He was here for half a season before Arthur was acquired, and Arthur was injured, not going to be available until 2010.

My point was that Arjei Franklin was our starter but then I think he got injured... Brock Ralph was never first choice.

59 minutes ago, Brandon said:

This thread makes me sad...  people suggesting Taman was good for scouting Canadian talent?  Really? 

Taman's main problem was that he relied on aging vet Cdn talent too much...  kind of like what Walters is doing with imports.

49 minutes ago, Floyd said:

Taman's main problem was that he relied on aging vet Cdn talent too much...  kind of like what Walters is doing with imports.

...? Denmark, gone.  Bowman, didnt hack it.. gone.   I'm not quite following the "aging import" angle here..

 

Randle hasn't been great but dont know of a youth movement  behind him that we could have replaced him with.  Adam's..  again hes been good..

 

 

And if we are talking about Dressler, well the offense fell apart when he went out so.....

On 2018-09-10 at 9:10 PM, Floyd said:

What's with the 4-5 paragraph posts these days...

the longer the losing streak, the longer the posts get. if we miss the playoffs this year they will rival novels by Dostoevsky. 

3 hours ago, wbbfan said:

the longer the losing streak, the longer the posts get. if we miss the playoffs this year they will rival novels by Dostoevsky. 

A genius response such as this one - requires the Gump army clip. 

 

If our O "fell apart" because of one import receiver getting injured....what does this tell us?