Well, I been having to go back and do a lot of reading and catch-up to get up to date with where this offseason is leading the league into 2019, and ultimately there ended up being a few more coaching and roster changes around the league than I originally anticipated.  Good riddance to Chris Jones for one.  So with things in their current state, have things opened up in the West?  Where will we be in the grand scheme of things?

So first off, I'll say Calgary will lose its iron grip on the West.  Disappointingly BLM decided to stick around I know, but with Claybrooks now the BC head coach, Alex Singleton and Micah Johnson no longer there, their defense is likely to decline and even more pressure will be put on the offense to win games for them.  The race for number one at least at the moment I think will involve us competing against them and BC given the roster additions the Lions made and a somewhat favorable schedule.

The Riders I have finishing 4th because while they got a decent roster, Collaros became an injury liability last year, and unlike then I don't think they have an adequate backup QB on that roster atm particularly with Bridge gone now.

I don't see anything getting better for Maas in Edmonton either with Mike Reilly gone now and the bringing in of the decent but much more limited Trevor Harris.  Things are just not looking like they're going to go back to the glory days of the last 4-5 years or so in this city, and while I would still put the Esks in a better spot than a couple dumpster fire teams in the East, in our highly competitive division I see them still being last.

In the East, well Hamilton has to be the logical winner here in particular due to the return of Steinhauer and just having the most stable roster overall.

Ottawa just went from being championship level to the cellar with their roster moves, and they've not even gotten their new OC yet.  Things are going pretty bad there and I could see both Marcel Desjardins and Rick Campbell being on extremely hot seats after this season.  Toronto did themselves no favors by simply promoting Chamblin who won't have Darrian Durant's coattails to ride this time, and right now is leading a team and seems to be setup for QB by committee.

I do believe the surprise team this year will be Montreal.  No, they won't win the east or be heading to the Grey Cup, but I think they'll eclipse 7 wins and make the playoffs as number 2 in the East.  And if for no other reason because I believe both TOR and OTT are in much worse shape than they are.

 

Main things I'm looking for with us on offense, will we get adequate enough production in the slot to make up for Dressler's absence?  And which RB will emerge as the best no. 2 to fill in when Harris needs a breather?

 

On defense, can Alexander or Sayles step up to replace Randle enough, and can they be effective in one-on-one coverage so we don't have to see Richie Hall revert back to his awful soft zone scheme that plagued us from 2015 up until mid season last year?

If those needs are answered and Lapolice gets back to being creative with his play calls, I believe this year can be our year.

i wouldnt think so...and he isnt an impact guy either

1 hour ago, Floyd said:

Still weird reasoning...  Dressler was pretty much done, Chungh/Goossen replaced by Couture/Gray or maybe Foketi

I do think you'd be complaining if we paid JSK and Loffler what they were asking...  Randle/Fogg - good DBs are always turned up by this crew

Plus Bighill was signed at end of May...   maybe Walters is smarter than we think and saving his money for after NFL training camp or once free agent/futures contracts are settled...

Bombers are in a good spot to pay Chris Matthews, Ackie or Lue...  other teams have blown their budget in February

I wouldn't have re-signed Dressler, but we still have to replace him.

We know Coulture/Gray's names, but they haven't been starters before and they wouldn't be starters this year if we'd been able to keep Chungh/Goosen.

Randle was a SMS decision IMO. He didn't have any problem finding a new job, neither did Fogg (although I don't think he's a big loss) for that matter.

We could have afforded JSK and Loffler, especially considering we didn't manage to sign any of the top receivers. I think JSK was worth more than we offered. Loffler matters because of his passport and because we lost 2 other starting NI's.

I roll my eyes at fans who think we can magically replace 3 all star NI's with their backups and not miss a step.

Not sure why you're bringing Bighill up. Great signing, but not an upgrade from last year.

Bombers aren't the only team in a good spot to pay NFL cuts or rejects.

2 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

I wouldn't have re-signed Dressler, but we still have to replace him.

We know Coulture/Gray's names, but they haven't been starters before and they wouldn't be starters this year if we'd been able to keep Chungh/Goosen.

Randle was a SMS decision IMO. He didn't have any problem finding a new job, neither did Fogg (although I don't think he's a big loss) for that matter.

We could have afforded JSK and Loffler, especially considering we didn't manage to sign any of the top receivers. I think JSK was worth more than we offered. Loffler matters because of his passport and because we lost 2 other starting NI's.

I roll my eyes at fans who think we can magically replace 3 all star NI's with their backups and not miss a step.

Not sure why you're bringing Bighill up. Great signing, but not an upgrade from last year.

Bombers aren't the only team in a good spot to pay NFL cuts or rejects.

That's incorrect. He has started. And has taken snaps in multiple games.

And if Gray can't beat out Foketi then he won't be playing and a OL who again has started will be......starting.

And as has been said multiple times, Jones was showing very well last TC...can he get back to that now? Who knows...but reason to be optimistic about replacing Loffler with an upgrade...if not at least close to his level of play. Wilson was very close to being a starter last year as well, and looked solid in limited time...and lets be honest, you'd have to be Hurl to look bad next to Bighill.

Go ahead and roll the eyes, but Couture and Jones are in a very good spot to improve their play and the expectation is that they do/will. Gray is an unknown, but it's not out of the realm of possibility that we see very little to no drop in play from the OL, and an improved Safety.

54 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

I wouldn't have re-signed Dressler, but we still have to replace him.

We know Coulture/Gray's names, but they haven't been starters before and they wouldn't be starters this year if we'd been able to keep Chungh/Goosen.

Randle was a SMS decision IMO. He didn't have any problem finding a new job, neither did Fogg (although I don't think he's a big loss) for that matter.

We could have afforded JSK and Loffler, especially considering we didn't manage to sign any of the top receivers. I think JSK was worth more than we offered. Loffler matters because of his passport and because we lost 2 other starting NI's.

I roll my eyes at fans who think we can magically replace 3 all star NI's with their backups and not miss a step.

Not sure why you're bringing Bighill up. Great signing, but not an upgrade from last year.

Bombers aren't the only team in a good spot to pay NFL cuts or rejects.

Bighill is a good example of a top talent shaking loose after one last try at an NFL free agent contract...  I really believe Bombers are hedging their bets on Chris Matthews

Yes they are not the only team in a good spot to pay NFL cuts... there's also Sask...  but we have a chance to win the cup and a stable coaching staff.

I remember the same things being said when Goossen was pencilled in as starting Centre in 2015 (?)

Not all years... but this year, I don't think we miss a step with Couture, Gray/Foketi and Jones (or maybe an import DB like Fenner...)

I also think (am hoping) that Woli is the heir apparent to Dressler... in which case it could be a significant upgrade for ratio and injury - just hope the team is open to 3 NI REC... we have the talent.

Edited April 10, 20196 yr by Floyd

 

18 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

That's incorrect. He has started. And has taken snaps in multiple games.

And if Gray can't beat out Foketi then he won't be playing and a OL who again has started will be......starting.

And as has been said multiple times, Jones was showing very well last TC...can he get back to that now? Who knows...but reason to be optimistic about replacing Loffler with an upgrade...if not at least close to his level of play. Wilson was very close to being a starter last year as well, and looked solid in limited time...and lets be honest, you'd have to be Hurl to look bad next to Bighill.

Go ahead and roll the eyes, but Couture and Jones are in a very good spot to improve their play and the expectation is that they do/will. Gray is an unknown, but it's not out of the realm of possibility that we see very little to no drop in play from the OL, and an improved Safety.

Couture started 2 games in 3 years. He's mostly been used in the short yardage team. That's not being a starter. It's being a backup who has had to start a couple of times due to injury to the starters.

Foketti's an import who has also started 2 games in 3 years. If we have to start him, we have to start an extra NI somewhere else. I hope that doesn't happen unless the CFL reduces the number of NI starters required.

Gray's a prospect.

None of the above would be starters if Chungh/Goosen were still around.

Being 'close to being a starter' isn't being a starter. It isn't being as good as the starter. It's not being an upgrade over last years starter.

'Not out of the realm of possibility' isn't the same as it's probable.

2 minutes ago, Floyd said:

Bighill is a good example of a top talent shaking loose after one last try at an NFL free agent contract...  I really believe Bombers are hedging their bets on Chris Matthews

Yes they are the only team in a good spot to pay NFL cuts... there's also Sask...  but we have a chance to win the cup and a stable coaching staff.

I remember the same things being said when Goossen was pencilled in as starting Centre in 2015 (?)

Not all years... but this year, I don't think we miss a step with Couture, Gray/Foketi and Jones (or maybe an import DB like Fenner...)

I also think (am hoping) that Woli is the heir apparent to Dressler... in which case it could be a significant upgrade for ratio and injury - just hope the team is open to 3 NI REC... we have the talent.

We didn't plan on getting Bighill. We didn't save SMS room to get Bighill. We lucked into getting Bighill. If it wasn't for Double-Doosh taking the money and running, we wouldn't have had the SMS money for Bighill. Matthews ended up in Calgary last year because they obviously valued him more than we did. We didn't go hard after him, which was a mistake IMO. I doubt we're waiting for him to shake free this year.

Goosen didn't take over from an all-star.

I like Woli, but heir apparent to Dressler and better than him too? That's what it would take for him to be an upgrade. I'm guessing you think Peterman could be the 3rd NI receiver? He'd have to add 500 yards to last years output, which is more than 3 times his yardage to get to Woli's last years production. That's what would have to happen to make Woli/Peterman a ratio upgrade.

 

Gonna miss Fogg -- got confidence that the bomber scouts can turn up good DBs, but they don't turn up good return men very often. 

How many return guys did we go through between Johnson and Fogg?

Bombers vs TiCats in Grey Cup 2019.Book it.

The last 2 seasons several football experts had said Foketi is starting material on any other team.   I'm not concerned. 

Randle was showing he's taken a step back last season. Fogg wasn't an amazing DB.

2 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

 

Couture started 2 games in 3 years. He's mostly been used in the short yardage team. That's not being a starter. It's being a backup who has had to start a couple of times due to injury to the starters.

Foketti's an import who has also started 2 games in 3 years. If we have to start him, we have to start an extra NI somewhere else. I hope that doesn't happen unless the CFL reduces the number of NI starters required.

Gray's a prospect.

None of the above would be starters if Chungh/Goosen were still around.

Being 'close to being a starter' isn't being a starter. It isn't being as good as the starter. It's not being an upgrade over last years starter.

'Not out of the realm of possibility' isn't the same as it's probable.

We didn't plan on getting Bighill. We didn't save SMS room to get Bighill. We lucked into getting Bighill. If it wasn't for Double-Doosh taking the money and running, we wouldn't have had the SMS money for Bighill. Matthews ended up in Calgary last year because they obviously valued him more than we did. We didn't go hard after him, which was a mistake IMO. I doubt we're waiting for him to shake free this year.

Goosen didn't take over from an all-star.

I like Woli, but heir apparent to Dressler and better than him too? That's what it would take for him to be an upgrade. I'm guessing you think Peterman could be the 3rd NI receiver? He'd have to add 500 yards to last years output, which is more than 3 times his yardage to get to Woli's last years production. That's what would have to happen to make Woli/Peterman a ratio upgrade.

 

You’re right. The sky is falling 

11 hours ago, Floyd said:

You’re right. The sky is falling 

If that's what you think I'm saying then you're choosing not to understand. I started saying that the we and Calgary look like the top two teams. That's nothing like the sky is falling.

We're making at least 7 changes to starters this year and that's before the new guys get a chance to show what they've got and before any injuries. We're replacing all stars with backups. We're still without a second go to receiver. CFL teams are built around their lines and their Canadian talent. We took big hits to our O line and our Canadian talent. We stuck to our spreadsheet max numbers so we only managed one top end FA signing and a second level player.

Luckily, the rest of the teams in the West also lost good players and are making several changes. I'd say the BC is the only western team that looks to be better now than they were last year. Good enough to keep us in 3rd again? We'll see, but even if that happens, the sky isn't falling.

 

No one is a starter until they are. But lots of backups become starters, that's just normal sports.

I like starters to earn their spots, not be given them because their competition decided to leave.

2 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

I like starters to earn their spots, not be given them because their competition decided to leave.

And that is different from moving up because of an injury how exactly?  You earn the starter's spot by being the backup first, and then making the most of the opportunity  when it presents itself, regardless of how that happens.

12 minutes ago, WBBFanWest said:

And that is different from moving up because of an injury how exactly?  You earn the starter's spot by being the backup first, and then making the most of the opportunity  when it presents itself, regardless of how that happens.

Further, I can still remember TB whining about starting Chungh and Goosen when they were rookies, saying nearly the same things...that they weren't ready and that we'd suffer. Just let TBurg do TBurg things......ignore it.

1 hour ago, Noeller said:

Further, I can still remember TB whining about starting Chungh and Goosen when they were rookies, saying nearly the same things...that they weren't ready and that we'd suffer. Just let TBurg do TBurg things......ignore it.

You can be the starter in letting TBurg do his thing.

I’ll be the backup. I’ve got plenty of practice. 

I’m ready.

1 hour ago, TBURGESS said:

I like starters to earn their spots, not be given them because their competition decided to leave.

How do you know they did not earn the spot in the first place. They may have decided to offer Chung certain dollar value contract because they knew what they had in the stable is a suitable replacement for him at a better dollar value. If someone out bid them it is not a big deal. In my book that is earning your spot.

2 hours ago, Noeller said:

Further, I can still remember TB whining about starting Chungh and Goosen when they were rookies, saying nearly the same things...that they weren't ready and that we'd suffer. Just let TBurg do TBurg things......ignore it.

You're right, Noeller.   I've been trying to ignore Captain Contrarian, but if he's going to try and provoke, he's gotta put in a little bit more thought that he did on that one.  He's slipping...

Every backup doesn't become a starter.

Every starter wasn't a backup first. Lots of examples of draft picks and imports coming in and starting right away.

The 2 new starters didn't 'move up because of injury'. Neither outplayed the starter. Both are backups who have become starters because the guys who used to be the starters left the team.

How do I know that they didn't earn their spots? If they had, they'd have been the starters at the end of last season. Did the Bombers decide in advance how much they were willing to pay Chungh? Sure. Was it the right number? Not to get him to sign. Could he make more elsewhere? Yup, in BC.

No, I didn't like it that Chungh and Goossen were forced to start year one because we didn't give ourselves any other choices. It worked out in the long run, but in both 2014, Goosen's first year and 2015, Chungh's first year, we missed the playoffs. Our O line wasn't exactly dominant back then. It has been for the last couple of seasons, but we're back at square one for 2 of the 3 NI OL spots. Can we continue produce the offence we have in the last couple of seasons without a dominant O line? Will Nichols be able to get back to 2017 form without as much time? Will Harris churn out as many yards without as big holes to run through? That's what we'll find out this year.

I wouldn't be as worried if we only had to replace 1 all star NI as I am that we have to replace 3 of them.

 But Walters already said Jones might have earned the job over Loffler last year if not for injury.... 

So again you're being negative for the sake of being negative. You think Walter's doesn't have a  idea what his backups can do and doesn't use that knowledge when building a roster?

While both Goosen and Chung were all-stars only one of them really deserved it and that was Goosen.  Winnipeg offensive line in general received votes from across the country due to the performance of Andrew Harris. Chung wouldn’t have been an all star had it been based only on the votes from Winnipeg media.  Sure Grey wouldn’t have started this season had they still been around. There will be growing pains early on but he has an excellent chance of being better than Chung in the long run.  He’s certainly further along than when Chung started as a rookie. And it was only going to be a matter of time before Grey would was the top offensive lineman available in his draft year would be starting. He’s the kind of guy you move an asset to get into the lineup. Winnipeg will still have a dominant running back and our tackles will give our qbs time to throw the ball.  

6 hours ago, Colin Unger said:

While both Goosen and Chung were all-stars only one of them really deserved it and that was Goosen.  

Bullllllllllll shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

11 hours ago, 17to85 said:

 But Walters already said Jones might have earned the job over Loffler last year if not for injury.... 

So again you're being negative for the sake of being negative. You think Walter's doesn't have a  idea what his backups can do and doesn't use that knowledge when building a roster?

                                                

39 minutes ago, Tracker said:

                                                

For brevity's sake, in the future, can we just invoke this by saying "TBurg rule"?

Goosen didn't start year one though..in this argument