Too soon?  Too many truly painful Grey Cup losses have taken the sting out of yesterday's loss already.

Time to look forward while we cope with the recent disappointment.  

Who do we keep?  Who do we let go?  Who do we go after?

Someone was going to start this thread at some point.

1 hour ago, Mike said:

Personally, I'm a bit worried we're not really moving on from anyone.

Who would you move on from though? 

I think what happened last season with Harris does show they are willing to do it... but for the most likely candidates to move on from I think they view their other attributes as highly important (thinking guys like Bighill or Jefferson)

Walters has talked enough about the balancing act of keeping a veteran core together, while mixing in new blood, that I'm confident they know what they're doing. 

Also, how great is this quote from JJ: 
 

 

Part of me loves the core coming back and part of me worries we're bringing back to many aging vets and we'll fall off a cliff. Just part of being a fan I think.

 

Now a proper NT ala Stove or Nevis and at least one DE who could rotate with the Jeffs by taking say 25-30 snaps would be huge imo.

55 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Who would you move on from though? 

I think what happened last season with Harris does show they are willing to do it... but for the most likely candidates to move on from I think they view their other attributes as highly important (thinking guys like Bighill or Jefferson)

The one I was really hoping they'd move on from was Bighill.

1 hour ago, 17to85 said:

Who would you move on from though? 

I think what happened last season with Harris does show they are willing to do it... but for the most likely candidates to move on from I think they view their other attributes as highly important (thinking guys like Bighill or Jefferson)

I'm sure Walters would prefer if players of that stature and longevity saw the end coming and stepped away on their own accord.  Instead of the messy divorce he had with Harris were he had to throw him out of the house and change the locks.

My top 5 to re-sign (in order of priority):

1. Demski
2. Grant
3. Darby
4. Couture
5. Bailey

Honorable mention to Mike Miller if he doesn't retire.

14 minutes ago, Mike said:

The one I was really hoping they'd move on from was Bighill.

I think there is still a role for Bighill on this team. I don't think he can be the same LB he has been. I'm hoping they use him as a typical MLB or WIL rather than a safety/LB like he has been. 

Also side note, Bighill has a cast on his Right hand. He recently had surgery to fix something

Edited January 17, 20233 yr by Bigblue204

11 minutes ago, Mike said:

The one I was really hoping they'd move on from was Bighill.

Agree. I love Biggie but last year he looked slow and missed a ton of tackles. He's on the wrong side of 30 and aint getting any quicker. I was pretty shocked when they brought him back for 2 more years. Was hoping for a Sankey signing. 

2 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

I think there is still a role for Bighill on this team. I don't think he can be the same LB he has been. I'm hoping they use him as a typical MLB or WIL rather than a safety/LB like he has been. 

Also side note, Bighill has a cast on his Right hand. He recently had surgery to fix something

They've changed his style at times to compensate for injuries/inexperience in the secondary.  He played more traditional when that wasn't as much of a concern.

He broke his hand during the Grey Cup game.  

34 minutes ago, Mike said:

The one I was really hoping they'd move on from was Bighill.

He is the one that does immediately come to mind... but knowing who the coach is and what type of player bighill is they will keep him until the wheels completely fall off.

Alexander and Wilson for a full season would help to make Bighill look a lot better next year....I feel pretty confident in that. He was doing way too much last year, unfortunately, to compensate for all the injuries. 

My Top 5 remaining would be: 

Demski

Couture

Darby

Sheed

Janarion

2 hours ago, Noeller said:

Alexander and Wilson for a full season would help to make Bighill look a lot better next year....I feel pretty confident in that. He was doing way too much last year, unfortunately, to compensate for all the injuries. 

My Top 5 remaining would be: 

Demski

Couture

Darby

Sheed

Janarion

I think people dramatically undervalue what Bighill is asked to do on D- and I doubt there is a comparable replacement in this league. 

6 hours ago, Bubba Zanetti said:

Agree. I love Biggie but last year he looked slow and missed a ton of tackles. He's on the wrong side of 30 and aint getting any quicker. I was pretty shocked when they brought him back for 2 more years. Was hoping for a Sankey signing. 

He was slowed down by DL that couldn't stop the inside run like they could in 2021 with Stove. We had a lot of injuries at LB because of it. Upgrade the tackle positions & we'll be alright. 

7 hours ago, rebusrankin said:

Part of me loves the core coming back and part of me worries we're bringing back to many aging vets and we'll fall off a cliff. Just part of being a fan I think.

 

Now a proper NT ala Stove or Nevis and at least one DE who could rotate with the Jeffs by taking say 25-30 snaps would be huge imo.

I think this teams major needs are more likely to be filled by a rookie namely that nose tackle. But also a depth pass rusher, db as always, etc. 

6 hours ago, Mike said:

The one I was really hoping they'd move on from was Bighill.

I think biggie would be fine at wil but he can’t be the guy who fills a gap on every running play any more. 
 People think it’s speed he’s losing but it’s quickness and explosiveness. He doesn’t get off the ball quick any more. He can still scrape as close to side line to side line as any one. 
 

having no nose made Willy jeffcoat and biggie struggle. 
 

22 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

He was slowed down by DL that couldn't stop the inside run like they could in 2021 with Stove. We had a lot of injuries at LB because of it. Upgrade the tackle positions & we'll be alright. 

People forget how many big runs we gave up while stove was out in 21. Teams gouged us but the rest of the d was just soo damned good. When stove came back it turned the defense up to 11. 
Drake Nevis coming in was a huge turn around in the first place for our d. 

Can FA here get soon! All I want for FA is a Mauldin and Lawler set.

Not too much to ask.

Edited January 18, 20233 yr by Wanna-B-Fanboy

59 minutes ago, Wanna-B-Fanboy said:

Can FA here get soon! All I want for FA is a Mauldin and Lawler set.

Not too much to ask.

Yeah, that's a big, BIG ask. 

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Yeah, that's a big, BIG ask. 

Pfft, that's only 360k of salary cap...

 

Lol I kid - o know it's a pipedream.

Edited January 18, 20233 yr by Wanna-B-Fanboy

30 minutes ago, Wanna-B-Fanboy said:

Pfft, that's only 360k of salary cap...

 

Lol I kid - o know it's a pipedream.

17 hours ago, Noeller said:

Alexander and Wilson for a full season would help to make Bighill look a lot better next year....I feel pretty confident in that. He was doing way too much last year, unfortunately, to compensate for all the injuries. 

My Top 5 remaining would be: 

Demski

Couture

Darby

Sheed

Janarion

I put Couture lower due to our depth on the OL.  Had Grant higher because he is a rare talent on special teams and IMHO harder to replace.  At least we named the same 5.

19 hours ago, Noeller said:

Alexander and Wilson for a full season would help to make Bighill look a lot better next year....I feel pretty confident in that. He was doing way too much last year, unfortunately, to compensate for all the injuries. 

My Top 5 remaining would be: 

Demski

Couture

Darby

Sheed

Janarion

I'd honestly put Janarion 2nd on that list. He's been a top 2 or 3 returner since coming into the league. I'm fine moving on from everyone else with the obvious exception of Demski.

Looks like Mauldin is looking around.....Could we afford him and Lawler....now that's a stretch BUT Mauldin would look really nice in bluengold....Could be the piece we're looking for on D

15 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

He was slowed down by DL that couldn't stop the inside run like they could in 2021 with Stove. We had a lot of injuries at LB because of it. Upgrade the tackle positions & we'll be alright. 

The DTs had nothing to do with Biggie's lack of tackles imo. In fact, if the DTs were useless he would have had gaudy numbers and been playing in the tackle box all year. Fact of the matter is that losing Brandon Alexander down the middle of our defence, and Wilson' speed at WIL had more to do with Bighill's lack of tackles. He was often dropping back to help cover the S position in the intermediate zone or taking a larger section of the field to the WIL side than he normally would have to on plays in the flats. You can't be everywhere at once. 

If DTs were the problem he would have had inflated numbers like Sankey, and we would have got gashed over the middle in the passing game.

23 hours ago, Jesse said:

At some point, we're going to head over the cliff with some of these guys, for sure. Listening to Walters, it's in his mind, but a 15 win team gets the opportunity to run it back. That said, we have brought in young talent across most position groups each season, so it's not like we're staying completely stagnant. 

Not worried about that cliff at all. We moved on from Andrew freakin' Harris when it was time, and there is no more a controversial move one can make than that in Winnipeg. If Walters gets the feeling a player is approaching that cliff I am sure they will be ready in that eventuality.

Not sure anyone is worried about how many tackles bighill has or doesn't have. Was more an eye test that he wasn't making the same plays we have come to expect.

16 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Not sure anyone is worried about how many tackles bighill has or doesn't have. Was more an eye test that he wasn't making the same plays we have come to expect.

Bighill was just fine once Alexander came back from injury. He was playing deeper and in coverage a lot more when Alexander was out and I think it messed up his pursuit angles. He was very good down the stretch, vintage Bighill once he was able to play where he normally plays.