I know we are all charged up from that disappointing loss... but which guys do you think should get cut next season and which ones do you think the team actually will move on.  

I'm going to assume realistically that they won't cut Zach and won't cut Bighill. 

Houston?  Jeffcoat?  Punter?  

23 minutes ago, Jesse said:

I have. Along with others, you just kinda keep repeating the same thing. 

You just seem to think we should be able to fill every roster spot with all stars and it's simply not possible. DT is a position that, for a number of years now, we need a guy playing on a minimum contract. Each guy we've played there has out played that contract and moved on via FA. Walters is continually scouting the position, will likely replace Walker with Fox and scout the guy who's going to replace Fox in 1 to 2 years. If that guy happens to be a huge guy who makes the all star team and appeases all of you, great. But he'll likely be gone via FA the next year anyway.

Most agree. Except you. Oh, of course I forgot that you're the all wise, all knowing swami here who can predict what Walters will do. Because you're either deaf, blind or both, you refuse to see that we've lost our toughness on defense because teams can now do their inside runs against us. We have no push on the qb from our interior front. We need to bltz constantly to get the pressure which leads us susceptib;e to getting beat over the top or one on one as we saw our corners at times running for their lives lasr season trying to catch up to receivers vs the better passing teams. We still manage to get pressure from our DE's but virtually nothing from our DT's because we played Schmeckel, Thomas at the expense of Fox & Walker. That lack of a consistent push affects our pressure on the qbs. linebackers & especially the secondary. Think of how different things would be if we could exert pressure from just our DL. Like we could in 2019 & 2021. 

We played smashmouth football in 2019 & 2021. Not even close since. Most of us know that & lament how things changed.

Edited January 22, 20242 yr by SpeedFlex27

For context, at the end of the regular season we were #1 in Yards allowed per game (319), Passing yards allowed per game (229.4), and Points allowed per game (20.9). We were #3 in Rushing yards allowed per game (90.2) behind TOR (83.7) and OTT (84.8)... only reason OTT is ahead of us is because teams passed on them at will and didn't even need to run the ball.

We did however give up almost 6 yards per carry, teams simply had fewer chances to run on us because we are the best team in the league in so many other facets. Shore up that interior line and we are potential juggernauts

3 hours ago, Noeller said:

Booch will go postal....

And he will not be alone.

1 hour ago, MOBomberFan said:

For context, at the end of the regular season we were #1 in Yards allowed per game (319), Passing yards allowed per game (229.4), and Points allowed per game (20.9). We were #3 in Rushing yards allowed per game (90.2) behind TOR (83.7) and OTT (84.8)... only reason OTT is ahead of us is because teams passed on them at will and didn't even need to run the ball.

Those stats mean nothing in the playoffs or Grey Cup because the teams you play are better. How many times have we seen a team have a decent or even a great regular season only to get exposed offensively or defensively in the post season? Tons. 

Edited January 22, 20242 yr by SpeedFlex27

16 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Those stats mean nothing in the playoffs or Grey Cup because the teams you play are better. How many times have we seen a team have a decent or even a great regular season only to get exposed offensively or defensively in the post season? Tons. 

It’s harder to name the years that hasn’t happened 

1 minute ago, JohnnyAbonny said:

It’s harder to name the years that hasn’t happened 

Yeah, teams that are deficient are the ones that get eliminated first most times. 

36 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Those stats mean nothing in the playoffs or Grey Cup because the teams you play are better. How many times have we seen a team have a decent or even a great regular season only to get exposed offensively or defensively in the post season? Tons. 

First teams make up a significantly higher percentage of grey cup finalists and champions. 

1 minute ago, Mark H. said:

First teams make up a significantly higher percentage of grey cup finalists and champions. 

Okay but look at us the past two years. You can either say that the Argos & Als fluked out two last second wins against us. Or that when we needed a stop our defense didn't get the job done. Our D didn't play up to the same high standards as our offense in the past 2 regular seasons. When we needed our D to make plays for us the past 2 years in the GC, it didn't. 

43 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Okay but look at us the past two years. You can either say that the Argos & Als fluked out two last second wins against us. Or that when we needed a stop our defense didn't get the job done. Our D didn't play up to the same high standards as our offense in the past 2 regular seasons. When we needed our D to make plays for us the past 2 years in the GC, it didn't. 

I would say the past 2 years were an anomaly. Those happen. But on an overall average, first place teams win more championships 

Lots of reasons add up to losing those cups. Prukop's bonehead pick in 2022, none few of our stars showing up in 2023, it's not all poor Jake Thomas' fault

Edited January 22, 20242 yr by MOBomberFan

3 hours ago, Mark H. said:

I would say the past 2 years were an anomaly. Those happen. But on an overall average, first place teams win more championships 

An easy schedule or winning can hide or push problems to the side. Then the playoffs hit & the problems come to the fore. And boom a team that was expecting to go far or win is out. Like the Argos this year & us the past two years. 

3 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

An easy schedule or winning can hide or push problems to the side. Then the playoffs hit & the problems come to the fore. And boom a team that was expecting to go far or win is out. Like the Argos this year & us the past two years. 

Or it can do the opposite: 2022 Argos, 2016 Redblacks 

4 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

An easy schedule or winning can hide or push problems to the side. Then the playoffs hit & the problems come to the fore. And boom a team that was expecting to go far or win is out. Like the Argos this year & us the past two years. 

It would be easier to agree with you if our team got bounced in the first round, but we've been to 4 straight Grey Cups.

It would be easier to agree with you if our offence had been great in either of the two loses. But each game can equally be blamed on the offence not grinding the game out on the last drive and giving the ball back to the opposing team in the first place. 

But continually being in 1st place in most defensive categories, while making the Grey Cup four straight years and holding teams in those Grey Cups to an average of 22 points, doesn't exactly scream defensive liability. 

I 100% agree with you that we can always and should always be trying to improve. I just think you're making it out to be this easy thing to do and for some reason the Bombers are choosing not to, which is insane. We live in a salary cap world and right now, with our roster make-up, DT hasn't been a position we can spend up on. We fill it by recruiting and we've been doing a pretty good job at it. 

we failed in last2 cups as we were weak up the gut...and it compounds other aspects of the defence to compensate, and forced us to wear out our ends.

Regular season wins..stats...whatever are fine and dandy but when yu have an exposed under belly...the real predators will rip it open when it counts....as per last 2 cups

BC had zero run game and it didn't cause issues...also The Vaj wasn't healthy to add any extra stress to that weakness....so just containing him and making him become a true QB was a sound game plan

 

2 hours ago, Booch said:

BC had zero run game and it didn't cause issues...also The Vaj wasn't healthy to add any extra stress to that weakness....so just containing him and making him become a true QB was a sound game plan

 

And it LOOKED LIKE they could do the same thing to Faj. Credit the Als coaches and also them having the right personel.

7 hours ago, Jesse said:

It would be easier to agree with you if our team got bounced in the first round, but we've been to 4 straight Grey Cups.

It would be easier to agree with you if our offence had been great in either of the two loses. But each game can equally be blamed on the offence not grinding the game out on the last drive and giving the ball back to the opposing team in the first place. 

But continually being in 1st place in most defensive categories, while making the Grey Cup four straight years and holding teams in those Grey Cups to an average of 22 points, doesn't exactly scream defensive liability. 

I 100% agree with you that we can always and should always be trying to improve. I just think you're making it out to be this easy thing to do and for some reason the Bombers are choosing not to, which is insane. We live in a salary cap world and right now, with our roster make-up, DT hasn't been a position we can spend up on. We fill it by recruiting and we've been doing a pretty good job at it. 

Two off seasons & we never even attempted to bring in someone to upgrade the DT & nose positions. We could have allocated the money necessary to sign a key FA in those 2 off seasons but never did. It was a coaching & mgmt decision not to. 

5 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Two off seasons & we never even attempted to bring in someone to upgrade the DT & nose positions. We could have allocated the money necessary to sign a key FA in those 2 off seasons but never did. It was a coaching & mgmt decision not to. 

I think the Collaros and Lawler contracts pushed Walters to the limits, he no longer has discretionary spending to bring in valued FA's from other teams, considering the other relatively high priced positional players he already employs, Jefferson, Jeffcoat, Bryant, Bighill, Hardrick...  Before making Collaros the highest paid QB in the CFL, Walters routinely used the previous seasons savings to retain many more players than he's been able to lately.  Jefferson and Neufeld may be the only two paid with last year's money.

1 minute ago, Fatty Liver said:

I think the Collaros and Lawler contracts pushed Walters to the limits, he no longer has discretionary spending to bring in valued FA's from other teams, considering the other relatively high priced positional players he already employs, Jefferson, Jeffcoat, Bryant, Bighill, Hardrick...  Before making Collaros the highest paid QB in the CFL, Walters routinely used the previous seasons savings to retain many more players than he's been able to lately.  Jefferson and Neufeld may be the only two paid with last year's money.

Thats why last yr already after the Grey Cup fail of 2022 that players like Thomas...Briggs...even Augustine to name a few should have been let go, and at least 1 free-agent of substance could have been brought in, along with some actual prospects, as opposed to waiting now until the 11th hour.

Also leads to our draft strategy of special teamers only....guys with none to minimal upside to contribute on the actual offence/defence....A legit Full back/large running back type ...for one would have went a long way to allowing one of Fox/Hba/Garbutt to be on the roster all yr developing so that for 2024...they are legit first team candidates

We allocated some salaries, and bodies to the roster that served minimal purpose, or the purpose they served wasn't worth the price they ate up.....now was that on the HC....or the GM?....

13 minutes ago, Booch said:

Thats why last yr already after the Grey Cup fail of 2022 that players like Thomas...Briggs...even Augustine to name a few should have been let go, and at least 1 free-agent of substance could have been brought in, along with some actual prospects, as opposed to waiting now until the 11th hour.

Also leads to our draft strategy of special teamers only....guys with none to minimal upside to contribute on the actual offence/defence....A legit Full back/large running back type ...for one would have went a long way to allowing one of Fox/Hba/Garbutt to be on the roster all yr developing so that for 2024...they are legit first team candidates

We allocated some salaries, and bodies to the roster that served minimal purpose, or the purpose they served wasn't worth the price they ate up.....now was that on the HC....or the GM?....

TBF, they did go out and sign a big FA last year without letting those guys go - his name is Kenny Lawler and that was a pretty substantial signing.  Most likely won't be able to do something similar this year without some of those moves though. 

34 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

TBF, they did go out and sign a big FA last year without letting those guys go - his name is Kenny Lawler and that was a pretty substantial signing.  Most likely won't be able to do something similar this year without some of those moves though. 

i was talking in regards to defensive help, and as well above and beyond that...we dumped those salaries we could have brought in a defensive thug for in the middle...

2 hours ago, Booch said:

i was talking in regards to defensive help, and as well above and beyond that...we dumped those salaries we could have brought in a defensive thug for in the middle...

Or a legit 3rd edge rusher as to not gas out the Jeffs. 
Willie is one of my top 5 all timers but let’s be realistic, he’s useless when he’s tired out. Starts loping around, trying to make up the energy by using his feet instead of his body. 
 

Jeffcoat too, dominant but needs to be spelled more, bum hip won’t hold out for 18 games 

There’s no excuse not to have at least a 7 man rotation on the DL this year. 
 

Edited January 23, 20242 yr by JohnnyAbonny

Again, we have Haba and Fox, who can fix a lot of problems..... IF they can see the field.

Edited January 23, 20242 yr by Noeller

11 hours ago, Noeller said:

Again, we have Haba and Fox, who can fix a lot of problems..... IF they can see the field.

Do we still have them? Finished the season on the PR, for FA unless re-signed.

7 minutes ago, blue85gold said:

Do we still have them? Finished the season on the PR, for FA unless re-signed.

We have them.  Both guys got stashed on the one game IR so they did not finish the season on the PR.

Quote

WPG TRF TO INJURED AMER Celestin HABA (DL)    Texas A&M Commerce – to Nov-20

WPG TRF TO INJURED AMER Miles FOX (DL)    Wake Forest – to Nov-20

 

Edited January 23, 20242 yr by bigg jay