All in all...another disappointment, and there are several reasons for it again...constants if you may call them that and really easily solved...and many won't like hearing this and will blindly disagree, but it's easily fixed if Osh would pull his head partly out his arse. The onus this off-season is on Walters and his team to sign and bring in the talent...and also part ways with some guys...even if the coach disagrees. I cannot see Miller being happy, nor he wanting a major bedshitting at home next yr in the Cup...let alone not even getting to the Cup... 

Thru necessity and not choice we have had to get younger and thats a plus...there are some solid pieces here now to go with keeping the right vets...and thats they key part of it...right vets. And by vet i mean a guy who's been here this yr and before

Lawler and Schoen..Strev...Wilson...Clercius...BO...Demski...Woli ..MCI...Wallace....Bryant...Randolph...Eli......WJ...Nichols...Bonds...Ford...Holm...Griffin...Kramdi...Kelly...Cole...Garbutt....Woods....Adams...Lawson...was on fence with Haba but he stepped up so deserves another shot......Ayers...Hubert..,,Samson...Chris Smith deserves another shot....Person....Qb Wilson....Hubert deserves another camp....I'd love to see Notree back....thats the core we need to focus on retaining....fill in around that...everyone not mentioned who wasn't primarily a ST guy should not be back...and saves up some serious SMS bucks...and makes us younger...hungrier....better

On the fence with ZC and his hefty contract....he will be another yr older and do we want another season of stats only to stumble in play-offs? It seems to be the trend and not a one off....

We have the guys to maintain a core like we seem to like to do...but a younger core....and we need to go that route...and this is totally up to our HC now to do the right thing(s) 

We are set up for continued sustained success....but we need to bring the right players along for it...We need a stud interior dlineman to augment what we have...we need a legit difference maker linebacker...we need a real returner....we need another proven Canadian offensive lineman...we need a real punter....I see 5 dire needs...which isn't a lot in the grand scheme....and the biggest thing we need to do is construct the roster and the PR aa an entity that compliments and covers it....no more carrying wasted spots....or guys all yr that will never bump anyone off...we seem to do that a lot too

And the biggest key...we need to dress and play the best players we have...regardless of birth certificate and or position...and if that means moving pieces around and switching ratio spots...so be it

Edited November 18, 20241 yr by Booch

I mean if a starter goes down i don't doubt that oshea has complete faith in his backups.... problem comes in when you start to figure out that "goes down" means something different to oshea than you or I. For oshea it's something like "is he breathing? Then he can play"

On 2025-01-14 at 2:00 PM, WBBFanWest said:

I'm quite sure our head coach has repeatedly said that everyone on our team is a starter.   So are you calling O'Shea a liar

Yes...and I wouldn't expect any HC to publicly say anything else.

Edited January 16, 20251 yr by GCn20

On 2025-01-14 at 4:24 PM, 17to85 said:

I mean if a starter goes down i don't doubt that oshea has complete faith in his backups.... problem comes in when you start to figure out that "goes down" means something different to oshea than you or I. For oshea it's something like "is he breathing? Then he can play"

sure he does...stated time after time "they in the building cause they give us a chance to win"..."they are all number ones"...."we like what he brings".....total bullcrap.....as he does not deploy them as such.....

On 2025-01-14 at 3:24 PM, 17to85 said:

I mean if a starter goes down i don't doubt that oshea has complete faith in his backups.... problem comes in when you start to figure out that "goes down" means something different to oshea than you or I. For oshea it's something like "is he breathing? Then he can play"

That's not far off from reality with some players.

Zach couldn’t grip the ball. I mean the year b4 Bighill played using a walker  

 

we’ve seen it. 

14 minutes ago, Goalie said:

Zach couldn’t grip the ball. I mean the year b4 Bighill played using a walker  

 

we’ve seen it. 

you forgot that same yr Schoen and Bailey could not run...and Demski could barely....But Bolo sat on sideline all Grey Cup..took zero snaps...and said eff this I outta here over the winter

Yr prior...ZC could not move....plant to throw....and was basically at 50% uefulness.....2025 gonna be more the same horseshit sadly

14 hours ago, Booch said:

you forgot that same yr Schoen and Bailey could not run...and Demski could barely....But Bolo sat on sideline all Grey Cup..took zero snaps...and said eff this I outta here over the winter

Yr prior...ZC could not move....plant to throw....and was basically at 50% uefulness.....2025 gonna be more the same horseshit sadly

Especially with the deadwood on the roster we keep re-signing & actually passing them off as players who can actually still contribute. 

Its the same old song that's been killing Bomber fans since the kick in 22 went wrong...........

Thomas will get big time reps again because Osh just thinks he's great and thats that

Even with Lawson back,,,,it won't change

Thomas out snapped him as well in 2023....and even tho everytime he got reps he just made playsandr caused issues to allow others to make plays but he got parked behind Thomas...why would Osh change...he is allergic to change anything especially if it is one of his favorites

Based on who we have prioritized this winter already, I will be shocked if Biggie is not signed again...Vet Canadians require bigger bucks.....it's a matter of where you decide to put those vets and what bang for buck they will give you.

No slight on Augustine...Benson...Gauthier...Hallett (always injured Hallett i mean) served us well...still can offer something but really a younger guy at less SMS hit can offer basically what they can give you now....possibly more

Lat yr we moved on from Briggs, but that was more of Briggs wanting to move on...the yr previous he was gonna but came back for one more kick of the can, and you know damn well if he didnt wanna retire we would be re-upping him again for a higher salary...as a guy like Kelly would not see roster 

Edited January 17, 20251 yr by Booch

What if Biggie signs a deal with a low base salary and more focused on bonuses for time played + stats.   Would that be the only way we should bring him back?   Or is he so shot that the team shouldn't even waste a spot for him on the roster even if he is paid little to nothing. 

1 hour ago, Brandon said:

Or is he so shot that the team shouldn't even waste a spot for him on the roster even if he is paid little to nothing. 

This. 

Guy is not nearly effective enough anymore.

3 hours ago, Brandon said:

What if Biggie signs a deal with a low base salary and more focused on bonuses for time played + stats.   Would that be the only way we should bring him back?   Or is he so shot that the team shouldn't even waste a spot for him on the roster even if he is paid little to nothing. 

The truth is that Bighill, Jake Thomas, Brandon Alexander and Kolankowski are blocking the developmental path for better, younger (and cheaper) players. But all this has been said ad nauseum.

I am 100 percent certain Biggie wont be ready until at least Labour Day at earliest...so realy that alone should take him out of the discussion...and if we lockhim up and allot money to him.....Osh and Walters should be shot...as thats just stupidity

2 hours ago, Booch said:

I am 100 percent certain Biggie wont be ready until at least Labour Day at earliest...so realy that alone should take him out of the discussion...and if we lockhim up and allot money to him.....Osh and Walters should be shot...as thats just stupidity

Could you see them signing him and placing him on IR until healthy and at that point they give him his old spot back?   Use a scrub in the mean time until he is ready?

Tony Jones is no scrub.

3 hours ago, Noeller said:

Tony Jones is no scrub.

He won't take his job back from Jones either when he returns, if nobody picks him up it give both sides time to determine if he has a future in the organization.  If not would he even stay in Wpg?  I think not.

On 2025-01-17 at 5:35 AM, Booch said:

Thomas will get big time reps again because Osh just thinks he's great and thats that

Even with Lawson back,,,,it won't change

Thomas out snapped him as well in 2023....and even tho everytime he got reps he just made playsandr caused issues to allow others to make plays but he got parked behind Thomas...why would Osh change...he is allergic to change anything especially if it is one of his favorites

Based on who we have prioritized this winter already, I will be shocked if Biggie is not signed again...Vet Canadians require bigger bucks.....it's a matter of where you decide to put those vets and what bang for buck they will give you.

No slight on Augustine...Benson...Gauthier...Hallett (always injured Hallett i mean) served us well...still can offer something but really a younger guy at less SMS hit can offer basically what they can give you now....possibly more

Lat yr we moved on from Briggs, but that was more of Briggs wanting to move on...the yr previous he was gonna but came back for one more kick of the can, and you know damn well if he didnt wanna retire we would be re-upping him again for a higher salary...as a guy like Kelly would not see roster 

I think the replacement for Benson is Leroux and he's been re-signed. So I'm expecting that transition.  Augustine still adds value but I think I'd prefer a younger player on an ELC to fit his role which is primarily an ST player. I don't believe he would be the primary RB is Oliveria is injured longer than an in game situation. To that end, I expect an import RB on the PR or possibly one that is on the AR as a RB/WR/ Returner and has yet to be identified / found.

Noah Hallett played relatively injury free in 2024 IIRC but I think his time is done.

 

We'll need to find roster spots for a few 2025 draft picks and / or possibly some form 2024 that have finished school.

 

I think would be wise to have the flexibility to flip RB and OG to an American - if needed

It's also worth noting that they have certain positions on the team where the drop off behind the regular starter is huge

RB, OT, some Receivers - hopefully they're taking a hard look at up and coming players for depth - they seem to do this quite effectively at DB and LB

 

On 2025-01-16 at 1:21 PM, Booch said:

you forgot that same yr Schoen and Bailey could not run...and Demski could barely....But Bolo sat on sideline all Grey Cup..took zero snaps...and said eff this I outta here over the winter

Yr prior...ZC could not move....plant to throw....and was basically at 50% uefulness.....2025 gonna be more the same horseshit sadly

We also had that former Stamp receiver (forget his name) who had been on the roster since late September & could have played in the GC as he would have been totally up to speed to play . Maybe Bolo & the guy from the Stamps were backups but they would have been more viable than an injured Schoen & Demski not being able to go at 100%.

 

Edited January 19, 20251 yr by SpeedFlex27

3 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

We also had that former Stamp receiver (forget his name) who had been on the roster since late September & could have played in the GC as he would have been totally up to speed to play . Maybe Bolo & the guy from the Stamps were backups but they would have been more viable than an injured Schoen & Demski not being able to go at 100%.

 

Yeah Ambles...and being a CFL vet and familiar with the league could easily have slid into lineup and been effective

On 2025-01-19 at 5:00 AM, Booch said:

Yeah Ambles...and being a CFL vet and familiar with the league could easily have slid into lineup and been effective

Markeith Ambles, that's right. Why the **** did we even dress the guy for nothing?? He should have played. Same with O'Leary-Orange. 

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Markeith Ambles, that's right. Why the **** did we even dress the guy for nothing?? He should have played. Same with O'Leary-Orange. 

we were Oshin.....and losing....x3

Yup lost cuz a dude who never played another cfl game again never played. Honestly. The hysteria is a bit much. 

2 minutes ago, Goalie said:

Yup lost cuz a dude who never played another cfl game again never played. Honestly. The hysteria is a bit much. 

I don't think anyone is suggesting we lost because Ambles didn't play.

I think its adding to the debate about dressing starters at 50%-70% versus dressing depth players at 100%.

Ambles and BOLO would have offered more than Demski..Bailey and Schoen in that game as for nothing but the fact that they could actually run with authority and garner attention....any discussion that replacing 2 of them with healthy bodies wouldnt have made  huge difference is just a flat out idiot......or an Osh nad licker...or both

Once MTL realized they were basically ineffective and could give a huge cushion and basically ignore, to more or less neutralize B.O and Lawler and know ZC would start to force things was the game right there.....it was a close one score game .....so imagine a couple of guys in lineup who could have made plays.....and points we didnt get.....

Same as last yr....1 score game.....do you think anyone of the back-ups and maybe Buck adjusting what he was doing...which wasnt working anyway would have again made a difference.....instead of keeping a QB in who couldnt do anything?....like shake your heads man....