Blue Bombers - 2025 Regular Season - Discussion Thread

[rebusrankin]

So 300k for Kenny, Schoen was 175 plus bonuses which I believe were around 200k+Mitchell's money would cover Kenny and a guy on a rookie deal like Wheatfall. So again, we could have afforded him.

[ShyGuy]

I don't think the Bombers were hoping to replace Lawler with TWO receivers. 

Schoen was already on the books, hope he is 2022 Schoen and that replaces Kenny (whoops)

Sign Mitchell, hope he gives you 2023 Schoen like production (whoops)

Sign a position of need... Needed to replace Bighill so come on down Jonathon Jones (whoops)

Mitchell and Jones salary slips nicely into the hole created by Lawler's departure... But neither of them could crack the roster for... Reasons 

[GCn20]

8 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

So 300k for Kenny, Schoen was 175 plus bonuses which I believe were around 200k+Mitchell's money would cover Kenny and a guy on a rookie deal like Wheatfall. So again, we could have afforded him.

We could have easily afforded him in a bunch of different ways. Last year we had both Schoen and Lawler at 500+ and we made it work with a far better team than we have now.

3 minutes ago, ShyGuy said:

I don't think the Bombers were hoping to replace Lawler with TWO receivers. 

Schoen was already on the books, hope he is 2022 Schoen and that replaces Kenny (whoops)

Sign Mitchell, hope he gives you 2023 Schoen like production (whoops)

Sign a position of need... Needed to replace Bighill so come on down Jonathon Jones (whoops)

Mitchell and Jones salary slips nicely into the hole created by Lawler's departure... But neither of them could crack the roster for... Reasons 

Mitchell is for all intents and purposes a bust and a complete waste of money. J.Jones appears to be the same.

[Mike]

GCn20 for President of the Bomber Apologists Club

[GCn20]

2 hours ago, rebusrankin said:

If Walters didn't talk to Kenny until the day before free agency, that's a mistake on his part. If the Bombers shut down his ability to do the football camps he was doing with his work permit, that's awful on their part. That said, key word is if.

 

Poor management.

[bigg jay]

4 minutes ago, ShyGuy said:

I don't think the Bombers were hoping to replace Lawler with TWO receivers. 

Schoen was already on the books, hope he is 2022 Schoen and that replaces Kenny (whoops)

Sign Mitchell, hope he gives you 2023 Schoen like production (whoops)

Sign a position of need... Needed to replace Bighill so come on down Jonathon Jones (whoops)

Mitchell and Jones salary slips nicely into the hole created by Lawler's departure... But neither of them could crack the roster for... Reasons 

Schoen was not on the books - he was a pending FA that we extended in February.

[GCn20]

2 minutes ago, Mike said:

GCn20 for President of the Bomber Apologists Club

Just not going to buy this conspiracy theory being floated. If it does turn out to be true then I will absolutely demand better. Not gonna buy this I heard it from a source that cannot be named though. I am absolutely disappointed in Bombers management and coaching for the fiasco that is happening in a Grey Cup hosting season. Just garbage that better cost jobs. Just not going to engage in piling on with rumors and innuendo. There are enough legit things to criticize without throwing here say into the mix. 

Apologist nope. Just think that we are not looking at the big picture here and that is the fact our player retention/attraction has been dismal, and our recruitment very average to below average. Coaching has compounded these problems, but overall roster talent is our biggest issue.

Edited 2 hours ago by GCn20

[JuranBoldenRules]

Important factor with CFL "cap" is that unless money paid in bonuses or guaranteed it hasn't been counted yet.

More than could have afforded Lawler.  They made a decision to move on.

And we have no receivers that suit our starting quarterback's style.

[ShyGuy]

30 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

Schoen was not on the books - he was a pending FA that we extended in February.

oops this is my bad. By this I meant, he was on the roster last year and is still there this year... i think he took a hair cut this year too

Last year was

Lawler - 280K
Schoen - 230K
Demski - 225K
Wilson, Wolitarksi, Clercius, Wheatfall... all probably making close to min

This year it started out as

Demski - 225K
Schoen - 170K
Mitchell - 150K

Sterns, Case, Cocoran, Clercius, Wheatfall... all those guys probably right around the minimum. Not sure how Wilson is slotting in here, maybe he is taking p some of that 180K that Lawler and Schoen combined vacated last year


 

31 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Just not going to buy this conspiracy theory being floated. If it does turn out to be true then I will absolutely demand better. Not gonna buy this I heard it from a source that cannot be named though.

There is a source though... it's Ed Tait. He said it was torn, not partially torn. Do you not think that that is an important designation to make? Generally with football you hear 'partially torn ACL' and it is QBs or Linemen... not a WR who has to run up and down the field making constant changes of directions and speed.

Edited 2 hours ago by ShyGuy

[Booch]

1 hour ago, ShyGuy said:

For sure, there are a million and 1 things that we aren't exactly privy to that can affect a player game to game. Collaros being injured in 111, and Lawler being almost last man standing in 110... and then obviously his first year was 107 so can't put too much into it. He had a fantastic game in the West Finals last year... but Collaros looked vintage there as well... so much symbiosis between WR and QB. 2023 he had similar numbers to Grey Cup 110, 2021 he had similar numbers, same in 2019 but he had a TD there.

Obviously having a player like Lawler on the team would be a huge plus but cost and usage definitely a factor. He had 4 seasons here and he was at least inconsistent in his availability. You can see where the thought process would go with a high priced receiver... can't keep on the AR all year and an offense that is in clear decline... It looks worse because he is balling out this year but he is leading the league depth yards targeted and the Bombers are living right around 10 yards past the line of scrimmage... is that because they don't have someone like Kenny or is that because the Bombers are rostering QBs that can't push the ball down field? Probably a bit of both.

 

Maybe as a fan I give the team a bit more rope than they deserve... Lots of people like to clamor for Dru Brown... did the front office completely bungle that or in the 3 years he was here did they decide that he would be unable to stay on the field with the way he plays... Would the last 2 years be any better with Brown as the QB with his inability to stay on the field?

CFL definitely isn't as transparent as a lot of other leagues and we are left to fill in the gaps... part of the fun I suppose

Thats the thing,,,everygame is different...has its own different set of circumstances etc...so truly is hard to make a sound determination...same with when team a beats team b...team b bets team c...but team c waxed team a....too many variables

1 hour ago, rebusrankin said:

Lawler is getting 275 in Hamilton. Schoen was 175 plus incentives. Mitchell was 163. You could have paid Kenny 275 and had 88 k at least left over. All it costs you is Schoen and Mitchell. Who isn't taking that trade off?

Kenny would have stayed for what he basically what we payed him here last...and what he getting in Ham.....we dragged our feet...or whatever it was we were doing...he left...we replaced him basically with more money than he would have cost for a top end guy

 

[sweep the leg]

2 hours ago, bryan35 said:

Wish he was still here but he does disappear for stretches.

 

He has as many games under 30 yards as he does 100+ yard games, but when he goes off he really goes off. He seems like kind of a **** too.

No argument he’s not better than anybody we have though.

[Booch]

11 minutes ago, sweep the leg said:

He has as many games under 30 yards as he does 100+ yard games, but when he goes off he really goes off. He seems like kind of a **** too.

No argument he’s not better than anybody we have though.

 

Based on top 2 guys in league...and our best

Lawler has 3 games under 30....3 games over 100....and 4 games between 80 and 100...10 tds

Demski has 3 games under 30.....2 games over 100....and 3 games between 80 and 100 ...7 tds

Hatcher has 0 games under 30....5 games over 100...and 1 game between 80 and 100....4tds

for curiosity Schoen had games of  in yards 46....29...75...47...58....2 tds....longest play was 27 yards

Mitchell had games of in yards 22...7..22..28..6...0 tds...longest of 21

Case had games of in yards  10...0...1 td...and last yr 0...5...0...no td's....he was kept around why??

Sterns had games of  in yards 13...36...26...49..14..72..53..27..50...40,,,4 yds....great for the 4th or 5th option behind 3 legit guys

pretty sad and lame...I think 285k for Lawler....whatever we payed Schoen and easing him the yr...like 1 to 2 six game stints to start if need would have been the wiser choice

[wbbfan]

9 minutes ago, Booch said:

 

Based on top 2 guys in league...and our best

Lawler has 3 games under 30....3 games over 100....and 4 games between 80 and 100...10 tds

Demski has 3 games under 30.....2 games over 100....and 3 games between 80 and 100 ...7 tds

Hatcher has 0 games under 30....5 games over 100...and 1 game between 80 and 100....4tds

for curiosity Schoen had games of  in yards 46....29...75...47...58....2 tds....longest play was 27 yards

Mitchell had games of in yards 22...7..22..28..6...0 tds...longest of 21

Case had games of in yards  10...0...1 td...and last yr 0...5...0...no td's....he was kept around why??

Sterns had games of  in yards 13...36...26...49..14..72..53..27..50...40,,,4 yds....great for the 4th or 5th option behind 3 legit guys

pretty sad and lame...I think 285k for Lawler....whatever we payed Schoen and easing him the yr...like 1 to 2 six game stints to start if need would have been the wiser choice

 

Could've, even before the cap increase. And even if we didn't want to give him that money, they should've dealt with that situation a lot better than they did. 

The case one point made me wonder, what would happen if you flipped the popular appologists arguement about guys we dont play/cut?

 Their claim, why hasn't "X" player gone on to become an allstar else where? Which I've countered many times by saying in league scouting is terrible these days. Look at bridges getting picked up but Dandy hasn't. 

 Where are the allstars that should've developed from the guys we've repeatedly kept around? The guys like Case, Johnson, Bridges, etc. 

I'm sure plenty would counter with, well walters et al aren't bringing in a high enough level of talent. 

But why have our back ups given other teams back ups all they could handle while our starters struggle against the other teams starters in pre season? Why are teams going after our imp cast offs, but not our NI cast offs? 

How is it we have managed to un earth guys like wilson, Wheatfall, Clercius, Vaval(as a KR), Smith/shay, Griffin, Jay person, Tony jones, Cam lawson, and Matthew peterson?  That is a lot of young talent from every avenue available that are good contributors, many of whom could do much more for us if we let them.  

 

Look at our depth chart. Look at the guys who are Penned in as guarenteed high rep starters who shouldn't be. The Kolas, thomas etc. Then look at the guys we've managed to dig up who are good in the last 2 years. Then look at the remainder of good roster guys (cadwallader to nichols etc). That doesn't leave you with spots for guys to play. No matter who we bring in and what they can do. 

The guys who've stepped up and excelled, have only done so due to injury. None of those guys came up and took the job of a vet. No one passes a guy above them on the depth chart unless they get hurt or cut. You can't beat a guy ahead of you on the depth chart here. No matter how he or you play. 

Rant off. 

[Booch]

37 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

 

Could've, even before the cap increase. And even if we didn't want to give him that money, they should've dealt with that situation a lot better than they did. 

The case one point made me wonder, what would happen if you flipped the popular appologists arguement about guys we dont play/cut?

 Their claim, why hasn't "X" player gone on to become an allstar else where? Which I've countered many times by saying in league scouting is terrible these days. Look at bridges getting picked up but Dandy hasn't. 

 Where are the allstars that should've developed from the guys we've repeatedly kept around? The guys like Case, Johnson, Bridges, etc. 

I'm sure plenty would counter with, well walters et al aren't bringing in a high enough level of talent. 

But why have our back ups given other teams back ups all they could handle while our starters struggle against the other teams starters in pre season? Why are teams going after our imp cast offs, but not our NI cast offs? 

How is it we have managed to un earth guys like wilson, Wheatfall, Clercius, Vaval(as a KR), Smith/shay, Griffin, Jay person, Tony jones, Cam lawson, and Matthew peterson?  That is a lot of young talent from every avenue available that are good contributors, many of whom could do much more for us if we let them.  

 

Look at our depth chart. Look at the guys who are Penned in as guarenteed high rep starters who shouldn't be. The Kolas, thomas etc. Then look at the guys we've managed to dig up who are good in the last 2 years. Then look at the remainder of good roster guys (cadwallader to nichols etc). That doesn't leave you with spots for guys to play. No matter who we bring in and what they can do. 

The guys who've stepped up and excelled, have only done so due to injury. None of those guys came up and took the job of a vet. No one passes a guy above them on the depth chart unless they get hurt or cut. You can't beat a guy ahead of you on the depth chart here. No matter how he or you play. 

Rant off. 

when have we seen with this current management/coaching group a vet guy cut for a young guy/new guy that was shocking?? I cannot think of 1. Happens elsewhere...or a guy gets pushed into a backup role

 thats how we got T.jones for example...cause Edm saw the potential and upside in a rookie....so cut him...how that work out...R.O.Y or something?