GDT - Bombers vs Stampers

[wbbfan]

1 hour ago, rebusrankin said:

24 TD passes, 21 Ints, the past two seasons for Zach. Walters should not have extended him before this season.

I hope it’s not guaranteed. 
 
This concussion could be the hit rider fans have taunted us about since 19. 

[HardCoreBlue]

7 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

If Zach reconsiders his future, they need to sort that decision out before the end of this season and move fast, starting QB options heading into 2026 are slim, top 3 available candidates Arbuckle, Fajardo, MBT, maybe Taylor Powell can be lured away if BLM continues to play with Lawler.  No promising backups on the horizon, stockpile has been depleted.  Given the obvious lack of options available, won't be surprised if they stick with Zach no matter the consequences or hand the ball to Strev. and struggle to achieve a .500 record.  

Fajardo, MBT? Wash your mouth out with soap. 

At some point, let’s see what Terry Wilson’s got.

[Piggy 1]

11 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

I hope it’s not guaranteed. 
 
This concussion could be the hit rider fans have taunted us about since 19. 

Concussion? Has that been confirmed? 

[Fatty Liver]

3 minutes ago, HardCoreBlue said:

Fajardo, MBT? Wash your mouth out with soap. 

At some point, let’s see what Terry Wilson’s got.

Explain how that might happen? If he was #2 right now instead of Strev. he'd be picking up valuable game reps, 6 Q's so far this season.  Instead he's wasting away on the sidelines waiting for his football career to expire.

[do or die]

3 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

Explain how that might happen? If he was #2 right now instead of Strev. he'd be picking up valuable game reps, 6 Q's so far this season.  Instead he's wasting away on the sidelines waiting for his football career to expire.

As if we haven't seen this lame movie before.........  Incredibly shortsighted.  We seem to be back to the same ole BS of having a guy around a couple of years....without knowing if the dude can actually play....when needed.    Like say, a Cup game....

[SpeedFlex27]

15 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

I hope it’s not guaranteed. 
 
This concussion could be the hit rider fans have taunted us about since 19. 

Collaros had a multi year deal & then signed an extension so I think 50% of his final year is guaranteed. 

 

4 minutes ago, do or die said:

As if we haven't seen this lame movie before.........  Incredibly shortsighted.  We seem to be back to the same ole BS of having a guy around a couple of years....without knowing if the dude can actually play....when needed.    Like say, a Cup game....

Yep, this management & coaching team has made some dreadful mistakes pver the years with the mismanagemnet of the roster under the salary cap. As well as who they kepy & releasd. I was an abashed Walters fan but since he signed this last deal he really hasn't done anything. Except let players walk. Osh is Osh. With him nothing ever changes.

[Mark H.]

It's surreal that the people who managed this team / roster from 2018-2021, are same people who have  been managing it from 2022 to the present. They had: culture, depth, Canadians, developed a QB  (Brown), a physical team, etc.  How do you consciously decide to stray away from that blueprint?

[SpeedFlex27]

5 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

It's surreal that the people who managed this team / roster from 2018-2021, are same people who have  been managing it from 2022 to the present. They had: culture, depth, Canadians, developed a QB  (Brown), a physical team, etc.  How do you consciously decide to stray away from that blueprint?

Arrogance & stubborness.  

[do or die]

16 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Arrogance & stubborness.  

Complacency....

[ShyGuy]

6 hours ago, rebusrankin said:

Kolo got $150,000 according to Hodge.

https://3downnation.com/2024/01/29/winnipeg-blue-bombers-sign-centre-chris-kolankowski-to-two-year-extension/#:~:text=The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have,part of his new deal.

 

Can't find a salary on Jake but let's say $120,000. That's $270,000 for the two. Jake's role could be filled with an entry level Canadian or American, so let's say that 40k you could save. A C draft pick would do better than Kolo, for fun let's say they drafted Fortin who starts for Calgary. That's what 70k saved. So between the 2 that's a potential 110 k saved.

110/300 is still around a third of the way to Lawler. Someone rightfully mentioned J Jones and Mitchell sitting on the 1 game, that right there is almost a Lawler... but as I kind of mused about above I don't really thing a Lawler type is a luxury this team can really utilize. The rumoured increase in the cap... who knows where that went.

 

 

6 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

They had talent & let them go after the past few seasons. We never replacd the guys we needed that left. "Everyone's a starter" & "Next Man Up!!" says our Head Coach.. That only works if you have talent & depth. Once you begin starting the scrubs then there is no NMU. It happened to Calgary after 2018 & looks like it'll happen here. 

A lot of the talent... even if they wanted to stay some of those contracts are woof.

260K for Drew Desjarlais, 215K for Hardrick, 205K for Dobson, 230K for Ford, 

Some of the ones that got away that I feel hurt because those contracts ended up being pretty reasonable (or they just decided not to play)... Stove Richardson, Casey Sayles, Jeffcoat, J Grant... I'm actually drawing a blank on players the Bombers didn't bring back that had some success with their new teams... Desjarlais got an East All Star Nod, Same with Sayles... Adams had one season he almost hit 1K receiving yards. Brown is looking somewhat promising but no matter how much you invoke Wally Buono I don't think anyone is going to move on from a QB that was back to back MOP and probably finished 3rd in 2023... unless he literally managed to lose a leg at some point between the 2023 grey cup and the opening of free agency... and even then with how the Bombers have treated their guys in free agency with injuries probably not even then.

I dunno... I am kind of working myself in circles looking at rosters from 2019 on. It seemed like the Bombers were just REALLY good at having those elite guys who made a bunch of money, and then filling the roster around them... but as the years have gone by, those Elite guys are pretty much the same (Jefferson, Bryant, Collaros,, Demski, I'm gonna combine Harris and Oliveira into 'Elite Canadian RB'... Bighill and Alexander... but at least they cut losses there)... and now those players are no longer near elite but the players they have been bringing in as support have just been for the most part huge whiffs. 2021 they bring in Dee Alford, Nichols, Rose, Houston and Darby for Corners. 2022 is Ford, Holm and Parker. This year you have Bonds and Bridges out there and it seems like there is a broken coverage every quarter. Nichols always seems to be chasing someone... is he covering for mistakes or has he mysteriously fallen off because he was lights out last year.

 

Are the Bombers unable to bring in talent these days because incoming players know that the mafia has their guys and they will never get their shot? Are they just on a really poor run of identifying talent? Do they have too much confidence in the medical staff / how players are telling them they feel? Some combination or the above? Like mentioned above, you can exchange Thomas and Kolo (who are definitely O'Shea's type of player) for replacement types and Schoen coming off a knee injury for Kenny Lawler. The Bombers definitely have a history of very... questionable roster decisions around injuries. Streveler back this year off his ACL. Schoen ACL. Bighill, Schoen, Bailey and Collaros playing in the 2023 Grey Cup all clearly injured. Collaros coming back into the game in 2024. A 38 year old Bryant collapses in a game last year. Neufeld admittedly playing injured all last year. Oliveira getting injured in camp and playing the first few games. J Grant busting up his ankle on a rush he ends up diving up the middle and the Bombers move on. So many weird decisions.

I apologize for the rambly nature of the above  

[SpeedFlex27]

5 hours ago, ShyGuy said:

110/300 is still around a third of the way to Lawler. Someone rightfully mentioned J Jones and Mitchell sitting on the 1 game, that right there is almost a Lawler... but as I kind of mused about above I don't really thing a Lawler type is a luxury this team can really utilize. The rumoured increase in the cap... who knows where that went.

 

 

 

Rumour? What is it with you & Colin Unger saying the salary cap increase didn't happen or it's just a rumour? It's not a rumour & it did happen. The salary cap increase was announced by both the CFL & CFLPA last winter just after free agency started. The Bombers in their infinite wisdom decided to conduct business like the cap never increased which was the team's choice & the Bombers are now showing the effects of that decision on the playing field & in the standings.

Just a question. How are we the kind of team that can't utilize a "luxury" like Kenny Lawler but every other CFL team can? That's like saying the San Francisco 49ers coudn't utilize the "luxury" of Jerry Rice. Or the Calgary Stampeders couldn't utilize the "luxury" of Allen Pitts. Do you think Milt Stegall was a "luxury" when he didn't always have great qbs throwing him the ball when he played?

During his time in Winnipeg, Stegall played with some real stinky starting qbs like Sammy Garza, Shawn Moore, TJ Rubley, Kevin McDougall, Chris Vargas, Mike Quinn, Pat Barnes, Troy Kopp, Kevin Mason, Michael Bishop, Timmy Chang, Kerwin Bell, Reggie Slack, Stefan LeFors & Ryan Dinwiddie. He had to play with guys that had no business putting on a Bomber jersey let alone starting. However, as Stegall is the all time greatest receiver in CFL history, he obviously made the most of it. Lawler a luxury?? C'mon, man.

Here's the announcement by the CFL on it's website last February of the salary cap increase. I actually don't believe that I have to post this to prove it's true. Wake up, people!! Pay attention!

https://www.cfl.ca/2025/02/05/2025-salary-cap-increase-driven-by-2024-league-revenue-growth/

Edited 8 hours ago by SpeedFlex27

[Dreamcatcher]

16 hours ago, Booch said:

well...to start they can try the guys they have in house first to see if they make a difference...as dear leader claims "they are all starter quality' and "if they in the building they give us a chance to win"  so prove it or STFU and find some who can 

Agreed. Play guys like Ayers, Mitchell, Person, J. Jones, Woods, Griffin (a hell of a lot more), but even if these guys are inserted in the lineup, there's still others I am not sold on at all. We need to bring consistent pressure and contain on the opposition QB'S to make the job of the Secondary easier. Guys like Bonds and Nichols didn't suddenly become poor players. Our O-Line has to be able to make Collaros job way easier but there's a couple of changes I would make there as well when Stanleys back. He still has the ability to make all his reads and check downs, however when the balls leaving his hands, the accuracy isn't as spot on as it has been in the past. He doesn't scramble enough; thus he tries to throw into coverage and loses those battles more than he wins. He also doesn't have an All-Star receiving core.

[Booch]

11 hours ago, Piggy 1 said:

Concussion? Has that been confirmed? 

Can't see it being anything else

 

[Booch]

11 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

Explain how that might happen? If he was #2 right now instead of Strev. he'd be picking up valuable game reps, 6 Q's so far this season.  Instead he's wasting away on the sidelines waiting for his football career to expire.

A lot our guys are...or will vamoose as soon as rookie deal expires....

 

10 hours ago, do or die said:

As if we haven't seen this lame movie before.........  Incredibly shortsighted.  We seem to be back to the same ole BS of having a guy around a couple of years....without knowing if the dude can actually play....when needed.    Like say, a Cup game....

Then not resign them or let them walk...and start it all over again with our old eroded...and not good enough talent...aka...status quo

 

10 hours ago, Mark H. said:

It's surreal that the people who managed this team / roster from 2018-2021, are same people who have  been managing it from 2022 to the present. They had: culture, depth, Canadians, developed a QB  (Brown), a physical team, etc.  How do you consciously decide to stray away from that blueprint?

Rode a stacked in prime roster...and yes some luck...minimal real coaching...lack of player development...zero forward thinking and planning/transitioning unless forced by injury...defection...and a lot of real dumb decisions....with a stubborn HC with bias'...lack of knowing whats going on apparently and a hancuffing Canadian bias to players...and rules...and allowed too much control by g.m and Prez...what did u all expect...I been incessantly raising alarm bells for 2...3 yrs...and was ridiculed for it...I seen this before...played thru it...and yes I do get a lot of privileged inside info....don't always believe media soundbites...and especially whatever comes outta Osh smughole

10 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Arrogance & stubborness.  

This

9 hours ago, do or die said:

Complacency....

And that...with a healthy sprinkling of stupidity and not knowing your room

8 hours ago, ShyGuy said:

110/300 is still around a third of the way to Lawler. Someone rightfully mentioned J Jones and Mitchell sitting on the 1 game, that right there is almost a Lawler... but as I kind of mused about above I don't really thing a Lawler type is a luxury this team can really utilize. The rumoured increase in the cap... who knows where that went.

 

 

A lot of the talent... even if they wanted to stay some of those contracts are woof.

260K for Drew Desjarlais, 215K for Hardrick, 205K for Dobson, 230K for Ford, 

Some of the ones that got away that I feel hurt because those contracts ended up being pretty reasonable (or they just decided not to play)... Stove Richardson, Casey Sayles, Jeffcoat, J Grant... I'm actually drawing a blank on players the Bombers didn't bring back that had some success with their new teams... Desjarlais got an East All Star Nod, Same with Sayles... Adams had one season he almost hit 1K receiving yards. Brown is looking somewhat promising but no matter how much you invoke Wally Buono I don't think anyone is going to move on from a QB that was back to back MOP and probably finished 3rd in 2023... unless he literally managed to lose a leg at some point between the 2023 grey cup and the opening of free agency... and even then with how the Bombers have treated their guys in free agency with injuries probably not even then.

I dunno... I am kind of working myself in circles looking at rosters from 2019 on. It seemed like the Bombers were just REALLY good at having those elite guys who made a bunch of money, and then filling the roster around them... but as the years have gone by, those Elite guys are pretty much the same (Jefferson, Bryant, Collaros,, Demski, I'm gonna combine Harris and Oliveira into 'Elite Canadian RB'... Bighill and Alexander... but at least they cut losses there)... and now those players are no longer near elite but the players they have been bringing in as support have just been for the most part huge whiffs. 2021 they bring in Dee Alford, Nichols, Rose, Houston and Darby for Corners. 2022 is Ford, Holm and Parker. This year you have Bonds and Bridges out there and it seems like there is a broken coverage every quarter. Nichols always seems to be chasing someone... is he covering for mistakes or has he mysteriously fallen off because he was lights out last year.

 

Are the Bombers unable to bring in talent these days because incoming players know that the mafia has their guys and they will never get their shot? Are they just on a really poor run of identifying talent? Do they have too much confidence in the medical staff / how players are telling them they feel? Some combination or the above? Like mentioned above, you can exchange Thomas and Kolo (who are definitely O'Shea's type of player) for replacement types and Schoen coming off a knee injury for Kenny Lawler. The Bombers definitely have a history of very... questionable roster decisions around injuries. Streveler back this year off his ACL. Schoen ACL. Bighill, Schoen, Bailey and Collaros playing in the 2023 Grey Cup all clearly injured. Collaros coming back into the game in 2024. A 38 year old Bryant collapses in a game last year. Neufeld admittedly playing injured all last year. Oliveira getting injured in camp and playing the first few games. J Grant busting up his ankle on a rush he ends up diving up the middle and the Bombers move on. So many weird decisions.

I apologize for the rambly nature of the above  

Crux of matter...they gave osh too much say in who..what he wanted and essentially eroded what Walters originally gave him...and didnt transition properly...and has a bad eye for talent....and now he has no clue how to fix it...and being stubborn...and not maximizing use of rules and roster he does have compounds it

 

[HardCoreBlue]

11 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

Explain how that might happen? If he was #2 right now instead of Strev. he'd be picking up valuable game reps, 6 Q's so far this season.  Instead he's wasting away on the sidelines waiting for his football career to expire.

Sure I’ll explain. If ZC is out longer term, elevate TW to 2nd string. Develop him in practice and give him more reps in coming games if the score isn’t close. Get him ready to be a potential starter and see what he’s got. 
 

But this ain’t gonna happen I know.

[Super Duper Negatron]

Going to get crapped on for this but we are better off with Dolegala or Patterson than with Strev. He moves like he is running with a full diaper right now.

[Tracker]

 

 

As angry as I was/am about our team getting embarrassed two games in a row by a good (but not great) team, once in front of a stacked house, if the bombers lose to the Argos, I will be livid. I really see that happening. This is the worst team we have had in three years with no  relief in sight and will be facing the QB who beat us in the Cup game.

[ShyGuy]

3 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Rumour? What is it with you & Colin Unger saying the salary cap increase didn't happen or it's just a rumour? It's not a rumour & it did happen. The salary cap increase was announced by both the CFL & CFLPA last winter just after free agency started. The Bombers in their infinite wisdom decided to conduct business like the cap never increased which was the team's choice & the Bombers are now showing the effects of that decision on the playing field & in the standings.

Just a question. How are we the kind of team that can't utilize a "luxury" like Kenny Lawler but every other CFL team can? That's like saying the San Francisco 49ers coudn't utilize the "luxury" of Jerry Rice. Or the Calgary Stampeders couldn't utilize the "luxury" of Allen Pitts. Do you think Milt Stegall was a "luxury" when he didn't always have great qbs throwing him the ball when he played?

During his time in Winnipeg, Stegall played with some real stinky starting qbs like Sammy Garza, Shawn Moore, TJ Rubley, Kevin McDougall, Chris Vargas, Mike Quinn, Pat Barnes, Troy Kopp, Kevin Mason, Michael Bishop, Timmy Chang, Kerwin Bell, Reggie Slack, Stefan LeFors & Ryan Dinwiddie. He had to play with guys that had no business putting on a Bomber jersey let alone starting. However, as Stegall is the all time greatest receiver in CFL history, he obviously made the most of it. Lawler a luxury?? C'mon, man.

Here's the announcement by the CFL on it's website last February of the salary cap increase. I actually don't believe that I have to post this to prove it's true. Wake up, people!! Pay attention!

https://www.cfl.ca/2025/02/05/2025-salary-cap-increase-driven-by-2024-league-revenue-growth/

The reason I made it as a "rumour" is that there was a followup posted on 3DownNation with some quotes from front office staff

https://3downnation.com/2025/03/27/cfl-salary-cap-increase-not-set-in-stone-cflpa-still-working-through-revenue-share-allocation/

 

Quote

The CFL and CFLPA caught teams — and fans — off-guard when they announced the second-largest salary cap increase in CFL history with a pair of statements on February 5. According to the press releases, the salary cap ceiling would rise to $6,062,365 in 2025, representing a $537,365 increase from 2024 and a bump of $412,365 from the previous cap projection.

However, all nine franchises have been slow to utilize the supposed windfall, with teams sticking to their previously agreed-upon budgets through free agency and staying cautious in the weeks since. Several general managers, notably Kyle Walters in Winnipeg and Ted Goveia in Hamilton, have since expressed skepticism that the increase is official, citing language in the collective bargaining agreement that allows the CFLPA to apply their share of league revenue to areas other than the salary cap.

Those concerns were acknowledged to be real for the first time on Thursday, as the CFLPA provided no official deadline on when teams would know how much they’ll be allowed to spend.

And I don't think invoking Stegall is the counter argument you think it is? Having the greatest WR in league history on the roster and making it to the Grey Cup twice sucks. Him having a pupuplatter of QBs to throw to him is obviously roster mismanagement. What is the point of having Kenny Lawler on the team when you have 2 QBs where the starter was 5/16 on passes >20 Depth yards going into Week 7, and the backup has an average depth of target of 8.5 yards, Lawler is leading the league in 20+ depth targets at 16. On the Bombers this year you'd have him blowing the top off the coverage and no one to actually have the ball make it to him. His average DOT last year (16.6) actually isn't that far off from this year (17.8)... but he already almost has as many 20+ targets (16 vs 21) and more receptions (9 vs 10). 

If you want a team with exciting players, Lawler on the Bombers is a great fit. If you want a team that is going to be competitive you can better use that money somewhere else. But the only reason we are wasting so much time discussing this, is that Lawler is having Bo toss him the ball, which is a match made in heaven for him, and the Bombers essentially used the money they would have given Lawler on J Jones and D Mitchell... both of which the Bombers refuse to put onto the active roster. 

[bigg jay]

28 minutes ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

Going to get crapped on for this but we are better off with Dolegala or Patterson than with Strev. He moves like he is running with a full diaper right now.

Dolegala was just moved to the Hamilton active roster from their PR so he's not even an option (barring a trade).

[JuranBoldenRules]

I don't think Terry Wilson is the guy to develop.  Even NCAA he's got like a 6 yard average for pass depth.  He hasn't shown any different up here.  He's point guard style spread QB.  No ability to hit windows and go vertical.  Maybe you develop quick game for him but he doesn't get it out quick yet, hasn't developed that yet at this level anyways.  So far what we've seen is "hold it, hold it, check it down."  I'm not really sure why he's still here other than he's still on the rookie deal vs a guy like Patterson or Dolegala.

The development guy here as a passer is Artopoeus.  But he's a first year pro.

[Goalie]

Is Schiltz available cuz I’m trying to think of guys with some cfl experience and I’m drawing blanks here. Wonder if Hamilton would trade us Powell as they also have Tuas brother they like. He’s probably the only option really. Ottawa needs a reset. They should trade us Dru Brown for Collaros Peterson and Jake Thomas. 

Edited 4 hours ago by Goalie

[bigg jay]

2 minutes ago, Goalie said:

Is Schiltz available cuz I’m trying to think of guys with some cfl experience and I’m drawing blanks here. 

Nope, he's with Ottawa.

 

[wbbfan]

24 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

Nope, he's with Ottawa.

 

The batch of potentially available via FA QBs for next year is ugly at best. 

[rebusrankin]

Schiltz is third string in Ottawa so you might get him cheap but I don't think he's better than what we have.

[wbbfan]

Just now, rebusrankin said:

Schiltz is third string in Ottawa so you might get him cheap but I don't think he's better than what we have.

With the lack of other available QBs on the market, whether its mbt, faj, schlitz, or who ever else, I think the price will be similar. 
 I’d expect a first, plus a conditional pick that turns into a first or second with enough starts.