Blue Bombers -- 2025/26 Offseason -- Discussion Thread

[Noeller]

4 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

So given the Coaching Cap, we're stuck with them if things go bad, correct? Again, Wade should have given them one year deals.

No one on planet earth is signing a 1 year coaching deal... That's not how it works.

Edited 2 hours ago by Noeller

[GCn20]

3 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Except we know that's not true... we had high drafted guys this past year never got a sniff because of Americans in the way. BOLO was healthy and can contribute yet didn't take a snap in a Grey cup game where 3 receivers were dinged up.... osh isn't flawless. He plays guys and not others for lots of different reasons.

BOLO? That's the guy you want to say that we held back? Have you looked at his performance since he left here? We had Americans in the way? No....we had Americans that were better and gave us a better chance of winning. You guys criticize Osh for 8-9 NAT starters but want every position a NAT backs up for them to start over an IMP. Makes no sense. Our high drafted guys were Shay and Smith, what leads you to believe they were better than any of our starting LBers? Show your work. 

Edited 2 hours ago by GCn20

[wbbfan]

18 minutes ago, Noeller said:

No one on planet earth is signing a 1 year coaching deal... That's not how it works.

Both walters and mos have been working off 1 years for a while. 

No coach/gm on a team consistently trending soo sharply down and fell backwards into the last play off spot gets a 3 year deal in the cfl. 

24 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

So given the Coaching Cap, we're stuck with them if things go bad, correct? Again, Wade should have given them one year deals.

Its a tiny sample size but given how he played in the last regular season game, Smith should have been getting reps on D all year.

Yeah, we are cooked if they don’t turn it around fast. 

This is brutal. 

[JuranBoldenRules]

3 hours ago, Mike said:

The WR that I like on our negotiation list (for what we need, imo) is Eli Pancol from Duke.

Bryce Kirtz is an okay name to bring in, he might even be a good player for us but it’s been a while since we had that go out and get the ball type dawg as a receiver, the kind of guy that can just body DBs and be a tough haul to bring down. That’s the kind of guy I want to see us bring in.

The one thing I really can’t believe on O is how far they’ve got from recruiting/signing the types of players that succeed with Zach.  I honestly DGAF about what any OC wants for personnel past the QB.  You have to build around the QB in any league.

Ideally for Zach you have a lanky, physical boundary WR, a Fantuz/Schoen type slot just big target pure route runner with excellent skills on scramble rules, a slot like a Tasker or Sterns quick inside leverage target zone killer, your field WR is just a big slab of receiver who can win stick and dagger be reliable, and your 5th guy is a playmaker like a Demski.

We have like 2.5 of those things depending on if Clercius learns how to win an inside break and if Schoen is healthy.

All of it really relies on that boundary WR though because if teams have to worry about that guy you open up so much space in the middle of the field.

[wbbfan]

27 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Who are these high end rookies not playing? Name one. Name a guy that's sitting on our depth chart now or formerly that has been good here or elsewhere.. ONE just ONE.

 

22 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Except we know that's not true... we had high drafted guys this past year never got a sniff because of Americans in the way. BOLO was healthy and can contribute yet didn't take a snap in a Grey cup game where 3 receivers were dinged up.... osh isn't flawless. He plays guys and not others for lots of different reasons.

Mos views teams guys reps as important as D/O. He has only started canadian lbers when absolutely forced into by injury, or absolute lack of options early. 
 He’s got both shay and smith penned in for teams only when they should’ve gotten D reps 

Does any one think kornelson is a better guy to have fill reps than shay or smith? We could’ve gone imp at dt and ni at one lber spot. 

He also sat clercius for corcoran, that guys top speed is the same as old people who mall walk. 

Mos isn’t enamoured by canadians as much as lunch box types with football iq. When those guys happen to be canadians, it’s a wet dream for him. 

The marine was playing most of the season here in 23, when burtenshaw was sitting on the pr. The lber/fb super sub sts guy we drafted and lauded until mos fell in love with jackson. Same goes for charbonneau. 

You can also look at guys like Rosery, who did every thing we asked to the point of going back to school working on pass catching came back again, shined in his few opportunities to be cut while we kept wastes of space. Petermann too, it’s almost like the more athletic and upside a canadian has the less mos likes them. He’s always gets stuck on the sub par athletes. 

[rebusrankin]

40 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

It is a tiny sample size in what was an exhibition game. Further to that, he wasn't high end by any stretch of the imagination. However, he did show nicely for a rookie. Who would you have taken out to put him in? What makes you believe he constituted any kind of upgrade? That's what we are talking about here. He was rostered all season, so what we are talking about is starting reps. I didn't see anything that led me to believe he deserved starting reps all season.

The final regular season game he got reps, it was not an exhibition game and he showed he could contribute and was worth rotating in. I'd have rotated him in for Wilson, Jones and Kramdi depending on the set the D was running.

Edited 2 hours ago by rebusrankin

[17to85]

26 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

BOLO? That's the guy you want to say that we held back? Have you looked at his performance since he left here? We had Americans in the way? No....we had Americans that were better and gave us a better chance of winning. You guys criticize Osh for 8-9 NAT starters but want every position a NAT backs up for them to start over an IMP. Makes no sense. Our high drafted guys were Shay and Smith, what leads you to believe they were better than any of our starting LBers? Show your work. 

The point is, we regularly play subpar Canadian starters and guys with high upside don't get reps just because they're rookies.... and with BOLO it is more an example of even when guys are too hurt to play he stood on the sidelines... he might not be a super star but he's IMO better than Corcoran and clercius and we lost him because of that lack of opportunity when it was teed up on a platter for a guy to step up.

I know you got your lips firmly planted on O'Shea's backside but things don't work in the black and white way you think. 

 

[blue85gold]

36 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

Both walters and mos have been working off 1 years for a while. 

 

Nah.

Walters just came off a 2 year deal https://www.bluebombers.com/2023/11/28/blue-bombers-and-general-manager-kyle-walters-agree-to-terms-on-two-year-extension/

MOS off a 3 year deal he signed after 2022 https://www.bluebombers.com/2022/12/08/head-coach-mike-oshea-signs-three-year-contract-extension/

 https://www.bluebombers.com/2025/11/14/oshea-staying-put/#:~:text=The CFL's longest-serving head,season%2C prompting all the speculation.

The CFL’s longest-serving head coach, O’Shea was hired by the club on December 4th, 2013 and after signing a three-year extension to remain with the club in 2022, was working on an expiring contract this season, prompting all the speculation.

Edited 2 hours ago by blue85gold
added link

[Noeller]

They have NEVER had one year deals... Nobody would ever sign that. 

[GCn20]

57 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

The point is, we regularly play subpar Canadian starters and guys with high upside don't get reps just because they're rookies.... and with BOLO it is more an example of even when guys are too hurt to play he stood on the sidelines... he might not be a super star but he's IMO better than Corcoran and clercius and we lost him because of that lack of opportunity when it was teed up on a platter for a guy to step up.

I know you got your lips firmly planted on O'Shea's backside but things don't work in the black and white way you think. 

 

Well don't let a little thing like facts get in the way of your BOLO rant. He wasn't competing for reps against Clercius or Corcoran. If he was you might have a point but he wasn't so your point is ridiculous. BOLO had to unseat a still in his prime Wolitarsky or Nic Demski. He could do neither because he wasn't good enough. He was given ample reps to demonstrate his potential. FULL STOP. The fact he has gone elsewhere and been just as ineffective proves that. I mean good gravy you say I have my head up my arse defending OSH, but that's not true, I just would like for a single one of the examples used against him to make a lick of sense. Is that too much to ask? 

FACT:

In 2022, BOLO had more targets with Winnipeg than his first year in Hamilton and almost as much as this year. He put up a whopping 233 yards for those targets. 

FACT: 

In the two years since leaving here he has averaged 335 yards per season seeing almost full time receiving duty. 

Yea, he's the one that got away all right. Answer me this, which of our old vets in Wolitarsky or Demski would you have sat down for that outstanding level of production? Or are you suggesting we should have flipped an IMP receiving spot to NAT and sat down one of Lawler/Schoen/Bailey?

I mean seriously look at that receiving corps. BOLO didn't stand a chance of making that roster as a starter because it was an elite receiving crew....but hey MOS is the bad guy for dressing his best receivers I guess. 

If it sounds like I'm mocking your example, I am. You could have picked from so many and you chose literally the one guy that we MOS did give chances too and didn't seize the opportunity.

Edited 1 hour ago by GCn20

[Super Duper Negatron]

Is Hogan fired yet?

[rebusrankin]

4 minutes ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

Is Hogan fired yet?

Nope. I am getting my pitchfork and torch ready.

[GCn20]

6 minutes ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

Is Hogan fired yet?

I don't think we have to fire him. He's on a year to year contract I believe. We can let him go gracefully by letting his contract simply expire.

[Bubba Zanetti]

[FrostyWinnipeg]

1 hour ago, Atomic said:

 

Bringing the band back together....THE GLENN MILLER BAND!

[GCn20]

1 hour ago, wbbfan said:

 

Mos views teams guys reps as important as D/O. He has only started canadian lbers when absolutely forced into by injury, or absolute lack of options early. 
 He’s got both shay and smith penned in for teams only when they should’ve gotten D reps 

Does any one think kornelson is a better guy to have fill reps than shay or smith? We could’ve gone imp at dt and ni at one lber spot. 

He also sat clercius for corcoran, that guys top speed is the same as old people who mall walk. 

Mos isn’t enamoured by canadians as much as lunch box types with football iq. When those guys happen to be canadians, it’s a wet dream for him. 

The marine was playing most of the season here in 23, when burtenshaw was sitting on the pr. The lber/fb super sub sts guy we drafted and lauded until mos fell in love with jackson. Same goes for charbonneau. 

You can also look at guys like Rosery, who did every thing we asked to the point of going back to school working on pass catching came back again, shined in his few opportunities to be cut while we kept wastes of space. Petermann too, it’s almost like the more athletic and upside a canadian has the less mos likes them. He’s always gets stuck on the sub par athletes. 

Again...who are the guys who left town only to have enormous success after being "held back" here. Name just one. That was the claim being made. Could we split hairs on whether a guy like Rosary should have gotten more reps....I suppose....but he was a fringe talent then and would be a fringe guy now if he stuck. I mean really we are clamoring for MOS to play guys with very little upside in their game. BTW, Corcoran played because Clercius was a little knicked up.

Could we have gotten more reps for Shay/Smith? Maybe. However, our record wasn't very conducive to rolling the dice with unproven rookies.

Edited 1 hour ago by GCn20

[17to85]

1 hour ago, GCn20 said:

Well don't let a little thing like facts get in the way of your BOLO rant. He wasn't competing for reps against Clercius or Corcoran. If he was you might have a point but he wasn't so your point is ridiculous. BOLO had to unseat a still in his prime Wolitarsky or Nic Demski. He could do neither because he wasn't good enough. He was given ample reps to demonstrate his potential. FULL STOP. The fact he has gone elsewhere and been just as ineffective proves that. I mean good gravy you say I have my head up my arse defending OSH, but that's not true, I just would like for a single one of the examples used against him to make a lick of sense. Is that too much to ask? 

FACT:

In 2022, BOLO had more targets with Winnipeg than his first year in Hamilton and almost as much as this year. He put up a whopping 233 yards for those targets. 

FACT: 

In the two years since leaving here he has averaged 335 yards per season seeing almost full time receiving duty. 

Yea, he's the one that got away all right. Answer me this, which of our old vets in Wolitarsky or Demski would you have sat down for that outstanding level of production? Or are you suggesting we should have flipped an IMP receiving spot to NAT and sat down one of Lawler/Schoen/Bailey?

I mean seriously look at that receiving corps. BOLO didn't stand a chance of making that roster as a starter because it was an elite receiving crew....but hey MOS is the bad guy for dressing his best receivers I guess. 

If it sounds like I'm mocking your example, I am. You could have picked from so many and you chose literally the one guy that we MOS did give chances too and didn't seize the opportunity.

Well they let wolitarsky walk for clercius.... thats part and parcel of succession planning. You are super obsessed with numbers, yet a guy like Bailey as an example had success here but didn't have it elsewhere. Situations matter. 

But you are again missing the entire point, the point here is oshea makes bad decisions with the roster, included in that is dressing guys who have shown they are not totally useless and then giving them 0 reps while 3 other players at the same position can barely move yet play the whole game.

So how can we trust that oshea is making the best choices possible? We can't.

[bigg jay]

2 hours ago, GCn20 said:

It is a tiny sample size in what was an exhibition game. Further to that, he wasn't high end by any stretch of the imagination. However, he did show nicely for a rookie. Who would you have taken out to put him in? What makes you believe he constituted any kind of upgrade? That's what we are talking about here. He was rostered all season, so what we are talking about is starting reps. I didn't see anything that led me to believe he deserved starting reps all season.

Nobody is talking about starting reps.  He could have easily been a depth guy who rotated in occasionally and gained valuable reps without being in the starting line-up.  He was rostered but didn't see the field on teams afaik - all he did was teams.

51 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

I don't think we have to fire him. He's on a year to year contract I believe. We can let him go gracefully by letting his contract simply expire.

They can acknowledge that he won't be back without throwing him under the bus though.  All they have to say is this year wasn't good enough and there will be changes to the coaching staff - people can read between the lines from there.

[SpeedFlex27]

4 hours ago, Bigblue204 said:

I don't know if Ajou Ajou is a FA this year or not. But he would look real good in Bue and Gold. Really like his style of play and I think with a bit more experience can turn into a really good slot rec.

His family immigrated to Brooks, AB. There's huge meat packing plant there. If anything, I believe he'd sign with the Stamps just 2 hours away. 

42 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Again...who are the guys who left town only to have enormous success after being "held back" here. Name just one. That was the claim being made. Could we split hairs on whether a guy like Rosary should have gotten more reps....I suppose....but he was a fringe talent then and would be a fringe guy now if he stuck. I mean really we are clamoring for MOS to play guys with very little upside in their game. BTW, Corcoran played because Clercius was a little knicked up.

Could we have gotten more reps for Shay/Smith? Maybe. However, our record wasn't very conducive to rolling the dice with unproven rookies.

The guy we lost this past off season. Liam Dobson who started all season & played both guard & center. 

[Stickem]

3 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

 

So how can we trust that oshea is making the best choices possible? We can't.

I agree and that's why he has to be taken to task by Miller IF we see the same thing unfolding in 26'...O'Sh has always struck me as a guy who could have narrow vision and not accept input from anyone else, seeing that as a weakness....He has to learn to be more pliable when it comes to roster management or we could end up with the same failed  result as this season.....AND further to that we could see empty seats at the Princess and that doesn't bode well for anybody....We want to see a winner ...We know the 2 guys who have been given 3 year deals have the ability...they've  proven that  ...We just have to get back to the things that made us a winner ...Hopefully the faith given to Walters and O'Shea results in just that....a return to the winner circle

[SpeedFlex27]

2 minutes ago, Stickem said:

I agree and that's why he has to be taken to task by Miller IF we see the same thing unfolding in 26'...O'Sh has always struck me as a guy who could have narrow vision and not accept input from anyone else, seeing that as a weakness....He has to learn to be more pliable when it comes to roster management or we could end up with the same failed  result as this season.....AND further to that we could see empty seats at the Princess and that doesn't bode well for anybody....We want to see a winner ...We know the 2 guys who have been given 3 year deals have the ability...they've  proven that  ...We just have to get back to the things that made us a winner ...Hopefully the faith given to Walters and O'Shea results in just that....a return to the winner circle

They're all friends. Bringing them all back just proves that. Nothing will change. I'd love to be optimistic but I find these two signings give me nothing but pessimism.