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

[Piggy 1]

23 minutes ago, BomberBall. said:

Is O’Shea ever in a rush when hiring coaches?

JJ quit??? 

[Goalie]

14 minutes ago, Piggy 1 said:

JJ quit??? 

He’s QB coach in Calgary now. Sounds like it was a mutual decision to move on. Unfortunately last year it sounds like maybe his mind was elsewhere. And rightfully so. 

Edited yesterday at 05:26 PM by Goalie

[Goalie]

You gotta wonder what type of coach O’Shea is looking to bring in. O or D? Maybe a bit of both? Cuz the staff is pretty full now it seems. We have a QB coach a RB coach. OL coach. DL. LB. DC. Sp teams. I mean am I missing 1 even. Like do we really need another positional coach? 

[wbbfan]

16 hours ago, Noeller said:

No problems here with bringing those boys back. You need some continuity in an OL. As mentioned many times, a quality C is going to make all the difference with this line. Thought the RT was quietly very solid all last year and if the behemoth at LG takes another step in his development, things are looking really good....

Agree. I think Rando would've been a league all-star on most any other playoff team. 

15 hours ago, HardCoreBlue said:

I really like the last half of your last sentence. I’m hoping that’s the mantra of the upcoming 2026 TC and for the season, highly competitive no vet cards club med passes being given out this year. Set the tone and high expectations early for season play. In it to win it and if not consistently producing next man up.

Yeah, that is what im really hoping for. That more important than having an impactfull free agency, and that is pretty important. This camp needs to be the scrapiest in ages. 

 

6 hours ago, Booch said:

yeah agreed....they played fine and realistically if we improve at center....it will benefit the whole line.....Vets on oline are huge...especially ones who been in same system forever....and i doubt both will ask for the moon.

And thats what camp is for....to see who has the ability, as they can always be cut 

 

Any one with the age/wear of bryant/neuf should be going into camp under heavy scrutiny. But they are much better positioned to excel than they have been for a couple years. If both are as healthy as they can be going into camp, I expect the OL battle to be a real war. 

We've seen so many guys elevate them self to elite status from intense camp battles. Lawler, schoen, stove, desjarlais etc. So many times we've broken through a new star player, it's been because while they were great in camp, they had a real dog fight in camp too. 

 

On the Ol we have some real sleepers and interesting depth built up. Returning guys (to us, or the league) Vanterpool, Stewart, Dooley, Elsbury, Wallace, Eli, Vibert, and Poncius are all well poised going into camp this year. They've all been on Prs and or in TCs up here previously. They should be well-adjusted and understand a good chunk of the league's nuance. The game should be slowed down for them in camp this year. They all have significant upside. The Canadians and Vanterpool have high floors as well. If 1 Canadian and 1 imp from that list take the next step, our OL will be in a great spot. 

Plus, we already have imp rookies like Lindsay and Williams with tremendous upside. 

We should hit free agency for a guy, draft another depth piece, and sign a couple more good prospects. But a lot of heavy lifting is done on the OL, including the most critical addition by subtraction. 

[wbbfan]

2 hours ago, Piggy 1 said:

JJ quit??? 

 

2 hours ago, Goalie said:

He’s QB coach in Calgary now. Sounds like it was a mutual decision to move on. Unfortunately last year it sounds like maybe his mind was elsewhere. And rightfully so. 

Yep, took a lateral job. Kind of wild we kept Hogan and let Jackson go. But from what I saw late in the season, when Jackson was clearly running our play call, the fit wasn't right here anyway. Shame, but wish him well.

Did we ever find out what the personal business was that kept him away? I imagine it must've been something rough. 

2 hours ago, Goalie said:

You gotta wonder what type of coach O’Shea is looking to bring in. O or D? Maybe a bit of both? Cuz the staff is pretty full now it seems. We have a QB coach a RB coach. OL coach. DL. LB. DC. Sp teams. I mean am I missing 1 even. Like do we really need another positional coach? 

WR coach would be the prominent spot left open. We also have 3 offensive coaches, including the CO. On D, we have 4, including the co and an ast co. I could see a WR coach who is also a special assistant to Condell. Either a stats guy, or a guy with a specific skill set like running game co. I could also see that spot doing double duties replacing a scout/agm from brocks departure. Maybe they call a guy like Darvin adams or Sheed to see if they want to come in for a developmental offensive coach as well. 

[Tracker]

48 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

Agree. I think Rando would've been a league all-star on most any other playoff team. 

Yeah, that is what im really hoping for. That more important than having an impactfull free agency, and that is pretty important. This camp needs to be the scrapiest in ages. 

 

Any one with the age/wear of bryant/neuf should be going into camp under heavy scrutiny. But they are much better positioned to excel than they have been for a couple years. If both are as healthy as they can be going into camp, I expect the OL battle to be a real war. 

We've seen so many guys elevate them self to elite status from intense camp battles. Lawler, schoen, stove, desjarlais etc. So many times we've broken through a new star player, it's been because while they were great in camp, they had a real dog fight in camp too. 

 

On the Ol we have some real sleepers and interesting depth built up. Returning guys (to us, or the league) Vanterpool, Stewart, Dooley, Elsbury, Wallace, Eli, Vibert, and Poncius are all well poised going into camp this year. They've all been on Prs and or in TCs up here previously. They should be well-adjusted and understand a good chunk of the league's nuance. The game should be slowed down for them in camp this year. They all have significant upside. The Canadians and Vanterpool have high floors as well. If 1 Canadian and 1 imp from that list take the next step, our OL will be in a great spot. 

Plus, we already have imp rookies like Lindsay and Williams with tremendous upside. 

We should hit free agency for a guy, draft another depth piece, and sign a couple more good prospects. But a lot of heavy lifting is done on the OL, including the most critical addition by subtraction. 

Given the three-year downward spiral of the team, every player ought to be fighting to earn his spot. As has been repeaed, this has not been the case, and has produced the situation we find ourselves in. Since the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour, there is ample reason to doubt that O'Shea will change his spots and mandate competition.

[wbbfan]

55 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Given the three-year downward spiral of the team, every player ought to be fighting to earn his spot. As has been repeaed, this has not been the case, and has produced the situation we find ourselves in. Since the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour, there is ample reason to doubt that O'Shea will change his spots and mandate competition.

It should always be the case that you need to win your spot in camp. After a run like we've had the past few years, we have to bring in league free agents who will compete for spots. And be willing to cut them if they get trounced in performance, like Vaval/Logan. 

On that note, how has Vaval not gotten an NFL deal yet?

[sweep the leg]

3 hours ago, wbbfan said:

 

 

On the Ol we have some real sleepers and interesting depth built up. Returning guys (to us, or the league) Vanterpool, Stewart, Dooley, Elsbury, Wallace, Eli, Vibert, and Poncius are all well poised going into camp this year. They've all been on Prs and or in TCs up here previously. They should be well-adjusted and understand a good chunk of the league's nuance. The game should be slowed down for them in camp this year. They all have significant upside. The Canadians and Vanterpool have high floors as well. If 1 Canadian and 1 imp from that list take the next step, our OL will be in a great spot. 

 

I have high hopes for Dooley. Boise State is a decent program and he’s obviously a good run blocker. 

[GCn20]

22 hours ago, Piggy 1 said:

I think Big Stan would be awesome inside for at least a couple years , because of how hes taken care 

That makes zero sense. Stan is a natural OT. Inside is more physical. You don't convert an OT inside at age 40 unless you want to end his career

Edited 19 hours ago by GCn20

[Piggy 1]

7 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

That makes zero sense. Stan is a natural OT. Inside is more physical. You don't convert an OT inside at age 40 unless you want to end his career

The people on here that actually know something about football beg to differ............

[SpeedFlex27]

6 hours ago, BomberBall. said:

Is O’Shea ever in a rush when hiring coaches?

No sense of urgency to win with this guy. It's like coaching is a hobby. 

[johnzo]

17 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

That makes zero sense. Stan is a natural OT. Inside is more physical. You don't convert an OT inside at age 40 unless you want to end his career

Moe Elewonibi converted to center for us in his late thirties.

 

[SpeedFlex27]

1 hour ago, wbbfan said:

It should always be the case that you need to win your spot in camp. After a run like we've had the past few years, we have to bring in league free agents who will compete for spots. And be willing to cut them if they get trounced in performance, like Vaval/Logan. 

On that note, how has Vaval not gotten an NFL deal yet?

There's 3 weeks to go in the window. Lots can change. 

21 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

That makes zero sense. Stan is a natural OT. Inside is more physical. You don't convert an OT inside at age 40 unless you want to end his career

It's a lot easier for a tackle to move inside then for an interior OL to move outside. Center calls all the blocking schemes. Stan understands that & wouldn't have any problem adjusting to Center. Neither would Neufeld if they went that route. 

[johnzo]

3 hours ago, wbbfan said:

Maybe they call a guy like Darvin adams or Sheed to see if they want to come in for a developmental offensive coach as well. 

as a fan, would love to see this -- hated how it ended with Sheed.  

[wbbfan]

51 minutes ago, johnzo said:

as a fan, would love to see this -- hated how it ended with Sheed.  

same. Especially sheed. idk if he’d be the best technical coach of the position, but his guys would run through a brick wall for him. He’s one of the best natural leaders we’ve ever had. 

 sheed and yoshi showed more leadership than you’d think would even work in the pros. When ever a new guy would be inserted into the line up or especially start, you’d see them with him in the walk out and warm ups. Those two made me wanna run through a brick wall as a fan lol. 

[SpeedFlex27]

52 minutes ago, johnzo said:

as a fan, would love to see this -- hated how it ended with Sheed.  

Unfortunately, that ship has sailed. I'd have thought Osh would have asked Chris Streveler to come back as qb coach. I guess Condell wants to do it all alone. 

[GCn20]

14 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

There's 3 weeks to go in the window. Lots can change. 

It's a lot easier for a tackle to move inside then for an interior OL to move outside. Center calls all the blocking schemes. Stan understands that & wouldn't have any problem adjusting to Center. Neither would Neufeld if they went that route. 

My point isn't whether Stan can do it, it's whether his body could hold up to it. It's not about ability it's about age.  If Stan is too old for OT then it's highly likely he is also too old for the interior as well. If he is capable of playing it would be in his best interest to stay at OT.

16 hours ago, wbbfan said:

It should always be the case that you need to win your spot in camp. After a run like we've had the past few years, we have to bring in league free agents who will compete for spots. And be willing to cut them if they get trounced in performance, like Vaval/Logan. 

On that note, how has Vaval not gotten an NFL deal yet?

Not many spots open at his position in the NFL anymore. There isn't much for returning anymore.

14 hours ago, Piggy 1 said:

The people on here that actually know something about football beg to differ............

That would exclude you I guess. I could fit your football knowledge in my pinky finger but you are the king of eye rolls I'll give you that. I have never read any post of yours that approaches football intelligence.

14 hours ago, johnzo said:

Moe Elewonibi converted to center for us in his late thirties.

 

And lasted how long after? 

Edited 4 hours ago by GCn20

[bigg jay]

38 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

And lasted how long after? 

4 seasons. His 2001 season was ended by a back injury and that was pretty much the end of him being a full-time tackle - he did see some action there but he was mainly a center from that point on.

He played until he was 39 so he had a fairly lengthy career & wasn't lasting a whole lot longer no matter what position he was in.  By the time he was moved to center, he had played over a decade between the NFL, WLAF & CFL and had suffered some major injuries during that time (and in college). 

[JuranBoldenRules]

Honestly having Streveler here on IR and basically interning as a coach would be a pretty smart move.  Kind of thing an organization with cash to leverage should be doing.

[wbbfan]

1 hour ago, GCn20 said:

My point isn't whether Stan can do it, it's whether his body could hold up to it. It's not about ability it's about age.  If Stan is too old for OT then it's highly likely he is also too old for the interior as well. If he is capable of playing it would be in his best interest to stay at OT.

Not many spots open at his position in the NFL anymore. There isn't much for returning anymore.

That would exclude you I guess. I could fit your football knowledge in my pinky finger but you are the king of eye rolls I'll give you that. I have never read any post of yours that approaches football intelligence.

And lasted how long after? 

@stan, the wear at C would likely be the lowest he'd face in terms of impact. Now it would really depend on how his knees and hips are. C is more demanding in those areas. Stan has always kept himself in tremendous shape and has never been sloppy. he looks to move fluidly, even if slower in this age range.  At C he wouldn't be facing the mashing every snap, or even on most snaps. Teams aren't going to line up a nose against big stan unless they are in a 30 front, which no one is running as a base. Having been exposed by speed rushes off the edge, he will see even more of that this year. Which means his lower body is at risk from those non-contact type injuries, having to explode out of the stance and kick step to a rusher. Those side-angled pushes at T are what generally cook Ts knees. So it really depends on his physical state and what is worn now. 

That is a good point, the kr game in the NFL is soo strange now. 

Moe actually played a considerable while once he kicked inside, first to G, then to C. He actually slide in side for the final stretch of his first year here as well. But he played the last 3 years inside, about 3/4 of that at C. Then he also played C in his final year with bc before he retired. He didn't play T here for as long as you'd think. 

8 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

4 seasons. His 2001 season was ended by a back injury and that was pretty much the end of him being a full-time tackle - he did see some action there but he was mainly a center from that point on.

He played until he was 39 so he had a fairly lengthy career & wasn't lasting a whole lot longer no matter what position he was in.  By the time he was moved to center, he had played over a decade between the NFL, WLAF & CFL and had suffered some major injuries during that time (and in college). 

qft. Such an impressive career, one of the most resilient players we've had. 

[GCn20]

16 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

@stan, the wear at C would likely be the lowest he'd face in terms of impact. Now it would really depend on how his knees and hips are. C is more demanding in those areas. Stan has always kept himself in tremendous shape and has never been sloppy. he looks to move fluidly, even if slower in this age range.  At C he wouldn't be facing the mashing every snap, or even on most snaps. Teams aren't going to line up a nose against big stan unless they are in a 30 front, which no one is running as a base. Having been exposed by speed rushes off the edge, he will see even more of that this year. Which means his lower body is at risk from those non-contact type injuries, having to explode out of the stance and kick step to a rusher. Those side-angled pushes at T are what generally cook Ts knees. So it really depends on his physical state and what is worn now. 

That is a good point, the kr game in the NFL is soo strange now. 

Moe actually played a considerable while once he kicked inside, first to G, then to C. He actually slide in side for the final stretch of his first year here as well. But he played the last 3 years inside, about 3/4 of that at C. Then he also played C in his final year with bc before he retired. He didn't play T here for as long as you'd think. 

qft. Such an impressive career, one of the most resilient players we've had. 

Knees and hips do not respond well to being reconditioned for an entirely different usage at age 40. Just getting out of the snap takes an entirely different muscle grouping than what a tackle is used to. It would be beyond moronic to even consider moving an OT to C at age 40.  It's also not about the mashing, it's about keeping safe in the fray. 40 year olds do not have the flexibility to get rolled up on as an example. Relearning a new position at age 40 does no one any good, not Stan, not our team. If it was as an emergency thing sure. But how stupid would a team have to be to even consider taking their best OT and converting him to C at age 40. I can't put into words how dumb and short sighted such a decision would be. Moronic doesn't begin to cover it. We would be putting Stan at a position completely new to him, asking him to learn how to snap, how to use his body completely differently than all his pro career for what? The guy is 40...there is no long term benefit whatsoever. 

Like I said this isn't about his ability to get it done, it's about his age. He plays OT until he cannot do so anymore. Any plan other than that with a 40 year old player would hurt the team and be beyond moronic.

Edited 3 hours ago by GCn20

[GCn20]

27 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

4 seasons. His 2001 season was ended by a back injury and that was pretty much the end of him being a full-time tackle - he did see some action there but he was mainly a center from that point on.

He played until he was 39 so he had a fairly lengthy career & wasn't lasting a whole lot longer no matter what position he was in.  By the time he was moved to center, he had played over a decade between the NFL, WLAF & CFL and had suffered some major injuries during that time (and in college). 

There is quite a huge difference between Stan being converted at age 35 and age 40.  This is not the time to get extra years out of him at a new position. It would make zero sense, as I suggested earlier. Either he can still get it done at his regular position or we move on and honor him for the GOAT he is. Trying to stretch out a career by putting a 40 year old at a new position is very short sighted.

[wbbfan]

2 hours ago, GCn20 said:

Knees and hips do not respond well to being reconditioned for an entirely different usage at age 40. Just getting out of the snap takes an entirely different muscle grouping than what a tackle is used to. It would be beyond moronic to even consider moving an OT to C at age 40.  It's also not about the mashing, it's about keeping safe in the fray. 40 year olds do not have the flexibility to get rolled up on as an example. Relearning a new position at age 40 does no one any good, not Stan, not our team. If it was as an emergency thing sure. But how stupid would a team have to be to even consider taking their best OT and converting him to C at age 40. I can't put into words how dumb and short sighted such a decision would be. Moronic doesn't begin to cover it. We would be putting Stan at a position completely new to him, asking him to learn how to snap, how to use his body completely differently than all his pro career for what? The guy is 40...there is no long term benefit whatsoever. 

Like I said this isn't about his ability to get it done, it's about his age. He plays OT until he cannot do so anymore. Any plan other than that with a 40 year old player would hurt the team and be beyond moronic.

That really depends on the wear on them. Ive seen a ton of people who've reconditioned their hips and knees for extreme use changes in the 30s-60s (Bjj, yoga, muay thai) and its not only worked very well but drastically improved issues. Youd be surprised how many ex ol make moves like that (usually post-career) and how much of a positive impact it has. 

No one has the flexibility to get rolled up on, that's not a thing. if you get rolled up on from the side or rear of the leg, you are plain lucky to get up afterwards. No matter the age. 

Stan isn't our best T. If he comes back at 100% of where he was last year, he may not be our 2nd best T. 

A change inside for a guy like stan isn't relearning. 

Shortsighted? We are talking about a 40-year-old OL. At this point its about getting the last bit out of his career. 

There is no long-term anything; he's 40, and the year before last had to be carted off the field and hospitalized for dehydration. 

You keep saying moronic, even though kicking inside happens across all leagues, specifically to extend careers. 

 

Edited 23 minutes ago by wbbfan

[HardCoreBlue]

18 hours ago, wbbfan said:

It should always be the case that you need to win your spot in camp. After a run like we've had the past few years, we have to bring in league free agents who will compete for spots. And be willing to cut them if they get trounced in performance, like Vaval/Logan. 

On that note, how has Vaval not gotten an NFL deal yet?

You (try to) play, you (try to) work like you're always competing for your job no matter the industry. Set's pretty high expectations. 

[GCn20]

1 hour ago, wbbfan said:

That really depends on the wear on them. Ive seen a ton of people who've reconditioned their hips and knees for extreme use changes in the 30s-60s (Bjj, yoga, muay thai) and its not only worked very well but drastically improved issues. Youd be surprised how many ex ol make moves like that (usually post-career) and how much of a positive impact it has. 

No one has the flexibility to get rolled up on, that's not a thing. if you get rolled up on from the side or rear of the leg, you are plain lucky to get up afterwards. No matter the age. 

Stan isn't our best T. If he comes back at 100% of where he was last year, he may not be our 2nd best T. 

A change inside a guy like stan isn't relearning. 

Shortsighted? We are talking about a 40-year-old OL. At this point its about getting the last bit out of his career. 

There is no long-term anything; he's 40, and the year before last had to be carted off the field and hospitalized for dehydration. 

You keep saying moronic, even though kicking inside happens across all leagues, specifically to extend careers. 

 

Name one time a team kicked a guy inside at age 40. You can't I guarantee that. As it is Stan has exceeded the normal parameters of career longevity. Relearning a new position at age 40 is moronic. I can't believe anyone would think otherwise. We have younger guys on our roster that are OGs that would be better than Stan trying to do it. Idiotic? Is that a better word? Because that's what it would be. If Stan isn't our best LT in camp then he should hang them up and we should be encouraging him to do that. If moving a 40 year old import LT to OG is our best move then management has failed badly. As I've stated, this isn't about Stan's ability to move inside it's about whether this move is good for both the short AND long term. It isn't good for either from a ratio standpoint and from a developmental standpoint. He is 40, we need to quit with the idea of wringing out extra time out of him. He can either play the position we are going to sign him for or he can't. Keeping him and putting him elsewhere is desparation. He is not entering the twilight of his career here where we can get a few more good years out of him with a position change. That was 4 years ago. My god. The move would be high risk/low reward. Stan is the best OL that I have ever seen play in a Bomber uniform and I understand everyone not wanting to let him go, but the proposal is absurd.

Edited 1 hour ago by GCn20