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

[HardCoreBlue]

54 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Somehow I can see them signing Ceresna... then making Thomas a player-coach and giving Jake more reps....   

[SpeedFlex27]

9 minutes ago, HardCoreBlue said:

Jake Thomas announces at training camp he has become a player-coach & will take 90% of the reps to show his players how things are done. Coaching by example. 

[HardCoreBlue]

3 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Jake Thomas announces at training camp he has become a player-coach & will take 90% of the reps to show his players how things are done. Coaching by example. 

Edited 20 hours ago by HardCoreBlue

[Brandon]

2 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Jake Thomas announces at training camp he has become a player-coach & will take 90% of the reps to show his players how things are done. Coaching by example. 

They then will sign Ceresna... cut him in TC and bring back the Navy Seal Damian Jackson!  

[wbbfan]

1 hour ago, Stickem said:

Yeah the 32 is a tad concerning but look at big Stan (I know totally dif positions) and the "supposed to be should be in italics...Totally agree with the last line

I’m sure he will be good this year. I think solid chance he is close to peak production. But there is some risk. 

[HardCoreBlue]

6 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

I’m sure he will be good this year. I think solid chance he is close to peak production. But there is some risk. 

I think we need to ensure we have state of the art therapy and medical equipment and personal as not only am i curious on who we field as starters this year but am nervous on how our depth will be when called upon due to injury.

[Booch]

I'm more concerned based on history that osh won't play backups or rotational guys nearly enough..so no development or progression let alone trust or know what they can do...and play clearly injured guys...or his favs ...same ol same ol

Hope I wrong...but

[Booch]

5 hours ago, GCn20 said:

I have zero concerns about our SMS availability this year. We should have an extra 400k over most teams.

And we gonna get White in at 225k which is good value for a guy still in top tier of WR in league...I think walters is gonna have the ability to toss some sheckles around in FA

More I look at it I hope we get proactive and toss some at Cersesna sooner than later

[BBlink]

1 hour ago, Booch said:

And we gonna get White in at 225k which is good value for a guy still in top tier of WR in league...I think walters is gonna have the ability to toss some sheckles around in FA

More I look at it I hope we get proactive and toss some at Cersesna sooner than later

Wasn't there a bonus of 75k? Or can they apply that to last year's SMS?

[Booch]

25 minutes ago, BBlink said:

Wasn't there a bonus of 75k? Or can they apply that to last year's SMS?

He was signed in 2026 so all his goes to 2026 sms..and yeah he gets 75k upfront

[GCn20]

28 minutes ago, Booch said:

He was signed in 2026 so all his goes to 2026 sms..and yeah he gets 75k upfront

Pretty much just offsets what we paid Schoen last year

[SpeedFlex27]

4 hours ago, HardCoreBlue said:

I think we need to ensure we have state of the art therapy and medical equipment and personal as not only am i curious on who we field as starters this year but am nervous on how our depth will be when called upon due to injury.

This will be the most important piece of equipment for our aging veterans...

[Nolby]

7 hours ago, GCn20 said:

Ceresna is a beast. He won't need to learn technique from JT that's for sure. However, JT is an excellent X's and O's guy. That part of it all our guys should be listening too.

What is Thomas going to teach Ceresna? How to be a liability with a big belly???

[SpeedFlex27]

Just now, Nolby said:

What is Thomas going to teach Ceresna? How to be a liability with a big belly???

How to hold your head up in a 3 point stance? I can't see Thomas as much of an incentive for any star free agent DL to play for. 

[Booch]

8 hours ago, Nolby said:

What is Thomas going to teach Ceresna? How to be a liability with a big belly???

 

8 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

How to hold your head up in a 3 point stance? I can't see Thomas as much of an incentive for any star free agent DL to play for. 

yeah was gonna say same thing haha

[rebusrankin]

8 hours ago, Nolby said:

What is Thomas going to teach Ceresna? How to be a liability with a big belly???

Where to park at PAS. The best breakfast spots in Winnipeg.

[GCn20]

9 hours ago, Nolby said:

What is Thomas going to teach Ceresna? How to be a liability with a big belly???

I guess we should just fire JT now. Obviously he has nothing to offer. Sad, that the hate is so strong for a guy that showed up to play for us game in and game out. We may not like his usage over the past few years but now we are blaming him for it. 

[Pete]

Yeah its more than petty to keep ragging on JT.Judge him as a coach by his results rather than basing it on some vedenta

[Brandon]

[Tracker]

17 hours ago, Booch said:

I'm more concerned based on history that osh won't play backups or rotational guys nearly enough..so no development or progression let alone trust or know what they can do...and play clearly injured guys...or his favs ...same ol same ol

Hope I wrong...but

Unless O'Shea has had an on-the-road-to-Damascus epiphany, he is most likely to play non-pets in minor and/or losing situations so as to try to discredit them, then do an I-toldyaso riff. All passive-aggressive stuff.

3 hours ago, GCn20 said:

I guess we should just fire JT now. Obviously he has nothing to offer. Sad, that the hate is so strong for a guy that showed up to play for us game in and game out. We may not like his usage over the past few years but now we are blaming him for it. 

For some reasom, you are confusing a realistic assessment of Thomas as ineffective and an obatacke to developing younger, better players. with hatred for him. So far as I am aware, he has not eaten any puppies or beaten up any orphans, but am willing to be proven wrong in that regard.

[HardCoreBlue]

3 hours ago, GCn20 said:

I guess we should just fire JT now. Obviously he has nothing to offer. Sad, that the hate is so strong for a guy that showed up to play for us game in and game out. We may not like his usage over the past few years but now we are blaming him for it. 

[Tracker]

                                                                      

[Booch]

4 hours ago, GCn20 said:

I guess we should just fire JT now. Obviously he has nothing to offer. Sad, that the hate is so strong for a guy that showed up to play for us game in and game out. We may not like his usage over the past few years but now we are blaming him for it. 

For what our dline coach has to do really I guess he will be fine...With vets like Lawson..WJ and hopefully a Ceresna they dont need Thomas' tutelage..as there is nothing he could offer them...and any young guy can get things passed on by them too

The x and o part will come from Younger anyway...and some from Stanley...Thomas will add nothing there...it was essentially a mercy hire that won't make or break our season...was still dumb tho...and a slap in face of any up an coming coach in the CIS ranks or NCAA who has been putting in the work

[GCn20]

5 minutes ago, Booch said:

For what our dline coach has to do really I guess he will be fine...With vets like Lawson..WJ and hopefully a Ceresna they dont need Thomas' tutelage..as there is nothing he could offer them...and any young guy can get things passed on by them too

The x and o part will come from Younger anyway...and some from Stanley...Thomas will add nothing there...it was essentially a mercy hire that won't make or break our season...was still dumb tho...and a slap in face of any up an coming coach in the CIS ranks or NCAA who has been putting in the work

All we are going to need from JT is an understanding of what defensive fronts Younger wants and for him to be able to get his DL to execute them. It's not rocket science. He will be fine. Technique is something that all the guys on the line help each other with anyway.  He's not going to be the guy who reinvents our DL. He is going to be the guy who observes them and gives Younger the scoop on what they do well, and where they need improvement so that Younger can maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. By all accounts JT was a film hawk already as a player, so this should be right up his alley. He will study film hard to look for things that can be exploited on the oppositions OL and report his findings to Younger so he can put them in a position to exploit them.

Edited 1 hour ago by GCn20

[wbbfan]

1 hour ago, Brandon said:

That's something. 

 On the surface, he kinda looks like TCF. Listed 5'11 240, looks like he's smaller than that for sure. Which isn't bad, most teams don't run 240+ lbs lbers any more. Didn't play a lot after liberty. Doesn't have eye-popping measurables (especially if you expect him to be in the low 220s.)

He got a decent look from the Colts in camp/preseason. Seems like they wanted to develop him as a teams guy. Strong, stocky thumper with excellent tackling. Looks quick enough, and has great timing/football instincts/IQ. 

His path to making it here would revolve around being a dynamo on teams as well. He's deep behind a bunch of guys, including key guys with the right passports. Love Ayers too, and want to see him developed. But his use was very stagnant last year; if it isn't a step forward for him, a young gun like Smith will be on his heels. 

 We could also try swinging Ayers at S again in camp. Doesn't make any sense roster-wise to carry a DI at Lber. Other than taking a big step forward and getting a real shot at lber, if Ayers can make the transition to S that would help out his cause a lot. I mean, we know he isn't ever going to be a frickin DE lol