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

[GCn20]

1 hour ago, Tracker said:

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.

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.

I agree totally that he was an obstacle as a player. That, however, has absolutely nothing to do with my post. Some people, without seeing any results whatsoever are pegging him as a bust as a coach. That assessment can only be created by a massive bias against him.

[wbbfan]

20 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

I agree totally that he was an obstacle as a player. That, however, has absolutely nothing to do with my post. Some people, without seeing any results whatsoever are pegging him as a bust as a coach. That assessment can only be created by a massive bias against him.

I agree. I'd add that he has completely earned the stigma and bias against him. But I think the floor is very high for a replacement, given how we have struggled to coach and develop talent on the DL. The verdict is out on Jake as a coach, but I am not really worrying about him. 

[GCn20]

25 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

I agree. I'd add that he has completely earned the stigma and bias against him. But I think the floor is very high for a replacement, given how we have struggled to coach and develop talent on the DL. The verdict is out on Jake as a coach, but I am not really worrying about him. 

How did he earn the stigma and bias against him? What specifically did he do? I get that his usage was awful, but how is that on him? Imo, he is being unfairly criticized for playing a role that his coaches asked of him. He signed a contract and went on the field when he was told to do so. We can hate the role he played but now it is carrying over into dislike for him personally and that isn't fair for us to do.

Edited yesterday at 07:30 PM by GCn20

[Noeller]

3 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

How did he earn the stigma and bias against him? What specifically did he do? I get that his usage was awful, but how is that on him? Imo, he is being unfairly criticized for playing a role that his coaches asked of him. He signed a contract and went on the field when he was told to do so. We can hate the role he played but now it is carrying over into dislike for him personally and that isn't fair for us to do.

Also the whole "he's a giant fat mess" thing somehow got stuck in him. Have you ever seen him in person? He really isn't. He's just built like a whiskey barrel...

[GCn20]

1 minute ago, Noeller said:

Also the whole "he's a giant fat mess" thing somehow got stuck in him. Have you ever seen him in person? He really isn't. He's just built like a whiskey barrel...

He's never been the model of lean and mean, but not many DTs are. The guy played with heart, and worked hard as a player. Not sure why there is so much vitriol when his name is mentioned....or at least why it's being directed towards him.

[kelownabomberfan]

Last checked in to this thread in early December, saw that the number one topic was Jake Thomas.  Now I come back end of January....looks like I didn't miss anything...lol...

[SpeedFlex27]

7 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. 

Oh, lighten up. There's no hate there. A joke for sure, but no hate. Thomas has been handed his starting job at DT & now a coaching position by Osh. The feeling is he is entitled as he never quite earned it with his play. Especially the past 3 or 4 years. Hence the bad one liners. The fans aren't stupid. They're a lot smarter then the coaches & managers think they are. They can see what is going on.

With that damned coaches cap, the Bombers can bring in Thomas with no coaching experience & not pay him what an experienced DL coach might make. CFL teams can only have up to 11 assisitants. Which means prior to the cap, Thomas could have been a defensive assistant under an experienced pro coach as we'd have had the flexibility to hire another coach. Now, he has to take it on all by himself for the Bombers to adhere to that cap with just 11 assistants. Seems we hire 10 to save more money, anyway.

[wbbfan]

2 hours ago, GCn20 said:

How did he earn the stigma and bias against him? What specifically did he do? I get that his usage was awful, but how is that on him? Imo, he is being unfairly criticized for playing a role that his coaches asked of him. He signed a contract and went on the field when he was told to do so. We can hate the role he played but now it is carrying over into dislike for him personally and that isn't fair for us to do.

His inability to even get into the OLs pads before the ball was thrown on passing downs. Being one of the very worst DTs in the league against the run and the pass for a couple of years. He couldn't get off blocks, even against centres, didn't demand a double team, and couldn't block a rush lane or pass rush. Usage made him worse, and made it more obvious. But the drop off in his play was one of the steepest I've ever seen. 

2021, Jake was overplayed and used suboptimally for a good chunk of the year. But that was one of the best defences of the era, and when Stove got healthy, he was unblockable in the pass rush and a true 2 gap nose, allowing Jake to go back to a more ideal 3tech. 

2022 Jake was burning out in games earlier and earlier while slogging through more and more reps. He would have a handful of good plays a season, and largely relied on cleaning up after others blew up plays or the O screwed up big time. 

2023 Jake was permanently blown up and unable to impose any kind of disruption to the pass or run game at all. 

He benefited from others' disruption in 22/23, which was the latest his instincts and football iq could carry his body. 

 I mean, that is still 5 very good years at one of the rarer positions for a Canadian to perform at in that time. For a guy who started with mediocre at best athleticism, and who was run into the ground, that is pretty good. 

But it doesn't take much to earn the waste-of-space stigma. Especially at one of the most valuable positions on the football field. 

44 minutes ago, kelownabomberfan said:

Last checked in to this thread in early December, saw that the number one topic was Jake Thomas.  Now I come back end of January....looks like I didn't miss anything...lol...

come back in one year and it will repeat lol

[SpeedFlex27]

5 hours ago, wbbfan said:

I agree. I'd add that he has completely earned the stigma and bias against him. But I think the floor is very high for a replacement, given how we have struggled to coach and develop talent on the DL. The verdict is out on Jake as a coach, but I am not really worrying about him. 

For me, it's nothing personal against Jake The Person. I know that he's is a nice guy. I'd probably like him if I ever met him.

Unfortunately, it has everything to do with Jake The Player & now Jake The Coach. Thomas was given the starting DT position for years much to the detriment of the team. Starting Thomas blocked development for younger guys who needed to play.. When he did play, it usually was sub standard & not up to the level we needed. 

Now he's been given the DL coaching position by the same head coach who has been gifting him everything for years. Hard not to see the entitlement. That's on Osh for creating that stigma. 

 

Edited 19 hours ago by SpeedFlex27

[GCn20]

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

For me, it's nothing personal against Jake The Person. I know that he's is a nice guy. I'd probably like him if I ever met him.

Unfortunately, it has everything to do with Jake The Player & now Jake The Coach. Thomas was given the starting DT position for years much to the detriment of the team. Starting Thomas blocked development for younger guys who needed to play.. When he did play, it usually was sub standard & not up to the level we needed. 

Now he's been given the DL coaching position by the same head coach who has been gifting him everything for years. Hard not to see the entitlement. That's on Osh for creating that stigma. 

 

There should be no stigma. Direct your disdain for his usage where it belongs. He may very well be an excellent DL coach but many here are writing him off simply because of his name and that is over the top.

[17to85]

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Now he's been given the DL coaching position by the same head coach who has been gifting him everything for years. Hard not to see the entitlement. That's on Osh for creating that stigma

Why not give him a chance coaching before we judge him? 

I mean yeah as a player he needed to be gone earlier than he was... but pluggers becoming coaches is a tale as old as time.

Edited 17 hours ago by 17to85

[wbbfan]

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

For me, it's nothing personal against Jake The Person. I know that he's is a nice guy. I'd probably like him if I ever met him.

Unfortunately, it has everything to do with Jake The Player & now Jake The Coach. Thomas was given the starting DT position for years much to the detriment of the team. Starting Thomas blocked development for younger guys who needed to play.. When he did play, it usually was sub standard & not up to the level we needed. 

Now he's been given the DL coaching position by the same head coach who has been gifting him everything for years. Hard not to see the entitlement. That's on Osh for creating that stigma. 

 

yeah, i mean i love what jake brought here for 5 years. Im hoping for the best for him as a coach. 

[SpeedFlex27]

2 hours ago, GCn20 said:

There should be no stigma. Direct your disdain for his usage where it belongs. He may very well be an excellent DL coach but many here are writing him off simply because of his name and that is over the top.

He may very well be a shitty coach too. There's always a flip side. He never earned that position. He was given it. 

2 hours ago, 17to85 said:

Why not give him a chance coaching before we judge him? 

I mean yeah as a player he needed to be gone earlier than he was... but pluggers becoming coaches is a tale as old as time.

I guess I'm tired of the entitlement this team has for Osh favourites. I'd have preferred Thomas go coach junior or CIS & gain experience. Maybe move up to DC & then come back to the CFL in 5-7 years

[Mike]

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

He may very well be a shitty coach too. There's always a flip side. He never earned that position. He was given it. 

I guess I'm tired of the entitlement this team has for Osh favourites. I'd have preferred Thomas go coach junior or CIS & gain experience. Maybe move up to DC & then come back to the CFL in 5-7 years

Who said he never earned the coaching job? The man who has watched him work his job every day for nearly a decade? Or the grumpy senior citizen who watches him on TV but has a mean streak and a keyboard?

[johnzo]

didn't everyone get the memo?  Kyrie Wilson is the forum whipping boy now.

[SpeedFlex27]

4 hours ago, Mike said:

Who said he never earned the coaching job? The man who has watched him work his job every day for nearly a decade? Or the grumpy senior citizen who watches him on TV but has a mean streak and a keyboard?

Grumpy? Okay, Mike. Whatever you say. I'm not going to be drawn into it with you. I won't give you the satisfaction. You want to fight? Go join a boxing club. 

Edited 10 hours ago by SpeedFlex27

[Mark H.]

5 hours ago, johnzo said:

didn't everyone get the memo?  Kyrie Wilson is the forum whipping boy now.

Rheda Kramdi is out of the dog house?

[rebusrankin]

5 hours ago, johnzo said:

didn't everyone get the memo?  Kyrie Wilson is the forum whipping boy now.

I thought it was Sam Hurl?

[17to85]

46 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

Rheda Kramdi is out of the dog house?

Always 2 there are, a master and and apprentice

[GCn20]

19 hours ago, wbbfan said:

His inability to even get into the OLs pads before the ball was thrown on passing downs. Being one of the very worst DTs in the league against the run and the pass for a couple of years. He couldn't get off blocks, even against centres, didn't demand a double team, and couldn't block a rush lane or pass rush. Usage made him worse, and made it more obvious. But the drop off in his play was one of the steepest I've ever seen. 

2021, Jake was overplayed and used suboptimally for a good chunk of the year. But that was one of the best defences of the era, and when Stove got healthy, he was unblockable in the pass rush and a true 2 gap nose, allowing Jake to go back to a more ideal 3tech. 

2022 Jake was burning out in games earlier and earlier while slogging through more and more reps. He would have a handful of good plays a season, and largely relied on cleaning up after others blew up plays or the O screwed up big time. 

2023 Jake was permanently blown up and unable to impose any kind of disruption to the pass or run game at all. 

He benefited from others' disruption in 22/23, which was the latest his instincts and football iq could carry his body. 

 I mean, that is still 5 very good years at one of the rarer positions for a Canadian to perform at in that time. For a guy who started with mediocre at best athleticism, and who was run into the ground, that is pretty good. 

But it doesn't take much to earn the waste-of-space stigma. Especially at one of the most valuable positions on the football field. 

come back in one year and it will repeat lol

The waste of space stigma while he was a player was totally earned, though not entirely his fault. However, it seems to have carried on into people's objections to him coaching and that is what I was talking about. Some are writing him off as a coach and the guy hasn't coached a game yet. They are translating his last few years as a player as if it directly correlates to how good of a coach he might be. I believe that is unfair.

12 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

He may very well be a shitty coach too. There's always a flip side. He never earned that position. He was given it. 

I guess I'm tired of the entitlement this team has for Osh favourites. I'd have preferred Thomas go coach junior or CIS & gain experience. Maybe move up to DC & then come back to the CFL in 5-7 years

Why would you not want your HC to pick a guy he believes will do well and that he can work with? HC's always pick their favorites amongst guys they are familiar with, to become their coordinators and position coaches. That's not entitlement.

[wbbfan]

9 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

The waste of space stigma while he was a player was totally earned, though not entirely his fault. However, it seems to have carried on into people's objections to him coaching and that is what I was talking about. Some are writing him off as a coach and the guy hasn't coached a game yet. They are translating his last few years as a player as if it directly correlates to how good of a coach he might be. I believe that is unfair.

Why would you not want your HC to pick a guy he believes will do well and that he can work with? HC's always pick their favorites amongst guys they are familiar with, to become their coordinators and position coaches. That's not entitlement.

I mostly agree. usage kicked off his down fall, and that stigma shouldn’t follow him as a coach, but it will for a bit, I don’t think it’ll be long. 

[Noeller]

It was only ever about usage... He was a perfectly serviceable player, but being asked to do way too much in recent years. 

[Stickem]

Everyone should be given the chance to prove him/her self in any given field...I don't care about 'stigma's or labels attached to individuals...The most important thing to me is 'will/can they be able to actually perform well at the position...The proof will be all out there for Jake when the season commences....jury is out on him...like it is for every individual....Good luck to him in his new job with the team...I along with most Bomber fans will be watching intently....

[Mark H.]

30 minutes ago, Noeller said:

It was only ever about usage... He was a perfectly serviceable player, but being asked to do way too much in recent years. 

Thinking back to the DL when they had Westerman, a younger Jeffcoat, Corney, Nevis, JT rotating, etc. That was a solid group 

[JohnnyAbonny]

14 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

Thinking back to the DL when they had Westerman, a younger Jeffcoat, Corney, Nevis, JT rotating, etc. That was a solid group 

Westerman was huge for us. He doesn’t get enough credit for his role in turning the club around.