25/26 CFL (Non Bombers) Off Season Thread

[bearpants]

4 hours ago, Brandon said:

 

what a weird statement by Dunk... I'm pretty sure 7 other teams have also wanted McManis playing for them for years...

2 hours ago, GCn20 said:

Ceresna is 10x the DE that Vaughters is. I can't believe Migs is even trying to compare Vaughters to Carney or Ceresna, they are on a completely different level compared to Vaughters. Vaughters might be the worst starting DE in the CFL.

Ceresna is a better DE... and he's not even a DE, lol... I have no hate for Vaughters, he was OK last year... he would probably benefit from playing across from a star... and I'm not sure he'll have that in his new home

6 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Do you remember just how bad & undisciplined the Riders were under Craig Dickenson? He stood up for Garrett Marino who was a thug on the field & run out of the league. Duke Williams spit on an Argo & while injured off the Rider roster that same season took a swing at a Blue Bomber who ran out of bounds at the Rider bench right beside Dickenson. I don't recall much of a controversy at Mace's media conference when he was hired as Rider HC. Or if he even said that.

Players should have to make the team on merit. Not entitlement. We've seen that going on here for 12 years. We lost our fair share of players over the past 3 off seasons leading up to this one. The flip side is if you keep playing OTH veterans like Thomas & Kolankowski it creates a log jam & younger players who deserve it can't get on the field. They end up leaving at the end of their contract anyway. The older players keep signing because they want to keep playing & know that anywhere else they'd be cut. So, they re-sign these loyalty "cap friendly" deals.

I don't get your criticism of Mace. He's just doing his job. 

remember not that long ago you were saying Mace should be fired for taking responsibility for a loss??

[SpeedFlex27]

1 minute ago, bearpants said:

 

remember not that long ago you were saying Mace should be fired for taking responsibility for a loss??

Uhh, no. Sorry. I post a lot here. So, unless you can give me better context than that I have no idea what you're talking about. 

5 minutes ago, bearpants said:

what a weird statement by Dunk... I'm pretty sure 7 other teams have also wanted McManis playing for them for years...

 

To me, Dunk is a Ti Cat fan. As a fan that's who he wants them to sign more than anthing. Remember when Dunk used to call the Ti Cats the CFL's "Super Team" & then we'd hand their asses back to them in the 2019 & 21 Grey Cups? 

[bearpants]

9 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Uhh, no. Sorry. I post a lot here. So, unless you can give me better context than that I have no idea what you're talking about. 

To me, Dunk is a Ti Cat fan. As a fan that's who he wants them to sign more than anthing. Remember when Dunk used to call the Ti Cats the CFL's "Super Team" & then we'd hand their asses back to them in the 2019 & 21 Grey Cups? 

you're right, you do post a lot and it would be almost impossible for me to find something from over a year ago... but the context was basically that he took responsibility for not having the team ready prior to a loss... you (and others) said just taking responsibility wasn't good enough and that he should resign if he really meant it... I'll admit, I can't remember if it was resign or be fired

And yes, we all took great pleasure in beating the piss out of Dunk's super team, lol... that's one thing we'll never disagree about 😄

[17to85]

1 hour ago, JGD said:

as our personal department is very good at identifying talent.

Agree to disagree. They're not different than any other group in the league. Every front office in the CFL can identify talent. 

A lot of things went right for the riders last year, odds of it happening again after losing a bunch of players? Remains to be seen. Ultimately cfl basically comes down to quarterbacking and the riders are relying on a 40 year old dude there....

[Noeller]

 

 

[3rdand1.5]

Who has Ottawa not signed....they will be making some interesting cuts around TC I'm thinking....

[Bigblue204]

1 hour ago, 17to85 said:

Agree to disagree. They're not different than any other group in the league. Every front office in the CFL can identify talent. 

Wrong! Theyre special. I mean look at their championships. 5! Thats right, you can barely count them on 1 hand. You think that happens easily? You think 5 championships just appear out of nowhere?

When we all look at the Riders in 20 years, we will all say wow....5 championships. Thats something else!!

Edited 16 hours ago by Bigblue204

[Booch]

2 hours ago, JGD said:

No I am not overly concerned about our losses yesterday as our personal department is very good at identifying talent.  Heck we have already gotten rid of 2 of our biggest weaknesses last year, Lauther and Alford.  This time last year nobody knew who Tom Nield, Joe Robistelli, and Baldonado were.  Heck many were laughing when we re-signed Carney last offseason.  

Neild had success in t.o before..hardly unknown

Carney was a solid signing and wanted us to sign him...so maybe u toothless crew werre laughing...I dunno

And your yrs of success under JOD says otherwise about talent finding

2 hours ago, JGD said:

All receiving are inconsistent when they are very young.   Ajou got an NFL contract for a reason and DDB has all the potential in the world.   Wiebe will be interesting as well, hope he's not too small.

Ajou got a look on ..how he looked...like KSB and lenious 

Ajou is far from great

[Booch]

2 hours ago, 17to85 said:

Agree to disagree. They're not different than any other group in the league. Every front office in the CFL can identify talent. 

A lot of things went right for the riders last year, odds of it happening again after losing a bunch of players? Remains to be seen. Ultimately cfl basically comes down to quarterbacking and the riders are relying on a 40 year old dude there....

Yeah I said in playoffs last yr this was their shot and if they didnt get er done...it was a one and done opportunity and not sustainable with that roster..and they wouldn't keep it all together as nobody will give a discount to stay there...kudos to them for getting it done but they had a lot go right..and usually a team needs that too...other than our 2019 dominance performance 

 

1 hour ago, Noeller said:

 

 

One of the dirtier pricks in the league

[Tracker]

20 hours ago, GCn20 said:

That had a lot to do with our HC. Yes he became loyal to a fault, but it did help us retain our guys that mattered. I am sure you will disagree but look at Mace, cutthroat and it costed him.

When players are treated like they are a commodity and nothing more, they return the favor.

There are a few times that MOS took his lumps for being overly loyal and he needs to dial that back for sure, but guys still stick with him. Mace shouldn't have thrown players under the bus like he did at times. We criticize our coach for not speaking to the media about players, but the players appreciate that.

I suspect the real reason that some guys liked that they could under-perform and still have jobs. There will always be those who prefer that security over winning, or at least being in the hunt every game.

[BigBlueFanatic]

41 minutes ago, Booch said:

Yeah I said in playoffs last yr this was their shot and if they didnt get er done...it was a one and done opportunity and not sustainable with that roster..and they wouldn't keep it all together as nobody will give a discount to stay there...kudos to them for getting it done but they had a lot go right..and usually a team needs that too...other than our 2019 dominance performance 

 

One of the dirtier pricks in the league

Pretty sure in the ‘19 cup it was Dylan Wynn who twisted Streveler’s ankle late and set him off.  Strevy got an unsportsmanlike penalty then Andrew Harris promptly rumbled 16-17 yards on 2nd and long… and the Bombers marched on for a score.

[Noeller]

5 minutes ago, BigBlueFanatic said:

Pretty sure in the ‘19 cup it was Dylan Wynn who twisted Streveler’s ankle late and set him off.  Strevy got an unsportsmanlike penalty then Andrew Harris promptly rumbled 16-17 yards on 2nd and long… and the Bombers marched on for a score.

That's him... The only thing he's ever really been good at is being an ******* at the bottom of the pile.

[SpeedFlex27]

7 hours ago, bearpants said:

you're right, you do post a lot and it would be almost impossible for me to find something from over a year ago... but the context was basically that he took responsibility for not having the team ready prior to a loss... you (and others) said just taking responsibility wasn't good enough and that he should resign if he really meant it... I'll admit, I can't remember if it was resign or be fired

And yes, we all took great pleasure in beating the piss out of Dunk's super team, lol... that's one thing we'll never disagree about 😄

I don't disagree with you. I probably said it in the heat of the moment. All I can say is that he had to change the culture that Dickenson created & getting rid of a lot of deadwood that team had. It was terribly coached & was a totally undisciplined team. I think they led the CFL in penalties under Dickenson. That lack of discipline cost them games.

I hate the Riders with all that I have as a fan. Seeing them lose is always a pleasure. I just think Mace had to do what he had to do when he arrived. His head coaching talents are much, much better than I thought they would be. He exceeded any expectations I had of him. Especially when you consider what kind of joke the Riders were when he got there. As a new Head Coach, he figured things out fast & got it.

Edited 9 hours ago by SpeedFlex27

[Booch]

10 hours ago, BigBlueFanatic said:

Pretty sure in the ‘19 cup it was Dylan Wynn who twisted Streveler’s ankle late and set him off.  Strevy got an unsportsmanlike penalty then Andrew Harris promptly rumbled 16-17 yards on 2nd and long… and the Bombers marched on for a score.

Yes..he did

[GCn20]

12 hours ago, Tracker said:

I suspect the real reason that some guys liked that they could under-perform and still have jobs. There will always be those who prefer that security over winning, or at least being in the hunt every game.

Weird take given our record over the past several years. Do you really believe that we have a bunch of players in our locker room that didn't like winning? I don't. That's a massive reach you guys and S27 are trying to make now. We weren't some last place team hanging onto aging vets who didn't care about winning. That is complete rubbish created by fans taking it over the top, 

Edited 1 hour ago by GCn20

[GCn20]

15 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Do you remember just how bad & undisciplined the Riders were under Craig Dickenson? He stood up for Garrett Marino who was a thug on the field & run out of the league. Duke Williams spit on an Argo & while injured off the Rider roster that same season took a swing at a Blue Bomber who ran out of bounds at the Rider bench right beside Dickenson. I don't recall much of a controversy at Mace's media conference when he was hired as Rider HC. Or if he even said that.

Players should have to make the team on merit. Not entitlement. We've seen that going on here for 12 years. We lost our fair share of players over the past 3 off seasons leading up to this one. The flip side is if you keep playing OTH veterans like Thomas & Kolankowski it creates a log jam & younger players who deserve it can't get on the field. They end up leaving at the end of their contract anyway. The older players keep signing because they want to keep playing & know that anywhere else they'd be cut. So, they re-sign these loyalty "cap friendly" deals.

I don't get your criticism of Mace. He's just doing his job. 

As I stated earlier, MOS took it too far the other way, but a coach showing loyalty to his players is exactly the right move for player retention in the long run. Throwing players under the bus leads to exodus in the offseason. That is what is happening in Saskatchewan right now. If you are seriously suggesting that the core of our talent stayed here on cap friendly deals in the peak of their careers to avoid being cut elsewhere you have truly gone off the deep end. We received many favorable contracts from players who turned down bigger offers elsewhere. I am not seeing that kind of loyalty to the Riders with the exception of Trevor Harris, to whom your point may apply. Just as you don't get my criticism of Mace, I really don't understand your praise of him? 

 

[SpeedFlex27]

43 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

As I stated earlier, MOS took it too far the other way, but a coach showing loyalty to his players is exactly the right move for player retention in the long run. Throwing players under the bus leads to exodus in the offseason. That is what is happening in Saskatchewan right now. If you are seriously suggesting that the core of our talent stayed here on cap friendly deals in the peak of their careers to avoid being cut elsewhere you have truly gone off the deep end. We received many favorable contracts from players who turned down bigger offers elsewhere. I am not seeing that kind of loyalty to the Riders with the exception of Trevor Harris, to whom your point may apply. Just as you don't get my criticism of Mace, I really don't understand your praise of him? 

 

Tell me what players Mace threw under the bus? I'd really like to know...

Looks like most of their free agents signed extensions because they wanted to stay & not leave as you are trying to suggest. Yes, some players left just like any other team. It happens every year especially on a defending Grey Cup championship team because everyone wants to be paid & it's impossible. Mace lost some very good players to be sure but he also kept a lot of great ones, too.

Why am I defending Mace? I defend him because he's a very good coach. To say otherwise would be stupid. I don't have to automatically hate him just because I hate the Riders. I still respect him & what he's accomplished.

Mace has never been in over his head as a Head Coach like Craig Dickenson was. From Day 1, he had a vision of what he wants & he coaches that way. Treats his players like men as he should & they respond positively. He makes them accountable for their actions everyday. Mace doesn't play favourites or gives any free rides, He's also a Grey Cup Champion Head Coach. Which makes it all the more sweeter to beat him when we play the Riders. 

Rider Signings for 2026:

Thomas Bertrand-Hudon extended

Jacob Brammer extended

Tevaughan Campbell extended

Jack Coan extended

Jayden Dalke extended 

Samuel Emilus extended

Kerfalla Emanuelle Exume extended

DaMarcus Fields extended 

Jaxon Ford extended

Jamarcus Hardrick extended

Trevor Harris extended

Kee Sean Johnson extended

Lake Korte-Moore extended

Nelson Lokombo extended

Aubrey Miller Jr extended 

AJ Ouelette extended

Mike Rose extended

Caleb Sanders extended

Kian Schaffer-Baker extended

Tommy Stevens extended

Edited 1 hour ago by SpeedFlex27

[GCn20]

1 minute ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Tell me what players Mace threw under the bus? 

Can't remember exactly, I'll see if I can find specifics. It was a DB I know that.

[SpeedFlex27]

33 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Can't remember exactly, I'll see if I can find specifics. It was a DB I know that.

So, ONE guy???

[SpeedFlex27]

16 hours ago, 17to85 said:

Agree to disagree. They're not different than any other group in the league. Every front office in the CFL can identify talent. 

A lot of things went right for the riders last year, odds of it happening again after losing a bunch of players? Remains to be seen. Ultimately cfl basically comes down to quarterbacking and the riders are relying on a 40 year old dude there....

With no experienced backup qb. I mean, Tommy Stevens went on a rant on X a few weeks ago when Farhan Lalji called into question his ability to actually play qb other than short yardage. Stevens got all bent out of shape & went after Lalji calling him out. I guess we now know Stevens will never agree on doing a TSN interview with Farhan. Now Stevens may have to back up those angry words if Harris ever goes down. He'll be Da Man!!

Edited 1 hour ago by SpeedFlex27

[Brandon]

13 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

With no experienced backup qb. I mean, Tommy Stevens went on a rant on X a few weeks ago when Farhan Lalji called into question his ability to actually play qb other than short yardage. Stevens got all bent out of shape & went after Lalji calling him out. I guess we now know Stevens will never agree on doing a TSN interview with Farhan. Now Stevens may have to back up those angry words if Harris ever goes down. He'll be Da Man!!

 

Farhan isn't wrong....  in 4 seasons Tommy has thrown 12/21 passes for 83 yards.    He's carried the ball 210 times.  

[SpeedFlex27]

1 minute ago, Brandon said:

 

Farhan isn't wrong....  in 4 seasons Tommy has thrown 12/21 passes for 83 yards.    He's carried the ball 210 times.  

You should post what Stevens said, 

 

[GCn20]

45 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

So, ONE guy???

One guy I remember. However, he did rotate a ton of starters in and out of the lineup and that was also a lot of the problem players had with him. Then mentioned to the media that they were out because he wanted to send a message. Like I said earlier, that's a good thing for a coach to do. What's not good is going outside your dressing room to the media to explain it.

[wbbfan]

23 minutes ago, Brandon said:

 

Farhan isn't wrong....  in 4 seasons Tommy has thrown 12/21 passes for 83 yards.    He's carried the ball 210 times.  

One of those rare times I agree with Farhan. Dedicated QB sneak guy is dumb. Now, having a dynamic running threat that can run a package and a simplified playbook does make a lot of sense. And that type of guy is automatically going to be solid at keepers if he stays low.

 We saw it in the 19-playoff run with Strev. Going, hurry up from the heavy set after a 1st down conversion was deadly. 

 The thing about run first qbs is 1, they need to be quick rather than fast, 2, they need to be just physical enough to push the tackle spot forward rather than fall back (but not a brute), and 3, they need to be quick to move on from them. It's a sad reality, but the shelf life of run-first or even dual threat qbs is very, very short. And the supply is extremely high. Strev made it work as a brute who was more top-end fast than twitchy quick, but it ended the way it did in part because of how he ran. 

 

Especially in this era where the elite QBs are virtually gone, the league will need to diversify and evolve. And the easiest way to do that is to spread the field, then have a dynamic running QB play 2-man games with coverage and run for first downs. 

Edited 22 minutes ago by wbbfan