Very interesting...starting 3 non-imports on the o-line with Goossen at center and Neufeld at right tackle. Morley as backup RG.

With no backup center, I wonder if the coaching staff will give Goossen an entire game to prove himself, to evaluate whether he's ready to begin the season as starting center??

Ford still not playing...I wonder if his roster spot is in serious jeopardy?

Graig Newman starting at MLB is interesting.

From today's Free Press:

CALGARY — Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea says rookie offensive lineman Matthias Goossen will get a long hard look at centre here Saturday night when the Bombers take on the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium.

But O’Shea said at a downtown hotel today that Goossen won’t be the only centre the Bombers use tomorrow -- veteran Steve Morley will be the other -- and a depth chart the club sent out earlier in the day was in error when it listed Goossen as the only centre for Saturday’s final pre-season game for the Bombers.

“He shouldn’t be the only one listed on the depth chart at centre. Morley will play centre too,” said O’Shea.

“Goossen is going to get a fair shot. They’re not going to be equal repetitions, but they are going to be fair repetitions that are going allow us to evaluate them... The answer is not cut and dried. It will depend on the flow of the game and (starting QB) Drew Willy and how long he stays in the game.”

Prior to last month’s CFL draft, Bombers GM Kyle Walters was adamant that whoever the Bombers took with the second overall pick would be expected to start immediately for the Bombers this season. But so far it’s been Morley who has been getting most of the first teams reps at centre, with the coaching staff bringing Goossen -- the man the Bombers took with the second pick -- along more slowly.

 

Same amount of practice as Jarvis Jones had, and he instantly looked like a monster...

 

I think its great that Knapp is the flavour of the month now... reminds me of when Andre Douglas was the next big thing.

Bottom line is that Knapp has been better than Jones this year so far. Last year is pretty irrelevant at this point.

 

 

Except he hasn't...  everyone just went nuts when Knapp ran as fast as Drew Willy.

 

For me, I still don't see the benefit of an 'international' RG... especially if a 3 import OL means sitting Anderson and Kuale on certain plays.  The only competition I see is Neufeld v. Jones... and if Neufeld can steal that spot then there is really almost no reason to have a 3 import line.

@WiebeSunSports: Depth chart #Bombers sent out this am was incorrect. Steve Morley will start at C vs #Stamps but Goosen will get time to showcase his skills

Updated chart: http://cfl.uploads.mrx.ca/wpg/pdf/depth/2014/Depth_AT_Calgary065030.pdf.

 

 

Same amount of practice as Jarvis Jones had, and he instantly looked like a monster...

 

I think its great that Knapp is the flavour of the month now... reminds me of when Andre Douglas was the next big thing.

Bottom line is that Knapp has been better than Jones this year so far. Last year is pretty irrelevant at this point.

 

 

Except he hasn't...  everyone just went nuts when Knapp ran as fast as Drew Willy.

 

For me, I still don't see the benefit of an 'international' RG... especially if a 3 import OL means sitting Anderson and Kuale on certain plays.  The only competition I see is Neufeld v. Jones... and if Neufeld can steal that spot then there is really almost no reason to have a 3 import line.

 

He said - He said

Time, and a larger sample size will tell us more.

 

 

 

Honestly if we do find ourselves pressed for Canadian starters at least with this you could sub in Morley. He's not good, but still...at least it's an option. I really want to see Knapp pull on runs though. He's built like a tight end.

He actually was a tight end in college then converted to guard on the line.

 

 

I'm pretty sure he converted to tackle, not guard.

Tackle is where I'd like to see him too.

 

 

Knapp did not show well at RT last year...

 

Was that when he was put on the oline just 4 days after arriving?...give the guy a break!

 

 

Same amount of practice as Jarvis Jones had, and he instantly looked like a monster...

 

I think its great that Knapp is the flavour of the month now... reminds me of when Andre Douglas was the next big thing.

Bottom line is that Knapp has been better than Jones this year so far. Last year is pretty irrelevant at this point.

 

 

Except he hasn't...  everyone just went nuts when Knapp ran as fast as Drew Willy.

 

For me, I still don't see the benefit of an 'international' RG... especially if a 3 import OL means sitting Anderson and Kuale on certain plays.  The only competition I see is Neufeld v. Jones... and if Neufeld can steal that spot then there is really almost no reason to have a 3 import line.

 

 

Sure there's a reason, we don't have a solid non-import guard other than Greaves.  There's the reason.  Having a strong interior would be a big change for the Bombers, something we haven't had since Labatte left and Morley's decline.  If Neufeld can beat the rush ends to the edge enough to keep them out of the pocket not necessarily be a beast but just help form a pocket, and he looked better than Jones on Monday, than we still go 3 by 2 on the OL, just deployed a little differently.

Im so not a fan of where we're playing our guys on defence, but the biggest piss off for me is that Anderson is playing behind Turner. Dude should be starting beside him. Find a way to make it work.

Brett Carter playing 2 positions.

 

He's making even Bryant Turner jealous...

 

Brett Carter playing 2 positions.

 

He's making even Bryant Turner jealous...

 

 

I'm pretty sure one of them is "Future Brett Carter" 28 year old phenom that's travelled back in time to save our NI depth.

The only good thing about this preseason is that we play probably the two best olines in the league which is a real good measuring stick for the middle of our defence. No need to press the panic button yet but I'd keep it close by, especially if the Stamps push us around tonight as easily as the Argos did. Etch's defence is only going to work if they can find the right mix of players for it.