I don't think it will be the Bombers' year yet. They are improving, but it's going to be tough to compete with the rest of the west. I'm predicting a 6-12 record for Winnipeg this year, an improvement from last year.

 

Calgary

Saskatchewan

BC

Edmonton

Winnipeg

So the Riders are going to improve from last year, or the Stamps are going to fall back, despite Saskatchewan losing a bunch of key players, and BC is going to be worse with the quarterbacking of the guy who was the primary QB for the 14 win Stampeders last season versus rolling with bum shouldered Lulay and Demarco as they did in 2013?

 

Got it.

Stampeders: 14-4

Lions: 10-8

Roughriders: 9-9

Eskimos: 7-11

Blue Bombers: 6-12

 

Stamps seem to consistently do well with their depth when major injury occurs.

 

If Sears and Watson go down for extended periods of time this year, I don't know, won't be good. Watson and Sears couldn't even make it through training camp. 

 

I think our record would be marginally better if we were still in the East.

I have a feeling Edmonton may be better than people think this year

Cal 13-5

BC 11-7

Sask 9-9

Wpg 7-11

Edm 6-12

 

Tor 12-6

Ham 10-8

Mont 8-10

Ott 5-13

Predictions with records:

 

West:

 

1. Calgary: 13-5

2. Saskatchewan: 11-7

3. BC: 10-8

4: Edmonton: 7-11

5. Winnipeg: 6-12

 

East:

 

 

1. Hamilton: 11-7

2. Toronto: 10-8

3. Montreal: 8-10

4. Ottawa: 5-13

I have a feeling Edmonton may be better than people think this year

You may be right, but I wouldn't be basing it on that stinker of a pre-season game they just played. Out right putrid.

 

I have a feeling Edmonton may be better than people think this year

You may be right, but I wouldn't be basing it on that stinker of a pre-season game they just played. Out right putrid.

 

 

Yeah, it was, but too bad they didn't have a RB who ran for over 150 yds., they may have cut him too.

Parting with the rec Dell was odd.

Maybe Willis got confused with a Dell on O.

Calgary 13-5  -- class of the league, depth at every position, will be fine with either Tate or BLM starting.

BC 11-7 -- Kevin Glenn will keep them rolling in cozy pass-friendly B.C. Place.

Sask 10-8 -- lost some pieces but I think we saw Durant level up last year and when he's at his best I don't think he has an equal in the league.

Edmonton 7-11 -- a year ahead of Winnipeg, but still a pretty bad team.

Winnipeg 5-13 -- national part of the roster is super thin and there's no quick fix. Bombers feel years away from being competitive.

 

Hamilton 11-7 -- terrific group of nationals with Laurent and Butler signing on; Austin will bring Collaros along well.

Toronto 11-7 -- I dunno, it seems right to put the Argos and the TiCats at equal footing.

Montreal 8-10 -- transition year, chaos at OC will set them back but I think that Tom Higgins will get them gelled by the end of the season.  He's turned around teams before.

Ottawa 4-14 -- who is Hank gonna throw the ball to?  This is the weakest collection of receivers I can remember in the CFL.

yBC

xSASKATCHEWAN

xCALGARY

zWINNIPEG

EDMONTON

 

yTORONTO

xHAMILTON

MONTREAL

OTTAWA

 

z denotes a CROSSOVER!!!

Calgary 13-5  -- class of the league, depth at every position, will be fine with either Tate or BLM starting.

BC 11-7 -- Kevin Glenn will keep them rolling in cozy pass-friendly B.C. Place.

Sask 10-8 -- lost some pieces but I think we saw Durant level up last year and when he's at his best I don't think he has an equal in the league.

Edmonton 7-11 -- a year ahead of Winnipeg, but still a pretty bad team.

Winnipeg 5-13 -- national part of the roster is super thin and there's no quick fix. Bombers feel years away from being competitive.

 

Hamilton 11-7 -- terrific group of nationals with Laurent and Butler signing on; Austin will bring Collaros along well.

Toronto 11-7 -- I dunno, it seems right to put the Argos and the TiCats at equal footing.

Montreal 8-10 -- transition year, chaos at OC will set them back but I think that Tom Higgins will get them gelled by the end of the season.  He's turned around teams before.

Ottawa 4-14 -- who is Hank gonna throw the ball to?  This is the weakest collection of receivers I can remember in the CFL.

 

this adds up to a total record of 80-82... shouldn't it be 81-81? We'll bump up the bombers to 6-12 to even it out

WEST:

Calgary 13-5

Sask 11-7

BC 9-9

Winnipeg 8-10

Edmonton 5-13

 

EAST:

Hamilton 13-5

Toronto 11-7

Montreal 7-11

Ottawa 4-14

 

The West will be way more of a dogfight than the East.  BC's ratio could be troublesome, and they could be forced into trading Westerman or an NI receiver before long to grab a game-ready CDN OL.  Also, I'm not sure I'm sold on Benevides being a top 6 HC in the CFL.  Might be another good co-ordinator who needs extraordinary players.

 

Winnipeg under O'Shea will be a hard team to play against.  It won't translate into a winning season due to lack of talent.  But we'll be scrappy, play a bunch of close games, and steal one or two that we shouldn't have.  Crossover playoff team.

 

Edmonton's in last mainly because I'm a Winnipeg fan, and I want to see us do well.  Another poster made a good point that they started their rebuild with a capable QB last year.  I think their OL is still a huge question mark, and Reilly will be limited by it if it remains ineffective.  Edmonton's a squad of non-game breakers... I don't see a big year out of the green & gold. 

When Edmonton takes our OL scraps (Sorensen) to upgrade their OL, that's a sign we could be better than them.

this adds up to a total record of 80-82... shouldn't it be 81-81? We'll bump up the bombers to 6-12 to even it out

 

yup, I horked it up.  I blame not being able to do simple arithmetic in my head while posting on my phone on the bus.

 

The extra win will not go to the BB. I feel pretty good about the 5-13 prediction, alas.

I think we see much more parity this year... I think Hamilton and Saskatchewan take a few more losses.

Winnipeg will be slightly better then Ottawa.

I think Toronto easily wins the East unless Ray gets hurt. That offense will be rolling and with Burke they'll be good.

Colts released Justin Hickman and rumours are he may be on his way back to Hamilton, If that is the case, Hamilton should finish first in the east by a long shot, heck even without hickman, that ticat team is stacked.

 

East:

 

Ticats

Argos

 

 

 

 

 

Als

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Redblacks

Predictions with records:

 

West:

 

1. Calgary: 13-5

2. Saskatchewan: 11-7

3. BC: 10-8

4: Edmonton: 7-11

5. Winnipeg: 6-12

 

East:

 

 

1. Hamilton: 11-7

2. Toronto: 10-8

3. Montreal: 8-10

4. Ottawa: 5-13

 

Updated predictions.

Honestly I'm not loving any of the teams in the West aside from Calgary and even they have a question mark at QB. Can Tate stay healthy and how will BLM do as an 18 game starter? Has BC improved ANYWHERE at all? How will Sask deal with losing a few of their top players? Can the Bombers & Esks close the gap despite having horrid NI's?

 

Honestly this is serious guess work at this point, because in my mind Calgary, BC, Sask and Montreal are all worse teams than last year while Hamilton, Winnipeg & Edmonton should be improved with Toronto staying stagnant.

 

Calgary 12-6

BC 10-8

Sask 10-8

Bombers 6-12

Edmonton 6-12

 

Hamilton 13-5

Toronto 11-7

Montreal 7-11

Ottawa 6-12

Honestly I'm not loving any of the teams in the West aside from Calgary and even they have a question mark at QB. Can Tate stay healthy and how will BLM do as an 18 game starter? Has BC improved ANYWHERE at all? How will Sask deal with losing a few of their top players? Can the Bombers & Esks close the gap despite having horrid NI's?

 

Honestly this is serious guess work at this point, because in my mind Calgary, BC, Sask and Montreal are all worse teams than last year while Hamilton, Winnipeg & Edmonton should be improved with Toronto staying stagnant.

 

Calgary 12-6

BC 10-8

Sask 10-8

Bombers 6-12

Edmonton 6-12

 

Hamilton 13-5

Toronto 11-7

Montreal 7-11

Ottawa 6-12

I think BC has made an upgrade at QB.

 

Honestly I'm not loving any of the teams in the West aside from Calgary and even they have a question mark at QB. Can Tate stay healthy and how will BLM do as an 18 game starter? Has BC improved ANYWHERE at all? How will Sask deal with losing a few of their top players? Can the Bombers & Esks close the gap despite having horrid NI's?

 

Honestly this is serious guess work at this point, because in my mind Calgary, BC, Sask and Montreal are all worse teams than last year while Hamilton, Winnipeg & Edmonton should be improved with Toronto staying stagnant.

 

Calgary 12-6

BC 10-8

Sask 10-8

Bombers 6-12

Edmonton 6-12

 

Hamilton 13-5

Toronto 11-7

Montreal 7-11

Ottawa 6-12

I think BC has made an upgrade at QB.

 

For sure, but Glenn is a backup QB. what if he never sees the field? sure he's an upgrade although in my opinion, i thought demarco was pretty darn good last season when lulay got hurt, but.. not exactly an upgrade that makes a difference, he might make a difference if lulay is hurt but he might not see the field at all. 

 

 

Honestly I'm not loving any of the teams in the West aside from Calgary and even they have a question mark at QB. Can Tate stay healthy and how will BLM do as an 18 game starter? Has BC improved ANYWHERE at all? How will Sask deal with losing a few of their top players? Can the Bombers & Esks close the gap despite having horrid NI's?

 

Honestly this is serious guess work at this point, because in my mind Calgary, BC, Sask and Montreal are all worse teams than last year while Hamilton, Winnipeg & Edmonton should be improved with Toronto staying stagnant.

 

Calgary 12-6

BC 10-8

Sask 10-8

Bombers 6-12

Edmonton 6-12

 

Hamilton 13-5

Toronto 11-7

Montreal 7-11

Ottawa 6-12

I think BC has made an upgrade at QB.

 

For sure, but Glenn is a backup QB. what if he never sees the field? sure he's an upgrade although in my opinion, i thought demarco was pretty darn good last season when lulay got hurt, but.. not exactly an upgrade that makes a difference, he might make a difference if lulay is hurt but he might not see the field at all. 

 

Week one KG will be on the field, and who knows how long until Lulay is healthy (I assume you didn't know he was still hurt.)

There's a greater chance of Lulay never seeing the field this year than Glenn never seeing the field...

Calgary - they'll be good again.  Even with questions at QB, they've got Cornish and a great OL. 

BC - KG was a good pickup, OL should be ok with his quick release, OL could also benefit from dominant imports

Saskatchewan - Durant and the OL are solid, question marks at key positions (no, good RBs are not a dime a dozen)

Winnipeg - A team on the rise, like the new attitude we're seeing, admit that I'm being overly optimistic

Edmonton - I still have visions of Reilly getting killed last season, no reason to believe that will change

Bombers at 5 - 13 is a good bet.

For me the biggest question marks in BC aren't at QB, but are at OC and DC.  Going from Chapdelaine and Stubler to Khari Jones and Mark Washington might have a huge impact on the success of the team.

For me the biggest question marks in BC aren't at QB, but are at OC and DC.  Going from Chapdelaine and Stubler to Khari Jones and Mark Washington might have a huge impact on the success of the team.

 

That's a very good point and worthy of mention.

Are they the right fit for the personnel they have? 

Are they ready?

Is Mike Benevides Head Coach material and can he work with these guys?

Hmmm….