Hey y'all.  These first two weeks of the CFL have renewed my faith in the Blue and Gold.  We are 2-0, and going into the Montreal next week where 3-0 is a legit possibility.  

 

I just wanted to start a discussion about our O-Line for this year.  I have disliked our O-Line for several years now and I'm still not really sold on our starting group right now.   I saw Willy take some really nasty licks yesterday because of poor blocking (yes I realize that Grigsby also needs to learn how to block just as well as he can run).  The same licks that Buck used to take.

 

Do you guys think we still need to upgrade the O-Line?  Are Morely and January the best we can get or is there someone better?   Or do we just build that line through the draft?

national OL players will probably have to be drafted. 

 

international OL talent might surface later in the year after NFL teams start making cuts in training camp. 

national OL players will probably have to be drafted. 

 

international OL talent might surface later in the year after NFL teams start making cuts in training camp. 

So, which Import O-lineman is nor good enough? Knapp looked pretty good and so did January for the most part.

Honestly, from where we were last season to where we are now, i think its a drastic improvement in such a short time. The oline gave Willy time most the game, i mean, hey why not give ottawa some props here, They have a very good dline, i think that DLINE is the strength of their team. Really take away the 3rd quarter where willy was a little hesitant due to his hand issue and the oline played pretty solid again. I didn't really notice willy getting killed back there, i mean yeah he took a few hits but quarterbacks get hit, it's not like he was just punished time after time back there, he took a few hits, he also took a cheap shot, big time cheap shot that no doubt rattled him a wee bit. Was it garvin? i dunno but that was a very cheap dirty low hit there. I don't care for those hits at all, that was the one that really stood out to me, the rest, can't tell on tv but... seemed like a few were just coverage sacks.  But like i said, Ottawa deserves some props, that dline of theirs is pretty decent. 

They looked ok.  Willy has the tendency to hang onto the ball maybe an extra second, he took a lot of sacks when he started for Saskatchewan as well.

 

I believe our tackles, Knapp and January, are ok... not outstanding but definitely passable.  The interior still needs work.  The problem is that it is very difficult to upgrade your Canadian OL.  Look at Edmonton... they needed to improve their OL and the best they could come up with were Justin Sorensen and Andrew Jones.  Steve Myddelton was maybe the top OL available in free agency and he has not looked good at all in Hamilton.

 

There is the rare case like Saskatchewan who in 2012 were able to add Labatte, Picard, Heenan, and Xavier Fulton in one off-season, completely overhauling their line with all-star calibre players.  But that situation doesn't come around very often.  So for the rest of the teams, the best you can hope for is to build through the draft and try to score with the occasional free agent or trade.  I feel like we got a steal with Patrick Neufeld... who else's 2014 2nd round draft pick is starting on their OL??  With the additions of Neufeld, Goossen, and Knapp, I think we got better, but there is still a ways to go.

Remember that the worst of the OL play came with Goossen subbed in at guard. Guy is still super raw.

It's not our starting OL that worries me, it's the depth. If Greaves or any other starter is out for any length of time, that lack of depth will be exposed.

I'd rather Goossen at centre and Morley at guard if they are both starting.

Remember that the worst of the OL play came with Goossen subbed in at guard. Guy is still super raw.

It's not our starting OL that worries me, it's the depth. If Greaves or any other starter is out for any length of time, that lack of depth will be exposed.

 

Swiston is on the 46 and will be in the 44 if Greaves can't go. We have Quinn on PR. It's remain to be seen if Wylie can make a stud OL from these 2 guys. 

Swiston has stud potential. He just can't stay healthy.

Hopefully Swiston can fill in if need be and Gord Hinse gets healthy.