Realistic Changes for Next Year

[gbill2004]

In watching O'Shea's presser today, I get the sense Etcheverry and Tracy won't be back next season, but Bellefeuille will be back.

Anything in particular he said or just a gut feeling?

When asked about reasons for the current losing streak he mentioned the defense and special teams as problem areas.

[Mr. Perfect]

 

 

In watching O'Shea's presser today, I get the sense Etcheverry and Tracy won't be back next season, but Bellefeuille will be back.

Anything in particular he said or just a gut feeling?

When asked about reasons for the current losing streak he mentioned the defense and special teams as problem areas.

 

Kind of a stretch to come to that conclusion if that's what you're basing it on.

[pigseye]

Very interesting too when he was asked about the problem with the run game. He said it wasn't just the oline and RB, that many times on first down the defence was in cover zero........translation, Willy boy not reading the defence correctly yet.

[NotoriousBIG]

 

 

 

In watching O'Shea's presser today, I get the sense Etcheverry and Tracy won't be back next season, but Bellefeuille will be back.

Anything in particular he said or just a gut feeling?

When asked about reasons for the current losing streak he mentioned the defense and special teams as problem areas.

 

Kind of a stretch to come to that conclusion if that's what you're basing it on.

 

 

True, but O'Shea is the furthest thing from an idiot. He knows Etch's scheme is not cutting it. I would suspect he is among the first let go at seasons' end. 

[gbill2004]

In watching O'Shea's presser today, I get the sense Etcheverry and Tracy won't be back next season, but Bellefeuille will be back.

Anything in particular he said or just a gut feeling?

When asked about reasons for the current losing streak he mentioned the defense and special teams as problem areas.

Kind of a stretch to come to that conclusion if that's what you're basing it on.

Did you miss the part where I said I get a "sense"? That's the most blame I've heard him lay. The presser is available for anyone to watch. Check it out for yourself and draw your own conclusions. The part I'm referring to is near the beginning.

[iso_55]

 

. Or it's better than last year just because...

 

It's not better than last year just because, it's better than last year because it's better than last year. We've used the same qb every game this year, that alone is leaps and bounds better than last year, and he's even performed well! The team doesn't just roll over and die this year. It's better than last year because the bar last year was set so incredibly low. 

 

I don't disagree & even agree with you to a large extent 17 but like TBurg said that alone shouldn't be good enough. This team is better in some areas like qb but on the OL other than Morley it's the same or even worse than last season. We can't consistently stop the run & I think at times this season last year's defense under Casey Creehan has played better than this year's version under Etch. And for me to say that The Crazy Man had a better defense well,  that's an indictment on the work Etch has been doing & the kind of schemes he runs along with the kind of personnel he likes. I really do think that there are much better DC's out there that would do a better job than what we have now. I can live with MB as an OC but not Etcheverry as DC. 

[17to85]

 

 

. Or it's better than last year just because...

 

It's not better than last year just because, it's better than last year because it's better than last year. We've used the same qb every game this year, that alone is leaps and bounds better than last year, and he's even performed well! The team doesn't just roll over and die this year. It's better than last year because the bar last year was set so incredibly low. 

 

I don't disagree & even agree with you to a large extent 17 but like TBurg said that alone shouldn't be good enough. This team is better in some areas like qb but on the OL other than Morley it's the same or even worse than last season. We can't consistently stop the run & I think at times this season last year's defense under Casey Creehan has played better than this year's version under Etch. And for me to say that The Crazy Man had a better defense well,  that's an indictment on the work Etch has been doing & the kind of schemes he runs along with the kind of personnel he likes. I really do think that there are much better DC's out there that would do a better job than what we have now. I can live with MB as an OC but not Etcheverry as DC. 

 

You are letting your bias against Etch cloud your judgement here. I don't like it either and ideally we'd have someone else there, but the D with all it's warts has been a lot better than we got last year. There has been a lot of progress made this year, enough that there shouldn't be criticism of it. Now if they don't improve the depth and their recruiting in the offseason then we will talk about whether or not there has been enough, but for one year considering the mess that was going on here it's plenty. You have to keep in mind how unappealing a destination Winnipeg was. It was always going to take time to get away from that. 

[blitzmore]

Simple...the organization, coaches, and product on the field is just plain better than last year. Not great yet, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and there is a plan which is more than I can say for the last few years.

[NotoriousBIG]

 

 

 

. Or it's better than last year just because...

 

It's not better than last year just because, it's better than last year because it's better than last year. We've used the same qb every game this year, that alone is leaps and bounds better than last year, and he's even performed well! The team doesn't just roll over and die this year. It's better than last year because the bar last year was set so incredibly low. 

 

I don't disagree & even agree with you to a large extent 17 but like TBurg said that alone shouldn't be good enough. This team is better in some areas like qb but on the OL other than Morley it's the same or even worse than last season. We can't consistently stop the run & I think at times this season last year's defense under Casey Creehan has played better than this year's version under Etch. And for me to say that The Crazy Man had a better defense well,  that's an indictment on the work Etch has been doing & the kind of schemes he runs along with the kind of personnel he likes. I really do think that there are much better DC's out there that would do a better job than what we have now. I can live with MB as an OC but not Etcheverry as DC. 

 

You are letting your bias against Etch cloud your judgement here. I don't like it either and ideally we'd have someone else there, but the D with all it's warts has been a lot better than we got last year. There has been a lot of progress made this year, enough that there shouldn't be criticism of it. Now if they don't improve the depth and their recruiting in the offseason then we will talk about whether or not there has been enough, but for one year considering the mess that was going on here it's plenty. You have to keep in mind how unappealing a destination Winnipeg was. It was always going to take time to get away from that.

 

 

Agreed. I have nothing bad to say about Etch. I'm glad he took the job and has (seemingly) been a pro. 

 

But now we need to continue to get better and his scheme is just not working. A stud MLB would help but not that much. Since he does not seem like the type to change his ways I'd like to see him move on. 

[pigseye]

imo, Dickenson was a better special team coach than what we have now. Marcel? Hard to tell, did the offence improve under him last season when he took over from Gary C or was it the play of Max Hall? No way to really compare apples to apples on that one. Defence under CC last year was right there with Daley as the worst of all time, so things have improved on that front barring a complete collapse down the stretch.

 

I don't think the answer is as easy as it appears. I believe 7 in row was the longest losing streak last season, this team could go 9.

[Jpan85]

SP teams I don't think are as bad as people around here make them to be outside the penalties which have to do a lot with the youth of the Canadian talent on our team. Our kicker leads the league in kickoff distance and has missed only 3 kicks one blocked one hit the upright. I think we are only team with a FG/Punt/Kickoff return td. Had a guy who was the top of yards per return in both kickoffs and punts. The blocks have come with a back up snapper. Given up I think only 2 return TDs. Improving the bottom 1/3 of the roster will help clean up the penalties.

[iso_55]

 

 

 

. Or it's better than last year just because...

 

It's not better than last year just because, it's better than last year because it's better than last year. We've used the same qb every game this year, that alone is leaps and bounds better than last year, and he's even performed well! The team doesn't just roll over and die this year. It's better than last year because the bar last year was set so incredibly low. 

 

I don't disagree & even agree with you to a large extent 17 but like TBurg said that alone shouldn't be good enough. This team is better in some areas like qb but on the OL other than Morley it's the same or even worse than last season. We can't consistently stop the run & I think at times this season last year's defense under Casey Creehan has played better than this year's version under Etch. And for me to say that The Crazy Man had a better defense well,  that's an indictment on the work Etch has been doing & the kind of schemes he runs along with the kind of personnel he likes. I really do think that there are much better DC's out there that would do a better job than what we have now. I can live with MB as an OC but not Etcheverry as DC. 

 

You are letting your bias against Etch cloud your judgement here. I don't like it either and ideally we'd have someone else there, but the D with all it's warts has been a lot better than we got last year. There has been a lot of progress made this year, enough that there shouldn't be criticism of it. Now if they don't improve the depth and their recruiting in the offseason then we will talk about whether or not there has been enough, but for one year considering the mess that was going on here it's plenty. You have to keep in mind how unappealing a destination Winnipeg was. It was always going to take time to get away from that. 

 

Let's hope the destination here is now a better choice.I'd love for us to be active in FA & make a splash signing some high impact players this February. 

[Logan007]

 

 

 

 

In watching O'Shea's presser today, I get the sense Etcheverry and Tracy won't be back next season, but Bellefeuille will be back.

Anything in particular he said or just a gut feeling?

When asked about reasons for the current losing streak he mentioned the defense and special teams as problem areas.

Kind of a stretch to come to that conclusion if that's what you're basing it on.

Did you miss the part where I said I get a "sense"? That's the most blame I've heard him lay. The presser is available for anyone to watch. Check it out for yourself and draw your own conclusions. The part I'm referring to is near the beginning.

 

I stated this earlier in the thread but, I watched that presser and I MAYBE got a sense he's looking for a better special teams coach, but nothing in what he said made me think he was going to let go of Etch.  Heck, when they asked about the run defense he kept saying that their losses were more due to penalties and turnovers.  Unless he really dislikes Etch's D and he can find someone better, we're probably still stuck with Etch next year.

[Mr. Perfect]

 

 

 

 

In watching O'Shea's presser today, I get the sense Etcheverry and Tracy won't be back next season, but Bellefeuille will be back.

Anything in particular he said or just a gut feeling?

When asked about reasons for the current losing streak he mentioned the defense and special teams as problem areas.

Kind of a stretch to come to that conclusion if that's what you're basing it on.

Did you miss the part where I said I get a "sense"? That's the most blame I've heard him lay. The presser is available for anyone to watch. Check it out for yourself and draw your own conclusions. The part I'm referring to is near the beginning.

 

I am capable of reading yes. Regardless of how you want to make it up "sense" is still drawing a conclusion, albeit your conclusion. It's just a stretch is all I'm saying based on his comments (which yes I saw as well). No need to get your knickers in a knot.

[GCn20]

I agree with gbill and think that Mulumba here next year is a very strong possibility. If Newman can recover and stay healthy we will have effectively added a couple of very talented NIs on defence. I would love to see Newman in at LBer or safety. Not sure how many people here saw him with the Riders but the kid was a good young player who looked like he was ready to be a good player in this league. As for Mulumba, he is exceptional against the run and very athletic. He is Vega with a better passport. Both of these guys would provide much better ratio flex to our team. Also, not mentioned is Bilikudi  who is a  little bit more of a long shot but also a possibility for next year. It's quite possible we could be adding 4-5 quality NIs to our roster by getting some former and new picks  in and injured players back. That would go a looong way in getting our team to the next level.

[stbbbfan]

Last year was obviously as bad as we could get;  We were not going to be able to improve our Canadian content that quickly with lousy past drafts, losing our best Canadian, especially with Ottawa taking their share of what was availalble; The Canadians we got often had prior relationships with some of our new coaches.  I'm surprised how well we've done in spiite of our lack of quality starting Canadians. We're down to backup Canadians in many positions and still don't look as bad as last year; The character of our new players might have something to do with that as well.

 

Our secondary is much better, but the rest of the defence is dissapointing largely due to lack of execution. Tackling should be possible regardless of their speed or size.  Our D is letting teams run on us but maybe that's the best we can do since we don't have the talent to get sacks nor the linebacking to make a difference for a weaker line.

 

With so many Americans on the Oline, it's hurt our D even more as less talent on O might be less obvious; a marginal Canadian receiver an still take up one d to cover while a lousy Canadian on D will get picked on all day;

[iso_55]

We need to be active in the FA market to make up for our draft shortcomings & to bridge the time for young inexperienced players to learn their positions behind experienced players. Free agency is the only short term fix the Bombers have. That & drafting much, much better over all as an organization. But as I said, a successful draft year might take 3 seasons before the the Bombers see any fruit from it. 

[Goalie]

It's gonna take a while to have what 21 quality Nationals on the roster, For sure.. But i agree with the others who say adding Mulumba, having a healthy Newman back and maybe just maybe having Bilukidi plus another top pick in the draft, the only real positive to missing playoffs is its likely we get the 2nd or 3rd probably draft pick. Should get a guy ready to contribute, Demski sure would look nice in blue n gold, so would another oline prospect. Quite a few of those available it appears. 

 

So by just adding a few guys that we already have "under out control" CFL contract wise, our Canadian depth gets significantly stronger. The draft should help out too. Could possibly add 5 "impactful" Nationals to the roster next year, Eliminate the 5 worst.. Huge difference. Free agency, not sure who is availabe but Holmes and even Jabar Westerman (i do believe he is a free agent possibly with nfl aspirations but not good enough soo... ) would be 2 guys we should go hard after if possible, Helps us out quite a bit. 

 

Builds our Dline depth, essential it seems in the CFL for most teams.  Ratio Flexibility too.

 

Newman was very good, could see him playing Teague Shermans spot .. Newman starting means sherman is depth, not a bad depth player really.

 

National talent ain't looking half bad really. 

[ediger]

I may be of the small minority, but I support getting rid of Bellefeuille.  I haven't been convinced of his play calling, and he does a poor job of coaching the executional flaws in our game.  The whole late game fiasco that happened against Hamilton was horrible.  I don't blame him soley for that, but as a coordinator in a situation like that, your QB needs to be prepared.  The fact that he prefers to be up in the booth bothers me a bit.  Chances are if he was on the field that wouldn't have happened.    

 

I haven't liked the redzone play calling as of late. It seems like every time we get within the 20 yard line, we see two deep passes to the back corner. I would also support getting rid of Bellefeuille, as long as there is a credible replacement available.

[blitzmore]

Next year is Grey Cup host year for us...so I would imagine that we will be very active to try and field a very good team.

[TBURGESS]

Next year is Grey Cup host year for us...so I would imagine that we will be very active to try and field a very good team.

As opposed to non Grey Cup hosting years when we don't try to field a very good team?  We try to field a very good team every year.  We just don't succeed often enough.

[blitzmore]

 

Next year is Grey Cup host year for us...so I would imagine that we will be very active to try and field a very good team.

As opposed to non Grey Cup hosting years when we don't try to field a very good team?  We try to field a very good team every year.  We just don't succeed often enough.

 

No...not as opposed to non Grey Cup hosting years...most every team that has hosted the Grey Cup spends more money and tries to field the most competitive team they can more than any other year, to try and be one of the teams in the Grey Cup. If you haven't seen that in the past you haven't been watching or just like to continue in your usual negative tone.

[17to85]

The reason for trying to make a splash in free agency before you host the Grey Cup is a pretty simple one... Make that big sexy signing and get fans excited about the season and the Grey Cup and sell more tickets to the game. It's nothing new, if fans expect the home team has a chance to play in the game they'll sell more tickets more quickly. 

[Goalie]

BC hosts the cup this year, Couldn't really tell it by the way they spent their off season this past year or how they are playing right now. 

 

WIll the bombers make a run at guys just cuz they are hosting the cup? Maybe but i think it's more likely they take a run at a couple big name free agents because those free agents will make our team better overall. I still think they would take a run at a couple free agents even if we weren't hosting the grey cup.

 

Say what you will but Nick Moore was a big free agent signing, Graig Newman was a pretty big one too, yes he's been hurt but prior to that he was a very very good player for the Riders, could and probably would have started for us this season and i am fully expecting him to start for us next year (linebacker, shermans spot)

 

2 "big" signings, didn't host the cup...

 

What huge free agent signings did BC make this off season? None really, they traded banks for poblah tho, they lost moore to free agency, they lost a few other guys to some other teams too, they didn't really sign any free agents at all really, they had a horrible off-season.

 

Riders seem to be the only team that spends spends spends spends, but they have done that for a few years now, not just grey cup host years. 

[Blueandgold]

How on earth was signing a backup Canadian player like Graig Newman a ''big signing''?