As rough as this slide has been, for year 1 of the new regime I like what I've seen. 

 

We started off the year with bottom of the barrel coordinators, a new HC, an unproven QB, and questionable depth. At least we now we have a QB and a coach to build on. Thats not too shabby. 

 

So starting this November I want Walters to start working on the following:

 

* Dump Kuale and Romby 

* Getting at least one Nat OL via free agency

* A good draft. Supposedly its a deep one. At least one OL and one receiver. 

* If you're going to play so many imports on the OL then at least get a stud or two

* Back up QB

* Lost of competition at RB and receiver

 

* Keep Marcel. I think he's done OK 

* Dump Etch. His scheme is NOT WORKING. 

* Take a hard look at special teams. Cant OS work a bit on that one?

 

 

Signing Butler is a big splash NI signing...signing Newman and declaring him as a starter is purely speculative and based on limited actual playing time. Don't confuse hope with a plan.

 

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

It was an under the radar, very good signing. Graig Newman was thought of very highly by the Riders organization and was expected to start for them with the loss of Craig Butler. Newman wasn't a "sexy big splash" signing that's gets all the press, but was a very, very good move by Walters. Newman would have started for us this season.

 

I'm not saying that it wasn't a good signing and I agree that Newman would start over Teague. But, he's a no name backup Canadian who wasn't going to start for the Riders even with Butler leaving. To say that he's a big name signing in the same stratosphere of Nick Moore is ridiculous.

 

 

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

It was an under the radar, very good signing. Graig Newman was thought of very highly by the Riders organization and was expected to start for them with the loss of Craig Butler. Newman wasn't a "sexy big splash" signing that's gets all the press, but was a very, very good move by Walters. Newman would have started for us this season.

 

I'm not saying that it wasn't a good signing and I agree that Newman would start over Teague. But, he's a no name backup Canadian who wasn't going to start for the Riders even with Butler leaving. To say that he's a big name signing in the same stratosphere of Nick Moore is ridiculous.

 

 

 

Wrong.  Word out of Riderville is that Newman was going to start with Butler leaving.  I agree Newman didn't have the "sexy" big name appeal like Nick Moore, but his impact/role with the team was expected to be significant.

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. 

 

I hope with Newman's return the Bombers continue to develop Sherman and don't waste his abilities by relegating him to permanent backup status and special teams player like Volny.  Sherman has come a long way this season and IMO he will only continue to improve his play in the next couple of years.  I'd like to see both him and Newman anchoring the OLB jobs along with Wild for the next couple of years revolving around a not-yet-found monster-man at MLB.

 

 

 

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

It was an under the radar, very good signing. Graig Newman was thought of very highly by the Riders organization and was expected to start for them with the loss of Craig Butler. Newman wasn't a "sexy big splash" signing that's gets all the press, but was a very, very good move by Walters. Newman would have started for us this season.

 

I'm not saying that it wasn't a good signing and I agree that Newman would start over Teague. But, he's a no name backup Canadian who wasn't going to start for the Riders even with Butler leaving. To say that he's a big name signing in the same stratosphere of Nick Moore is ridiculous.

 

 

 

Wrong.  Word out of Riderville is that Newman was going to start with Butler leaving.  I agree Newman didn't have the "sexy" big name appeal like Nick Moore, but his impact/role with the team was expected to be significant.

 

Nope Newman himself said that playing time was the main reason he choose to come to Winnipeg instead of staying in Sask. I doubt he leaves the Riders with all things being equal. Take a look at this article and quote from Newman http://www2.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=34fe656b-7e7d-4ad1-9b4a-5edf1fa6b538 ''I think the Riders saw me as a special teams player whereas I saw myself as a defensive player''.  

Newman signed with the Bombers before Butler signed with Hamilton.

BC 41, Ottawa 3. And that's with a rookie OC (Khari) and a rookie DC (Mark Washington). Their defence hasn't given up a touchdown in 3 games.

 

Meanwhile, we go with co-ordinators who are, at best, mediocre retreads.

BC 41, Ottawa 3. And that's with a rookie OC (Khari) and a rookie DC (Mark Washington). Their defence hasn't given up a touchdown in 3 games.

 

Meanwhile, we go with co-ordinators who are, at best, mediocre retreads.

 

Khari isn't a rookie OC (he was OC in Hamilton) and the Lions defense is usually one of the top defenses in the League. 

BC 41, Ottawa 3. And that's with a rookie OC (Khari) and a rookie DC (Mark Washington). Their defence hasn't given up a touchdown in 3 games.

 

Meanwhile, we go with co-ordinators who are, at best, mediocre retreads.

 

Well I hope we put up more resistance than Ottawa did, that was a pancaking but you could tell from the get go that BC meant business and for a team missing so many weapons on offense they didn't miss a beat.

I hope the club goes for Antolin next season....

Didn't hear BC crying the wow is me injury excuse.

Didn't hear BC crying the wow is me injury excuse.

 

Who is?  Most of what I read is posters saying our depth needs to improve.

17to85 does nonstop.

You know it's funny, craig butler has had a pretty terrible year for Hamilton, he hasn't been very good at all. Possibly the worst year of his career, I see how it works with some people though, if you have heard of the guy, in other words if TSN or the media has told you that player is good, then people want him. Newman was an under the radar signing that helped improve our Canadian depth, something that we are lacking hardcore, him getting hurt was not good, it hurt us lots, more than some people care to realize or admit.

 

Not sure some of you understand how piss poor our canadian depth was and still is, any time you can add a guy like Newman to your roster, you are improving your Canadian depth.

 

Butler would have been nice sure, but you know what, Leggett is a pretty damn good safety. 

17to85 does nonstop.

Explaining that the team has shitty depth and can't handle injuries is not making excuses, it's looking at a roster and recognizing that the depth isn't there. We all talked about that in the offseason for christs sake! This is playing out pretty much as we knew it would. Etch is crazy and is hit or miss, Bellefeuille is average at best and the team couldn't get through any injury troubles because the depth, especially on OL and at NI positions isn't there. 

IMO we have very few untouchable players. I would say maybe these guys...

 

D: Leggett, Randle, Turner, Anderson, Wild

O: Willy, Greaves, Goossen, Moore

 

Now before anyone misconstrues what I've just said (cuz inevitably someone will)... I don't mean everybody else should be gone... I just mean that everyone else definitely needs to be playing for their job the next few weeks...

IMO we have very few untouchable players. I would say maybe these guys...

 

D: Leggett, Randle, Turner, Anderson, Wild

O: Willy, Greaves, Goossen, Moore

 

Now before anyone misconstrues what I've just said (cuz inevitably someone will)... I don't mean everybody else should be gone... I just mean that everyone else definitely needs to be playing for their job the next few weeks...

 

I would add Denmark to the safe list.

you know as much as people like to talk about Goosen being a good kid and all that, he was getting worked over badly all game long in Edmonton too. 

Goosen needs to start the rest of the way to get experience.

i'd like to see Goosen starting at guard for the rest of the season for two reasons: First, for experience.  Second to allow for an additional Imp to start elsewhere.

 

I don't want to see Bryant or Kuale or any other player that they are looking to replace in the off season get any more game time.  It's time to give the backup guys a chance to prove they belong or that they shouldn't be invited back next year.  

Change the way we "punish" repeat penalty-takers. 

Change shaming into benching.

 

We have our share of AWBs (athletes without brains) on our team, and we're not good enough to withstand their ineptness in that regard.

Thigpen is a free agent... bring him in already.