While I am glad we have gone from 50 to 250 seats in the chat room, it's not my style, I don't care for it. I would much rather have the full discussion format we have in our usual topics. I like being able to respond specifically to a poster and her/his specific point of view. Chronological ordering by speed of typing is fast but I find it chaotic. There is other things too and I don't want to debate what may be better. I am just saying I have a preference.

 

So here is the topic thread for the big day that we have been anticipating for months.

 

Let me start by saying I don't think Walters is going to make a trade for his number 2 overall pick. There is just too little difference between the top linemen. AND the pricetag would be just too high. A team like Hamilton trading up for a lineman would mean the Blue wouldn't get a difference-maker. They would need too much back to compensate.

 

The wisdom of Walters is now on display.

 

 

 

Not sure I understand converting Lattanzio to fullback and thus essentially using 2 picks in this draft on that position. I get that he will for the most part be a special teamer but man it would have been nice to snag Forde or anyone who can spell Westerman. 

And we already have 3 FBs listed on the Roster so yes I am puzzled by the Morgan and Lattanzio selections...

Bucknor is 30. Pontbriand is 32. Fitzgerald sucks

I think most the criticism is because maybe some people wanted the name guy but maybe that name guy wasn't what we wanted. I am honestly surprised by the amount of second guessing going on in here. Give these guys a chance to show what they can do maybe instead of pretending to be cfl draft experts??

Not sure I understand converting Lattanzio to fullback and thus essentially using 2 picks in this draft on that position. I get that he will for the most part be a special teamer but man it would have been nice to snag Forde or anyone who can spell Westerman.

And we already have 3 FBs listed on the Roster so yes I am puzzled by the Morgan and Lattanzio selections...

Only one of Cronk and Fitzgerald will make it. It doesn't look like we will roster a Canadian RB so we might roster 3 FBs instead. Pontbriand, Normand, and Cronk/Fitzgerald. Lattanzio goes to the PR or back to school. He is a 5th round pick, I wouldn't expect anything out of him this year.

The Morgan pick was a bit puzzling but with that being said he could turn out be be very good. Time will tell. Gotta trust Walters and the scouts. That's why they get paid to do it. I get that it's fun to debate and talk about it but really as fans all we have to go on Is basically the rankings. Not in rooms for interviews or anything like that. Durant fell lots and hard. why? Who knows but there's a reason he did. BC went off the board in the first and 2nd really. Ottawa took Harty over Durant. Sask took Demski over Durant. Why? Only the scouts gms and guys in the war rooms know.

Give these guys a chance to show what they can do maybe instead of pretending to be cfl draft experts??

 

Don't tell us what to do!

Bombers claimed rights to yantz who will be at training camp. Great move

 

Farhan Lalji ‏@FarhanLaljiTSN 3h3 hours ago

@Yantz16 @Wpg_BlueBombers Awesome fit. You're good enough to play in #CFL

From Justin Dunk prior to the draft:

6) Addison Richards, REC, Regina, 6’4”, 202 pounds

Scouts take: “He’s just a physical specimen: big, tall and fast.” “You cannot teach size, but you can teach everything else. He catches the ball away from his frame. He ran 4.65 seconds in the 40 – fast for his size.” “He opened a lot of eyes at the East West Bowl.” “He needs to get bigger, tougher and stronger. He can very easily become the next Jason Clermont, just the way he plays. He’s a faster version of Clermont. I don’t think he’s as physical as Clermont was, I think he could be a little more physical for his size.” “Raw player with great physical attributes. He needs to work with a receiver coach and really fine tune his route running and awareness on the field.”

Interview with Addison Richards:

Bombers could have gotten Morgan in the 3rd or 4th so what looked like a genius move in swapping picks with the Riders in the Watson trade now seems kind of wasted.

Love the Chungh pick.  

 

Better receivers were still available when we picked Richards (I'd have taken Durant).  Bunch of better players than Morgan available.  No idea what Walters was thinking in the second round.

 

agreed. Could have had Waud at 11. I think that was a bit of a mistake....I guess they thought otherwise though...

 

Durant was still there at 15 as well

Again, what the Bombers saw from Durant other teams apparently did as well and it made them want Richards instead. If they went with Waud at #11(he would be a nice backup) Richards may not have been available at 15, and it seems they really wanted a receiver which is a need. Morgan is the only reach IMO at 15 but we'll see, it's not like he's Jade Etienne and there's a Nathan Coehoorn, Marco Iannuzzi, or Tyler Holmes behind him, it was the Bomber's 3rd pick, not first or second..

From today's Free Press...looks like Bellefeuille is high on Richards:

 

The Bombers used their next two picks, 11th and 15th overall, to add players who could push for work as starters down the road. Addison Richards is a big (6-5, 205) and productive receiver offensive coordinator Marcel Bellefeuille ranked No. 1 among pass catchers while Brendan Morgan, a defensive back, will get looks both at safety and cornerback. Richards was selected five picks after University of Manitoba slotback Nic Demski went sixth overall to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

 

The fact the Marcel likes Richards scares me.

Bombers could have gotten Morgan in the 3rd or 4th so what looked like a genius move in swapping picks with the Riders in the Watson trade now seems kind of wasted.

Impossible to say. I'm not happy about the Morgan pick either because that's not who I wanted to see, but we can't say "so and so would've been available" - it's pretty obvious that draft boards don't play out anywhere near what the media and fans expect.

So while I'm not thrilled with the pick, it can't be called a waste at this point.

 

Bombers could have gotten Morgan in the 3rd or 4th so what looked like a genius move in swapping picks with the Riders in the Watson trade now seems kind of wasted.

Impossible to say. I'm not happy about the Morgan pick either because that's not who I wanted to see, but we can't say "so and so would've been available" - it's pretty obvious that draft boards don't play out anywhere near what the media and fans expect.

So while I'm not thrilled with the pick, it can't be called a waste at this point.

 

Agreed it's impossible to say, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think we got the expected value out of that pick that I was hoping for, especially considering how much Walters was pumping how great this draft was.  

 

After sleeping on it though, I think Walters had a solid draft, but he didn't hit a home-run like I was hoping for.  A home-run for me would have been Chungh, Demski and Shortill. That would have been an A+ in my books.  Instead, I give Walters a B.  

 

 

Bombers could have gotten Morgan in the 3rd or 4th so what looked like a genius move in swapping picks with the Riders in the Watson trade now seems kind of wasted.

Impossible to say. I'm not happy about the Morgan pick either because that's not who I wanted to see, but we can't say "so and so would've been available" - it's pretty obvious that draft boards don't play out anywhere near what the media and fans expect.

So while I'm not thrilled with the pick, it can't be called a waste at this point.

 

Agreed it's impossible to say, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think we got the expected value out of that pick that I was hoping for, especially considering how much Walters was pumping how great this draft was.  

 

After sleeping on it though, I think Walters had a solid draft, but he didn't hit a home-run like I was hoping for.  A home-run for me would have been Chungh, Demski and Shortill. That would have been an A+ in my books.  Instead, I give Walters a B.  

 

 

I'm thinking they really wanted Shortill but really NEEDED a receiver and really liked Addison Richards. By the time their next pick came around, on Kyle Walter's board I see Shortill's name crossed off and Morgan's name right under it.

And I really think they wanted Richards a lot more than they wanted Durant.

Brendan Morgan

 

 

 

 

Bombers could have gotten Morgan in the 3rd or 4th so what looked like a genius move in swapping picks with the Riders in the Watson trade now seems kind of wasted.

Impossible to say. I'm not happy about the Morgan pick either because that's not who I wanted to see, but we can't say "so and so would've been available" - it's pretty obvious that draft boards don't play out anywhere near what the media and fans expect.

So while I'm not thrilled with the pick, it can't be called a waste at this point.

 

Agreed it's impossible to say, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think we got the expected value out of that pick that I was hoping for, especially considering how much Walters was pumping how great this draft was.  

 

After sleeping on it though, I think Walters had a solid draft, but he didn't hit a home-run like I was hoping for.  A home-run for me would have been Chungh, Demski and Shortill. That would have been an A+ in my books.  Instead, I give Walters a B.  

 

 

I'm thinking they really wanted Shortill but really NEEDED a receiver and really liked Addison Richards. By the time their next pick came around, on Kyle Walter's board I see Shortill's name crossed off and Morgan's name right under it.

 

Exactly, it's obviously out of Walters control, but he is graded on the results.  My initial grade is a B,maybe B+ just because Chungh looks like a real stud.  Could look back in a couple years and it's an A+, but right now I have him at B/B+.  

Ettore LAttanzio

 

 

Really, REALLY pumped about Chungh.

Outside of the Chung pick, I'm not too thrilled with the draft results.

 

I would have been happier with one of Waud (at 11) or Durant  (character concerns aside at 15).   They did address needs with Richards and Morgan .. but they either weren't players they were targeting (in the case of Richards, yes .. I know Marcel is "high" on Richards but Demski is who the team had primary interest in) or had to reach to get a guy that would likely have been available a round later if they had a pick.  

 

I'll say it right away, I'm not displeased by Morgan pick, just don't think it's a value pick and with respect to Richards .. my gut says, "Aaron Hargreaves".   As for taking a NI RB (not named Varga or SML), why?  Special teams or FB type role .. yeah .. I know .. but I *HATE* drafting skill players (RBs) when we've never demonstrated an ability to utilize those players effectively.  For all the talent in this draft, our results left me .. unsatisfied.

Now Walters goes on to sign the undrafted gems. His talent assessment seems remarkable.

I would have liked Waud at 11 and Richards is probably still here at 15... Morgan only makes me nervous b/c I'm never heard of him but hopefully he turns out to be a good one... it just seems to me like Waud fills a need better... giving us to option to play 2 NIs on the D-line in certain situations...

Now Walters goes on to sign the undrafted gems. His talent assessment seems remarkable.

 

Yantz definitely did not look out of place in last year's training camp.

 

And if he's willing to Sinopoli his way over to receiver...could eventually be a sneaky gem of a signing indeed.