In a team by team analysis, Duane Ford grades the Bombers' Canadian content as a C+.  The only team with a worse grade is Ottawa.  

 

 http://www.tsn.ca/winnipeg-blue-bombers-season-preview-1.297990?dgjdfsetsdhgdfjdfg

 

Since becoming the Blue Bombers general manager during the 2013 season, Kyle Walters has made it a priority to upgrade the Canadian talent base of a team that hadn’t drafted well for the better part of a generation.

Acting aggressively in free agency over the last two off-seasons, Winnipeg has added potential starters in cornerback Matt Bucknor, linebacker Sam Hurl, receiver Julian Feoli-Gudino, and centre Dominic Picard; along with solid depth/special teams players Graig Newman and Ivan Brown.

Meanwhile, the last two drafts have yielded highly regarded O-Line prospects Matthias Goossen and Sukh Chungh, who should push veterans Picard, Chris Greaves, and Pat Neufeld for playing time as the season progresses; as well as receiver Addison Richards.

Using a “by any means necessary” approach, Walters has also added kicker Lirim Hajrullahu (undrafted free agent), former NFL defensive end Jamaal Westerman (free agent after gaining National status), and linebacker Garrett Waggoner (supplemental draft). The Bombers hope that one or both of the latter two defenders can emerge as the kind of ratio breaker the team has lacked since Henoc Muamba’s departure prior to last season.

 

Maybe he feels the additions of Waggoner and Westerman don't do much to improve the Canadian content of the team as they have yet to prove themselves in the CFL?  No proven ratio breakers on the Bombers so that probably  accounts for the low score.

 

Agree or disagree with his grade?  Why or why not?

 

Grades for the other teams:

 

RedBlacks  C

Argos  B

Als  A

Ticats  A

Lions  B-

Riders  B+

Eskimos  B

Stamps  A+

Considering the shelf was relatively bare when Walters took over, he's done a fine job. That being said, there was a HUGE stagger to make up and there's no way he could possibly be expected, in such a short period of time, to find enough talent to match what most teams have been able to accrue over all those years of Bomber management neglect. Hopefully, after a couple more years of solid drafts and the odd trade or free agent acquisition, the scales will no longer be tipped in favour of the opposition.

Considering the shelf was relatively bare when Walters took over, he's done a fine job. That being said, there was a HUGE stagger to make up and there's no way he could possibly be expected, in such a short period of time, to find enough talent to match what most teams have been able to accrue over all those years of Bomber management neglect. Hopefully, after a couple more years of solid drafts and the odd trade or free agent acquisition, the scales will no longer be tipped in favour of the opposition.

i agree,  i think same could be said for Ottawa (though i dont think they've done as well as Walters) but it takes a few years of piecing the right pieces or at least solid enough pieces that it wont fall apart upon first crack. much easier to build around a solid core then to create the core.  I'd give the bombers and redblack both N/A's at this point, but a mid season report card could be a lot more accurate

Too early to assess ...

B+ seems high for a Riders team that lost Heenan, Picard and Foley.

B+ seems high for a Riders team that lost Heenan, Picard and Foley.

They still have Labatte, Best, Emry, Getzlaf, Bagg, Messam... Pretty good core of Canadians.

 

B+ seems high for a Riders team that lost Heenan, Picard and Foley.

They still have Labatte, Best, Emry, Getzlaf, Bagg, Messam... Pretty good core of Canadians.

 

Other than against us, Messam did virtually nothing last season. In games against teams other than us he had 160 yards on 40 carries over eight games. We could have gotten that production from Volny if we played him that much.

 

I also think Emry needs a bounce back season to be considered a really good player again.

This seems more like a list of who had the most recognizable names...

B+ seems high for a Riders team that lost Heenan, Picard and Foley.

They still have Labatte, Best, Emry, Getzlaf, Bagg, Messam... Pretty good core of Canadians.

Messam and Emry are marginal or worse.

This seems more like a list of who had the most recognizable names...

That kind of analysis from TSN? Nooooooooooooo

Totally agree that this is more about who has the most recognizable names. You look at the bombers list of Canadians and most aren't really highly known around the league but as a group, i think they are pretty solid actually. 

The Bombers grade seems about right.  Not sure how the Lions and Als in particular grade so high - is Josh Bourke really enough to turn what would be a B- for the rest of the lineup into an A?  And yes, TSN is sniffing the Riders farts again, but until the season starts name recognition is the only way to do a list like this, so whatever.

 

Which is why it's dumb to do lists like this.

The Bombers still lack the real top end Nis but the depth is there for sure. 

Three more sleeps and real bullets will fly. Glenn will finish the game. Ever wonder how Irvin would look wearing Blue and Gold? Pretty hard to take Pederson seriously when he's photographed in green

Three more sleeps and real bullets will fly. Glenn will finish the game. Ever wonder how Irvin would look wearing Blue and Gold? Pretty hard to take Pederson seriously when he's photographed in green

 

hard to take Pedersen seriously no matter what he is wearing, because all he ever spouts is Green Kool-aid.

The Bombers still lack the real top end Nis but the depth is there for sure.

The thing that's promising this year is that we have a bunch of tickets in the top national starter lottery -- Westerman, Chung, Waggoner, Goossen, Bastien. If one or two of these guys develop into legit top talent we'll be in a way better spot. If three or four of them develop we will be set for awhile. I bet we'll see some serious bumps as everyone gets their legs under them but there's more promise here than there's been for awhile.

I just hope next year that Walters can find us a legit NI tackle, either through the draft or free agency.  Starting four NI on the O-line would be gold, Jerry, gold!

Our o'line is MUCH better than last yea, and we have 3 NI starting. I have great optimism for our rookie Chungh, and agrre it would be nice to have a NI at tackle, but it's not happening this year.

 

The Bombers still lack the real top end Nis but the depth is there for sure.

The thing that's promising this year is that we have a bunch of tickets in the top national starter lottery -- Westerman, Chung, Waggoner, Goossen, Bastien. If one or two of these guys develop into legit top talent we'll be in a way better spot. If three or four of them develop we will be set for awhile. I bet we'll see some serious bumps as everyone gets their legs under them but there's more promise here than there's been for awhile.

 

This is true. There is some potential. Something about the rookie Chung starting gives me a warm feeling.  I get the feeling he is going to learn from Picard the finer points of brutal. 

 

In one of the tweets in the feed there was a quote from a former Sask university coach saying Chick is going to school Chung. How does a DE school a guard, coach? Putting your pass rusher inside all game sounds weird to me.  

 

I am getting all Fan boy. Too many days until game time.

A DE can always stunt inside. They don't just go straight towards the QB on every play.

 

B+ seems high for a Riders team that lost Heenan, Picard and Foley.

They still have Labatte, Best, Emry, Getzlaf, Bagg, Messam... Pretty good core of Canadians.

 

 

That core is pretty thin after LaBatte and Best... Getzlaf and Bagg are on the wrong side of 30, Emry is coming off a down year and Messam is ok at best...

 

I would say we would rank pretty close with Sask, Edm, Mtl and Tor... Mtl's biggest NI strength is that they start 5 O-lineman...

 

Cats and Stamps are far ahead of everyone...

I just hope next year that Walters can find us a legit NI tackle, either through the draft or free agency.  Starting four NI on the O-line would be gold, Jerry, gold!

LOL  Settle down Bania.

Three more sleeps and real bullets will fly. Glenn will finish the game. Ever wonder how Irvin would look wearing Blue and Gold? Pretty hard to take Pederson seriously when he's photographed in green

 

Ya, we should be up enough in the 4th that Glenn can mop up!

B+ seems high for a Riders team that lost Heenan, Picard and Foley.

They still have Labatte, Best, Emry, Getzlaf, Bagg, Messam... Pretty good core of Canadians.

Messam and Emry are marginal or worse.

And yet still better than what we have. AKA a non existent Canadian running back and Sam Hurl until proven otherwise. Gotta love the people saying Getzlaf and Bagg are on the wrong side of 30 then pointing at Picard as a reason why our Canadians are improving. Can't have it both ways. The TSN grades are fair. We have lots of potentially great Canadians but until they prove it on the field you can't expect anyone to give the Bombers anything more than a barely passable grade.

Three more sleeps and real bullets will fly. Glenn will finish the game. Ever wonder how Irvin would look wearing Blue and Gold? Pretty hard to take Pederson seriously when he's photographed in green

hard to take Pedersen seriously no matter what he is wearing, because all he ever spouts is Green Kool-aid.

Pederson is employed by the Riders.

 

 

Three more sleeps and real bullets will fly. Glenn will finish the game. Ever wonder how Irvin would look wearing Blue and Gold? Pretty hard to take Pederson seriously when he's photographed in green

hard to take Pedersen seriously no matter what he is wearing, because all he ever spouts is Green Kool-aid.

Pederson is employed by the Riders.

 

 

I thought he was like Bob Irving.  What does he do for the Riders?