This is likely going to be a long post but I've been thinking about doing this for a long time. I will preface this by saying I have never been a fan of Walter's work. I think because public sentiment had soured on Mack to the degree that anyone would have been seen as a massive improvement. I will also admit that I have always had a soft spot for Joe Mack and thought while he failed in getting us a QB, his team did bring us to a Grey Cup with Buck freaking Pierce at the helm. I will divide this into three sections; import recruiting, free agency and drafting. I recognize that some of the failures of Walters are also failures of McManus and Goveia so consider the import recruiting section to be a criticism of all three.

 

Import Recruiting:

 

Walters was hired in August of 2013 as the interim GM to replace the fired Joe Mack. That offseason, the search was on for a permanent GM that included Walters, Duane Forde for some reason and Tom Higgins. I am confident that none of those three headliners would have been good options but that's a story for another time. So if we take into account that Walters has been in charge for more than two calendar years, the following are the players he has brought in with no previous CFL experience that are currently making an impact on the team: Justin Veltung, Jace Daniels, Khalil Bass, Johnny Adams, Bruce Johnson, Moe Leggett & Cam Marshall. I will admit there are some good players on that list but considering that he has had two full training camps and offseasons to build the talent on the roster and to only have 7 of your own recruits become regular CFL players? Joe Mack, fired over two years ago, still has Washington, Turner, Anderson and Denmark on the roster of CFL rookies he brought in himself. Considering the lifecycle of professional football players to have only a 7-4 advantage in import recruits at this stage is pretty terrible. Let's also not forget, arguably our best defender last year was Ian Wild, another Mack guy.

 

To move onto the QBs for a moment, this was something I will agree that Mack had limited to no success with. However, while I will get to Willy in a moment, Walters has failed equally if not more in bringing in his own QB prospects. Say what you will about Brink, Elliott and Goltz but are any of them worse than Brohm, Marve or Portis? Having a marquee starting QB doesn't mean you can fail at finding a developmental or adequate backup QB. We are fully aware at this point what that failure leads to. Franklin, Cato, Collaros even Brett Smith are first year CFL quarterbacks who have at the very least shown they can move the ball. The bomber are stuck with Brohm, a 30 year old journeyman who has yet to show he can even make a 5 yard completion consistently and Robert Marve, a scrambler with no accuracy to speak of.

 

Running back has been a position that in the past has been a boon for the Bombers. Even going back 15 years, Roberts to Reid to Garrett to Simpson. I'm not saying Marshall and Cotton aren't good players as they are fine and injuries have certainly hampered our ability to fully evaluate Cotton but here's another issue. Walters didn't even find Cotton! He was originally cut in Hamilton's TC and then brought here. Not to say you can't find good players that way as Vega was brought in by Mack in a similar manner but it just continues to contribute to the idea that Walters struggles to bring in his own recruited talent. RB isn't even a sore spot for this team without decimating injuries but bringing in Chevon Walker tells me all I need to know about Walters' confidence in his ability. 

 

One of the two biggest sore spots for me when it comes to Walters is Receiver. Yes, Veltung looks like a solid enough prospect but to have only one Import recruit to speak of after two years of trying is a complete and utter embarrassment. Toronto brought in three contributing rookies this year. Hamilton has brought in Underwood and Tolliver. Calgary brought in Rogers last year. The list goes on and on and on. Denmark, Moore and Adams are fine players but none are the best at their position to the point where competition should not be pushing them. Jhomo Gordon was the best of what we brought in in the offseason according to the coaching staff this year and he's been a mess in three games played. The fact that last year we not only brought in Romby Bryant (a complete joke and truthfully the biggest red flag last year of Walters' incompetence) but also started him for over half the year is something that would not go over on any other team in the league save for Taman's Riders. Also keep in mind that no one could displace Aaron Kelly from Walters' recruits either. Joe Mack brought in Matthews, Denmark, Wallace Miles, Greg Carr and TJH. All players that made an impact at the CFL level and shames the talent that Walters has brought in.

 

I'll lastly look at the defensive line. Up until this year, Turner and Anderson were guys that we really had no reason to replace but that's also another check by Joe Mack's name as they were his recruits. Meanwhile, while Nate Collins looks like a player, the rest of the linemen he has brought in have been a who's who of nobodies. The fact that no one has displaced Greg Peach in two years and the guy who has shown the most of the other imports, Thad Gibson, was not even a Walters find! Fraser, Willie Mosely, Marvin Booker, Tre Harlan and so on have all failed to make an impact while guys like Alex Bazzie, Gabe Knapton, Willie Jefferson, Tristan Okpalaugo, and Bryan Hall have all come into the league over the past couple seasons and have been great for their teams.

 

Free Agency:

 

Over two offseasons and seasons, the Bombers have brought in the following players; Graig Newman, Nick Moore, Darvin Adams, Stanley Bryant, Ivan Brown, Sam Hurl, Romby Bryant, EJ Kuale, Greg Peach, Aaron Kelly and Dom Picard. I will be generous by saying 5 of those players are hits (including Hurl) while admitting that Ivan Brown is who he is and his was hardly a make or break signing. That being said, Moore and Bryant are the best of the Import lot there are Bryant has not had a great season by any stretch and Moore has been solid, if unspectacular and frequently injured. I'll admit I was never a Moore fan and thought we paid too much for him, but that's the price of not bringing in Import receiver talent I guess. On the other hand, Mack was universally panned for standing pat during free agency and preferring to build with his own guys. Sometimes that worked, sometimes it didn't but looking at that list of players brought in via free agency by Walters, would any of you say that had they all not been signed we would be missing out? Truthfully, I didn't have a category to put Westerman and Hajrullahu in they were of course likely Walters' two shining moments as GM of this team but again, this was a case of signing a kicker off the street and giving him a chance when pretty much every other team was set at kicker and throwing money and a starting spot at Westerman. He deserves credit for landing them both but it doesn't change much. Let's also remember that Walters traded for a 35 year old Korey Banks as an attempt to solidfy the linebacking corps. I will also put the trade for Randle down here and again, another solid move by Walters that I really can't criticize in any manner. Randle, Westerman and Hajrullahu are three difference makers on the roster and all three are Walters' moves. Good for him.

 

This brings us to the situation of Drew Willy. Last offseason, the QBs available were Willy, Collaros and Burris as everyone remembers. Ottawa had the freshly drafted Glenn as their QB but badly wanted Burris for some insane reason once he became available. Collaros was always seen as the best QB on the market followed by Willy. Despite Collaros' success in Hamilton, I am still happy and content with Willy as our man. The problem is, there was almost no way that the Bombers were going to end up without one of the two. Burris was going to Ottawa and the scary part was, the Bombers were making a push for him! Can't imagine Joe Mack ever doing that. In the end, Walters made the trade with the Riders for Willy's rights that Mack didn't make with BC for Mike Reilly's. I'd argue that the price Taman wanted for Willy (Etienne) was pittance compared to Wally's price for Reilly (A first rounder without the right to speak to Reilly beforehand iirc). I obviously can't prove this but put Mack in the GM chair last offseason and you likely get the same result. Collaros to Hamilton, Burris to Ottawa and Willy to Winnipeg. Other than Montreal, who was more than happy to enter the season with Troy Smith, no other team needed a QB. Collaros and Willy were both going to hit the market no matter what and Ottawa wanted a veteran QB to lead them through their first season. I guess Walters should get credit for getting the job done, but I find it difficult to give him a ton of credit. Especially considering Collaros at this point is clearly the superior QB anyway.

 

The Draft:

 

This is where I think Walters actually deserves the most criticism. Mostly because he was never touted as a great American scout with a ton of connections down south, but rather a cerebral CIS guy who could be trusted at draft time. Before we get to Walters' drafts as GM, I want to go back to the 2013 draft, Mack's last as GM of the Bombers. The story was that when Mack was going to pick Mulumba, Walters was convinced Edem was the better pick. After Mulumba stuck in the NFL and Edem had a decent to good rookie year with the Als, everyone was lauding Walters' genius. In the years since, Edem has lost his job to Marco Brouillette and has failed to come close to his rookie season's productivity. Mulumba is still in the NFL but this has been touched on before, I still would rather have a guy like him in the pipeline that Edem who at this point it's known what he brings and it's special teams work for the last few years.

 

The 2014 draft was a weak one and I love the Derek Jones pick while Briggs looks solid enough. Goossen was picking based on need which I hate, but we can't close the door on him yet and save for Pruneau, no one selected after pick two is anyone I feel we really missed out on. I have no negative things to say about this draft so good job Walters.

 

2015 is where things went off the rails. I love the Chungh pick but people loved the Muamba pick too. It was a need and we picked the best player available. That's what a GM should do. The next rounds were colossal let downs and as bad as anything Mack ever did (Robertson in the 2nd round was just as bad). Richards and Morgan may turn out to be good players but passing on Durant, SML, Waud, Shortill or even Brett Boyko will be mistakes that we will feel for years to come.

 

Conclusion:

 

Since he was hired in August 2013, the Bombers are 12-27. This is not all on Kyle Walters but despite some great moves (Westerman, Randle, Chungh, Hajrullahu) the bad ones and the REALLY bad ones greatly outweigh those positives. I know most of you probably know or remember all this stuff but now with Taman out of the picture in Regina, Walters is the clear bottom of the CFL GM barrel.

Hurl starting as MLB is not on Walters though. Walters & company brought in a lot of competition at MLB, Allen was considered to be the frontrunner on that job. Oshea ultimately selected Hurl even though he is a lesser MLB compared to Allen.

 

Hurl is like the Kuale this year, starting because of Oshea's favoritism. Hurl is not ****head like Kuale though and he carries a right passport.

Based on what?

Regarding the op, the story about Mulumba & Edem is hearsay. so shouldn't be used to praise or condemn Walters. The early returns on the 2014 draft have been decent and it's way too early to judge 2015. Writing Richards off after an injury plagued half-season is nonsense.

 

The Walker signing is the first moment of real worry for me about Walters. Recruiting on defense has been decent, but we haven't found much of anything on offense yet.

Well yeah, I would hope the GM would have say on who is brought in and who isn't. It's a tandem of the GM with his scouting department. 

 

I also loathe Jim Barker as a person and as a coach and he still makes some questionable moves (Dave Stalah *cough*) but he brings in a lot of young and young-ish American talent. 

I'd have liked to see Barker here. Dave Braley has handicapped Barker with budget cuts. I think he'll do very well with MLSE as the new team owners after this season.

 

 

The Walker signing is the first moment of real worry for me about Walters. Recruiting on defense has been decent, but we haven't found much of anything on offense yet.

 

Signing Romby Bryant didn't worry you even a tad?

 

 

Hurl as a starting MLB should not be considered a "hit".  He is awfull.

 

Here is a list of all of the players on Defence that have more tackles than him:

 

LB Bass (48)

DB Johnson (34)

DB/LB Randle (33)

DE Westerman (32)

DB Washington (32)

 

Hurl is tied with Adams for 6th on the team with 28.  That's an average of 3 per game.  For a middle linebacer, that's not good. He is constantly over-running the play or he is just lost in space. He should not be starting.

Honestly, Hurl wasn't good for the first game or 2 but he's been better recently, I think peoples expectations for him are too high, he's not the bighill or elomimian type, he's not the henoc type, If you actually watch him on the field, he's generally rushing the QB, It's how Hall is using him, he's not using him as what people would think of as your protypial MLB, he's using him more as a cowboy i suppose, a rover really, he's being used differently than how other MLB's are used, It's more scheme there, I don't think he's been that bad the last couple weeks. I'm honestly finding it hard to criticize the D when the O is last in the league in basically every category. 

 

I don't think using tackles is fair here... it's just a stat really. I'm not saying HURL is all world or anything but he's definitely not as bad as some people are making him out to be. He has a role and his role is different than that of your average MLB'r. 

 

 

I have been keeping an eye on Hurl for the last few games now and I can say with confidence that yes he has been that bad.  If you’re a MLB and you’re a rover, you should be making a lot more happen than he is.  The guy is almost never in the play.  He constantly over shoots plays or is just nowhere to be found. Some times the amount of tackles a LB gets in a game can be inflated and that’s why it’s not always the best way to assess a player, but that’s not the case here. In this case he’s not getting any tackles to inflate.

 

 

Nobody in the front 6 is a rover.  Hurl is almost always taking one of the three inside gaps in their base "Cowboy" defense.  Google "Gap Control."  It's not 1985.  MLB's don't chase the ball around the field.

Not really. They were trying to add some experience. He wasn't as bad as most make him out to be. I wouldn't have signed him, but it wasn't a wtf moment to me.

The biggest problem with Kuale and Bryant was not signing them...but continuing to play them, after it became glaring obvious....that these guys were accomplishing nothing....

Import offensive tackle is another brutal spot.  Daniels is average, Tyler horrible, Lewis couldn't even get into a game.

Regarding the op, the story about Mulumba & Edem is hearsay. so shouldn't be used to praise or condemn Walters. The early returns on the 2014 draft have been decent and it's way too early to judge 2015. Writing Richards off after an injury plagued half-season is nonsense.

 

The Walker signing is the first moment of real worry for me about Walters. Recruiting on defense has been decent, but we haven't found much of anything on offense yet.

Yea that was the first big red flag for me.. Unless tyler thomas is hurt and walker was an emergency fill in... Bringing in him is a cause for concern.

Hurl as a starting MLB should not be considered a "hit".  He is awfull.

 

Here is a list of all of the players on Defence that have more tackles than him:

 

LB Bass (48)

DB Johnson (34)

DB/LB Randle (33)

DE Westerman (32)

DB Washington (32)

 

Hurl is tied with Adams for 6th on the team with 28.  That's an average of 3 per game.  For a middle linebacer, that's not good. He is constantly over-running the play or he is just lost in space. He should not be starting.

Honestly, Hurl wasn't good for the first game or 2 but he's been better recently, I think peoples expectations for him are too high, he's not the bighill or elomimian type, he's not the henoc type, If you actually watch him on the field, he's generally rushing the QB, It's how Hall is using him, he's not using him as what people would think of as your protypial MLB, he's using him more as a cowboy i suppose, a rover really, he's being used differently than how other MLB's are used, It's more scheme there, I don't think he's been that bad the last couple weeks. I'm honestly finding it hard to criticize the D when the O is last in the league in basically every category. 

 

I don't think using tackles is fair here... it's just a stat really. I'm not saying HURL is all world or anything but he's definitely not as bad as some people are making him out to be. He has a role and his role is different than that of your average MLB'r.

 

I have been keeping an eye on Hurl for the last few games now and I can say with confidence that yes he has been that bad.  If you’re a MLB and you’re a rover, you should be making a lot more happen than he is.  The guy is almost never in the play.  He constantly over shoots plays or is just nowhere to be found. Some times the amount of tackles a LB gets in a game can be inflated and that’s why it’s not always the best way to assess a player, but that’s not the case here. In this case he’s not getting any tackles to inflate.

 

Nobody in the front 6 is a rover.  Hurl is almost always taking one of the three inside gaps in their base "Cowboy" defense.  Google "Gap Control."  It's not 1985.  MLB's don't chase the ball around the field.

It is entertaining to watch people roast people when they dont really know whats going on tho, aint it?

Hurl hasnt been stellar but he has stepped up and played as asked of him.. If people move on from "hurl needs to be Simpson or muamba!" I think they will relax. Not all defenses are built the same..

Edmonton: Shakir Bell, Dexter McCoil, John Ojo, Derel Walker, Willie Jefferson, Kendial Lawrence in 2014 and 2015. All new to the CFL.

Edmonton: Shakir Bell, Dexter McCoil, John Ojo, Derel Walker, Willie Jefferson, Kendial Lawrence in 2014 and 2015. All new to the CFL.

 

Add James Franklin to that list too. The worst part is that aside from Bell, the other 5 look to be great players.

Hamilton is a great list too but you have to go back to 2013.

I think Kyle Walters might be the biggest problem for this team right now. I'm sure many will point to Bellefeuille or even O'Shea, but the fact that we have gaping holes at so many roster spots falls to him. There is no head coach or offensive coordinator that is going to look good with Marve or Brohm at QB, and certainly not behind some of the OL we're playing.

 

Basically, I think Walters "hit" on his QB and HC, but struggles with most of the other job. Canadian depth has improved but the bar was also set low. His American scouting is awful, and free agency is hit and miss. In comparison, I think Mack's biggest flaws were selecting head coaches and finding a long term answer at QB. His American scouting was solid, but his Canadian work was poor. Ironically, I think they both have created one-half of a good football team but never a whole one.

 

Personally, I would have liked to have seen what Mack could have done if Willy was here. 

Mack had the opportunity to bring in a guy like Mike Reilly and didn't do it. Mack was absolutely terrible and let's not pretend that there was any way that he could've been good.

Mack had the opportunity to bring in a guy like Mike Reilly and didn't do it. Mack was absolutely terrible and let's not pretend that there was any way that he could've been good.

Did he really? He had the chance to pay a premium for an expiring contract without even the chance to talk to the guy first. Edmonton go the chance to talk to him I believe, and they signed him almost instantly after the trade was made. All signs point to Reilly wanting to go to Edmonton and Buono being Buono and trying to grift another GM into a bad trade. 

 

 

Thanks for the post it was very well thought out and worded, I can't argue with much of it, I agree one of Walters weakness is lack of solid WRs brought in however I would argue we don't know if Marcel B. passed on a few that could have actually helped us after all it was this coaching staff that decided A. Kelly was no good and benched him at a time when Moore was out leaving us very thin and putting egos ahead of the good of the team... We could still use a big target like Kelly he may not have been fast but he was a big target and had great hands...So sometimes the GMs can bring in the best players they want but if the coaches don't like them because the "don't fit the system" not much a GM can do about that. If we look at Allen at MLB he probably would have been our best option but the Bombers decided to go with Hurl ( Big Mistake )

I do think Hurl is an ok player but is the worst MLB in the CFL by a big margin, he is averaging 3 tackles a game and some will say that is because of his roll but I have seen many tackles he could have made if he had more speed agility or aggression ( he is lacking all 3 IMO ) but he will make the tackle if someone come directly at him...

 

So for me while Walters needs to improve in many areas I like that he is constantly trying to improve the roster, I do agree we should be picking the best player regardless of position and Kyle needs to learn that from the Calgary model...

 

At the same time I would love it if you take a long hard look at the real problem on the team its the coaching not the GM IMO...

Except that Kelly was a retread. He washed out of Hamilton and the league until the Bombers gave him another shot. I believe he was one of Bellefeuilles guys from Hamilton and he wasn't good enough there, why did we think he was going to be good enough here? We sure could use a big target on the sidelines, but more along the lines of Chris Matthews (who Mack dug up out of nowhere) as opposed to Aaron Kelly who was not good enough for the CFL once before the bombers went dumpster diving. Veltung is the only receiver this regime has actually recruited from the states that has even looked like he could play for us. I'd argue that Kelly is the exact opposite situation you describe. A case where the coach brought in someone he liked and stubbornly stuck with him despite the player not being good enough. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying Kelly was worth keeping he was too slow I am just saying he was important to the Bombers last year and contributed greatly to at less 3 of the 6 wins he was involved in.

He was benched for the last 4 or so games, what I am saying is the Bombers made a coaching mistake to put their Egos ahead of the team when they benched Kelly and they started playing rookies that have since been cut. My entire point is that I agree Walters needs to improve but when you give a good player to a bad coach what do you get ? I liked Marcel B. at first but I have grown to have no faith in anything he does, I think he is simply over his head and just a stubborn as MOS...

So to me we should be focusing on the real problem not Walters but the Coaching in particular our OC , ST and OL coaches are simply not good enough...IMO...

 

I think you missed the point, the entire point was Kelly was never good enough to be starting but he was cause he had a relationship with Bellefeuille. If Walters recruiting was up to par Kelly never would have been on the opening game roster and a few big catches here and there doesn't change that he was a pretty terrible player. 

I think Kyle Walters might be the biggest problem for this team right now. I'm sure many will point to Bellefeuille or even O'Shea, but the fact that we have gaping holes at so many roster spots falls to him. There is no head coach or offensive coordinator that is going to look good with Marve or Brohm at QB, and certainly not behind some of the OL we're playing.

 

Basically, I think Walters "hit" on his QB and HC, but struggles with most of the other job. Canadian depth has improved but the bar was also set low. His American scouting is awful, and free agency is hit and miss. In comparison, I think Mack's biggest flaws were selecting head coaches and finding a long term answer at QB. His American scouting was solid, but his Canadian work was poor. Ironically, I think they both have created one-half of a good football team but never a whole one.

 

Personally, I would have liked to have seen what Mack could have done if Willy was here. 

 

And you would be partly right but, the defense with those same Walters stiffs has been coming around, why is that? coaching, gelling, perhaps both. So what is the offense's excuse?

Mack had the opportunity to bring in a guy like Mike Reilly and didn't do it. Mack was absolutely terrible and let's not pretend that there was any way that he could've been good.

If you recall, Wally wanted our first rounder for the rights to talk to Reilly, when it was already rumored he was going to sign with Edmonton.

So, we sign a retread running back in Walker who is doing his cross Canada CFL tour by signing with multiple teams & 2 shitty qbs. And we really think we can sweep the Riders let alone win one game? Especially after the regime change in Saskatchewan. Good luck with that. The Riders will be fired up...

 

Mack had the opportunity to bring in a guy like Mike Reilly and didn't do it. Mack was absolutely terrible and let's not pretend that there was any way that he could've been good.

If you recall, Wally wanted our first rounder for the rights to talk to Reilly, when it was already rumored he was going to sign with Edmonton.

 

Reilly has said time and time again that he would've considered signing with the Bombers - Mack just never made a play for him.

I'm wondering if the scouts did bring in some talent to camp but maybe our OC and DC who I'd imagine would have a large say In who sticks and doesn't just didn't give any of them a real chance.

 

 

 

Thanks for the post it was very well thought out and worded, I can't argue with much of it, I agree one of Walters weakness is lack of solid WRs brought in however I would argue we don't know if Marcel B. passed on a few that could have actually helped us after all it was this coaching staff that decided A. Kelly was no good and benched him at a time when Moore was out leaving us very thin and putting egos ahead of the good of the team... We could still use a big target like Kelly he may not have been fast but he was a big target and had great hands...So sometimes the GMs can bring in the best players they want but if the coaches don't like them because the "don't fit the system" not much a GM can do about that. If we look at Allen at MLB he probably would have been our best option but the Bombers decided to go with Hurl ( Big Mistake )

I do think Hurl is an ok player but is the worst MLB in the CFL by a big margin, he is averaging 3 tackles a game and some will say that is because of his roll but I have seen many tackles he could have made if he had more speed agility or aggression ( he is lacking all 3 IMO ) but he will make the tackle if someone come directly at him...

 

So for me while Walters needs to improve in many areas I like that he is constantly trying to improve the roster, I do agree we should be picking the best player regardless of position and Kyle needs to learn that from the Calgary model...

 

At the same time I would love it if you take a long hard look at the real problem on the team its the coaching not the GM IMO...

Except that Kelly was a retread. He washed out of Hamilton and the league until the Bombers gave him another shot. I believe he was one of Bellefeuilles guys from Hamilton and he wasn't good enough there, why did we think he was going to be good enough here? We sure could use a big target on the sidelines, but more along the lines of Chris Matthews (who Mack dug up out of nowhere) as opposed to Aaron Kelly who was not good enough for the CFL once before the bombers went dumpster diving. Veltung is the only receiver this regime has actually recruited from the states that has even looked like he could play for us. I'd argue that Kelly is the exact opposite situation you describe. A case where the coach brought in someone he liked and stubbornly stuck with him despite the player not being good enough. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying Kelly was worth keeping he was too slow I am just saying he was important to the Bombers last year and contributed greatly to at less 3 of the 6 wins he was involved in.

He was benched for the last 4 or so games, what I am saying is the Bombers made a coaching mistake to put their Egos ahead of the team when they benched Kelly and they started playing rookies that have since been cut. My entire point is that I agree Walters needs to improve but when you give a good player to a bad coach what do you get ? I liked Marcel B. at first but I have grown to have no faith in anything he does, I think he is simply over his head and just a stubborn as MOS...

So to me we should be focusing on the real problem not Walters but the Coaching in particular our OC , ST and OL coaches are simply not good enough...IMO...

 

I think you missed the point, the entire point was Kelly was never good enough to be starting but he was cause he had a relationship with Bellefeuille. If Walters recruiting was up to par Kelly never would have been on the opening game roster and a few big catches here and there doesn't change that he was a pretty terrible player. 

 

Yes I understand that the relationship with MB is why we got A. Kelly I get that and I also get that the Bombers haven't had a Big receiver since and he is still much better than Gordon is at this point in his career and could be a good 4th WR but is also speaks to the fact that the Bombers have done a terrible job finding WRs under Walters watch...

he wasn't good at any point and Darvin Adams is a better option. Kelly had no business being on the roster at all. Stop trying to make like he was good. He wasn't even better than Romby Bryant. 

This is likely going to be a long post but I've been thinking about doing this for a long time. I will preface this by saying I have never been a fan of Walter's work. I think because public sentiment had soured on Mack to the degree that anyone would have been seen as a massive improvement. I will also admit that I have always had a soft spot for Joe Mack and thought while he failed in getting us a QB, his team did bring us to a Grey Cup with Buck freaking Pierce at the helm. I will divide this into three sections; import recruiting, free agency and drafting. I recognize that some of the failures of Walters are also failures of McManus and Goveia so consider the import recruiting section to be a criticism of all three.

 

Import Recruiting:

 

Walters was hired in August of 2013 as the interim GM to replace the fired Joe Mack. That offseason, the search was on for a permanent GM that included Walters, Duane Forde for some reason and Tom Higgins. I am confident that none of those three headliners would have been good options but that's a story for another time. So if we take into account that Walters has been in charge for more than two calendar years, the following are the players he has brought in with no previous CFL experience that are currently making an impact on the team: Justin Veltung, Jace Daniels, Khalil Bass, Johnny Adams, Bruce Johnson, Moe Leggett & Cam Marshall. I will admit there are some good players on that list but considering that he has had two full training camps and offseasons to build the talent on the roster and to only have 7 of your own recruits become regular CFL players? Joe Mack, fired over two years ago, still has Washington, Turner, Anderson and Denmark on the roster of CFL rookies he brought in himself. Considering the lifecycle of professional football players to have only a 7-4 advantage in import recruits at this stage is pretty terrible. Let's also not forget, arguably our best defender last year was Ian Wild, another Mack guy.

 

To move onto the QBs for a moment, this was something I will agree that Mack had limited to no success with. However, while I will get to Willy in a moment, Walters has failed equally if not more in bringing in his own QB prospects. Say what you will about Brink, Elliott and Goltz but are any of them worse than Brohm, Marve or Portis? Having a marquee starting QB doesn't mean you can fail at finding a developmental or adequate backup QB. We are fully aware at this point what that failure leads to. Franklin, Cato, Collaros even Brett Smith are first year CFL quarterbacks who have at the very least shown they can move the ball. The bomber are stuck with Brohm, a 30 year old journeyman who has yet to show he can even make a 5 yard completion consistently and Robert Marve, a scrambler with no accuracy to speak of.

 

Running back has been a position that in the past has been a boon for the Bombers. Even going back 15 years, Roberts to Reid to Garrett to Simpson. I'm not saying Marshall and Cotton aren't good players as they are fine and injuries have certainly hampered our ability to fully evaluate Cotton but here's another issue. Walters didn't even find Cotton! He was originally cut in Hamilton's TC and then brought here. Not to say you can't find good players that way as Vega was brought in by Mack in a similar manner but it just continues to contribute to the idea that Walters struggles to bring in his own recruited talent. RB isn't even a sore spot for this team without decimating injuries but bringing in Chevon Walker tells me all I need to know about Walters' confidence in his ability. 

 

One of the two biggest sore spots for me when it comes to Walters is Receiver. Yes, Veltung looks like a solid enough prospect but to have only one Import recruit to speak of after two years of trying is a complete and utter embarrassment. Toronto brought in three contributing rookies this year. Hamilton has brought in Underwood and Tolliver. Calgary brought in Rogers last year. The list goes on and on and on. Denmark, Moore and Adams are fine players but none are the best at their position to the point where competition should not be pushing them. Jhomo Gordon was the best of what we brought in in the offseason according to the coaching staff this year and he's been a mess in three games played. The fact that last year we not only brought in Romby Bryant (a complete joke and truthfully the biggest red flag last year of Walters' incompetence) but also started him for over half the year is something that would not go over on any other team in the league save for Taman's Riders. Also keep in mind that no one could displace Aaron Kelly from Walters' recruits either. Joe Mack brought in Matthews, Denmark, Wallace Miles, Greg Carr and TJH. All players that made an impact at the CFL level and shames the talent that Walters has brought in.

 

I'll lastly look at the defensive line. Up until this year, Turner and Anderson were guys that we really had no reason to replace but that's also another check by Joe Mack's name as they were his recruits. Meanwhile, while Nate Collins looks like a player, the rest of the linemen he has brought in have been a who's who of nobodies. The fact that no one has displaced Greg Peach in two years and the guy who has shown the most of the other imports, Thad Gibson, was not even a Walters find! Fraser, Willie Mosely, Marvin Booker, Tre Harlan and so on have all failed to make an impact while guys like Alex Bazzie, Gabe Knapton, Willie Jefferson, Tristan Okpalaugo, and Bryan Hall have all come into the league over the past couple seasons and have been great for their teams.

 

Free Agency:

 

Over two offseasons and seasons, the Bombers have brought in the following players; Graig Newman, Nick Moore, Darvin Adams, Stanley Bryant, Ivan Brown, Sam Hurl, Romby Bryant, EJ Kuale, Greg Peach, Aaron Kelly and Dom Picard. I will be generous by saying 5 of those players are hits (including Hurl) while admitting that Ivan Brown is who he is and his was hardly a make or break signing. That being said, Moore and Bryant are the best of the Import lot there are Bryant has not had a great season by any stretch and Moore has been solid, if unspectacular and frequently injured. I'll admit I was never a Moore fan and thought we paid too much for him, but that's the price of not bringing in Import receiver talent I guess. On the other hand, Mack was universally panned for standing pat during free agency and preferring to build with his own guys. Sometimes that worked, sometimes it didn't but looking at that list of players brought in via free agency by Walters, would any of you say that had they all not been signed we would be missing out? Truthfully, I didn't have a category to put Westerman and Hajrullahu in they were of course likely Walters' two shining moments as GM of this team but again, this was a case of signing a kicker off the street and giving him a chance when pretty much every other team was set at kicker and throwing money and a starting spot at Westerman. He deserves credit for landing them both but it doesn't change much. Let's also remember that Walters traded for a 35 year old Korey Banks as an attempt to solidfy the linebacking corps. I will also put the trade for Randle down here and again, another solid move by Walters that I really can't criticize in any manner. Randle, Westerman and Hajrullahu are three difference makers on the roster and all three are Walters' moves. Good for him.

 

This brings us to the situation of Drew Willy. Last offseason, the QBs available were Willy, Collaros and Burris as everyone remembers. Ottawa had the freshly drafted Glenn as their QB but badly wanted Burris for some insane reason once he became available. Collaros was always seen as the best QB on the market followed by Willy. Despite Collaros' success in Hamilton, I am still happy and content with Willy as our man. The problem is, there was almost no way that the Bombers were going to end up without one of the two. Burris was going to Ottawa and the scary part was, the Bombers were making a push for him! Can't imagine Joe Mack ever doing that. In the end, Walters made the trade with the Riders for Willy's rights that Mack didn't make with BC for Mike Reilly's. I'd argue that the price Taman wanted for Willy (Etienne) was pittance compared to Wally's price for Reilly (A first rounder without the right to speak to Reilly beforehand iirc). I obviously can't prove this but put Mack in the GM chair last offseason and you likely get the same result. Collaros to Hamilton, Burris to Ottawa and Willy to Winnipeg. Other than Montreal, who was more than happy to enter the season with Troy Smith, no other team needed a QB. Collaros and Willy were both going to hit the market no matter what and Ottawa wanted a veteran QB to lead them through their first season. I guess Walters should get credit for getting the job done, but I find it difficult to give him a ton of credit. Especially considering Collaros at this point is clearly the superior QB anyway.

 

The Draft:

 

This is where I think Walters actually deserves the most criticism. Mostly because he was never touted as a great American scout with a ton of connections down south, but rather a cerebral CIS guy who could be trusted at draft time. Before we get to Walters' drafts as GM, I want to go back to the 2013 draft, Mack's last as GM of the Bombers. The story was that when Mack was going to pick Mulumba, Walters was convinced Edem was the better pick. After Mulumba stuck in the NFL and Edem had a decent to good rookie year with the Als, everyone was lauding Walters' genius. In the years since, Edem has lost his job to Marco Brouillette and has failed to come close to his rookie season's productivity. Mulumba is still in the NFL but this has been touched on before, I still would rather have a guy like him in the pipeline that Edem who at this point it's known what he brings and it's special teams work for the last few years.

 

The 2014 draft was a weak one and I love the Derek Jones pick while Briggs looks solid enough. Goossen was picking based on need which I hate, but we can't close the door on him yet and save for Pruneau, no one selected after pick two is anyone I feel we really missed out on. I have no negative things to say about this draft so good job Walters.

 

2015 is where things went off the rails. I love the Chungh pick but people loved the Muamba pick too. It was a need and we picked the best player available. That's what a GM should do. The next rounds were colossal let downs and as bad as anything Mack ever did (Robertson in the 2nd round was just as bad). Richards and Morgan may turn out to be good players but passing on Durant, SML, Waud, Shortill or even Brett Boyko will be mistakes that we will feel for years to come.

 

Conclusion:

 

Since he was hired in August 2013, the Bombers are 12-27. This is not all on Kyle Walters but despite some great moves (Westerman, Randle, Chungh, Hajrullahu) the bad ones and the REALLY bad ones greatly outweigh those positives. I know most of you probably know or remember all this stuff but now with Taman out of the picture in Regina, Walters is the clear bottom of the CFL GM barrel.

Fantastic post and great followup remarks. Thanks.