Amidst all the positivity and hope swirling around the Bombers, certain things about the current regime continue to leave me quite concerned:

MB's schemes: given what took place in Montreal back in '07, why was it not recognized that his scheme was a problem in terms of QB protection?  I realize that our interior OL has been weak, but the scheme did very little to help with that.

Picard: why was it not recognized that he could no longer be an everyday starter?  Why was this not properly assessed before he was signed?

As for the current free agency bonanza, I'm cautiously optimistic.  I still remember the 'amazing work' Taman did during 2008 free agency.  

Somehow, there always seems to be one area of the team where they are trying to shove square pegs into round holes.  Bomber management's apparent lack of awareness in these scenarios leaves me quite concerned. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

 

 

9 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

Amidst all the positivity and hope swirling around the Bombers, certain things about the current regime continue to leave me quite concerned:

MB's schemes: given what took place in Montreal back in '07, why was it not recognized that his scheme was a problem in terms of QB protection?  I realize that our interior OL has been weak, but the scheme did very little to help with that.

Picard: why was it not recognized that he could no longer be an everyday starter?  Why was this not properly assessed before he was signed?

As for the current free agency bonanza, I'm cautiously optimistic.  I still remember the 'amazing work' Taman did during 2008 free agency.  

Somehow, there always seems to be one area of the team where they are trying to shove square pegs into round holes.  Bomber management's apparent lack of awareness in these scenarios leaves me quite concerned. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

 

 

Mark...seems to me that all teams go through the same thing at one point or another. They probably thought that MB's schemes would improve but they didn't...so then what? fire him mid season and try and find someone to take his place at that point? Same with Picard, he was starting in Sask, so why wouldn't he be a starter here, they had what was considered to be a very good oline. So now he comes here, and between the schemes and him getting worse...then what? find someone mid season again to take his place? not so easy, but they did near the end of the year.

I'd be much more worried if they just decided to stand pat...but they are definitely not doing that!

 

I'm more concerned about Picard being brought in in the first place.  The people playing beside him made him look better than he really was - Bombers' scouting dept. / coaches needed to recognize that. We have some knowledgeable football people on these boards. Their opinion of Picard at the time of the signing proved to be 100% accurate.

 

I believe that with regards to Picard the hope was that his experience and leadership would outweigh his shortcomings on the field. 

46 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

I'm more concerned about Picard being brought in in the first place.  The people playing beside him made him look better than he really was - Bombers' scouting dept. / coaches needed to recognize that. We have some knowledgeable football people on these boards. Their opinion of Picard at the time of the signing proved to be 100% accurate.

 

I understand what you are getting at, but virtually every coach and or scouting staff do not always pick the perfect player. If they did they would never lose.

34 minutes ago, blitzmore said:

I understand what you are getting at, but virtually every coach and or scouting staff do not always pick the perfect player. If they did they would never lose.

Too true. I just hope the OL talent and protection schemes are being given their due diligence this time around.  I would say our entire season pretty much hinges on this. They seem to have improved the talent pretty well in most other areas. Perhaps they are counting on Harris to be a difference maker in the protection schemes, and that's why they've mostly stood pat  with the current OL.

TBD

We definitely overpaid for Picard, but he had more value as a mentor to Chungh then he did as a player.  Realistically if Daniels can stay healthy Ive heard nothing but good things about him,  and a line up right now of Bryant, Chungh, Goosen/Keeping, ?, Daniels doesnt sound like we need too look for too many starter calibre players to fill 1 spot. 

 

I dont know if anyone of Goosen or Keeping can be moved over to guard, but maybe we take a flyer out on Matt Normand out of BC, NI C who started 36 game for BC between 2013 and 2014

The question about our Ol is more about depth. We have low numbers and need more depth but hopefully that's coming. Maybe via draft, maybe via trade, and definitely via recruiting down south. 

Some of the evaluations of Quarterbacks, and import OL round these parts......pretty questionable as well.    The eye is squarely on this scouting staff - we really need some followup to the stuff we did this week, in free agency.   Don't want to hear about recruiting, anymore.....just want to see it.

Edited February 11, 20169 yr by do or die

When you only draft 2 o-linemen in the past 3 years, it's hard to build anything.

8 minutes ago, pigseye said:

When you only draft 2 o-linemen in the past 3 years, it's hard to build anything.

Except that 2 - 3 of our 5 starting OL have been Americans. 

33 minutes ago, do or die said:

Some of the evaluations of Quarterbacks, and import OL round these parts......pretty questionable as well.    The eye is squarely on this scouting staff - we really need some followup to the stuff we did this week, in free agency.   Don't want to hear about recruiting, anymore.....just want to see it.

We used to joke about guys who came for the buffet in TC - it's simply not funny anymore 

Rookie coach brought in experienced assistants... they just happened to be the wrong ones.

As well, its not up to Wylie to second guess his OC... its up to him to teach technique and reads within the system.  If the system is broken, thats a tall order.

By the time the problems were apparent, Willy was broken.  Hopefully things are different this year.

I do really think that the bombers will be the first(?) CFL team to go 4 import on the OL... probably by labour day.

I wonder if wylie will or has gone out with our scouts to find imp olinemen. Id trust his eye and evaluation at this point over our scouts in finding the right piece(s) for our oline

Edited February 11, 20169 yr by Taynted_Fayth

a lot of people say Picard was horrible but I really think him having a rookie beside him and an underperforming greaves on the other side made him look worse then he was in blocking.  his snaps though, those were all on him.. they were atrocious.

2 minutes ago, SPuDS said:

a lot of people say Picard was horrible but I really think him having a rookie beside him and an underperforming greaves on the other side made him look worse then he was in blocking.  his snaps though, those were all on him.. they were atrocious.

Go back and focus on him if you have any games PVRed.

Just watch him and him alone. Frequently, he blocked absolutely nobody.

That whole O was a freak show, last year.....from design to tempo to play calling to execution.......dismal.

1 minute ago, Mike said:

Go back and focus on him if you have any games PVRed.

Just watch him and him alone. Frequently, he blocked absolutely nobody.

huh. ill believe ya as I don't have any pvr'd games anymore to reference and was going by my apparently bad memory lol.  regardless, im glad hes not our starter anymore as his snaps were so poor.  if his blocking was as bad as mentioned as well, then bully for us

Never could understand how we expected to run the ball, with the snap in slow motion, and then having the RB come to a dead stop, a couple of yards behind the LOS to take the handoff......

I can't even remember what kind of run action LaPolice ran, but Harris is such a weapon on the move that a lot of pressure problems would be lessened in my humble opinion by running back motion away from the quarterback.  Pitches and screens seem to me to be the things Harris is really useful for. 

I better stop this because A: my lack of knowledge will show and B:I'll start to get ridiculously excited and it will hard to maintain that until June.

 

I think we'll make better use out of bootleg plays then we did prior,  though towards the end of the year Marshall was starting to be used more in a passing situation and he broke a few gooders out there,  just didnt have the wheels to go all the way

18 hours ago, Mark H. said:

Except that 2 - 3 of our 5 starting OL have been Americans. 

They wouldn't be if they had the choice but they don't.

.

Edited February 11, 20169 yr by Mark F

Shoulda grabbed Bourke, dealt Bryant for another national.

Picardy snapping through the timing off our entire offense. It honestly might've been more harmful to use than his pathetic attempts at blocking were.

22 minutes ago, J5V said:

Shoulda grabbed Bourke, dealt Bryant for another national.

Given Bryant's play last year and Bourke's age, might not have been a bad trade off (older N guy outplaying younger I guy).

Hoping Bryant comes back and earns his pay check this year.