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Subpar Offensive Lines are a problem on many teams BUT, the most important positions (OT) are being filled with 95% Americans So, to say the OL issues are created by the Canadian ratio, is over-simplifying a complex problem Winnipeg has built an outstanding OL by signing and retaining of THE BEST American Tackles available - while scouting and drafting good Canadians They have a good OL because of the ratio, not in spite of it And, good players are well paid, regardless of nationality.

The salary cap and Import/Non-import ratio is what separates the smart GMs from the dullards. I do NOT want it screwed with.

It wouldn't.

Respecting the skills that McDavid has and hating the Oilers are not mutually exclusive.

How would it reduce costs?

This league office is an incredible disaster for many reasons but labour relations might be the worst. Now you have competition for American players. Money is an obvious issue in being competitive, but if they can't iron out player relations and get CBA's done promptly why would any agent of a player who has a second-tier league option in the US recommend the CFL?

Jones might possibly dress 13 QBs on offence.

Who thought that mourtada would be back? not me.

There are a thousand US players for every Cdn player. Teams are forced to 'overpay' Canadian players, especially the starters. With extra US players the overpay would go down. Therefore it would reduce the amount needed to pay and get better talent. Teams would still spend to the SMS limit, but they'd get better players for their money.

I'm wondering if these negotiations are having an impact on these young players deciding to move on? Obviously with Foster, TO is going CDN at his spot...but there's no reason be couldn't catch on somewhere else (Ssk). He was an exciting player to watch and it too bad he's walking away. But that's 3 relatively young players all walking away within 1 week. CBA leaving too much up in the air??

Eugene Goodlow Wade Miller

You guys realize that on TSN this past Tuesday night, Randy Ambrosie lied to Farhan Lalji & all CFL fans watching the draft about the state of the CBA negotiations saying they were proceeding well. When Lalji asked him how they were going he made sure to mention that the talks had got off to a great start & how both sides wanted to get a deal done. When Lalji mentioned that the CFLPA had asked for a strike mandate from its members Ambrosie just passed it off as part of the negotiations like it was no big deal. He made no mention that the Players Association & the BOG's were at odds over ratio reduction & the CFL wanting a 10 year deal with no salary cap increase during the life of that agreement. He knew things were going badly but he still lied. Ambrosie smiled & lied to everyone. That is our Commissioner & the face of the CFL. You can't believe anything he says. Ambrosie has no credibility. It's no wonder the Players don't like or trust him. If he can lie to us publicly on tyelevision without any feelings of guilt, imagine what he's like in private dealing with the CFLPA.

Swapping QB's faster than Leo DiCaprio swapping girlfriends, only they're getting older instead of younger

This is it in a nutshell. How does the game get better? How can they do this right before camp is supposed to open?

As we get prepped for mini-camp opening next Wednesday, here's Our Man Tait with his annual "Positional Preview" series, starting with "The Specialists": https://www.bluebombers.com/2022/05/05/positional-preview-specialists-5/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

TYrone Jones died much too young. Such a sad story. He was so full of life when he played. It was always interesting (& funny) to watch him between plays getting under opposition players skins by always having the last word. Quite a linebacking crew in the 80's. Greg Battle, Aaron Brown, Delbert Fowler, Tyrone Jones, Gary Moten, Vernon Pahl. Darrell Patterson, Paul Randolph, Frank Robinson, James "Wild, Wild" West & Dan Wicklum. These were our linebackers between 1984-90 ion alphabetical order.. There's a reasom we won 3 Grey Cups during that time. They were collectively the best & most dominant in the CFL during that time.

Usual stuff, Charged, and got convictions for a bunch of foot soldiers. Resulting in some light sentences, (considering they were attempting to overthrow the government) which will deter nobody, but which is enough to satisfy the leaders of the country it seems. And the press, tv, etc. Upper level perpetrators got nothing to worry about. so, now just stalling till republicans get control, and end the inquiry. Same b.s. as Bush torture.... lock up lydie england...... couple other grunts that did the dirty work..... problem solved.

Yeah, I agree, and good comparison to Sellers.

He called it immaturity in his younger days that got him tossed from The League and by the time he'd got his head on straight he was too old for what they were looking for. Simply put, we are EXTREMELY fortunate to have a player that is "too good" for this league... (similar to Mike Sellers in more ways than one I believe)

The simple fact that he wasn’t cut when Castillo was signed, and then kept on the roster after the season were two big clues.

It literally already happens every time the salary cap goes up.

I don't agree that it would only lead to further overpaying QBs... good GMs will continue to be good GMs, spending evenly and appropriately while benefiting from having more money to spend on potentially better import talent... bad GMs will continue to be bad GMs and overpay out of desperation, import or otherwise I think eliminating the ratio entirely is plainly a bad idea. Reducing it by as much as half could be a very good idea. I doubt we'll ever find out though.

Forty years.... might be time to move on

I remember the 80s so **** the Oilers.

Oilers scored fourteen in two games? go oilers. Canuck team. Mcdavid.

I just think after the last couple of years that this is not the time to play hardball and have a labour battle. Do a 1 or 2 year deal and get the league rolling again. Then worry about restructuring things.

May 6 CAR 2-4 BOS : CAR leads 2-1 TOR 5-2 TPA : TOR leads 2-1 😡 MIN 5-1 STL : MIN leads 2-1 EDM 8-2 LAK : EDM leads 2-1 😡

That's my take too - eliminate the ratio and an incompetent GM will overspend elsewhere.

I always viewed Wade as a player as somewhat of a novelty. Now after several chats, B2B championships, and his hard nosed management, he has my total respect. Great local boy done good story. So thankful he was a bomber. Bless his soul.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2022/05/07/positional-preview-defensive-line-6/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter The DL

Argos cut dj foster.

Middle Linebacker Greg Battle Jessie Briggs

Good god for a split second I thought it said, “Elks have tapped GM/head coach Chris Jones to also be Chris Jones the starting qb, after announcing the retirement of all twelve other qb prospects signed this past off-season”

Ironically he and ilk like him use their consistently bad and often illegal behaviour to their advantage as is in ‘another hit job people, I told you this would happen but it won’t stop me, I will fight for you until my last breath’, and people with a very narrow view on this world lap this up like thirsty dogs while parting with their money and sanity. Oh and all while Garland and crew stand on the sidelines suggesting to the populace that no one is above the law.

Loved him on Lucky Louie.... "See... you're just on your first wife... with her you're gonna make all the mistakes. Then with your second wife you'll try to correct those mistakes and make worse, new ones. Now your third wife... yah.... there's a marriage."

3:45, 7:02, love this guy already

*NEW STOVE ALERT* WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed American running back/returner Greg McCrae and American receivers Eli Stove and Tavaris Harrison. McCrae (five-foot-10, 175 pounds, UCF; born: January 21, 1998 in Miami, FL) joins the Blue Bombers after a spectacular career at the University of Central Florida. There, McCrae left his mark in the team’s history books having earned himself the highest yards-per-carry with an average of 6.45. He ranks fourth in school history with 29 career rushing touchdowns and fourth with 2,620 rushing yards. In 2021, McCrae spent time with the Toronto Argonauts.

He would have been a lousy punter anyhow.

fun read: https://www.cfl.ca/2022/05/06/last-man-up-burtenshaw-thrilled-as-final-draft-pick/ The last man selected in the 2022 CFL draft didn’t see his name, at first, when it popped up on the draft tracker Tuesday night. He was too busy plotting his next move. The selection process had been methodically unfolding for hours and as things were winding down during the eighth and final round, Konner Burtenshaw was no longer hitting ‘refresh’ on his computer. He was, instead, pacing the room and wondering what he’d have to do next in order to keep his dream of playing pro football alive. “I felt my mind starting to race a little bit,” the 26-year-old fullback says, admitting that his hopes of being selected had been pretty well extinguished at that point. What was he thinking about? “What the next steps would be if I didn’t get drafted.” But just when it seemed like it was all over, Burtenshaw’s girlfriend, Abby, screamed and called him over to the computer. With the 74th and final pick of the draft, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers had chosen the Queen’s Gaels grad. “It was really nice seeing my name up there,” Burtenshaw says, proudly. Over the last few weeks and months, we’ve gotten to see a lot of information about so many of the top prospects in this year’s CFL draft and good on them, because they’ve earned that. But all those stories have been told. This one, a story for the less-heralded, has not been told so much. They also deserve some attention. Konner Burtenshaw, a work boots and lunch bucket football player who’s been grinding it out on his university team’s kick cover squads for four seasons, the final pick in Tuesday night’s draft, is a poster boy for those who’ve been flying under the radar but hoping that someone, somewhere in the CFL, will take notice. Things are moving at kind of a frenetic pace when Burtenshaw pauses to talk a little about what’s coming. “I’ve gotta be in Winnipeg in five days,” he says, energetically, the glow of the previous night’s excitement still brightly lighting his demeanor. Some of that excitement included a call from Winnipeg Head Coach, Mike O’Shea, who welcomed the last player selected to the Bombers’ organization, offering up some words of praise and encouragement. That’s something that has Burtenshaw even more fired up as his first pro camp gets closer. Just before we have our conversation, I clicked ‘play’ on Burtenshaw’s YouTube highlight video to acquaint myself with him a little bit. I was only about 20 or 30 seconds into it before I thought “Oh, I know why Mike O’Shea likes this guy.” That’s because Burtenshaw’s enthusiasm for special teams missions was clearly on display. Then, about 2:10 into the reel, I see Burtenshaw hustling downfield on kick coverage against the University of Toronto. He takes on one blocker, then quickly another. Each of those blockers appears quite unhappy about the zest with which Burtenshaw has undertaken his role. As the play ends, they come at him. He shoves them both away with a little more of that zest, one right after the other. “Oh, now I REALLY know why Mike O’Shea likes this guy,” I muttered to myself. I point out to Burtenshaw that his highlight tape has me thinking that he is O’Shea’s kind of guy. He laughs. “I’ve heard that a couple times now,” he says. O’Shea is famous in football for so many things, of course, but one of them is definitely his great love of special teams and the physical maelstrom through which players need to navigate — or force their way through — on every kick. O’Shea had 169 career special teams tackles, himself, and he can get positively gleeful when talking about the controlled mayhem of football’s down and dirtiest discipline. When I mention that to Burtenshaw, his reply has me believing that his new head coach will love him even more when he gets to know him. “It’s almost medieval,” says Burtenshaw (who ought to know since he majored in history at Queen’s). “When you’re running down the field at kickoff, you kind of think of it like you’re charging a battle line. It’s crazy. When you step onto that field, it’s all business and you can go out there and you can smack some bodies around. It’s part of the game and it’s awesome.” Going to high school in Odessa Township, just west of Kingston, ON, Burtenshaw didn’t perform on special teams, really, at all. But he did just about everything else for the Ernestown Eagles. He played quarterback, running back and linebacker on a team that he says had just “20 or 21” players on its roster. At Queen’s, the special teams play came and Burtenshaw took to it. For four seasons he worked on that particular craft, with offensive touches being generally scarce. Over his final two seasons with the Gaels, the five-foot-10, 220 pounder did see a little more action as a backfield battering ram, particularly in goal line situations. “I got myself a few touchdowns,” he says. Burtenshaw’s work ethic and dedication are well-known throughout the Queen’s football community. Three times he was named the Gaels’ special teams player of the year, and he was made a captain in a vote by his teammates. “He’s very respected by his team,” says Gaels Head Coach Steve Snyder. “He’s not a very outgoing ‘rah-rah-rah’ guy at all. He’s respected because of his physical presence, his toughness, and because of his work ethic and his commitment to our standard.” “He’s had an instrumental role as, essentially, our most reliable special teams player, and a guy that’s played all over the field on specials making an impact for a number of years,” adds Snyder. “And he’s become one of the most dominant special teams players in the league.” Even if someone like Burtenshaw is a well-known and valued commodity at his school, it’s tough for players without a gaudy stats pack to grab an outsider’s attention as the combine season plays out. Some won’t get the chance, never seeing an invitation to even a regional combine. Burtenshaw considers himself fortunate that he got a shot at the East Regional in Baie-D’Urfe, QC, in March. “When I got my name pulled for that combine I kind of realized it was my opportunity to get some eyes on,” he says. “It was hard for me being only a special teams guy because I’m not getting 30, 40 snaps at running back or fullback. I’m only getting a few snaps here and there on punt and kick-off (cover), punt return, kickoff return.” Although Burtenshaw did not then receive an invitation to the national combine, his regional appearance likely helped to get him drafted. “I’m just happy that someone spotted me, you know?” Now, he’s a Winnipeg Blue Bomber and is about to get some lessons in special teams play from not only O’Shea, but from the CFL’s all-time leader in special teams tackles (210), Mike Miller, who is entering his 11th season in the pros. Miller, I should remind you, wasn’t drafted at all at the beginning of his CFL career, making the grade at Edmonton’s training camp as a free agent in 2011. “I’m excited to learn from a couple of the best,” says Burtenshaw of the opportunity ahead of him. He knows of Miller’s long-standing importance and production and is aspirational when he talks about what the veteran stalwart has been providing for so long. “That’s a role that I want to play,” he says. “I think Winnipeg is gonna be a perfect fit,” says the native of Amherstview, ON, optimistically. “He (O’Shea) respects and understands a Canadian player’s role in the game and especially my role in the game as mainly a special teams guy. I think it’s gonna be a great atmosphere, a great team to be a part of.” If the Bombers feel like giving him a look in the backfield while camp is on, Burtenshaw is up to it. “I think my biggest impact will be on special teams,” he says, “cover teams specifically. But I would never say no to the opportunity at fullback or running back. And I would do my best to get there as well.” As he has been doing through the entire process, it seems, just like so many unsung prospects have done time and time again over the years. Burtenshaw was a whisker away from not seeing his name on that draft board at all on Tuesday night and he knows there are others who did not escape that disappointment. He has a message for them. “The thoughts that were running through my head as the draft was dwindling down was just ‘What are my next steps from here? How does free agency work? How do I figure that out?’ I hope those guys are thinking the same way. And I hope they’re still getting after it and they’re not discouraged.” “It doesn’t matter if you’re drafted first overall or last,” says the final man taken in the 2022 CFL draft. “All it is is an opportunity to prove yourself as a football player and that’s all we need.”

The guys picked in the top 20 not getting nfl deals are drastically better than the rare top talents of 10 years ago. It'd be nice to have exclusive access to Canadians but that would cripple the stream of talent. This balancing act is the cfl talent pipe line in a nutshell. I'd love a new creative ratio that kept nis playing and starting but didn't hamstring teams more than need be but idk what that looks like.

Reducing the number of NI's on each team would increase the talent level and reduce the cost of the CFL. No one would miss the worst 2 NI's on the team. Not many folks would even be able to name them. Replace them with DI's. Finding the 7th starting NI is tough for most teams. Reduce the guaranteed NI starters by 1 and increase the number of US starters by 1. FTW: Globals don't take NI jobs. They are a completely different group. There are a MINIMUM number of Canadians and that number hasn't changed.. yet.

Cuz... it's "Very, Very Contagious"? Huff post headline writers getting lazy AF.

Tyrone Jones. There may be better overall defensive players in the history of the Bombers depending on which position you consider, but there were few if any who could just take over a game with their dominance like he could when he turned it on (maybe Willie Jefferson is a comparable now).

There is definitely an element of 'new season' goggles going on when looking at our prospects. Especially when we know it's going to take a year or two for these prospects to really break out.

Sure we say that every year about new receivers in camp, but maybe it’s because every year we see how the scouting system set up by McManus/Goveia digs deeper into the prospect pool? This regime has shown me how much it takes to establish a real scouting network, and even then how it takes time to really get rolling.

Maybe Bombers know something fans don't re: Eli..so maybe no need especially with Dobson likely in camp...couture and neuf with 2 of 3 spots locked up we could have Gray..Kolonkowski..Dobson and Eli vying for basically 2 roster spots..and to make it even more juicier maybe Desjarlais has told them if he gets cut..he's coming back to play ball and not do the PR dance hoping to land somewhere and never see field