bluedawg

An extra body to get through practice at those positions and a shot in the dark that maybe those two can become serviceable Canadian players in the future

Whoever said Haba was playing some 3-4 outside backer against Montreal is correct I think the idea in bringing Haba back over Adams (who is a great player and should be on over Woods imo) is that Garbutt can also kick inside to DT. I would hope to see a lot of 4 American rushing fronts now with Willie - Woods - Garbutt - Haba Haba has the bend and burst to get underneath OTs and that's something we haven't had in some time. He probably also shouldn't be a full-time starter because I don't think he's great against the run and since Willie J isn't great there either, it is not ideal. Now with Adams vs Woods. The team must like something about Woods better but I don't understand it. He's been the starter and gotten much more reps, yet Adams is the one who shows up on the stat sheet. I think this DL lineup with Woods to PR and Adams starting would be our best DL combination possible

Rourke changes the complexion of the West playoff race. Wonder if VA still gets traded this season. Not sure who would be that desperate right now.

Agree with you on Parker's movement skills. Disagree, however, with all the sentiment on here calling him a DIME for us. DIME in our defense has typically been a hybrid safety that is the connecting piece between the DB and LB units. Parker might hit hard enough and be smart enough but he's barely 5-foot-7 on a good day and that's simply not big enough to stay healthy playing so close to the LOS. I think Parker would be playing CB or HB — I think if he doesn't get hurt in '23 camp he would've started over Holm Also I do not expect Parker back this season. Torn ACL I thought. Parker, Lawson, Schoen I all do not expect back I think they all have torn ACLs

Watching every game this season and watching the recordings over a second time Stiffness in the hips, or in other words a lack of flexibility, limits a player's ability to change direction or smoothly contort their body. For a receiver when you are stiff at the hip it hurts your ability to make explosive cuts to separate from defenders or alter body positioning to make catches. Rasheed Bailey was stiff, Clercius is even moreso. Pokey Wilson is the opposite, you see his flexibility in the air and while running routes. Lacking that type of flexibility, which has always been Clercius' biggest knock, will limit his ceiling. He is strong and fast in a straight line so he can do some damage, especially as a Canadian, but I absolutely stand by that he doesn't quite have an all-star ceiling. And no that's not writing him off, just being realistic. Kola I think is better than Michael Couture was based on what I've seen. And I think evaluating OL play is hard off broadcast I will admit. So not entirely sure how you can so definitively call him the worst starting C.

On Clercius: I don't see him as having an elite CFL ceiling but think he will be a great glue guy and eventual starter in the Rasheed Bailey role. He is stiffer than most and not going to be able to run a dynamic route tree but he is physical and tough and will be a force as a blocker and 400-600 yard receiver each year at some point. Wallace is going to be a starter, maybe as soon as next year if Patty retires I think people in this forum, myself included, must be overrating Tui if he still isn't starting over Kolankowski. Tui is clearly the more physically talented player of the two but apparently that isn't everything. I also think people on here underrate Kola a bit. He is a solid center in the league, nothing more nothing less. I understand why there's frustration because the team doesn't come out and say why Tui isn't starting but they never do anything like that.

What is you guys' ideal lineup for the team to make once players are back from injury toward the latter part of the year? I'm thinking QB Zach RB Brady WRs Kenny, Pokey, Wheatfall, Woli, Demski (Clercius as the 6th) OL Stan, Dobson, Kolo, Patty, Kendall R (I really think Lofton is the main problem and want everyone else to gel) DL Willie, Garbutt + Haba platoon, Adams, Woods (Something tells me Miles Fox is done for the year) LB Biggie Wilson with Ayers finally rotating in SAM Cole FS Redha CB/HB Bonds, Deatrick, Holm, Ford This would still be 8 starting Canadians. Can this lineup can win a Grey Cup?

Amazing to see the Bombers pull this out with 11 starting Canadians. Pretty remarkable and totally unnecessary Good signs for the future: Development of young WRs, especially Pokey. Collaros finding his groove after the second interception Olivera back-to-back strong games Defense and special teams having big plays ST coverage units showing more consistency Bad signs for the future: DL looked abysmal at times. WJ not wreaking havoc consistently. Too much Jake. Too much Hubert. Where's the American DE? Hopefully Garbutt helps. Biggie is over the hill. And I don't expect the team to move on until next season at the earliest that's just not how they operate with vets BA is cooked as well. No clear replacement in house. Maybe Michael Griffin? Not sure if Osh would be willing to make a change.

He's had what, two targets so far? Jury still out to me on Wilson. Mitchell hasn't had any time to play WR at all really in that time. Think Pokey Wilson clearly showed a lot in camp to be the Week 1 starter but I agree, I wonder if he doesn't do well this week if we'll see Josh Johnson there instead

I don't think this is true at all actually... Miles Fox last year. Brian Cole and previously Malik Clements. Kenny Lawler was originally cut by BC before we picked him up in 2018. Michael Griffin was cut from Calgary after playing the full year there last year and made PR.

Lucky OG, I thought he did well on specials. Also saw him playing DE and beat Calgary's starting OT on one play. I think he's a sleeper to be a legitimate contributor next season

Who is the british one?! I thought it was two German guys

3 Canadian RBs on the roster already without Rosery... Brady, Johnny (much better than Rosery despite what people on here have said) and Chris-Ike who doubles as fullback

10 if Shayne starts while Biggie is hurt (probably happens, they never trust rookie Americans to start Week 1) 3 OL, 2 WR, Brady, Thomas (will start no matter what Oshea for some reason has the biggest hard on for him), Redha, Ford, Gauthier I would expect Brian Cole will play more than Gauthier but Gauthier will start until Bighill is back

I don't think that's true at all. Every decision is very calculated by the Bombers, including not releasing cuts, depth charts or injury reports until as late as possible to not give any advantage to other teams around the league. If Chris Smith was a serious injury he probably would've been 6-gamed. But also maybe not because then he'd have veteran status in the league. Being on the one game gives players an accrued game. Teams value trying to keep players on rookie status so they don't have to be on the hook in case of injury. Not putting Chris Smith on 1-game if the injury isn't serious and bringing him back when he's healthy feels like a no-brainer. Probably a 1-3 week injury and they said let's bite the bullet.

You asked and I answered 😉 No need to 1-game a player who isn't a vet when another team isn't going to sign them while they're injured. That would just be throwing money away

Probably to save the cap space. 1 game contracts count against the cap. 6 game IL does not count against the cap in comparison

Ayers made active, Gemmel PS. Shocked Tre Thomas didn't stick around. Never saw it with Petrishen the way others did on here. Thought he looked the part but didn't play the part. Assume they would've kept Moses but he got hurt early in the game

If they have Mitchell as the returner, Chris Smith injury probably isn't severe and they will get through first few weeks and then bring Chris back

Sounds like 3 American DEs (Willie, Haba Garbutt) and 3 American DTs (Fox, Woods, Adams) which is so much american DL talent. None on the PR all on active? Wild

Upon further review (with a terribly close camera angle that the CFL should be furious about) I think Marquise Bridges played very well at HB. Devin Adams, Miles Fox and Jamal Woods are all very good players and I hope the team figures out a way to keep them all. Owen Hubert for a rookie late round Canadian feels like someone who could be stashed on PR. For all the talk about Mason Bennett on here, I don't actually think he's very good and neither does Hamilton clearly. Hubert might satiate the desire for a future rotational Canadian DE in a way that Suckthany Bennett couldn't. Terrell Bonds and Ty Ford were my favorite CBs. Demetries Ford and Bill Hackett are both good too but I think they're both 5-7 which might be too small to stick around

FYI when a young national draft pick gets put on the suspended list it almost always means they're going back to school

I personally am ecstatic to see this preseason game be a real evaluation opportunity for the team offensively and defensively. People on here complain about the young guys not getting a fair shot to prove themselves and now that the Bombers clearly are giving young guys ample opportunity, there are different complaints from the same people. It should be exciting to see how the two young QBs do... who steps up at WR... which defenders make plays... heck even who stands out on special teams. We all know Osh is a ST guy and values that and it's likely that some players are kept solely due to their ST ability.

This is fantastic and I love that Liam Dobson is being more integrated as one of the young faces of the club. He's got some star quality to him. Hope he kicks ass this year

This is incorrect, he was accidentally named an all-star when the CFL had that all-star ballot gaffe