Mike

I don't think it's where I "draw the line", because the rest of the stuff is pretty bad too but I do agree, you can't have unsigned players on the field.

... so under the table, illegal employment that breaks Canadian immigration law is okay with you, but they sure as heck better not be running skelly?

It's not just practices. Are we really going to suggest Cole didn't sit in on team meetings and film studies while he was in town? They'd be foolish to NOT have him do that.

Before we get all up in arms, just keep in mind we do this too.

This isn't the military.

The one I'd like to see us get is Terrell Sinkfield.

But Walters won't do that. But why would he free up cap space now to force a vacancy in an incredibly important area of our roster just in case something comes along for him to spend money on? I don't think you have as good of a grasp on our cap situation as you're implying. Mainly because you're off on your cap number for Moore+Denmark by about 100k and you're completely forgetting that we got rid of a few other veterans as well, like Dom Picard, Graig Newman, Bryant Turner, Zach Anderson and Demond Washington. Those guys weren't cheap, especially Picard and Turner. We spent a lot of money this offseason but we also got rid of a ton as well. You keep saying "here's what he'd likely do with the cap space", and the question has continually been "who fits that criteria" and you haven't been able to bring up any names. It's the same thing that happens when you go on about firing O'Shea and hiring somebody experienced as a HC and people say "like who?" ... we can't just do things in hopes of an opportunity popping up.

Can you cash in leftover cap space in November for points in the standings? If the answer is no, cutting Drew Willy simply to let Davis/Bennett move up the depth chart would be incredibly irresponsible management for a team that is very much in contention for a playoff spot right now.

and like I said, if you have 150k in space after cutting Willy, you STILL have to pay a third string quarterback, which means a third of that 150k is gone right away. You're also forgetting the fact that there aren't just game cheques to be paid. You can sign someone to half a year's salary, but chances are anyone worth signing is still going to want a signing bonus for showing up. You're getting ONE player for the cap relief we'd get from Drew Willy. I was never not factoring in the concept of paying a guy for half the year.

I think at some point that was the case. And I don't think the move to Loffler/Bond was a choice that was based on anything but injury. But they definitely weren't ready to go week 1.

Messam for sure

I am. Unless you think putting out a complete rookie who still doesn't have all the scheme concepts down pat and a guy who was too injured to play would've been a good idea.

Do you think we can find 200k (I'll dispute that number, by the way, because I doubt that's even close to what's left on his contract) in players that are going to improve our football team? I'm imagining Willy would likely have about 150k owing to him by the halfway point of the season. Then you gotta promote Bennett to the active roster, which means you're giving him 50k for the rest of the season, since CFL QB backups don't play for league minimum. So all of sudden, you're in the neighborhood of 100k left to spend. Even 120k if you're being generous. That's gonna get you what? 1 really good player? Is there a hole on our team that could be solved by signing ONE player for the rest of the year that makes us a better team as opposed to keeping Drew?

Not this year it doesn't. Next year, yes. This year, no.

I can't understand beyond emotion why anyone would suggest Drew Willy is a useless football player. Too much "what have you done for me lately" clouting logic right now.

#5 makes sense if we weren't in the thick of things THIS year.

I'm glad you think it's more important to save money than it is to have depth on your football team at every position. ... are you SURE you don't live in Winnipeg?

... close to it

I don't understand how you possibly think that's a poor argument. It's not like there isn't precedent for this kind of decision. Did Buono cut bait with Lulay last year?

There's no decision to be made here. Trust me.

This thread scares me. First of all, there's no such thing as the "CFL red zone", that's just flat out wrong. Unless you want to suggest that you have it right and the league has it wrong, because for the purpose of their official statistics, they classify the red zone as the 20 yard line. Second of all, it's really not surprising to me that a particular poster keeps preaching on and on about a Nichols vs. Willy argument that nobody is making. You can put me in the "Willy is a better QB" camp and I'm still happy that Nichols won, I thought he played great, I don't think the second half was an issue at all - it was pretty obvious they were just playing to get the game over with healthy at that point - and I'm very in favor of the decision to allow Nichols to continue starting. What I see is someone who is putting so much stock into the emotion of the decision - "Willy has scorned us and he must go!" - and thinking everyone else saying it makes sense to keep Drew is saying that because they're as emotionally invested as he is. Keeping Drew Willy for this season is the intelligent football decision. Even if he doesn't play another snap this year. We still need a #1 and a #2 quarterback and Nichols is still a QB that has battled injuries, much like Drew Willy has, throughout his career. If Nichols gets us back into the playoff hunt and then goes down in October, do you want Dominique Davis starting meaningful football games for us? No? That's why you keep Drew Willy. And there's another very real possibility that people around here have been discounting as well - the benching of Drew Willy seems to have lit a fire under the ass of our entire roster. It's very, very possible that if Drew gets another opportunity through injury or through another QB benching that we'll learn he wasn't exempt from that. He very well could come back as a different QB - it's happened before him, it'll happen after him.

That was Big E Cummings

No idea why on Earth people want to get rid of Drew.

... you mean like they have been all year? Hawkins, Green, Hubbard, Mayo, Sheppard have all been sat down for performance reasons this year. The one thing I will say about O'Shea is his undying loyalty towards personnel has been toned down this year. He's sitting guys down when they're not doing their job.

I think that fella meant what Mathews did was embarrassing, not our empty seats.