bluto

these final games for the Bombers ought to be a ruthless evaluation of personnel. their talent, their upside, if they're in decline, if they are good value for their contract, if they hustle from whistle to whistle, if they are "team" guys or "me" guys... one thing that puts a wrench in the works is that Burke is almost assuredly not going to be the HC moving forward, so some players just won't give him their level best (or won't have their ability properly showcased in a poor system). it sucks when your team is in a place where the outcome of a particular game means less than looking ahead to next season's roster (trust me, i've been there a few times) but i view this interregnum period with Miller at the helm as a big positive for the Bombers and the potential is there for a 1 year turnaround..

could be chaos for lots/most/all teams between the Dispersal draft and the new CBA and SMS

true... you always bravely and boldly go against the grain... you never ever piled on with the blinkered-masses during the 4 years of rampant Mack-love...

The funniest part to me is that he once again failed to get the QB he was after. Coffee is for closers, and Mack didn't close when it really mattered. Joe Mack is the Shelley Levene of general managers.... that's so perfect a description that i'd swear i'd heard that same sentiment being expressed 2 years ago...

why do you care who your QB is in 5 years when you ought to be trying to win a Grey Cup next year?? Because this team isn't good enough to win a GC next year, and (if there is a God) will be adjusting to new coaches and schemes. Why take on Ray's contract and the limitations it'll put on the rest of our roster; if we're more than Ray away from being a GC contender? I'm not saying Collaros is a better QB than Ray... I'm saying Collaros makes more sense for a rebuilding team that needs more than just a QB. >implying that teams haven't turned around from **** to win the GC in recent years >implying that teams with new HCs and systems haven't won GCs in recent years >implying that teams with big contracts at QB haven't won GCs in recent years

did you get the memo? yeah... i'm just going to go ahead and send it to you again...

sounds like someone's got a case of the Mondays...

why do you care who your QB is in 5 years when you ought to be trying to win a Grey Cup next year??

You don't think Hammie is fine with Burris and LeFevour? Burris is an UFA and i think Austin will take the opportunity to start over with someone younger. Collaros is only a five hour drive from home in Hamilton too.

seeing as Ottawa, Hamilton and Montreal will likely be the other teams in for ZC, i'd obviously prefer him to go west...

I don't disagree with you Bluto .... but Ray is what 35? At SOME point you have to consider it, especially if you think you have a young, viable option on hand. Look at Montreal. They kept Calvillo for too long imo. he's 33 (going on 34). if you don't think that his play level and style (and the fact that he was the least sacked QB in the league before a weirdo injury) suggest that he has a minimum 3 good years left then i don't know what to tell you. I guess as long as there is a good backup. Harris is a free agent is he not? Likely #2 and #3 will be gone with at least 3 teams heavily hunting QB's in the off-season. If Ray misses half of next season, then what? Harris is a free agent too... more of a pocket style passer a la Ray. but if i'm honest, i think that Portis will be our next Collaros-type story to emerge.

i keep shaking my head whenever i see someone suggest that Ray won't be our QB next season...

actually, i think they should. Tate and Hall backing up Collaros (who you should make a big money offer to) would take you from the worst QB situation to one of the better ones. having a designated QB coach with those three should go without saying... A nice thought but just not realistic from a financial standpoint to pay both Collaros and Tate. I agree though that Max Hall would make an ideal backup to either of those 2 as your starter. like i said above... under the new SMS, i bet you could easily have both. FFS, we pay Ray $400k... and have 4 other QBs besides!

actually, i think they should. Tate and Hall backing up Collaros (who you should make a big money offer to) would take you from the worst QB situation to one of the better ones. having a designated QB coach with those three should go without saying... Tate is signed to starters money already though, isn't he? Not sure the Bombers could afford to make the offer to Collaros if they traded for Tate. I'd rather have Collaros then live through Buck 2.0. marginal starters money really... and the SMS is going up, so it ought not matter. and i'm still unsure that Tate is Pierce 2.0... i think that the kid has been unlucky and will come good.... but having him behind a guy like Collaros and studying with a good OC and QBC would be ideal (like he has in Huf and Dave ****... QBs make good QB mentors)

actually, i think they should. Tate and Hall backing up Collaros (who you should make a big money offer to) would take you from the worst QB situation to one of the better ones. having a designated QB coach with those three should go without saying...

Strike 2....... good for them though. if they aren't asking, then they aren't doing their job.

But at least we could say we tried. In throwing that ball you have a percentage whatever that is with Goltz, taking a knee you have zero. I would even venture to say going for it gave us a better chance than hoping we could beat them in overtime. We had scored 7 points in three quarters. I know, it's easy to be a Saturday morning coach. What gets me is they still had a timeout as well. If Burke just planned intelligently, they start at their 35 with 24 seconds left. Then they'd need what, 30 yards in 24 seconds to have a shot at a single? 40 yards to give it a shot at a field goal? With a timeout remaining, you have at least one play call where the whole field is at your disposal. You can't be assuming as a head coach that your QB is going to throw an interception or fumble the ball. If that's the best assumption you can make about him, don't even put him out there in the first place. Use those 24 seconds to stretch the field, it's enough to get 3 plays off especially with that timeout in your back pocket. At least TRY. No one is going to be mad at you if you try and fail, we're already all aware that our team blows. But not even trying just makes you an absolute coward. i was watching the game from a BWW in the 'burbs last night. i was very deep into my pints (as were the crew i was with) but we were stunned when they took a knee. the game's audio wasn't on so we were actually postulating that TSN's game clock might not have been properly sync'd with the actual one... because there was no bleeping way that a coach doesn't try to get 30 yards and atempt to boot a single... especially at home! Burke will be gone right soon. i doubt Miller would blink if Walters asked to chop him. unless there's a monetary reason to keep him (guaranteed money to yet another fired coach/GM).

Jordan said to us on Argofans that he enjoyed the freedom it gave him to make reads and to apply his athleticism towards playmaking. i think Jovon still has it in him... if he and his coaches can adjust, it could be a bug asset for Jovon prolong his career) as well as the Bombers.

i actually really like the idea of Jovon Johnson to safety. star CBs can turn into star Safetys as they age... he ought to call Jordan Younger and ask him about it.

thrilled that Holmes finally reported... a bit bummed that we have to release a project as intriguing as Reinders. i thought that this (roster room for Holmes)was why we let Parenteau go... guess not

what if you change the premise a bit... pretend that it is now December and Muamba hasn't re-signed. the Expansion draft is done and one of Willy/Collaros/Tate is a(or is soon to be a) Redblack. do you then trade the rights to Muamba for the rights to a QB?

people that keep saying that Reilly was a toss of the dice or a gamble are really doing the player personnel people who would've watched all his tape, gone to his games (and perhaps practices and workouts) talked to his coaches past and present, analysed his style of play and physical tools, and yes... likely talked to both Reilly and his agent in a shocking (lol) violation of tampering rules an injustice. is any QB a sure thing? no... so i guess there's always an unknown element that makes up the "luck" side of the equation. but to imply that a GM (who's name doesn't rhyme with Bill-Pan) makes a big move like this on a whim is a disservice to the many professionals who get paid to render science from the ineffable qualities of a player. Hervey and his people knew that Reilly was their man because they researched it and then moved decisively and in so doing, boxed out the pusillanimous GM in Winnipeg. they may have been making a mistake, but they were acting on their best intel, and they trusted it enough to act.

don't know anything about this... but i've seen a veteran CFL RB around here... he'd be eager for a shot.

he's a free agent who it's likely we won't (for many reasons unrelated to his play and potential) be able to retain... it is likely that Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal as well as possibly Hamilton will be signing or trading for QBs... whoever is at the switch for the Bombers (be it Walters or whomever) needs to start laying the ground work for the biggest decision confronting the team... (not to mention getting an honest to goodness blue chip coach lined up). exciting times coming.

Sigh. I love how you make it so simple. "Oh, just go get him!"I wanted Reilly here but there is a lot of things we had to consider. It's not Madden. But hey while we're at it, Mack has caused global warming. Also the Syrian attacks. Oh and any natural disaster that may come this year? I'll save you the suspense. It was Mack. frankly, yes. "just go get him". there were only 2 teams in the running and your GM designated him as the priority... then failed to make a serious offer or even a serious pitch. winners win and closers close. the only thing that prevented Mack from doing what it took to land Reilly was Mack and his weak excuses and false spin after the fact... and the people who are still defending the architect of this disaster (HC, OC, QB, O-Line, secondary) are just too ego-invested in their prior Mack-love to step back (even now!) and lay the blame at the feet of the man who frankly should never have been hired (he'd been out of football for a decade for a reason... as some handsome guy from Toronto remarked at the time of his hire)... and if hired, should never have been placed in a position outside of scouting/personnel.