TBURGESS

Drew Edwards ‏@scratchingpost 12m #Ticats making push for Collaros while Burris waits for word. #CFL http://bit.ly/1grO59f

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/Bombers-hire-Etcheverry-as-defensive-co-ordinator-242655581.html Semi official

Hard to disagree, but every team needs those guys. Agreed. That's what makes it an OK signing. A good signing is a better than average player and a great signing is a difference maker.

OK signing. More of a foot soldier than a difference maker IMO. Then again, we only have one or two difference makers to sign.

Reilly had absolutely nothing to gain by waiting for free agency. Everyone in the CFL knew that Mack wasn't going to outbid any team for an unproven player or release Buck to accommodate a new starter. No other team was even going to pay Reilly starters money. Reilly got everything he wanted from Edmonton so it was a good business decision for him.

AC was great, but everyone eventually has to retire. I know that I'll miss watching him.

Totally disagree that every team would make Henroc an offer. Teams would have to rejig their ratio and find a decent backup NI MLB or waste a DI spot on an American backup which would also create a second change if Henroc gets injured.. Muamba wants top $ so most teams would have to rejig their SMS and some teams simply don't have the room. Teams who are happy with their MLB situation are paying their MLB significantly less money than Muamba will get so they wouldn't have any big reason to pay him top $. Teams with 7 good starting NI's have no reason to pay big for a 'ratio busting' MLB. IMO Ottawa and Winnipeg are the only two CFL teams who would really want and can afford H Muamba.

Another poor coaching choice IMHO.

I can't remember a single time Walters said that. Can you point me to any link where Walters has said that the Bombers will match any offer Muamba gets? Thanks.

Won't every team play each other twice? (8 other teams X 2 = 16). That's only 2 extra games against the West instead of against the East. Hardly a huge difference IMHO. That hasn't been the way they've done it in the past. Ottawa, for example, played the West in a home and home series, 2x5 for 10 games. Then they would play 2 Eastern teams 3 times for a total of 16, with the final 2 games with the remaining team. They would then rotate this pattern every year. The Western teams would play a similar rotation. (2x4 East, 2x2 W, and 2x3W) I haven't heard whether there will be a change in this format. They have always tried to maintain the rivalries in the East and in the West. Thats the same as playing every team twice + 2 Eastern teams 3 times.

the problem is we have to play tough teams like BC and Saskatchewan and Calgary more, no more soft soft eastern teams to play where the toughest team is the painfully average at best toronto argos Won't every team play each other twice? (8 other teams X 2 = 16). That's only 2 extra games against the West instead of against the East. Hardly a huge difference IMHO.

Wow. I didn't see that coming.

Or they could go with Collaros instead of Burris if they think the drop off wouldn't be too great. It would certainly be way less money against the SMS.

Personally, I don't think it should matter if the ball is catchable or not. Interfering with the receiver should be called even if it's on the back side of the play IMHO. See the infraction. Throw the flag would make it a lot easier call for the refs who have to make determinations in probably in less than a second. It would also eliminate the 'but the ball wasn't even catchable' as well as the 'if he didn't interfere the receiver might have made it to the ball' arguments. I know I'm going to see the 'It doesn't affect the play if it's away from the ball' argument, but thats just letting the DB's away with cheating and the receiver may have been part of the play, but the QB went to the next read because of the interference. I'd also like to see the offensive PI called more. Lots of receivers push off while the ball is in the air and the almost never get called.

Interesting hire. At least he has 1 year as a CFL special teams coach, even though it was way back in '98. We must have the most Canadians in our Management and coaching ranks in the entire league by now. I don't know anything about him other than what I just read, so I'll save my thumbs up or thumbs down until I see what the special teams look like in the first few games. All I can say at this point is I hope it's the right hire.

Merry Xmas everyone.

I think Smith is the real deal, not a flash in the pan. He was the best of the new QB's last year IMHO. I'd take him over any of the available QB's.

Looks like a good prospect.

Folks keep saying that Tim Burke made the decision not to use Goltz, but I kinda doubt that's true. Burke had a hands off policy when it came to the offense. If anyone hates Goltz, and I don't think anyone does, it's the OC, who more than likely made the decision.

I hope we re-sign Kohlert the day that free agency starts. I couldn't care less if that screws Ottawa or not. I just care that it helps us.

If Morley is the best we can do at guard, then we have failed. That being said... last years coaching staff rated Morley higher than any of our 'youngsters' and the O line suffered when he was out. As long as we didn't give him a big signing bonus, he will at least guarantee that we won't be worse at guard than we were last year.

Isn't this what you wanted though? Experienced coordinators? I thought they were always preferred over newbies in your eyes. Your black and white thinking makes you wrong yet again Mike. Let me help you out. Stubler as DC: Great experience + Top notch defences = great choice MB as OC, Mediocre experience + Average to below average offences = poor choice I don't like MB's offenses as they are dull and boring. He tries to 'take what they give you' instead of forcing the defence to react to what we do which makes him a poor OC IMO. Any OC who relies on 'spot' passes shouldn't be anywhere near a CFL team, let alone mine.

Poor choice if true.

Kohlert was our best NI receiver last year. Watson's injured way to often to be counted on and Etienne only had a couple of decent games early in the season. We haven't necessarily lost him, though. As a FA, we could re-sign him. My best guess is that we knew he wasn't going to sign with us anyway so we left him unprotected.

3 FB's? No NI receivers? WTF? Green won't hurt us, but he's a good special teams guy so he'll help Ottawa.