johnzo

Kyries Hebert probably feels there's a "Winnipeg rule" after this past weekend.

Assuming we don't sign Matthews before the expansion draft, it seems like he's a risky guy to protect. If he rebounds this year and looks like he's going to explore free agency, then it's likely a waste of a spot to protect him, since all we'll get for protecting him is an extra couple of months to negotiate. If he doesn't rebound this year and turns out to be a one year wonder, is it worth protecting him at all?

If I'd stuck with my vote-against Hamilton strategy I'd be zero strikes right now. It's gonna be starting tailback vs. the TiCats for me from here on out.

Matthews is a free agent next year, isn't he? Why protect him?

Simpson

Yeah, look at how back the Ticats are hooped without both Fantuz and Stala -- you gotta hang onto all the starting-calibre NIs we can.

My formula for lock of the week is now "starting tailback of team playing Hamilton." Damn, that is a terrible defence. Picking up right where they left off last year.

Yeah, we have an injury, call up a guy we cut, and we don't miss a beat. Seems like Mack has import receivers and DLs stacked up in his garage.

Whatever Hank does, it works for him because he never gets hurt. Has he ever missed any significant stretches with an injury? I've seen him go into Frank mode without anyone cranking him. Somedays he's his own worst enemy.

Yeah, Denmark is said to be happier being up on the line instead of in the slot. He's not a waggler, apparently.

Cornish

Attaboy for the Argos, getting almost 30k fans in the Skydome! I would sure like to see the CFL become as popular in Toronto as it deserves to be. It's just like I said over in other thread, all four Eastern teams have suspect defences or rebuilding defences, there are going to be some bigtime offensive fireworks in the early going.

1) Has Simpson lost a step? He didn't seem to have the giddy-up he had last year in the running game. 2) Disappointed that you can access the pre-upgrade posts on the other site because there are some people who need to have their Jade Etienne posts featured in a retrospective. 3) I really like having just one postgame thread here.

Holy crap, iso is a nerd too!

Too many shots of the 2007 Grey Cup in there for my tastes. Dinwiddie getting smoked, Joseph running down the middle, Dinwiddie getting crushed again...

FOOTBALL TIME!

Toronto 10-8 Montreal 9-9 Hamilton 8-10 Winnipeg 5-13 Calgary 11-7 B.C 11-7 Edmonton 9-9 Saskatchewan 9-9 Semis- Edmonton over BC Saskatchewan over Montreal Finals- Calgary over BC Toronto over Saskatchewan Grey Cup- Calgary over Toronto Most Outstanding Player Ricky Ray Most Outstanding Canadian Andre Durie Most Outstanding Defensive Player Adam Bighill Most Outstanding Special Teams Player Tim Brown Most Outstanding Rookie Greg Ellingson Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Josh Bourque

I'll take Chad Kackert. Starting running back vs. the weakest defence. I wonder how far you could go in this thing just picking Chads.

I think it's pretty damn close. Just looking at last year, I'd give Hank the edge over Lulay. He put up huge numbers, cut down on his picks, and started every game. Definitely the three Eastern pivots + Lulay are the top four in the league.

Montreal, Toronto, and Hamilton have the three best QBs in the league and all have huge question marks on defence. I think there's gonna be some offensive fireworks in the early going, before the defences settle in. Montreal is the most intriguing team to me right now. With a rookie head coach, a completely rebuilt defence, a new offensive scheme, and a greying AC, seems like they could be 12-6 or 6-12.

I think the talent at running back is so evenly distributed in the league that any starting RB on any team in the league could win the rushing title. I wouldn't trade Simpson for any of them, but he does do one thing that absolutely drives me crazy -- he has that tendency to try to beat guys laterally and go for the big play instead of running north-south to secure the first down. It happened four or five times last year, killing an important drive each time.

I wonder if they want to move on from Labbe.

Nice jpan!

Yeah, I remember how hooped we were when we lost Fred Reid for the year. And we're still smarting from losing Greg Carr and TJH. Actually I think the OP's point was the opposite of "nothing's happening." Always? Five of our 2013 starters (Pierce, Sorensen, Boatman, C. Muamba, Palardy) were signed by Mack as veteran CFL free agents. You just wanted four, I'll show you five. That said, it would be interesting to look at CFL rosters as a whole and see how many veteran CFL free agents you find on each so we have a basis for comparison when judging Mack's FA participation. I don't think that's right. I think the crowd around here is plenty prepared to criticize Mack. I know a lot of people here aren't happy about keeping Buck over Elliott. And there's was a lot of heat about getting nothing in return for Hefney. I just think that the gang here is sensitive to criticisms that don't make sense, or are untrue.

We didn't need much in 2011? You're saying that Mack isn't active enough in free agency but that he didn't need to be active in the year after we went 4-14 because we didn't need much? I am not following you here. Rod Davis? Does "solidify" mean "play for three teams in three years and not even make it to the end of training camp?" What receiver would we have cut in 2012 to make room for Cary Koch? At best, he would have battled Denmark for third import WR. Our two biggest OL issues at the start of 2012 were our lack of a centre and our lack of a backup RT to replace Andre Douglas. We already had our solution at C (Sorensen) in camp. And we solved our Taormina problem by signing a veteran CFL free agent named Shannon Boatman who has won the RT spot again this year. I guess you might say that position is solidified.