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So I think with guys like our rookie lb draftees... is that we are also using a bunch of American linebackers as special teams depth and the first in line backups. It's just too many linebackers and if we drafted these guys with a mind to having them become starters then what purpose does blocking them with Americans do? They should be the primary backups.

I dunno, they exhausted every option before they even gave Mitchell a chance despite him being a quick grab when he became available.

They started the season with 3 American OL... And again we go round and round... does the depth suck because of the GM or does the depth suck because of the way the coach uses the roster and practise roster? We have a brazzillion linebackers and dbs every game just to chase punts... why? We have 0 for receiver depth on an already weak group... why?

BUt iT"s teh gMs fAuLt11111!!!

What if he whiffs on blocks! What if the pocket collapses with him in there, what if the back gets stuffed! Of course how would we tell the difference because that **** is already happening. Guaranteed though that if Eli was in at centre he would be able to now and then move a ***** out of the way and help a play happen. Best we hope for with kolankowski is that he doesn't get flat out embarrassed. And if it is worse then we stop wasting time on 2 players who shouldn't be there. What I actually think it is, because they so regularly use 6 OL Eli isn't seen as a real option at centee because he's good as the extra OL whereas Kolankowski is useless at everything except snapping the ball.

That didn't stop them before.

We already have a sub par player in the position so what's the difference? Also, we drafted some big upside players this offseason who get 0 snaps.... gm or coach?

The entire point is that we don't know if it is inferior or not because Osh won't give anyone a chance unless forced to. Kolankowski if he's not the worst starter on the team is damned close to it and should be replaced. And if Eli isn't the guy to do it then he should be replaced too. We've seen Kyle Walters bring in players who can step in and play before. Based on each guys respective history I say Walters is fine at finding players, it's the coach who is bad at giving them chances and building a roster properly.

I watched kolankowski **** up a snap not 2 games ago... and I watched him do nothing of value on many other plays, and I watched his slow ass limit a run by Brady because he couldn't either get a block or get out of the backs way. Maybe he's better at snapping, but at this point maybe we need someone better at not being a guy who can snap and nothing else.

Bighill was useless in pass coverage too. Bighill got injured and it improved the D so how can you sit there and sat it was the best use of roster? It's a bright flashing sign showing how O'Shea's loyalty to certain veterans blinds him from making the best roster moves... so if we know it happens based on this one example we can ******* easily extrapolate that it happens to varying degrees at other positions. It's pretty ******* telling when we can sit here on this message board in the offseason and basically nail the depth chart before camp even opens.

This is less about how good Eli is and more about Kolankowski sucks, try someone else and if it's not Eli find someone else.

And it took an injury for him to get the more substantial playing time which led to improved team performance.... and opportunity that wouldn't have been given without injury... and that's not the only position this sort of thing happens with. We're just not always lucky enough to have injuries at positions where they need to happen.

This is a terrible argument... teams in the cfl barely scout practise rosters of each other any more. Fact is their own American scouting is just as efficient. Hamilton is a great example. They hired a gm from the Bombers and he found a use.for tons of guys who didn't get as many opportunities here. Mostly with Americans you're looking at potential and it's the combination of opportunity and development that turn them into impactful starters. The crux of the issue here is that we never give guys those opportunities when there's an established vet in their way on the depth chart. It leads to stagnation.

Tony Jones? Cause you and I know damned well that without injury bighill would still be starting for us despite a scrap heap pick up like Jones instantly improved play at the position.

Neufeld was ass to start last season because he was hurt all camp. And how can Eli earn a spot when he never gets a chance there? See you're still clinging to this false idea that you have that guys are starting because they are the best option and no one has pushed past them. That's demonstatively flase with this team...

When has Eli ever been put in at centre? And if he's awful why is he here? Kolankowski is a bottom teir starter on this team, should be a priority to replace rather than untouchable. As for neufeld, why threatened? Old, often injured or playing injured....

I liked buck for the most part, just last year he seemed to get stupid, but that might also have been collaros problems.

Guy had 1/3 of a season to prove what everyone else already knew, that he wasn't good enough, before he was demoted and released... let's not pretend it reflects on the coaches in some positive light here.

Mostly through injury or departure though... kolankowski was purely an injury fill in and he had never once been in danger of being pulled out. Neufeld can be injured all training camp and never feel pressure to lose his spot...

It makes too much sense!

Osh ain't taking Thomas off the roster unless he was dead and even then it's 50/50

I much prefer schoen to Lawler but that's me. Lawler can be amazing, but some games he wasn't amazing. We can debate schoen coming off the injury and whether he was ready or not but I'd have picked schoen over Lawler too.

I'd go 3 American ol if the interior American was at C...

Well the GM obviously envisioned a group of schoen, Mitchell, demski, clercius a d wheatfall/sterns... which is better.