Floyd

I have a feeling we'll know the answer to Buck's value on the open market after this season - and maybe Burke, Crowton and Mack's too... On the bright side, our offence now has a valid excuse for sucking.

If only we had a backup longsnapper... Watson's injury sucks but then again, our offence can't score anyway so maybe this just means Simpson will get the ball more. But, yes, if we had kept Logan as a backup, none of this would have ever happened. Boo on you, Mr. West. Boo.

We can debate this forever... It just comes down to a simple fact: no CFL offence succeeds without successful play-action. Buck can't sell it, Elliott could, we dumped him... so let's hope Goltz or Hall can do it.

I would argue that Washington was our defacto go to backup everything when there was no active WIl on the roster... Either way Merrill Johnson then Doe and then Parker... were all 'backup WIL' on the roster - and if Stephan was healthy, he would be our backup WIL on the roster.

Um Brouillette can play MLB, S and OLB... but anyway... I was cheering for Labbe in 2011, honest. But he just doesn't have it - we now know this... this season, so far he looks like he's lost a step. I would have bought your Labbe argument in 2012... maybe. I could handle Labbe being on the roster as ST but to have him as our main LB backup when its not even a matter of ratio on the field...? Crazy. How can anyone argue that MLB is not our KEY ratio position...? I mean our best backups are at Slotback, Right Guard and Defensive Tackle. Then again, if Watson goes down, we're still screwed, replace Morley tomorrow and no one will even blink and Thomas is great except Turner and Anderson are 100x better. Muamba goes down - our defence is finished.

Well, you got me... oh wait, the bombers had a backup WIL for the last forever years.

You always pull this one-liner to belittle my point... that's cool. But its actually a case of admitting that other teams have good players too. Eric Fraser wasn't a 'bit player' when we were talking about free agents. Brouillette is a really good player who ran into concussion problems... and I think Karl McCartney has huge potential. I wish we had him on our team. Sue me. I like Stephan... he just can't stay healthy... and we have no one else. If it makes you feel better, Toronto, Hamilton and somehow Edmonton have looming depth and ratio problems too.

I guess we will just disagree on the caliber of Brouillette, Fraser and even McCartney. As in, we have DRASTICALLY different views of what consists of talent in the CFL... I will leave it at that. Personally, I would take McCartney, Hurl, Butler, Edem, etc - guys like that over Labbe, at least they are prospects that will get better - Labbe is on the downside of his backup career taking up a roster spot that should be used for new talent. Anyway, we're actually not even talking about NI backup... Labbe is our roster backup linebacker. James Green has not played LB for a few years now and he's the only other option. Dexter Davis could be an option I suppose... But, yeah, if Muamba or Wild go down in the next or any game, its Labbe replacing them, just like he replaced Parker last game. He's already cost us one game.

Well, its not even a matter of backup Cdn here... its the fact that Labbe was our backup - in that game... You look at other rosters - they go into games deep at LB because that's where your critical injuries are... I understand that Stephan is our preferred guy but after him, we have no one in the pipe after that. BC - Five starting NI REC... Westerman as rotating DL SK - Three starting (albeit aging) DL... then again, they are starting so many Cdns that they don't have to worry about NI backups - still they are developing Hurl and Newman MTL - Marc Brouillette is a starter plus Boulay, Edem, Verdone developing CAL - Eric Fraser even Karl McCartney is better than Labbe Anyway, whatever - I'm sure someone will pick this apart... but the point is, the successful teams either have ratio-breaking OL and RB or they stock up on backup LBs/S We are four deep at RB plus fielding an FB AND a 7th OLineman just to protect Buck I guess...? I just don't see any sense to our ratio to be honest.

Dunn was playing during the last minutes... only Parker was out for significant time during the game.

Um, you NEED an awesome backup at your ratio-changing spot... or at least the ratio flexibility to replace Parker with an import. I think we have pretty good backups in Kohlert, Swiston, Thomas, even possibly West... but our most critical backup position is filled by Labbe on gameday, a guy we knew couldn't cut it in 2011. We were ONLY playing Labbe last game because of the ratio (and not even the starting ratio)... Burris starts running when Labbe is left in charge of contain...

I'd say we've about used up the Goltz sweep option... we'll see what he can do next game, Crowton will call a 'surprise pass' first time Goltz is in

On gameday, he is. If we have a DI at LB, maybe we stop them... maybe not. All I know is that if anyone has lost a step its Labbe. You know exactly what I am saying, but since you mention it... who is our backup MLB then? I mean besides Stephan the chronically injured guy who has played two games...?

Bottom Line: - Buck is a very average QB - Our OL is mediocre - Our receivers have problems with waggle and apparently routes/getting open - Chad Simpson is a dominant RB The underlying problem (keeping us from being an average offence instead of putrid)? No-huddle... no huddle means no rest for the hogs and Simpson, no communication between Buck and receivers.. Let's start with that - baby steps.

I wonder if he means 'making the mistake' of trying to make a no-huddle offence work in the CFL? I would actually be happy with time count violations just to get the D some rest.

Lookin at Ham's LB core... I'd say his chances of starting in the next few years are pretty good... And, well, we could have just signed him for nothing last year... no? Regardless, when Labbe is your backup plan for OLB and MLB, something is not right.

Sun reporting that we tried to swipe Beaulieu-Richard off Ham's PR to no avail... game three and still haven't found the NI LB/DL. So many chances to draft/pick up NI depth - and yes Stephan could be a good player but we knew he was out of football and had an injury history... I would trade our 'futures picks' for NI ST depth right now. Labbe as our backup cost us big time - he was abused. He used to be 'almost fast enough' now he is just slow. We use up 7 NI roster spots on OL, two NI RBs and a fullback and use our DI at RB... honestly, does anyone see us starting Volny or Woodson ever? Its time to put all our DIs back on Defence (as only D will win us games this year)... why not look at Markett as a return guy? And, of course - (broken record alert) - is the drop from Boatman to Swiston really enough to justify using an import at RT??? I mean, c'mon - I know we're goo-goo about Pencer but Swiston has just as much potential to be a ratio-breaker... 6 sacks, a bunch of hurries and only two big running plays - what do we have to lose? At least, he would free up ratio space.

What's really interesting is how we continue to use the 'no-huddle' offence a fair bit... and then blame miscommunication or missed routes on our lack of production. I really thought the no-huddle ship had sailed. Apparently not.

Crowton's schemes are way more suited to a Glenn or Elliott... Buck NEEDS to run to make his game effective, I would say he actually gets sacked more when we line up double-tight ends as protection... We basically have one QB that is more pocket passer and could effectively run this offence - Max Hall. Labour Day can't come soon enough.

Either way, get used to it... we have half a season of throwing everyone under the bus except Buck before it will just be too obvious to ignore.

Basically, we need to hope that Woods is a Simpson-type and his natural ability can let him step into the game and make up for the mistakes that will happen in the first few weeks...

You forgot 'cannot sell playaction to save his life'.

I wouldn't say that she totally blames the O-line...? She blamed the receivers too.

I feel like I've watched that interview over and over for years now. Buck is terrible at reads, the receivers did make mistakes - and yeah, I guess we do need Edwards to step up and call his own number late in the game..., Sorenson and our interior were not reading the D well at all - its becoming clear that Elliott's faster delivery made our OL 'better' late in the season... Simpson really had zero protection - aside form his 75 yard run, he was averaging 3.5-4 yards and usually reversing the field when his OL didn't open any holes. That guy is a monster but we just don't have the OL to help him out. I actually don't see a lot of positives on the offensive side of things in terms of progress... I mean for our coaches to say that HAMILTON's DBs beat our receivers... Something's got to give. After three years, Mack has managed to give us Mike Kelly's bombers.

When does Kevin Glenn hit FA?