GCn20

Bailey signed for 88k. It was widely reported. Darby is not anywhere near 6 figures either according to media reports. I call BS on your numbers. Also in what world is replacing Neufeld with Dobson a 100k difference. Dobson is going into FA this offseason and I can guarantee you it will take money to keep him. Augustine with a rookie 60k? No way he is earning 130k this year. Not trying to argue but your numbers are out to lunch.

TBurg called and said what do you mean? There is an alternative?

I expect our team to win every game, quite frankly because we are the best team in this loop imo. They will not win every game, but should, because the only team that rivals ours right now is yours....and we are the better team in that match up too imo. I would say that if we played every team in this league 10 times we should win 8/10 of those games, and I might give TO some credit and say 7/10. Not being cocky either, the proof is in the pudding. Our win/loss record AND overall performance over the past few years is undeniable. TO has a great win/loss record right now, but I think you guys have way more cracks in your armor than we do.

I don't think these players constitute much in savings at all once you factor in the cost of replacement for them. Bailey and Darby...maybe 25k in savings combined if replaced by rookies, Neufeld maybe 20k after you extend Dobson to replace him, and Thomas maybe 20k if you draft a rookie or sign a league min NAT to replace him. That might get one of the two mentioned extended but definitely not both and maybe not even one. Every player that leaves the salary savings are their current salary minus cost of replacement. Dalton and Brady are currently on their rookie deals. Dalton will get 200k on the open market....easily...he might sign here for slightly less but we will need to find at minimum 100k in SMS savings, and Brady easily deserves 130-145k. That's another 70-75k in savings needed. We will need to move on from big fish to get that kind of space. The obvious wild card will be how much savings is created by the 6 game this year to offset the SMS next year.

Mayala has been god awful this season, and most of last season really. Eguaveon will likely play out the string in the waiting game and maybe, if he doesn't hang them up, come back to the league next year I would think. He bulked up a lot in the NFL. He would be a really intriguing possible replacement for Bighill if he chose to hang them up.

Knowing your team only has a small chance of victory, and expecting them to lose are two different things as well. Even in the darkest days of Bomber football I never, ever went to any game thinking we can't win. I knew odds were stacked against us, but if I truly thought we had no chance of victory I wouldn't have gone. Some of my most cherished games I ever attended were when we were terrible but somehow got it together for a game and knocked off a league leading team. The odd game like that is all a football fan has in dark times. Think Regina last week. They were absolutely euphoric after they unexpectedly beat BC. It will probably be their highlight of the season.

It will be tough to fit him in without making some tough choices elsewhere. Any combination of Neufeld, Biggie, Bryant, or Hardrick deciding to hang them up would supply enough cash to keep Schoen. However, those too would be tough losses.

I believe he has a big pay raise coming for sure. How do we fit him? Don't know if we can. However, it will all depend on who all is returning I guess.

I have never expected a loss either. Always a chance for a win, it's why you play the game.

What spots? Secondary? Nope. Linebackers? Nope. DL...yes with the caveat that we do have Haba, Fox, and Hansen in the mix. OL...nope...Dobson and Eli are the future and we just are not going to start any OTs just to get them seasoned. No team ever does. QB...nope...if Brown stays. RB?....no need to worry for a few years...Receiver...nope. I would like to see a new NAT DT added, the return of Ford (which I honestly believe the Bombers were banking on somewhat), and for Eli to push Kola off the starting centre job....but in the scope of a football team roster these are pretty minor problems to have. If this is the extent of our teams weaknesses we are looking pretty damn good. Quite honestly, these types of problems can easily be addressed in FA if we needed to. There is nothing expensive there.

What part of our depth concerns you?

It's Farhan driving the bus on it I think. He simply won't write about anything else...lol. It is completely insufferable....but it was bound to happen with the first NAT QB that actually looked really good in the CFL. TSN has been pumping NAT QB for many years now, and they probably feel all their hard work finally paid off with the Rourke's. lol. Makes the swing and misses they made on the Brandon Bridge/O'Connor hype trains look like distant memories.

A NAT DB of his calibre is always welcome. Last year he played lights out when given a chance. He also excelled on the teams last year, so at the very least he brings a ton to the table there.

Agreed. It was unrealistic to think, and unfortunately many people jumped on the hype, that Tee would do much in his first start. After which he was mercilessly criticized for his poor play. I have never seen a rookie QB in his first start take such a brow beating afterwards.

The point of my narrative is that Taman, and this is completely accurate, painted him as the future of our QB room and a bonafide superstar in waiting. Expectations were so high for him after that he couldn't just be a rookie CFL QB learning our league. I get that he had a career before us, but you know as well as I do, that the transition to the CFL takes time. Cripes, I remember before Glenn got hurt the fan base was already pushing hard for Martin to take over and Glenn was playing some decent ball. He was a CFL rookie and he was shredded for playing like one.

I am pretty zen about the whole roster usage with our record and consistently blowing out some really good teams. I get the frustration...but I'm just not seeing it as a big issue right now. If we start losing or not playing well, I reserve the right to circle back on this though.

I remember being in disbelief. I think I took it worse that Tee, and he took it pretty badly. That play completely shattered his confidence I think and was pretty much the end of the road for his football career. I will also lay a dump truck of blame on Taman for poor Tee's short lived CFL career. Taman hyped him as the greatest QB prospect in the CFL for many years, when he signed him. We thought we were getting Doug Flutie. Poor Tee was never allowed to develop, grow. and learn our game and we rushed an unready, way overhyped prospect out there and fed him to the wolves until his confidence was shattered. I get why Taman did it, the Bombers financials were not strong, and he was trying to raise hope and thusly ticket sales.....but it ruined Tee.

It's honestly embarrassing how much talent/depth we have compared to most of the teams in the league.

35 isn't really old for a QB. A ton of QBs now play to a very high level into their late thirties or even fortyish now. Of course, injuries can change all that but there is no reason to believe that if we can protect Zac well that he can't be very good for another 4-5 years.

It was the epitome of our entire season that year just wrapped up in one play really. After watching Tee just stink the joint out, he finally uncorks a beauty like that and it would have won us the game and Kamau had oven mitts on.

Rose had quietly regained his all star form after a shaky start returning from injury. The past 2 games he has been outstanding. Doesn't get the kudos he deserves for the excellent season he is having. Night and day difference in our defence when Wilson and Rose came back. Our D has been killing it the past several games.

I believe the rule is still the same. 10 days after clearing waivers and their CFL contract is reactivated. At that point they are not eligible for the NFL anymore.

Imo, Schoen just doesn't move like a prototypical NFL receiver and teams just aren't willing to flesh that out. It's a league where you might get a 5 minute look to convince someone and Schoen just needs more than 5 minutes to impress I guess.

That was the game that the Kamau Incompleterson nickname was born I believe. Dropped a sure TD catch and run on probably the nicest ball Tee Martin ever threw in his life to seal the loss.

Normally I would agree with this, however, our record at IG West over the past few years ...even in big games...has me feeling pretty good about it. Also, Hall just owns the Riders O.