GCn20

For sure Brown has had the benefit of all of that. However, he has showed everything you look for in a QB as well. He has executed a very good offence at a very high level. He has shown poise under pressure, made great reads, and has been spot on in his accuracy after making his reads, and has protected the football. This will translate well for him to a lesser team. The only thing we have not seen, and no one can see until he gets his chance, is how he handles the pressure of being THE guy game after game. If he can stay strong mentally he can be successful in this league and just because he did it in our offence should not diminish his accomplishments thus far. I agree. He's playing well above average on a great offence and running the full play book with success. There has been little drop off in execution with him behind centre. Does our offensive personnel make that easier...you bet. However, he still has to go out and execute no matter how good his team mates are and he has shown an ability to do so. That and he doesn't end the season on the PR so not a FA next year.

They HAVE to move on from Harris at this point I would think. Just no point in bringing back a guy on his absolute last legs of his career. However, as I've said all along I fully expect the Riders to make the wrong decision on this and bring him back only to lose him for the season again because his bones are brittle now. Instead they will watch as Dru Brown or another young QB emerges that they should have targeted in FA instead....probably beating them out for a playoff spot too.

it is baffling for sure...but tire fires rarely make good decisions.

Brady is by far, and it is not even close, the best NAT this year. He should win MOP too. Strictly talking about MODP and it's only because there isn't a lot of MODP worthy performances this year and Betts put up some impressive numbers and he was impactful because of that. One dimensional sure....but they used him to his strength and he was a difference maker for them. However, BO just beat his next biggest rival for MOP imo. Kelly OVERRATED.

All I know about the CFL is that the first 9 games are nice and everything but you find out who your team truly is in the last 9. The Riders found out. If you can't raise the bar or even maintain it then your team is in big trouble. That's two years in a row for them, and that makes me believe there are not many winners in that room.

For sure. He is a one and done in the CFL. He earned it. Brady is a much more deserving pick than VA, and I doubt the voters will see it any other way.

Betts should get it. He had a great season.

Absolutely, but the effect each of those guys has on each other is not the same and that is not a knock on any of them but Schoen and Lawler definitely are game planned against to try neutralize them a lot more thoroughly than the rest.

Very tough to pull off.

That could very well be. The reason why is unimportant, what's important is that he is not a guy looking to jump at his first opportunity to be a HC.

Lawler could get those numbers playing half arsed though. Not suggesting he has been at all, but I think that is what the OP was thinking. I personally think that a ton of what Lawler does on the field ends up in other receivers seeing bigger numbers.

For sure. The best teams are the ones that can re-sign their really good young guys, make good evaluations on veterans as they age, keep their core intact as much as possible, have rock solid NAT starters, OL, and DL and get good coaching along the way and have good QBing. It's a lot tougher to stay on top than to get to the top.

Maybe. Knowing MOS and the Bomber organization this is not something that anyone would ever know outside that room though. However, Buck has already turned down 2 HC interviews in the past 2 years that have been confirmed in the media, so either he is extremely comfortable remaining an OC until the perfect situation comes along, or some kind of succession map has been laid out to him that he is completely comfortable with. Either way, Buck has already demonstrated that he is not really willing to jump into a tire fire for a promotion.

I would like to second your opinion that there is no right way or wrong way to be a fan. I have been on these forums a long time and at various times been every type of fan there is. From Pollyanna to harshest critic of this team. During the Kelly era I don't think there was a more outspoken critic of his work than I was and I was told I was a bad fan by many other posters. Completely untrue. I don't think any fan that is passionate, takes the time to spend hundreds of hours on these forums posting their fandom beliefs is a bad fan and sometimes we all need to remember that. Even TBurg is not a bad fan....a pain in the butt for sure...lol...but I have absolutely no doubt that he is a huge Bomber supporter (even tho I will call him a Lions fan every chance I get). Bottom line, there is no player or coach that is so perfect that flaws cannot be found and so long as there are flaws there will be fans who point them out. Not because they are bad fans, but because much like the Banjo Bowl...when perfection manifests itself in this game it is a marvelous fan experience that most of us feel our team is capable of doing more often. Whether that is realistic or not is another matter...but from what I have seen this year it's just a matter of super high fan expectations manifesting and that is not a bad thing.

I look at ANY CFL roster over the past few years and there is 20% turnover every year or two. Just the nature of the game. Injuries, short career span, SMS and one year contracts almost assure it. Will our roster turnover quite a bit by 2025 GC..more than likely. Probably not as much as most teams though.

Got off to a slow start for sure, but has been solid after that.

Worst defences or just misunderstood?

Love it. Was really hoping they would activate Alston.

Any internal promotion at this point would be a complete disaster. Therefore, he has to be a leading contender.

DL was no prize either. Yeah....I would expect Bennett to get a lot of reps this week in a make it or break it type of looksie for next year.

Nope neither playing him or not playing him is drastic.

If he shows up in a bra for the first game. Would be priceless.

Sometimes you retire because you want to, sometimes you retire because you are forced to, You can only develop so many guys on the active roster and PR players are FA's at the end of the year and may sign elsewhere. We do have a few guys ripening on the vine already maybe not as many as we possibly could, but we are built to contend this year so a couple trade offs have to be made. Look, I get what you guys are saying but it is very difficult to keep a fluid contending roster with game ready depth AND build for the future all at the same time. I would say we have some players ripening on the vine but realistically we are not looking to rebuild any time soon....more like reload at least until after 2025 GC...and let's be honest...FA is our best shot at reloading. After 2025 I am thinking a full rebuild will be coming and that's when roster/PR management will be of paramount importance compared to now.

I am hoping that O'Day keeps on O'Daisying and keeps Kelly Jeffries meteoric and undeserved rise up the coaching ranks going. There you have it...my dark horse, and something I could see the tire fire doing, pick for SSK HC. How frikken awesome would it be if they tried to lure Burris, and then last minute Hufnagel calls him and he puts his pen down and leaves them for the Stumps AGAIN.

I agree and am not worried about that in the least. We will go young or cheaper at some positions for sure in order to keep our young stars here. Walters has a multitude of options in FA and hopefully scouting brings in some good kids as well. as they usually do. I suspect that the DL will see the departure of Thomas and lower contracts for Willie and JJ, the OL may see one or two of Bryant/Yoshi/Neufeld retire, our receiving corps will remain in tact unless Schoen chases the dollars, LBer will see Biggie retire, and we may move on from Rose and/or Alexander. Of course we will have to see who chooses to chase FA dollars as well. I think MOS has built a room that most would like to stay in though.