Booch

meh...not a big issue...he could still conceivably get released again before main camp even starts

YEAH that Ellingson one is a real head scratcher!

in all honesty Picard is not a big what if. He was released due to fiscal things...that and soley that U will see how he is missed this yr in Sask

yeah, interesting eh?

I guess you know more than what Walters said I can see "starting two canadian linebackers" quite nicely Never said I do, but in all honesty in some things yes..yes I do know more than him...a lot, and some things he knows a lot more than me. But we will not be starting 2 canadians at linebacker, good chance there may be none starting there. And KW never even alluded to 2 starting linebackers. In all reality if we do start a Canadian at Will it is gonna more than likely be Newman or Sherman

Pretty sure Fraser and Booker are going to be in that rotation on the Dline. And if we recruit/sign someone better..well that's a plus but I think both these guys are gonna be huge this year

wonder if anyone picks up Grigsby??...

agreed..totally uneccessary

and I sure according to rider fans no over paying at all was done! Knowing Taman there was a ridiculously structured deal done which will hand cuff them elsewherere

was not aware of that....was he released/cut/free agent?

we won't be starting two canadian linebackers...gauranteed!

Curran would be the better fit..true stud in the middle and great run stuffer. A rotation of our canucks as one of the will positions (Hurl/Newman/Sherman/possibly Briggs or even Stephan), you have Bucknor at field corner with as it stands Jones (who will be a good one) as gameday back-up we can realistically field an all International D-line, which would really solidify our defence. These are your 2 National starter on defence, 3 as the interior of our o-line and two National receivers which I am sure will not be difficult to put on the field and we are looking pretty good ratio wise. I sure Thomas is a good guy, sure he has a motor they say doesn't stop, but in all honesty his motor doesn't have enough horse power to be a front line starter, and he was a big weakness on our defensive line last year. If it comes down to it and game day roster says its a pick between him and Ivan Brown, the smart staff would go with Brown as he will give you the same thing if not a bit more along the line, and offers wayyy more on special teams

i stand by what i said, just offering him insight and suggestion after his post...I sure he knows he needs time to work on things, and needs a lot of polishing, and from his post and attitude he knows it and has desire to do it...love the heart and the kahonnas he showed coming on here

Good luck bro, Take it as constructive criticisms and observations, and some folk on here have knowledge and insight so if you are around enough you will discover who they are, and they will be helpful. As you move up the levels of football, and get access to superior coaching, and competition you will certainly grow as a player with technique and talent.

I like Curran, and he's only 26 so he has some prime years ahead of him I actually think he is the better linebacker than Sherritt as well

Long story short, he has to earn a spot next year and a lot can happen between then and now...be it free agency and the draft down there. He could be a front runner for the #3 spot, or could be even 2-3 pegs lower than when season ended with new signs, drafts....and politics...which in a lot of cases play a deciding role in NFL moreso than talent. He probably caught the pat's off guard a bit as really there was zero game film on him, and no history of play whatsoever this year, so he was an unknown, and quite possibly overlooked and under estimated. Happy for him though, well deserved and hope he parlays it into more success, but noting is gauranteed. Worst case scenario he knows he has a place here, with a chance at decent money and being a focal point and have star status in a rabid football community...

yeah those two are a bonus for sure and if they arrive, the ratio flexability and the use of imports will be crazy! I have a sneaking suspicion that Bilukidi may be here sooner than many think. I truly believe as well we could go only with an import tackle if all pieces fall together and Neufeld isn't a wounded soul all year, allowing that extra import receiver, especially if we go with a hybrid 3-4 type defence where we use Buknor as he was, a Canadian be it Teague, Newman, Briggs, Hurl (if we land him) as one of the outside linebackers, very doable if you ask me. A line of Turner/Anderson/Fraser/ and Booker (as your kind of outside backer/rush end/Stand up along the line guy) with Vega as the rotational import (as I believe injuries hampered his play last year) would be a formidable front. I have faith that we will turn up some linebackers to make that work as we have the staff and brain trust to run and staff that type of defence. Now if the two mack draftees ( Mulumba and Bilukidi) get added to that mixture and some point down the road...wow

If I was Walters my first and foremost priority is to take the serious run at Bryant and Sir Vinnie and whomever we land is a win win. Get that done right off the hop as soon as he can. Let them battle it out with Tyler and Daniels and the best two are a starter and the other on the 46. Kick Wojt's tires, see if he healthy and if he can come here for around 200 000 then I would maybe pull the trigger on that...I believe the O-line would become a strong point with the dominant American LT with Picard centering the best of Goosin/Greaves/Neufeld/Morley/Everett and our top OL pick from draft and Wojt if we land him as he is probably the best Canadian O-lineman who is more than serviceable left in free agency. That's a far cry from January/Greaves/Morley/and the mish mash of guys in and out last year in these spots. I would also run take a run at Jackson and if market allows us to get him in an incentive laden deal with a base in the 120-130 range then a corps of Moore/Denmark/Jackson/Kohlert and insert new import phenom is a strong cast for Willy to chuck to, and save for the one new guy he has chemistry with all of them. Heck if nobody leaps out of TC then A Kelly is a more than adequate 4th receiver option when he doesn't have to be the go to guy. As for Canadian depth and rotational guys I would seriously try to grab Hurl and that be it. I would trust in our scouting and use the draft to fill the Canadian foot soldier depth and then scour waiver wire once training camps end as there will more than likely be a few good Canadians dumped for various reasons. Ayear of seasoning for guys like Jones, Sherman, Briggs etc is only going to make them better for our depth and when you look at it Newman returning this year is almost like another solid Canadian free agent signing as he never played a down last year and will be very versatile, and very good in that versatility. Something I think a lot of people are over looking, as he is automatically going to be replacing a game day National from last year only making us stronger. If it fits into our SMS as well toss a nice offer to Reed out of Hamilton, He has the makings of a good one, and if he doesn't beat out a new comer can always be released, or 46 manned, or ratio allowing depth or a DI. If we can manage that, along with the already signed Picard, and a good draft from a full year of the new regime in place I would be more than happy

we can do much better than Ellingson...

Yeah very raw, no technique whatsoever to speak of...yet. Slow feet too and doesn't look like his strength is anywhere near his mass...but maturing and growing and getting stronger and good teaching...could be a beast

He's not dominant yet, darn good but has his blemishes and money talks...especially when on average a football career isn't that long and can end in an instant. We also have an advantage that most other teams do as well, in that we are a short drive away from Saskatchewan and if he is hedging on not wanting to leave, but we offer something too good to pass up, well being 6 or so short hours from home isn't that big a deal

if we get who we want in free agency, and with first 2 picks score nicely I could see, and personally I would take Varga with the 15th pick...If draft and free agency go how we want, we can actually afford to do that this year

very good move by Walters, he is earning his stripes as a G.M. He has a good handle on the Salary cap management and has it set up to retain core guys longterm, creating stability. We just secured 4 picks in the top 20 of probably one of the stronger drafts in years where we could realistically see 3 draftees make the game day roster. He's created cap room for a big splash in free agency and if cards fall into place as they just may now, we may be in a position in one full swoop of an off-season solve O-Line issues, ratio and Canadian depth issues and allow us to more than likely play 4 import receivers, or possibly an all american d-line

his system was more into just occupying a lineman's space to allow others to get to ball carrier, and not actually get after anybody, or search and destroy through the gaps. Also he always had his down lineman working at going in on angles and never squaring up, hence getting washed out by the oline. Once OC's seen the philosphy all they needed to do was have the o-line slide step and use the momentum and wash out any down lineman and linebackers and the ball carrier was immediately in second level, or meeting a db with a full head of steam allowing pretty much any time to get extra 3-4 yards push through the tackler...pure garbage system He also if you watched preached to rally around the ball carrier, but instead of planting him in the turf, keep em up and try for the strip...watch some game film...drove me nuts with that mindset. Nothing wrong with the size of our line man..Fraser is a beast...as is Turner and Anderson... Booker as well was used totally wrong U will see next year what a difference a sound system makes

I have no issues with keeping Nelson Martin on here actually...proven...players like him, and db's were least of our concern