Nobody, but nobody should be handed a starting job without competing for it. We've had too much of that sort of thing in the past, and look how well it has worked with Manziel in Montreal.
If Gray could play right tackle well, we could have more ratio room to play with. Thus, if Loffler bolts, we are still in good shape to replace him with an import there.
I should think that we need to have Streveler prove himself to be a starter first. However, to be the devil's advocate, Collaros (yuck) had stats which were not all that much worse than Nichols. I was shocked by that, but if Collaros can still make coherent sentences, does that mean the Bombers could conceivably trade Nichols and sign Collaros on the cheap, leaving cap space for a primo reveiver?
I thought it was a factor in the last half of the season. Reilly is aging as are all of us, but next year is likely to be a further decline in Reilly's play. Maybe a change in scenery will bring back the promise Jennings showed in his first starts.
If we assume that the OC has to build the game plan around the abilities and limitations of the talent on the field, then perhaps this was the best that could be expected. Without access to all the game video, we cannot know where the problem(s) lie. Candor from our head coach would be helpful and appreciated by us longsuffering fans.
In today's Freep, Doug Brown rated Matt Nichols and the bottom line is that Nichols rates somewhere between the 5th and 7th best in the league and, along with an upgrade at receiver, one of the two areas needing the most improvement for the Bombers to take the next step. I agree with this but we also need a kick returner that causes butt puckers in the opposing cover team.
I wonder how much physical beatings Lulay is willing to put up with before he decides that being able to play with his kids and walk to the store all by himself is more important than trying to prove himself. When he gets to the half-century mark, his body is going to feel like he is 80.
That happened to pretty much every other western team this year, but the Bombers just could not get it together. We may not get another chance for another 28 years.
I don't think Harris played all that badly today. Calgary's defence was clearly superior to Ottawa's offence. Once Williams busted that kick return for a TD, and then a quick TD pass, Harris had to take chances and got burned. When the RBs got way behind, they had to pretty much abandon their productive run game and that was that. Rogers and Matthews were the difference.