gbill2004

what we know now isn't much, certainly not enough to make any kind of expectations for the team. What if they trade for Ricky Ray before the season? That dramatically changes expectations. Until I see the coaching staff and who is going to be at quarterback there is no point in talking about expectations. If you don't want to participate in the thread then don't post and ruin the thread. BTW: We aren't trading for Ricky Ray.

Based on what we know now...

What are your expectations for the Bombers in 2014? Mine are that I hope the team is competitive in all games, because last year there were too many games where it was over after the first quarter. I expect O'Shea will make the team more competitive, along with improved decision making from the HC. In terms of wins, I expect between 6-9 wins. I'm not expecting us to make the playoffs in 2014, but its certainly possible. I think 6 wins is the minimum because it can't get any worse than last year, and I feel Burke's decision making cost us a good 3 wins, so that's why I feel 6 wins is the minimum. Improved QB play should also result in more wins. If things go well, we could squeak into the playoffs with 9 or so wins.

Good players don't get benched and then cut...Stala is an ok talent but really not a guy we would need. I'd rather drop the band aid solution cash on the o line I agree, except who is realistically out there who we can spend money on to improve the OL?

I'm optimistic that Henoc will be back with the Bombers.

I thought Walters had hedged his bets by saying we'd be looking at Drew Willy as well? Still, I think some team will cough up a draft pick to talk to Collaros When did Walters say we'd be looking at Drew Willy?

Does anyone else get the sense that Walters or O'Shea have already spoken to Collaros and a deal is done? Walters seems quite confident that there is no need to give up even a late round draft pick for early rights to talk to Collaros. If there was any doubt, considering how much we need Collaros, you'd think Walters would give up a 6th round draft pick for early rights to Collaros.

Stala just signed a 2 year deal with Montreal.

Burris made a max salary of $300k last season. I expect the Bombers to offer a similar amount to Collaros, to go along with a massive signing bonus.

With Stala being 35, I have zero interest.

I've heard of the following workouts for Bombers players, or players of interest. Am I missing any? Henoc: Denver, New England Chris Matthews: Minnesota, Seattle Zach Collaros: None Zach Collaros having none is a positive for us.

Pretty sure they won't call it that.

Try sitting in the stands for a full season of games where the team is out of it after 1 quarter. This team needs to get competitive in a hurry. There was 0 entertainment value in those games last year. A total chore to go to. This right here is the only reason I'm switching back to a pick ten rather than go to every game. We were blown out at home way too many times last year. I thought the Bombers stopped offering the pick 10.

Stala says 5 CFL teams have already reached out to him showing interest.

I'm starting to get a little nervous. Where would you rather go ...to a team that just went to the Grey Cup or the circus Winnipeg has become? Not just about dollars and term.

In today's Free Press O'Shea says he fully plans on hiring a QB coach. Great news...finally! He also said there's at least 4 names he still considering for defensive coordinator.

Which team owns his neg list rights?

I'm fully aware of the Kavis Reed "there will be consequences" rant, but if you can look past that, he'd be a great DC, possibly the best candidate out there.

I really wish we'd look at Kavis Reed. I think he'd be a very solid choice as DC, and much better than Marshall or Etch.

But where are the rumors coming from? I've seen nothing on the Ticats message boards to suggest this. I've heard nothing from the Ticats beat writers either. Seems the only source of the Collaros to Hamilton rumor is this forum.

I certainly believe so, they were one of the youngest teams last season and have a heckuva Head Coach, something Winnipeg hasn't seen in awhile. Rumours are continuing to swirl that Collaros is priority #1 for Austin this off season. Winnipeg on the other hand is in full rebuild mode yet again, probably a couple-few seasons away to becoming known as an up and coming team again. What is the source of these rumors of Collaros going to Hamilton?

Remind me why we got rid of him?

This year? I thought Reinebold was their ST co-ordinator. Or are you talking 1999? Oh 1998 - I see now. Worked with Ronny Lancaster. Cool. 1998.

He has one year in the CFL as the Ticats special teams coordinator. The year the Ticats went to the Grey Cup.

Another good article...this from 2013: Pat Tracey is the defensive mastermind behind the historic Gaels defence. What makes him such a legendary coach? What does he love most about coaching? Find out here! In the freezing cold of Quebec City, Pat Tracey stood on the podium in PEPS stadium with the Vanier Cup in his hands -- a look of gratification and accomplishment on his face. This moment would last only a short while for the Defensive Coordinator of the Queen’s Gaels and then it would be back to work. “Winning that Vanier cup was a great achievement, the culmination of a lot of hard work and preparation over many years.” Despite the success Tracey is never satisfied, “Winning one makes you that much hungrier for another”. Tracey won as a player for Guelph in 1984, but the 2009 victory with Queen’s was his first as a coach. How did Queen’s find their way to the top of the CIS Mountain? They had a roster filled with All-Stars sure… but then again so did Western, Laval, and Calgary -- the three teams they beat on their way to the Vanier. The difference between winning and losing the big games can be the smallest of margins, and as the old saying goes: “Defence wins championships.” Queen’s has had plenty of that since Pat Tracey joined the coaching staff in 2000. Tracey, the Defensive Coordinator at Queen’s University since 2001, is regarded as one of the best defensive minds in the CIS. Since coming to Queen’s, the defence has led the OUA 5 times, and 2009 was no different. The Gaels also led in 2002, 2003, 2008, and 2011. 2011 was a particularly good year for the Queen’s defence, as it did not surrender a single rushing touchdown throughout the regular season. That year was highlighted by a 37-0 shutout of the then #1 Western Mustangs in the final week. The shutout at home was the 14th of his career as a DC, the current leader in the CIS. Not only has Tracey led great team defences he has also produced numerous exceptional individual players. One of those players, Chris Smith who was an OUA All-Star and CFL Alum had nothing but praise when discussing his former coach. “Coach T played a huge role in my development, he changed me from an athlete to a football player. He gave me the tools to understand the game at a very high level, which enabled me to react to plays faster. This definitely helped when I was in the CFL where the game moves so much faster. I was able to keep up because I was able to anticipate.” Player development is crucial in the CIS and Tracey has had his hand in generating 31 OUA All-Stars and 11 All-Canadians in his 30 years of coaching. Current Queen’s captain and All-Canadian defensive lineman John Luigi Miniaci credits Tracy’s ability to get the most out of a player for the success of his career. “He has allowed us to be technically sound players but also letting our football instincts still flourish. I mean he converted a 260-pound linebacker into a second-team All-Canadian nose tackle. He's a legend.” It is clear that Tracey is a successful defensive coordinator but what is it exactly about his coaching style that allows him to get so much out of all his players? Coach Tracey is a master of breaking down film and uncovering what opposing offenses are trying to do, a skill he admits he did not always possess. As a defensive back for Guelph from 1982-86 Tracey enjoyed the physical aspect of football the most. “I played football like a hockey player, I enjoyed coming up near the line of scrimmage and hitting someone”. Tracey credits two coaches during his time at Guelph for teaching him the finer points of football and how to appreciate the process of breaking down film. Tom Dimitroff Sr. was the head coach of the Guelph Gryphons while Tracey played football there. Leadership and an emphasis on practicing the right way helped to develop Tracey into the player he was. **** Brown who was a defensive assistant during Tracey’s career and taught him how to watch film intellectually and analyze how offenses operate. “The game is like physical chess, if you don’t understand your opponents’ tendencies you will lose.” Tracey has the ability to break down film and understand it in his own mind, but the true test of a coach’s ability is translating that information so his athletes can excel on the field. “ It takes a long time to truly understand offenses and breaking down film, I have been doing this for 30 years now. Most players only get 4-5 years at the CIS level, so it’s crucial to melt it down, simplify the reads for the players.” Tracey’s approach to defence is to take away an offense’s best plays. Smith, whose last season with the Gaels was during the 2009 Vanier Cup run, lived the results of Tracey’s hard work. “Coach T's best trait as a coach is his dedication. Every season Coach T put's in the longest hours at the stadium getting the schemes ready. It's this dedication that allows him to develop such great defences; he spends hours breaking down film and charting plays to develop the best defence. The outcome of this dedication is an extremely intellectual approach, but without his hard work and dedication he wouldn't be able to develop these defences.” Along with his ability to break down film, Tracey has the ability to put players in the right position to succeed each and every week. What is so unique about the defence at Queen’s is that it can be completely different from week to week. “The key is to put players in a position that they can succeed in. I’m only going to ask a player to do what they are good at”. It is this variation and adaptability that has allowed Queen’s to be so successful in the OUA since Tracey joined the team. When asked where his work ethic and dedication comes from, Tracey is quick to answer. “My late parents raised us that way, I am Irish, and I grew up on a farm.” Tracey also credits his father with influencing his coaching style and ability to break opponents down to their core. “In a time when there was no film to watch my father was able to watch a game and figure out what a team was trying to do. It didn’t matter what sport it was, within minutes he would have the answer.” Coach T has taken the influence of his parents and other coaches he’s worked with and played for to develop an approach to coaching that is second to none in the country. “During the long season we try to work them hard and emphasize technique and giving them all the looks they need so come game time its second nature. It’s important to find a balance between grinding them down and keeping them on their toes.” Tracey has extremely high expectations for himself and for his players and works hard to raise players’ expectations for themselves. It is this approach that has helped create a reputation around the OUA that Tracey is hard on his players and that they in return fear him. “If a player misses a tackle I will never get mad at them, that’s physical, but if a player makes a mental mistake that’s when I get after them.” Tracey’s reputation precedes him and incoming players have an idea of what to expect when they first get to Queen’s. Even an All-Canadian like Miniaci was cautious when he first joined the Gaels. “When you first come in it is definitely fear. However, as the season progresses you start to understand that you don't fear him because he is a scary guy, it is purely out of respect. You start to see the amount of hours and time he invests into putting us in the exact perfect spot each and every single play and so you start realizing that you fear him because you don't want to let him down. It is because of that respect we fear him and it is because of that respect every single man on that defence would be the first to sign up to go to battle with him.” Every player on the Queen’s defence respects Tracey for his influence on his career, and understands why sometimes he has to rip into them. Current CIS interceptions leader Yann Dika-Balotoken has felt the brunt of Tracey’s wrath but has become a better player for it. “Young players who do not know Coach Tracey yet are probably afraid of him, I was during my first 2 years. In a way, I think it builds mental toughness to be coached the hard way. You learn from him and respect him. Coach T has an uncanny ability to predict the offense’s play calls time and time again. It is proof of his abilities as a coach, and it is the main reason why each one of us on the defence trusts and respect him so much.” As Tracey has grown as a coach he has learned to have a balance between coach and teacher, finding the best way to get his message across to his players. “You never know what’s going on in a player’s life outside of football and we make mistakes as coaches, there have been some things that I’ve said that maybe I shouldn’t have.” Every year as each edition of the Queen’s defence matures and develops, Tracey develops his coaching techniques and strategies. “When players first come in it’s more of a one-way street with me telling them what to do, but as they get older and more experienced they earn the ability to communicate. Everyone sees things differently, it’s about getting on the same page.” Tracey’s professional approach to the game creates a relationship of mentor and student more than buddy buddy. “Our job as coaches is to impart our life experience to our players while they are with us. Peers can lead each other astray, we don’t do that. I want to show my players that there is a right way to do things, and that there are consequences when things are done incorrectly.” When a player needs something or someone to talk to he is there but he also tries to stay out of the way of players’ personal lives. “The student experience is only for a short time, so I don’t need to get involved with everything.” While sitting down and talking about football with Coach Tracey, it is hard to not be impressed by his level of football knowledge and understanding of the game. He has achieved all there is to achieve at the CIS level, but don’t think he’s looking for a change any time soon. “I’ve been the head coach of defence and head coach of special teams before, I have been lucky with the teams I’ve been a part of that I have had full reign with my units.” Tracey has been asked many times whether he would like to be the head coach of his own team and his answer is always the same. “I enjoy purely coaching, there are a lot of other administration things that head coaches have to deal with. But if I was a head coach I imagine there are a lot of things I would do differently.” Most coaches would agree with Tracey, the ability to put the phone down and just coach is the best part of the day. For now Pat Tracey remains in Kingston with the Queen’s Gaels as their defensive coordinator as they try to win another Vanier Cup. His defence continues to be one of the best in the entire league and as long as his players continue to preform, the only ones that need to be afraid of Coach T are opposing.