mbrg

The ratio exists, it's not going away. The quality of our NIs this year compared to what it was two years ago still floors me when I think about it. Massive upgrades. And yet "package up Hurl, Bucknor and Neufeld and trade them away" shows up all over the place these days. The ratio exists. It's not going away. So that makes us worse. I don't get... So I'll re-work the question into if I was GM/coach and looking to make a single move to the starting lineup to turn losses into wins, where would I start exploring alternatives? Center. I think that is the single move that has the most potential benefit. Of course that's only true if we find/have someone better. Easy to say, not as easy to do.

Randle's "linebacker" spot is essentially a 3rd HB mirroring the fact that on the majority of downs offenses play 3 SB's and 2 WR's. Simmons and Bass don't really fit the profile of guys you want covering SB's all the time. appreciate the information. Growing up somewhere where playing football was never an option my only knowledge is what I've seen watching the game and reading on here, so I appreciate the game, but don't have the position by position knowledge of other sports I've played or coached where I understand what every player should be doing. Randle as linebacker is a result of the evolution of CFL offences. I blame Flutie/Calgary using 6 receiver sets back in the 90's. Traditional linebackers got exposed as too slow to cover receivers, especially over the large expanse on the wide side. Defences had to evolve to match that, and moving a larger safety type up into that spot - an Ike Charlton type - became the norm. Now they don't even bother worrying about the size part. Fast, able to cover and able to tackle are more important. If a Messam type ends up running at Randle there will be a size mismatch, but any player big enough to handle that load while still fast enough to cover in the CFL won't be playing in the CFL. He's got a job waiting for him down south. People reminisce about having Jones, West and Battle playing together and wonder why we can't put a crew like that on the field, but I doubt that trio could succeed in the CFL now the way it has evolved. None of them could do what Randle is doing. As for Bucknor, I'd have to watch a game and count to be sure, but my recollection is that he isn't being targeted more than any other DB in our secondary. Washington and Johnson see more passes in their areas than Bucknor, which makes sense because of their positions. Bucknor has made some great tackles at times this year, defended well at times this year, got lucky at times this year, and got beat at times this year. I've seen the same from all our DBs.

Bob Irving is the new Captain Obvious. That's probably his response to this... jim bender ✔ @bendersun Psst, the #bombers have actually signed a QB - Tyler Russell. 6-4, 220-pound Mississippi State. But will he see any action this year? To which Irving should have replied "Dear God I hope not - do you comprehend how many things will have to go wrong and how bad things will have to be before playing this kid this year could be considered the right decision? You cover sports, right Bender? You understand guys come onto and off of the practise roster all the time in football. If you don't, well, they do. We had multiple QBs added and deleted from our practise roster last year before we traded for Portis. This is a guy who is auditioning for a chance to audition for the 3rd or 4th string job next year. And if they don't like him he'll be gone in 2 weeks and the next guy will be shipped in. This will continue until Willy is healthy and Davis needs his spot back on the PR. And then it will start again when the PR expands in October. If this kid gets a handle on the CFL, learns the playbook, develops a rapport with the receivers and passes all 3 guys ahead of him on the depth chart before Willy returns, he's way too good to be playing in this league. Seriously Bender, stop coming in to work after a bender." That's 144 characters, right?

Finally, an SEC QB...but you spelled JaMarcus wrong.

So much for Desjardins having a master plan to get him back. Desjardins has a master plan to get a snack. The football stuff, that will all fall into place on it's own.

Interesting. We would be getting better. I'd prefer he'd get an agent who isn't an assclown, but the assclown got the results he wanted, so Simmons is going to be happy. He won't get starts but he will get snaps. This likely takes Littlejohn off the 46 to make room. I haven't seen enough of Simmons to know if he's an awesome fit for what Ritchie Hall is running here, but great players will find ways to make plays. And to the notion in another thread that the Bombers aren't trying to win this year, I don't know what that poster is inhaling. Walters continues to aggressively go after the players he wants.

Old enough to get references to John Hughes movies.

Were you counting me as in or out?

and a big thank you for getting that stuck in my head

Several times over the last few months I've said Walters appears to be going for it. He has been more aggressive this year than any Bomber GM I can remember in my lifetime. Part of that is a sad reflection on the history of our leadership, but that's not Walters' doing. I completely disagree with your premise, as far as I'm concerned most of the evidence points to the opposite conclusion of what you've come to. Insert Mike's player list & comments here. And in a profession where careers average under 4 years, labeling moves as "now" vs "future" is a futile exercise. No one is signed to a 7 year deal. We drafted Quinn Everett in 2014 for the future; his CFL career is probably already over. Will Paris Cotton ever play another game for us? That's a coin toss right now.

"Well that guy has a broken leg." - mbrg to mrs. mbrg, August 14, 2015. That sucks.

Any player not on the PR or suspended is still making his base salary. Technically, as I understand the CBA (not much), PR players could also be making their base salary. $750/wk is the minimum. There is no mandated maximum. Obviously making significant money on the PR is unlikely, but if $1000/wk is the difference between a player staying or leaving, a GM may choose to do it.

Well he's not healthy, and that's why defence and special teams doesn't have much margin for error. Massive errors? We won't be overcoming those.

I think you are definitely on to something with that comment. After scrolling thru his twitter posts, it looks like saying something moronic is his default setting rather than his final recourse.

I don't like to dabble in hyperbole, but this guy is the worst agent in the history of agents. What a tool shed. If I'm Huff Simmons is spending the rest of the year on the bench just out of spite. He can't cut him. This crap will happen again and again if players think it will get them out of contracts or released from teams. Sit his butt down for the rest of the year and cut him in the off-season once the point has been proven. If you represent other people professionally you probably shouldn't have a twitter account at all, and "******" definitely isn't a word that should appear anywhere in it. This guy is monumentally bad at his job.

I confess some confusion here on my part. That team was with us in 1992 - tied for first in the east at 11-7. And there was two separate paths taken, as we went 14-4 and 13-5 in the seasons that followed, while they were a combined 10-26. Perhaps I am reading your post incorrectly. The picking up of their bootstraps included a 1-17 season. Nonetheless, while the Ticats are in the midst of an upswing, and good on them for it, the idea that this is the franchise we should model the Bombers after is laughable to me. It is the one franchise that hands down over the last 25 years has been worse than us.

I don't like to dabble in hyperbole, but this guy is the worst agent in the history of agents. What a tool shed. If I'm Huff Simmons is spending the rest of the year on the bench just out of spite.

No doubt. Also a shame that it couldn't have happened in November 2011 instead. IF it's going to happen.

Not as much as he once did. He splits starts with Ed Sprague.

The real "best fans" in the CFL.

Have you satisfied your curiousity? People have opinions. I wanted to read them. Opinion - the Argo receivers celebrating every single catch like they caught a TD in the superbowl is far more ridiculous than anything the Ticats are doing. And it's an opinion I had prior to the weekend's game.

The Hurl thing again? The last 4 games I've seen live I've kept an eye on him to see what he's doing wrong, and as far as I can tell it's being called a middle linebacker. People need to stop pretending this is a Greg Marshall defence. It isn't, and Hurl isn't playing the role of Barrin Simpson. There was a play on Friday where he ended up lining up on the outside hip of the cornerback. He's often ten yards off the line of scrimmage and over the tackle. He can be found in locations like that more often than three yards back and over center. This is where Hall is putting him and how he's using him. Call him a rover if it makes it easier to accept. If he whiffs on a tackle then he whiffs on a tackle, but most of the griping seems to be about how he is failing to excel at being the next Muamba, and from what I've seen that is not his assignment in this defence. Run thru the A gap and destroy what's in front of you isn't what they're asking him to do.

As for the play call, Marve had been setting that up all game by faking pulling the ball from Marshall on most of his runs (which I thought they could have done without, it was awkward and messing with Marshall's momentum). If he had run it from under center it still would have failed. The end not biting is the end not biting, regardless of where the QB started the play.

Never ever have believed in houseclearing. That guarantees you will not make the playoffs the next season. You bring guys in and may the best talent win - except for the Canadian ratio thing where you don't have to be better. Worked in Hamilton. Cleaned house in 2012 with a 6-12 team including a first year coach and brought in Austin plus several others and the team went 10-8 and made it to the Grey Cup. Went to the Grey Cup last year too. Honestly, some people have these preconceived ideas of how they think things will work out without providing any evidence to back up these preconceptions. I'm not saying the Bombers are due for a housecleaning just yet. Let's see how the season plays out first. No excuses for the team to not win at least one of their next three. I think they have a shot at winning two of the next three personally. Do they now? Cleaning house worked like a charm in Hamilton. Easy peazy lemon squeezy. Bringing in Charlie Taffe was a huge success. Oh wait, not that one? Greg Marshall then. Pretty sure they put a statue up for him after that hire. George Cortez? Marcel Bellefeuille? Urban freaking Bowman? John Gregory? Don Sutherin? Ah well, at least Kent Austin is nuts - one way or another, the saying that even a blind squirrel will occasionally find a nut will hold true.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats: Proudly re-building since 1999.