mbrg

Get's a like for the phase "truculent grinders". I've got to learn an instrument so I can start a band and name it that.

None of the Jets were asked if they thought they were "uncoachable". It was a dickish question asked by what sounds to be a dickish reporter, who was obviously trying to push Kessel's buttons and goad him into a reaction. And that's not in his job description. He's essentially taunting him.

Cuz imports are dime a dozen.. Blah blah blah.. Not every American can pick up the nuances of the CFL game.. How many wash out every year? Top tier american players are worth paying for because you know what your getting.. Bear woods would have been valuable, especially to us.. You'd think these American free agents would at least wait to see what's out there. Bear Woods would have been coveted by a lot of teams. I can understand a Canadian resigning as a lot of them put down roots in CFL cities they play in. Get jobs & become a part of the community. But chances are in 10 years, a guy like Woods will be back in the US. So why not cash in while they still can? Probably to get a signing bonus before December 31 rather than wait 2 months. Or he's found a love interest. But yeah, typically even a good import will only get a couple of chances to cash in during a CFL career.

And that we're still in the running with Benevides.

As what? Cuz special teams ain't available here. DL coach? Lb coach? Db? Doubt it. Why not... our ST is nothing to write home about I would think Richie Hall is a very humble guy and probably will take the demotion in the Riders camp quite well. But it's obvious Chamblin doesnt like him. So unless there are any HC opening in CIS who will consider Hall, might as well move next door (Bombers who has job openings) even for a defensive coach position (assuming Benevides gets the Bombers DC job) instead of working with a guy who doesn't like him. All of that, plus family. Other than his adventure in Edmonton, Hall has been a fixture in Regina since 1988. He's not uprooting his family and re-working his life "just 'cause". And that's part of the reason the hiring process doesn't happen at light speed (to the angst of some impatient posters). It's not just us evaluating Hall. It's also Hall evaluating us. This organization. The city. The schools and neighbourhoods. This would be a big deal for him. He's not without obligations in his life.

I'm mostly surprised he came up here right away rather than waiting a couple of weeks for a chance to OC in the NFL. He'd have been on the short list for a couple of teams.

So the guys I listed won't 'do whatever is asked of them'? Sorry, but I'll take Derek Jones and Teague Sherman over Tristan Black and Labbe any day. We already have Dan West and Tim Cronk, there's your Labbes... I thought you said you weren't bad mouthing him. You really seem to have extremely low regard for what he did.

The team can, should and will try to improve at every position, including Washington's and Johnson's. I obviously have no problem with that; it's Walters' job. The notion that it can be done without too much difficulty just because these guys are imports, that I have a problem with. Making the adjustment to the CFL field and rules is almost as hard for DBs and it is for QBs. A field the size of an ocean, multiple receivers hitting the line at speed, horrible horrible reffing. They are not easily interchangeable parts like running backs and linebackers. It hasn't been that long since some extremely average and below average DB's got playing time here. Good grief, Jazzmen Williams and Gabriel Fulbright got employed here twice.

So the roster for 2015 is set? No spots left in the approx 80 guys we'll bring to camp? I have no specific interest in Black, but dismissing him because he's "another Labbe type" is terrible reasoning. Another Labbe type? I hope we find several of those for this team. Unheralded quality NIs who do whatever is asked of them and go to war for you without eating up a huge chunk of cap space? Every team wants guys like that on their roster.

How can we accurately compare Washington & Leggett when they have different jobs? How often did Leggett have to cover a receiver 1 on 1? I like Johnson, but I think it'd almost be a certainty he'd lose his job before Washington if we had to make a change. He lost it last year for awhile. It's not apples and oranges, but it's quite a ways from the same thing. Crabapples and golden delicious?

Love the name. CRONK. CRONK!!! That he has to compete for his job in training camp. Which he would have had to do anyways.

Plus Philip Hunt or Alex Hall will come in cheaper than Odell Willis at this point. If Alex Hall wanted to come back to the CFL he'd be here already. He'll exhaust every slim chance he has at 32 NFL rosters before he locks himself into a CFL contract for 2 more seasons. And probably the same for Hunt, who has the added concern of his knee injury.

Sure, and the money is all hypothetical at this point of the season anyways, minus whatever bonuses have been paid out to players in the last 7 days. In general, Picard is making more than Morley so even if we cut Morley our cap space is less than what it would have been, and Saskatchewan's will be more than what it would have been. The idea that we have more money to offer than other teams is what I was disputing. It might be true. It might not.

Why? Because 20 of the 44 players on the gameday roster are backups and special teamers. So if a guy is really good in that role, you consider it. Being not good enough to be a starter does not equate zero value to a club. If your starters aren't good enough to be starters, that's a big concern.

Sure. But the Riders just freed up $175k of cap space while we just lost $195k. So there's that.

I think the more likely scenario would be 4 NIs on the offensive line with a couple solid guys in reserve .. Yeah, let's walk before we run. We started 3 NI's last season and the level of play was questionable. Making the leap to 4 this year would already be a really huge deal for this team.

From a $$$:contribution ratio point of view, there could be just as much value for the Bombers going after the best non-Olineman NI in free agency as Heenan anyways. If Heenan runs up to $300,000, which is entirely within the realm of possibilities, the savings by going with a talented import at that spot could be in the range of $180,000. If you take that excess cash and use it to sign the best NI receiver or Dlineman (don't have the list in front of me) and get a solid starter or guy who can be part of a great rotational tandem, it still will hit the marks for both quality of play and ratio needs.

Certainly an interesting read, and I liked the format he used for grades. Although based on the grade definitions he gave I think Volny and Ettiene are 2's rather than 1's, but that's largely inconsequential. One thing I think is inaccurate is the assertion that Volny doesn't play much special teams, drawn from the fact that he has only 5 ST tackles in his career. There are 6 different special teams units. Only 2 of those 6 commonly involve tackling. Although I don't watch for Volny every time special teams steps on the field, I know he is a fixture on the front line of our kickoff returns, and am fairly certain he is on the field for all punt returns as well. And I would be curious to know the source of his assertion that Mack drafted Ettiene at the behest of LaPolice. I don't dispute it, but if it's just something that's been out there for a while, I must have missed it.

He can shoot the puck hard. He can hit hard. All other aspects of his play and intangibles are average to below-average.

I'm afraid I must lol at this. Even though nothing about it is inaccurate. Rather the idea that while Heenan is on the market, he is really on the market. He will go to free agency to establish value, and then re-sign with the Riders for slightly more than that amount. The Riders are preparing for this by clearing cap space. i.e. cutting Picard. Walters will make an offer. Probably several. He will be aggressive. Heenan will get a contract well in excess of $250,000. But we will almost certainly finish second on his list of suitors. Still, we have to do it anyways. Best case scenario, we get Heenan. Worst case scenario, we drive up the price for Heenan, handcuff the Riders for cap space right out of the gate, and possibly eliminate Saskatchewan from the running of other FA's we're interested in. Both scenarios have positive aspects for the Bombers.

Former teammates Willy and Picard are now here. The plot does thicken. Anyone know a Winnipeg girl who's willing to flirt with Heenan online for the next 2 months? Anyone willing to pretend to be a Winnipeg girl and is willing to flirt with Heenan online for the next 2 months?

195K?! That's too much for Picard even if the bar for NI salaries is steadily rising. On the surface I'd agree, but with the cap moving up for the second of five consecutive years? The reality is the Bombers are committing around 4% of their cap space to a starting NI. That is a reasonable percentage. Can't do it for everyone, but you can do it for a few. And a $140,000 offseason bonus in the CFL is insane. Insane. I don't know why Picard would even have agreed to that. It basically guaranteed he'd be released, and will wonders never cease, he was.

You shut your ***** mouth. As the #1 shameless Wild fanboi he is not easily replaced. No, Wild is awesome and I want him back somewhere on the field, but....the spot in the middle - I'd really like to see a more prototypical Barrin Simpson-type run stuffer in that spot.

Don't bad mouth Labbe because he was a solid loyal foot soldier. Loved that kid... Not sure why anyone would bad mouth Labbe. Second-last pick of the 2008 draft. Most guys taken there are lucky to survive a single training camp. He carved out a decent 6 year career. Even if his bust will never be in the hall of fame, everything about his career greatly exceeded anyone's expectations.

Could you tweet back that Heenan won't be a free agent for 6 more weeks? If he even reaches free agency. Lawless has been banging the Walters needs to sign Heenan drum for 3 months now. Save it till early February when it means something.