Which Vets do we cut next season

[Goalie]

2 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

well not in terms of attitude... but probably bighill. O'Shea will never not put Bighill in a prime position on D and Bighill is nowhere near the player he was a few seasons ago. GM is likely going to have to force the issue there because I don't see the defence getting truly better until we can move on from that aging star. Ritchie Hall D has always needed a quality middle linebacker to be effective. 

Yes not attitude wise but pull wise. Basically the guy who owns oshea lol. The guy osh refuses to actually make the hard decision about. 

Biggie makes sense. Last night showed that 

Biggie needs to go then 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Goalie

[Jesse]

This was the best defence in the league. We need to recruit some younger guys. We need more bodies to rotate with the Jeffs. And it was a mistake or a failure to not have found someone last off season. Even Haba was a last minute addition on the last day of training camp. None of our depth DE's from 2022 came back this year and we didn't replace them. 

Defensive line:

Willie - I think he's the guy as long as he wants to be.

Jeffcoat - Our D is night and day when he's not in the line-up

Walker - not sure about his contract sitch.  If he's a FA, I imagine he's gone.

Thomas - Another retire candidate, but needs to be a back-up/rotational guy if he's here. I think this is a spot where we could be playing a younger guy tho #succession

Haba - showed a couple flashes early but didn't have many opportunities, would have liked to see him developed more. 

______ - same as receiver. We needed bodies here that could be good to go for next year. Big recruiting fail. 

Linebackers:

Bighill - Hall of Famer, and the Grey Cup was obviously his worst performance in a game he should not have been allowed to play. 

Wilson - Didn't have the impact plays I expected him to have this year, but clearly a good part of the team.

Krahmdi - I don't know. He's a solid part of the team. I've seen misses, I'm seen big plays. League best defence.

Cole - I love what I see out of him. Hopefully get a bigger role

Clements - Just like Cole, he certainly seems to do his job out there.

This is another spot I'd like to see some true competition. Roster management wise, I'd like 3 less LBs on the gameday roster for extra DL/DB/WR.

Secondary:

I don't think I need to go through everyone here. We have lots of capable guys, we seem to find new ones each year and have to play them all because of injuries. Keep on keeping on, imo. 

[captaincanuck12]

Bombers current GM contract expires this year with no deal/renewal in sight.    Until that happens, it's all just speculation on woulda coulda shoulda.

[Jesse]

9 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

IMO Eli did take a job, but the coach wouldn't make the change. 

That's pretty hard thing to determine for a fan. 

But Eli was absent but will now be going into year 2 of his return. Time for the switch if he's the guy we think he is. 

1 minute ago, captaincanuck12 said:

Bombers current GM contract expires this year with no deal/renewal in sight.    Until that happens, it's all just speculation on woulda coulda shoulda.

Who cares tho?

Someone will be GM next year.

[17to85]

2 minutes ago, Jesse said:

This was the best defence in the league. We need to recruit some younger guys. We need more bodies to rotate with the Jeffs. And it was a mistake or a failure to not have found someone last off season. Even Haba was a last minute addition on the last day of training camp. None of our depth DE's from 2022 came back this year and we didn't replace them. 

Defensive line:

Willie - I think he's the guy as long as he wants to be.

Jeffcoat - Our D is night and day when he's not in the line-up

Walker - not sure about his contract sitch.  If he's a FA, I imagine he's gone.

Thomas - Another retire candidate, but needs to be a back-up/rotational guy if he's here. I think this is a spot where we could be playing a younger guy tho #succession

Haba - showed a couple flashes early but didn't have many opportunities, would have liked to see him developed more. 

______ - same as receiver. We needed bodies here that could be good to go for next year. Big recruiting fail. 

Linebackers:

Bighill - Hall of Famer, and the Grey Cup was obviously his worst performance in a game he should not have been allowed to play. 

Wilson - Didn't have the impact plays I expected him to have this year, but clearly a good part of the team.

Krahmdi - I don't know. He's a solid part of the team. I've seen misses, I'm seen big plays. League best defence.

Cole - I love what I see out of him. Hopefully get a bigger role

Clements - Just like Cole, he certainly seems to do his job out there.

This is another spot I'd like to see some true competition. Roster management wise, I'd like 3 less LBs on the gameday roster for extra DL/DB/WR.

Secondary:

I don't think I need to go through everyone here. We have lots of capable guys, we seem to find new ones each year and have to play them all because of injuries. Keep on keeping on, imo. 

you seem focused on this year a lot... fact is this team is at a crossroads. Either they make hard, unpopular decisions and reload and keep a good thing going, or they keep trotting out the same group expecting them to still play like they're all 3 or 4 years younger than they are and we slowly erode into irrelevance. 

[Jesse]

1 minute ago, 17to85 said:

you seem focused on this year a lot... fact is this team is at a crossroads. Either they make hard, unpopular decisions and reload and keep a good thing going, or they keep trotting out the same group expecting them to still play like they're all 3 or 4 years younger than they are and we slowly erode into irrelevance. 

I'm focused on the players in the room.

It's not like the league is doing a re-draft and we're starting from scratch.

[Goalie]

Bighill looks done. Alexander looks done. Thomas was done last year,  he's not even worth a rotational spot. 

Collaros ain't a spring chicken 

[Slimy Sculpin]

10 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

well not in terms of attitude... but probably bighill. O'Shea will never not put Bighill in a prime position on D and Bighill is nowhere near the player he was a few seasons ago. GM is likely going to have to force the issue there because I don't see the defence getting truly better until we can move on from that aging star. Ritchie Hall D has always needed a quality middle linebacker to be effective. 

I keep thinking of Sam Hurl era and not fondly.

[Jesse]

2 minutes ago, Slimy Sculpin said:

I keep thinking of Sam Hurl era and not fondly.

That's ridiculous.

[JuranBoldenRules]

16 minutes ago, Jesse said:

Roster management wise, I'd like 3 less LBs on the gameday roster for extra DL/DB/WR.

 

Who do you think covers kicks?

[Stickem]

6 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

you seem focused on this year a lot... fact is this team is at a crossroads. Either they make hard, unpopular decisions and reload and keep a good thing going, or they keep trotting out the same group expecting them to still play like they're all 3 or 4 years younger than they are and we slowly erode into irrelevance. 

you can see the cracks now,,,,It's going to be quite a trick to keep our solid vets around and start a youth movement at the same time....Guys like Cole, Haba and Fox were a start this year BUT we obviously didn't do enough 

[Jesse]

Just now, JuranBoldenRules said:

Who do you think covers kicks?

We roster 2-3 more LBs than any other team does. We certainly don't seem to be better at kick coverage than anyone else.

[Super Duper Negatron]

3 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Who do you think covers kicks?

This year? Nobody apparently.

[Fatty Liver]

1 hour ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

I really think our reputation as an old boys club is going to hurt us in recruiting and free agency. It starts with all the promosing guys we parachute onto the PR, only for them never to get even a sniff. And it ends with a guy like Ambles who will surely spread the word that the Bombers would rather play "their" guy on one leg than give him a chance to help the team win.

FIFO - First In, or **** Off

Who cares about Ambles, he had no time invested, BOLO is the guy who should be pissed.

[do or die]

19 minutes ago, Goalie said:

Bighill looks done. Alexander looks done. Thomas was done last year,  he's not even worth a rotational spot. 

Collaros ain't a spring chicken 

Hardrick may be cooked, as well....

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

11 hours ago, Noeller said:

Sincere question that maybe doesn't mean anything in the big picture, but is this still a place potential FAs want to be?

Recent Back to Back Champs.

4 trips to the GC in 4 years.

Literally inches away from those two losses being wins... 

Locker Room culture that is the envy of the league...

A HC that players would do anything for?

a guaudy what 59-19 since 2019....

Being the ******* benchmark for teams year in and year out since 2019... 

We make every team better. 

 

Yeah I think we are a place potential FAs might want to be.

 

[JuranBoldenRules]

16 minutes ago, Jesse said:

We roster 2-3 more LBs than any other team does. We certainly don't seem to be better at kick coverage than anyone else.

No we don't.  Look at the depth charts.

Everyone dresses an assload of LB/DB/RB's to cover kicks.  We actually were dressing less because we had 8 OL, Jackson (who by game 15 was off cover teams) and often up to 3 backup receivers including Grant, we also had a bunch of games with 8 OL and Schmekel on too who couldn't cover kicks.

[Slimy Sculpin]

21 minutes ago, Jesse said:

That's ridiculous.

Just trying, and failing apparently, to add a little levity to the thread.

[HardCoreBlue]

13 minutes ago, Wanna-B-Fanboy said:

Recent Back to Back Champs.

4 trips to the GC in 4 years.

Literally inches away from those two losses being wins... 

Locker Room culture that is the envy of the league...

A HC that players would do anything for?

a guaudy what 59-19 since 2019....

Being the ******* benchmark for teams year in and year out since 2019... 

We make every team better. 

 

Yeah I think we are a place potential FAs might want to be.

 

^ Perspective.

[17to85]

49 minutes ago, Stickem said:

you can see the cracks now,,,,It's going to be quite a trick to keep our solid vets around and start a youth movement at the same time....Guys like Cole, Haba and Fox were a start this year BUT we obviously didn't do enough 

It can be done, they just have to choose to do it.

[rebusrankin]

This off season feels a lot like 2002 going into 2003 or 2003 going into 2004.

[Noeller]

2 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

This off season feels a lot like 2002 going into 2003 or 2003 going into 2004.

I was thinking it felt a lot like 2008-ish.. but yeah, I hear what you're saying. It's really concerning with a LOT of uncertainty regarding both management and players. I'm clinging to hope that because we host in '25, they're focused on that and winning there. 

[rebusrankin]

I worry that this is MOS with some of our vets.

[Colin Unger]

The X factor that effects a potential influx of youth is the availability of young talent now with the XFL/USFL. The leagues are struggling and losing money but i think they will still be around by the time the next CFL season starts. If last season is an indication its difficult to imagine we are going to find a lot of cheaper better options. We need to look at what we currently have on our roster to potentially replace some aging players and free agents. Drew Richmond/Gray can compete to replace one retired tackle and we should spend on a top notch free agent for the other tackle. I think also Tui should be starting somehwere and maybe Dobsen too if Gray plays tackle. Adam Bighill i don't think he needs to go, not if he comes back on a cheaper deal. He needs to come in at a price where he's more of a role player. He shouldn't have been playing but that's on the coach not him and potentially that decision cost us the game both in him giving up a TD and Rose not being available. Jefferson still gets it done he should come back. Alexander id love to see what he could do at Will linebacker if he added about 10 pounds of muscle and make safety a Canadian position again. It would be nice to have a will with a little more cover ability. Probably going to get dumped on for suggesting something so unorthodox. His size isn't much different than Cole/Clements. Jeffcoat can come back if he takes a paycut but we shouldn't be in a situation where a guy like Lemon is available and we can't afford to sign him. We need a guy like that in additional to Jeffcoat and Jefferson. Its time for Jake Thomas to retire again. Can we give Holm more money just because?   I love that guy. At the position he plays he's probably the best player on the team in terms of wins above replacement if there were such a thing in football.I think Zach should come back as the starter but i think we need to go to him and have a hard conversation. Does he want to make the maximum salary he can make with us or does he want to make a little bit less and start winning championships again. Its become harder to win with such a high paid quarterback. Or maybe he wants to finish his career playing for Ottawa. I think there's players on the team taking a larger paycut to stay in Winnipeg than he is. And these are guys making a fraction of what Zach gets. We need to go back to being a team that has great depth.  Id prefer to bring back Zach and Streveler or Brown. But if he doesn't take a paycut i think we could really get a good package for Zach and go with Streveler and Brown and surround them with more talent. I'm one who think Streveler can be a every down QB in the CFL. I think he improved his passing considerably in the time he play in the NFL. Scheon, Oliveira, and Lawler are all due major pay rises. Especially Scheon. Remember Lawler took less money this year for a lot more next season. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Colin Unger

[JuranBoldenRules]

3 minutes ago, Colin Unger said:

The X factor that effects a potential influx of youth is the availability of young talent now with the XFL/USFL. The leagues are struggling and losing money but i think they will still be around by the time the next CFL season starts. If last season is an indication its difficult to imagine we are going to find a lot of cheaper better options. 

Ultimately all the teams we compete against are going through the same issue so there's no advantage to anyone.  They are all mining the same talent pool of guys willing to come up.

Feel that this year there was very little effort paid to development which bites short and long-term in this sport.  That churn needs to be continuous.  Saw several circumstances this year where there simply was no one ready to replace an injured player so we didn't replace them.  Like when Grant was out and we had no one that could reasonably even catch a punt safely.