2023/2024 Blue Bombers Off-Season Thread (BRADY’S BACK! DALTON’S BACK!)

[wbbfan]

2 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

Didn't say Bailey deserved "big money" but paying the man fairly for his under-appreciated service always seemed like the right thing to do. In all 3 cases I think we can expect the replacements to be downgrades in ability as they have nobody in house that is their obvious equivalent, so the plan to get better in these 3 positions is based solely on bringing in new/unproven players that can somehow match or exceed the performance of league standouts, always possible but highly unlikely.  

In the end I predict the overall skill level will be downgraded from what it was previously, players that earned the big raises were in place already, so that counts as more money spent with no upgrade in talent or performance level.  The lost players will make a noticeable difference, gone not due to declining performance as it should be, but due to poor overall salary management.  

 

.

We played with out 2/3s of those guys for more than half of the last two plus years. That significantly reduced any possible drop off. The portion of baileys touches that go to lawler demski Schoen or Brady will immediately be an improvement as well. 
we had bigger production games from guys who aren’t here any more than were had from Bailey.

 Talent level of replacement players is never the problem with imports. Bailey was deservedly loved but was a role player, an easily filled role at that. One normally filled by nis. Grant was a great role player but we don’t need the most dangerous return man in the league with our offence. We just need a capable one. And the amount of snaps jj played the last few years he was really a role player at a stars salary. 
 I expect us to be more consistent by ld and better off from moving on. Same with moving on from yoshi. This is how contenders stay on top and improve. How many times did the stamps lose key fas here or to the NFL and then find the next guy? 

[JuranBoldenRules]

4 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

Didn't say Bailey deserved "big money" but paying the man fairly for his under-appreciated service always seemed like the right thing to do. In all 3 cases I think we can expect the replacements to be downgrades in ability as they have nobody in house that is their obvious equivalent, so the plan to get better in these 3 positions is based solely on bringing in new/unproven players that can somehow match or exceed the performance of league standouts, always possible but highly unlikely.  

In the end I predict the overall skill level will be downgraded from what it was previously, players that earned the big raises were in place already, so that counts as more money spent with no upgrade in talent or performance level.  The lost players will make a noticeable difference, gone not due to declining performance as it should be, but due to poor overall salary management.  

 

.

I'd rather have Schoen and Lawler than Schoen OR Lawler and Bailey.

Talent level is much higher than it would be if we kept the slightly above average vets.

[Brandon]

4 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

It's the effort and performance of underdog players like Bailey and Woli that help put and keep a team on top of the standings, the more quality players of this caliber a team has the better the results.  Consider it the equivalent of having a solid 3rd line in hockey.

Dominant players do not play on the 3rd line in hockey.  

Role players/ depth players are good to have but cannot get paid the same as 1st liners.  Role players and depth players are also significantly easier to find then all-stars.  

[Goalie]

I’ll take Schoen plus Lawler plus Demski and Woli (our Canadian starters) over anyone else’s top 4. If it means we gotta find the next shoen or lawler to be number 5, cool beans bro. Feel like 5 has the potential to be a kr/wr hybrid tho. That will be an interesting battle at camp. Who replaces Janarion Grant. We got a few interesting names. 

Edited May 5 by Goalie

[BigBlue]

9 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

Didn't say Bailey deserved "big money" but paying the man fairly for his under-appreciated service always seemed like the right thing to do. In all 3 cases I think we can expect the replacements to be downgrades in ability as they have nobody in house that is their obvious equivalent, so the plan to get better in these 3 positions is based solely on bringing in new/unproven players that can somehow match or exceed the performance of league standouts, always possible but highly unlikely.  

In the end I predict the overall skill level will be downgraded from what it was previously, players that earned the big raises were in place already, so that counts as more money spent with no upgrade in talent or performance level.  The lost players will make a noticeable difference, gone not due to declining performance as it should be, but due to poor overall salary management.  

 

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I am sorry if this all sounds Super Negatron ... it sounds like a complete under estimation of our scouting and of Kyle Walters SKILLS  and WISDOM

if anything these replacements needed to be made earlier .... changes need to be made constantly but not too much at once ... status quo thinking would be gross mismanagement  ... we still have our core and an amazingly good culture ... do you have to have it proven to you?. 

We have perhaps the best management and coaching in he league

we will see some early season transition pains but no problem

Mr Chicken Little the sky is NOT FALLING

[Fatty Liver]

10 hours ago, wbbfan said:

It’s not like hockey, you need that across the board in football. I also have no concern about us finding that in their replacements. No matter the performance of their replacements don’t bring it they’ll be cut. 

I'll stand by my prediction, downgrades in all 3 positions.  If their replacements don't perform, who're they going to bring in when there's nuthin left in the pot?  History shows O'Shea stands pat with what he's got even when it turns out to be deficient. 

 

[Jesse]

6 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

I'll stand by my prediction, downgrades in all 3 positions.  If their replacements don't perform, who're they going to bring in when there's nuthin left in the pot?  History shows O'Shea stands pat with what he's got even when it turns out to be deficient. 

 

Downgrades compared to what though?

Are you imagining Jeffcoat playing totally healthy for 18 games? And we're not going to get someone that good? Hardrick from 2019? 

Whether we kept these players or let them walk, we were getting a downgrade from what I think you're picturing in your head. 

[Noeller]

 

 

[MOBomberFan]

Lions fans hating the Manu pick despite his measurables. A Canadian kid that was barely mentioned in the top 300? Yuck! I'd rather see him in WPG obviously, but I hope he blows the doors off just to see the backpeddling

[Bigblue204]

8 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

I'll stand by my prediction, downgrades in all 3 positions.  If their replacements don't perform, who're they going to bring in when there's nuthin left in the pot?  History shows O'Shea stands pat with what he's got even when it turns out to be deficient. 

 

Downgrade in production for your 4th/5th rec isn't the problem your imagining it to be.

[wbbfan]

8 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

I'll stand by my prediction, downgrades in all 3 positions.  If their replacements don't perform, who're they going to bring in when there's nuthin left in the pot?  History shows O'Shea stands pat with what he's got even when it turns out to be deficient. 

 

NFL cuts, which leads into the trade dead line. Plus fact is 2/3 of those guys don’t have a contract. Decent pro rated deal could bring them back mid season as well. 

[Mike]

1 hour ago, MOBomberFan said:

Lions fans hating the Manu pick despite his measurables. A Canadian kid that was barely mentioned in the top 300? Yuck! I'd rather see him in WPG obviously, but I hope he blows the doors off just to see the backpeddling

Of course they hate the pick, it didn’t really make sense in the fourth round.

[JohnnyAbonny]

Yeah, I hate to say it but Hardrick was rough last year. I think whoever is in will be an overall upgrade. 

[Noeller]

New signing for TC.... And I sincerely believe he won't be the worst one out there, and will be among the most fit.

 

 

[JuranBoldenRules]

13 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

I'll stand by my prediction, downgrades in all 3 positions.  If their replacements don't perform, who're they going to bring in when there's nuthin left in the pot?  History shows O'Shea stands pat with what he's got even when it turns out to be deficient. 

 

There's an exhaustive list with credentials of the American receivers coming into camp in Tait's receiver preview.  Where do you think Bailey came from?  Receiver is hardly a concern here.

Rush end is a spot I personally would have been more active on.  The Bombers were a completely different and not good defense without Jeffcoat.  Jefferson is declining and was not a factor (positively, negatively yeah) when Jeffcoat was down.

Hardrick was bad last season.  Don't believe he will be hard to replace.  More concerned about Canadian spots on line personally.  Some limitations and age issues there basically with all the guys we have.

[BBlink]

Offense is going to be fine. We have a lot of talent and depth there. Zero question we will find someone to fill the 3rd American receiver spot. There is enough competition and depth on the o-line that we should be fine there as well.

Special teams on paper it looks like we will be much better than last year. Fresh faces bring new energy.

Defense is where there is the most uncertainty. We need someone to step up at Corner. Holm and Nichols are locks at half. I think we have a lot of options at safety and one of the corner positions. Finding a top cover guy would go a long way to making that group formidable.

D line i see similarly. We have a few guys there but we need someone to step up. Maybe even a couple. Willie does some good things but I hope we run a DI at the end position this year.

Linebackers I can't understand why we don't bring in more competition. Are we that confident in Biggie and Wilson?

[Geebrr]

Looks like they’re painting the walls at PAS.

they should just wrap them, but the sideline walls desperately need to be re-painted if nothing else.

 

[johnzo]

On 2024-05-03 at 2:05 PM, kelownabomberfan said:

I was on a Teams call the other day and I found out one of the people on the call was from Regina, so immediately she and I got into a back and forth "Riders suck" "Bombers suck" while the rest of the people on the call from Ontario looked on in confusion and horror at two people who just met abusing each other but once we got through that stuff she said that she grew up living next door to Ron Lancaster in Regina and of course then we got into a bit of camaraderie discussion about the CFL, while like I said, the rest of the clued out non-CFL fans on the call just sat there mystified at two people talking about a fabled league they'd never even heard of.  As much as we all agree, Riders suck, they at least still love football too.  

I did the exact same thing with a leafs fan on a work call right before the playoffs started.  Both of us had jerseys on an everything.  No one else knew what was going on (the call was with people from Florida and Alabama)

Had been avoiding him since the Jets got eliminated but now that the leafs are golfing too I guess I can emerge again.

Edited May 5 by johnzo

[kelownabomberfan]

2 hours ago, Geebrr said:

Looks like they’re painting the walls at PAS.

they should just wrap them, but the sideline walls desperately need to be re-painted if nothing else.

 

or they could go "retro McMahon style" and cover them in 50 years worth of pigeon poop.

[wbbfan]

4 hours ago, JohnnyAbonny said:

Yeah, I hate to say it but Hardrick was rough last year. I think whoever is in will be an overall upgrade. 

Yoshi got whupped by speed off the edge like a green hs kid too many times. I love the guy and he can still drop people in the run game but he can’t play T in pass pro or stay healthy. And that’s at best. 
 

4 hours ago, Noeller said:

New signing for TC.... And I sincerely believe he won't be the worst one out there, and will be among the most fit.

 

 

he’d still make most of the dbs look lost in one in ones. But if any one is coming back let it be bob.  
 

3 hours ago, BBlink said:

Offense is going to be fine. We have a lot of talent and depth there. Zero question we will find someone to fill the 3rd American receiver spot. There is enough competition and depth on the o-line that we should be fine there as well.

Special teams on paper it looks like we will be much better than last year. Fresh faces bring new energy.

Defense is where there is the most uncertainty. We need someone to step up at Corner. Holm and Nichols are locks at half. I think we have a lot of options at safety and one of the corner positions. Finding a top cover guy would go a long way to making that group formidable.

D line i see similarly. We have a few guys there but we need someone to step up. Maybe even a couple. Willie does some good things but I hope we run a DI at the end position this year.

Linebackers I can't understand why we don't bring in more competition. Are we that confident in Biggie and Wilson?

Cole legit might steal a spot. 

[rebusrankin]

I agree with the takes the DL and LB are the two worrying spots going into 2024.

I think we may have some issues early but at the end of the year, we'll be firing on all cylinders and capable of beating everybody.

[JohnnyAbonny]

I think Cole will be an impact player this year. Could steal Wilson’s spot, or (preferably) Kramdi if they can make the ratio work.

[BBlink]

20 minutes ago, JohnnyAbonny said:

I think Cole will be an impact player this year. Could steal Wilson’s spot, or (preferably) Kramdi if they can make the ratio work.

It would be a great situation if we can start Terrell Ford or a Canadian at safety. Actually seems fairly likely. 

[JohnnyAbonny]

1 hour ago, BBlink said:

It would be a great situation if we can start Terrell Ford or a Canadian at safety. Actually seems fairly likely. 

Ford could very well take a starting corner spot.
I’d like to see what Jake Kelly could do at FS as well. 

[Doublezero]

On 2024-05-03 at 12:05 PM, GCn20 said:

Grant missed most of the last 2 seasons, but yea when he was in the game he was dynamite.

Mike O'Shea said that pound-for-pound Janarion Grant was undoubtedly the toughest player on the squad. Of course no one is irreplaceable. But guaranteed whoever is returning kicks this season will not be in Grant's class. I feel bad for him because the ankle/foot injury that cost him was a really dumb play call - a handoff that had him running a counter up the gut into heavy traffic.