2024 Blue Bomber Training Camp

[17to85]

2 hours ago, Booch said:

.then again they may go with someone who has had no press....not really showed anything all camp but like for some particular reason...and possibly not from being best talent, and they be largely ignored in the scheme....

Oh for Christ's sake..  the last time there was an open spot at receiver we wound up with Dalton schoen... I think they've earned a little bit of trust on this particular issue.

[GCn20]

2 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Oh for Christ's sake..  the last time there was an open spot at receiver we wound up with Dalton schoen... I think they've earned a little bit of trust on this particular issue.

I agree. I can't think of a single instance where we cut a game breaking receiver in order to keep a shlub. If someone in camp steps up they will be kept, if they deserve touches they will get them. I get what these guys are criticizing but stuff like that is over the top.

Edited May 24 by GCn20

[Booch]

8 minutes ago, CrazyCanuck89 said:

You should never be concerned about starting more Canadians.  Sick of this narrative, that Americans are somehow better.

For most part...they are...there no denying that but due to ratio some don't get to play.

And also yes you should be concerned by starting more than you need to if they are not the best option..especially when you don't roster guys (imports) who you can freely rotate in for an extra Canadian and not worry about the ratio...and make your game roster deeper...and better.

If you seriously think we can't find or bring in a player better and cheaper than Kramdi...Thomas/Schemckle...Gauthier...Briggs when he was here..then you are literally insane

[voodoochylde]

14 minutes ago, CrazyCanuck89 said:

You should never be concerned about starting more Canadians.  Sick of this narrative, that Americans are somehow better.

There's simply a larger pool to draw from. 

It's infinitely easier to find an American who can come in and offer more athletically than it is to find a Canadian of similar skill.  Don't get me wrong, I love the CFL, in part, because of the Canadians in it but I wouldn't lose sleep if starting fewer Canadians meant we were able to build and maintain a deeper, more complete roster.

[Booch]

11 minutes ago, CrazyCanuck89 said:

Not pathetic at all.  Stop putting down Canadian talent.

It would be weak...and sorry you can't grasp that save for the top end of Canadian talent that's available...the remaining that make up the roster are inferior...it's just a fact of life..

[3rdand1.5]

My two cents...

First year guys that show very well get PR/active roster rotation and grow and learn the CFL nuances and build chemistry etc. 

Second year guys that put in the time, looked really good over year one, got their feet wet and maybe had some active game day rotation and proved they have some chemistry, and picked up some nuances can push for active roster and playing time or if needs are made available starting spots

Of course, there are some exceptions to this, but using this framework, who do people on here think are holdovers from last year that will push for starting or more active roles, and who do we think will be the "first year" guys we look to groom for 2025?

Rarely does this team start raw rookies, so realistically even though as Booch has pointed out some do have better physical attributes and upside, let's look realistically within the framework of what we tend to do and look at year two or three  guys to be excited to see get more play time and let's look at some of the guys Booch and others are really high on as options to make PR/active and be groomed.

 

I for one am excited to see Fox and Habba. I think Cole could make a very good LB, and I am very excited to see if/who we may keep to back-up potential work in and groom at MLB. (Biggie is amazing...but father time never ever losses) I also question if Rosary could make JA expendable...that is my out of left field projection this TC (Rosary takes JA's roster spot)

[Booch]

8 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Oh for Christ's sake..  the last time there was an open spot at receiver we wound up with Dalton schoen... I think they've earned a little bit of trust on this particular issue.

Yeah...I said if it's not an open spot with no incumbent...a rookie doesn't get the opp to push out a vet...do you not read?? So for Christ's sake right back at you for lack of general comprehension 

[GCn20]

1 minute ago, Booch said:

Yeah...I said if it's not an open spot with no incumbent...a rookie doesn't get the opp to push out a vet...do you not read?? So for Christ's sake right back at you for lack of general comprehension 

Rookies for the most part aren't ready to push out a vet by the end of camp and we don't dress shlub starters at any position. A rookie would have to be a game breaker to push out a vet on our team while they are still at the beginning of the learning curve. Very few rookies league wide show that ability year one.

[GCn20]

10 minutes ago, Booch said:

It would be weak...and sorry you can't grasp that save for the top end of Canadian talent that's available...the remaining that make up the roster are inferior...it's just a fact of life..

There certainly are very few teams that have more than half a dozen real quality NAT starters followed by a few capable rotational NATs and the rest are at best career teamers. The NFL has hit NAT availability hard.

[Booch]

I just find it interesting...as well as comical that people like to cherry pick any negative comment and twist it...I never once said fire anybody...I have stated numerous times Osh doesn't need to be canned...nor I want him canned and support many of the things others do...but...I will comment and stand pat on flaws..he has a few very significant ones that have hurt us in big ways...and repeatedly...and will continue until it's addressed...people see reg season wins ...Grey Cup appearance and all is roses...but it's not unless you are satisfied with complacent ideals and in the end..failure...last 2 years ended in failure...who cares we had the best record.. the yeah buts...oh yeah...the best culture here...etc...etc...apparently the last 2 yrs teams with lesser records and a poorer culture beat us...plain and simple..why is that?

And truthfully we were lucky and escaped with the 2nd cup...we only dominated in the first...we were hungry...had some youth injection...we had depth and solid rotation...and that dominance was apparent

And this narrative I cut down Canadians...well I was a born Canadian...and hold Canadian citizenship...but I am also educated enough and involved enough to know from what I still do in the game that majority of the Canadians in the league are of lesser talent level than their American counterparts...save from the elite players...sorry if that hurts your pride...but sometimes truth and reality stings.

When you look at our lineup right now and realize we could dress an all American dline...and that it would be superior to one with Canadians Thomas and Schmeck on it...infinitely better...but still ramble on that it wouldn't...more Canadians are better.....I just don't get the logic...we don't need to do that but you all know damn well we will...and we won't be our best version of ourselves we could be...every player on the roster should be pushed every training camp...every practice...every day....regardless of games played. 

So flame away now on your takes on things...I would expect nothing less than that from some of you

[Doublezero]

Roster decisions at every player position are also governed by available dollars. Bombers have spent over the cap and been fined for that for several consecutive seasons. You allocate $xxxxxx.xx for each position, plus $$$ for so-called back-ups. Then factor injuries. This is why Bombers are so keen on players being able to fill multiple positions, esp on D. It is a balancing act. A guy who can play multiple roles is actually more valuable to the club than an ace who fits/excels in just one role. Roster composition is not just based on fans perceptions of which player looks promising at a given position, it's a bigger picture.

[17to85]

35 minutes ago, Booch said:

Yeah...I said if it's not an open spot with no incumbent...a rookie doesn't get the opp to push out a vet...do you not read?? So for Christ's sake right back at you for lack of general comprehension 

No you launched into your tired old tirade when evidence points to this situation not being the same. I agree there's too much loyalty to some aging vets... but I don't think it's a problem on offense really (other than my personal belief that Eli should be a starter somewhere). I know you loved BOLO,  but nit like demski or wolitarksy are a problem. He just got caught in a deep spot.

You have gone off the deep end on this issue I am sorry to say. Even I'm tired of it and I agree there are some issues, but you're building thus up to be too much.

[Colin Unger]

My view of the situation with O'Shea and the handling of the ratio is as follows.  The team essentially identifies which are their 7 canadian positions and they dedicate to keeping those positions Canadian and draft depth to make sure they won't have to change their ratio in the middle of the season due to an injury or two. Those positions are 3 OL, 2 Rec, RB, and DT.  When a Canadian player is the best player at a different position like corner and sam linebacker then the best man starts.  But since those positions are too difficult to draft and develop a flow of Canadian starters they will never become long term Canadian positions for the team.  It's also considerably more difficult to re-sign quality backups as these positions if the team starts an American at those positions every time there's an injury. And at that point you're not really developing the younger backups into future starters either.  I believe this is the appropriate context from which to view the decisions the teams makes over the handling of their roster.

However, in the case of the Cam Lawson injury and the combination of the lack of experience (Sampson) and pedigree (Schmekel) of the Canadian players behind Jake Thomas i think the team should make an exception and at the very least utilize an import as a part of a rotation with Jake Thomas. 

[Pepper_Brooks]

2 hours ago, CrazyCanuck89 said:

You should never be concerned about starting more Canadians.  Sick of this narrative, that Americans are somehow better.

Some of the cranky folks around here don't have a great grasp of the import rules and roster breakdown, so I'd just let their soapbox speeches slide.

[Fatty Liver]

Just now, Colin Unger said:

My view of the situation with O'Shea and the handling of the ratio is as follows.  The team essentially identifies which are their 7 canadian positions and they dedicate to keeping those positions Canadian and draft depth to make sure they won't have to change their ratio in the middle of the season due to an injury or two. Those positions are 3 OL, 2 Rec, RB, and DT.  When a Canadian player is the best player at a different position like corner and sam linebacker then the best man starts.  But since those positions are too difficult to draft and develop a flow of Canadian starters they will never become long term Canadian positions for the team.  It's also considerably more difficult to re-sign quality backups as these positions if the team starts an American at those positions every time there's an injury. And at that point you're not really developing the younger backups into future starters either.  I believe this is the appropriate context from which to view the decisions the teams makes over the handling of their roster.

However, in the case of the Cam Lawson injury and the combination of the lack of experience (Sampson) and pedigree (Schmekel) of the Canadian players behind Jake Thomas i think the team should make an exception and at the very least utilize an import as a part of a rotation with Jake Thomas. 

Don't see that happening early on unless Schmeckle proves ineffective in games, as it deprives him the path he needs to take to eventually replace Jake and perhaps his desire to re-sign with the Bombers in the off-season.  When Lawson returns O'Shea may be forced to make a tough decision on which players to choose.

[BBlink]

 

 

[Fatty Liver]

22 hours ago, bigg jay said:

Not cut per se, his contract was up and wasn't brough back (at least initially).  They re-signed him in late May 2018 so we hadn't even had our first pre-season game yet.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2018/05/23/training-camp-day-3-recap-2/

It sounds like he was mixing up Jake with Clarence Denmark, who was cut then brought back to finish the season.

[3rdand1.5]

Could someone refresh my memory....how did Josh Johnson look in Regina?

[BBlink]

Kody Case sure seems like one of those guys that can be "multiple" on offense...playing Demskis spot. Liked his returns in Sask too. 

[Mike]

2 hours ago, CrazyCanuck89 said:

You should never be concerned about starting more Canadians.  Sick of this narrative, that Americans are somehow better.

Okay let’s take the concern regarding Canadian or American out of it. Who are you more excited about? The 30+ year old past his prime who is not exceedingly athletic, has never been an impact player and was never thought to be one OR the young player with a great resume of collegiate athletics, a more dominant athletic skill set and the prime of their career ahead of them? 

[3rdand1.5]

Case, Shmek and Kolankowski could field some pretty wicked hair flows..........

 

[JCon]

23 minutes ago, Mike said:

Okay let’s take the concern regarding Canadian or American out of it. Who are you more excited about? The 30+ year old past his prime who is not exceedingly athletic, has never been an impact player and was never thought to be one OR the young player with a great resume of collegiate athletics, a more dominant athletic skill set and the prime of their career ahead of them? 

I feel seen. 

[bigg jay]

8 minutes ago, JCon said:

I feel seen. 

99% of the forum too I would say! 😂

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

1 hour ago, Fatty Liver said:

It sounds like he was mixing up Jake with Clarence Denmark, who was cut then brought back to finish the season.

No, no- I recall the Bombers moving from JT and then bringing him back at the beginning of a season...

[wbbfan]

57 minutes ago, 3rdand1.5 said:

Case, Shmek and Kolankowski could field some pretty wicked hair flows..........

 

Few others too. If they are on the field at the same time we will call it the point break packsge.