2024/2025 CFL (non-Bomber) Off-Season Thread

[bigg jay]

6 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

300 is when the loss of draft picks come in though isn't it?

Once they hit 300k is when they lost their 2nd pick. 

Had they been 100-300k over, it would have cost them the first round pick only.

Anything under 100k is a dollar for dollar fine.

[wbbfan]

https://3downnation.com/2025/04/01/what-does-the-new-rogers-nhl-tv-deal-mean-for-the-cfl/
 

will the new cfl deal be the biggest ever? Almost certainly. Will it be big enough that it has a substantial impact and creates any sort of noticeable change? I kind of doubt it. 
 I’m more worried about tsn dying off than I am optimistic that the cfl being its corner stone means big things for us. 

[Booch]

On 2025-03-31 at 11:43 AM, Arnold_Palmer said:

Do you remember when Adams completed only 50 percent of his passes and had 3 INT’s and one fluky Hail Mary TD against us in the western finals?  It’s not like his track record is outstanding when the bright lights shine. 

nor is ZC track record

People can cherry pick games and stats to support both narratives for a player....I think tho in the environment here...at it's apex...he would have got it done...especially with the cast around him

On 2025-03-31 at 1:18 PM, Goalie said:

I doubt it since when it matters most he fails but sure. 

how has ZC done of late when it mattered most??...same story...different book....In the 2 Cup wins under ZC...He was not the reason we won them...not even remotely

[rebusrankin]

I like ZC but he's had some playoff stinkers. He stabilized things and helped us win in 2019 but the offensive engine was Harris without question. Heck Harris helped us get back in 2021 with a great WF. ZC was clutch in OT in the 21 GC though.

[Noeller]

While I do agree that ZC has had issues in GC games.... He's also had a wired run of fluke injuries. He had the bum ankle via the west Final two years ago, then the ripped finger this past year. It's been strange that he hasn't been 100% healthy for an entire GC game in awhile. 

[wbbfan]

29 minutes ago, Noeller said:

While I do agree that ZC has had issues in GC games.... He's also had a wired run of fluke injuries. He had the bum ankle via the west Final two years ago, then the ripped finger this past year. It's been strange that he hasn't been 100% healthy for an entire GC game in awhile. 

I’m convinced zachs hand was busted up that whole time too. He’s had 3-4 really bad follow through motion plays where he hit his hand on helmets. It may never be the same after last years gc. 
 

 Zach has had very few good play off games in blue n gold. Often just good enough in the wins. We should’ve had a ton more blow out wins. 
 Injuries, personnel, buck, a lot of issues at play.  

[rebusrankin]

Buck was great in the 24 WF.

[wbbfan]

8 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Buck was great in the 24 WF.

Every thing clicked in that game. Ssk couldn’t even get in our way to slow us down. Probably peak buck, peak zach play off performance. 
  I think that performance was due to many factors, I think we’d a won easily in a lot of worst case scenarios.  
 

 Buck had a few good games that year. He showed some great game prep and adaption a couple times. I had a lot of optimism for him following that, if he took a step forward from his best moments of that year he’d be well on the road to greatness. I was bitterly disappointed that instead he collapsed to his worst level, sustained that and hit new depths. 
 

A great oc is consistent, innovates new ways to succeed with game plans and adjustments and is always pushing his offence into the future. Buck flashed those things but never came close to sustaining them. That means he never hit great imo. 
 He’s still really young though. And a change of scenery could be just what he needs. Could well still become a great offensive mind.  I like the guy a lot, but I’m glad he’s gone. 

[Noeller]

47 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Buck was great in the 24 WF.

After that game, I was convinced that everything in the world was perfect. We were just not the same team the next week. 

[Fatty Liver]

12 minutes ago, Noeller said:

After that game, I was convinced that everything in the world was perfect. We were just not the same team the next week. 

That was "Don't Cover Kenny Lawler Day", the Bombers played well but the Riders put in a weak performance, which set them up poorly for the much tougher Argos the following week when they held Lawler to 2 receptions.  It would have been better if the Riders gave them a scare like they did in the 2019 WF, so they didn't approach the GC game over confident in their ability to move the ball.

Last year's team really didn't play all that well, crappy start, mediocre record, and even the last regular season game against the Als would not have been won if not for a freak gust of wind. 

[SpeedFlex27]

1 hour ago, Fatty Liver said:

That was "Don't Cover Kenny Lawler Day", the Bombers played well but the Riders put in a weak performance, which set them up poorly for the much tougher Argos the following week when they held Lawler to 2 receptions.  It would have been better if the Riders gave them a scare like they did in the 2019 WF, so they didn't approach the GC game over confident in their ability to move the ball.

Last year's team really didn't play all that well, crappy start, mediocre record, and even the last regular season game against the Als would not have been won if not for a freak gust of wind. 

In 60 years of watching Bomber football, I have never seen anything like that gust of wind allowing us to win that game. That was incredible. I thought maybe God is a Bomber fan until he wasn't after Zach sliced his finger open on his throwing hand.

[rebusrankin]

That wind coupled with our strong second half of the season had me thinking we were the team of destiny until that got cruelly dashed.

[GCn20]

18 hours ago, wbbfan said:

Every thing clicked in that game. Ssk couldn’t even get in our way to slow us down. Probably peak buck, peak zach play off performance. 
  I think that performance was due to many factors, I think we’d a won easily in a lot of worst case scenarios.  
 

 Buck had a few good games that year. He showed some great game prep and adaption a couple times. I had a lot of optimism for him following that, if he took a step forward from his best moments of that year he’d be well on the road to greatness. I was bitterly disappointed that instead he collapsed to his worst level, sustained that and hit new depths. 
 

A great oc is consistent, innovates new ways to succeed with game plans and adjustments and is always pushing his offence into the future. Buck flashed those things but never came close to sustaining them. That means he never hit great imo. 
 He’s still really young though. And a change of scenery could be just what he needs. Could well still become a great offensive mind.  I like the guy a lot, but I’m glad he’s gone. 

We shouldn't  blame him for his bad games, but discredit him when he plays great. There are a myriad of factors behind every great and poor performance a QB has. However, most will lay blame squarely on the QB when his performance appears off, so it's only fair to do the same when things are clicking....otherwise it's a biased take.

[Booch]

15 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

We shouldn't  blame him for his bad games, but discredit him when he plays great. There are a myriad of factors behind every great and poor performance a QB has. However, most will lay blame squarely on the QB when his performance appears off, so it's only fair to do the same when things are clicking....otherwise it's a biased take.

Coaching did ZC no favors his last 2 kicks at the Cup...We do a better job there with that aspect we win....he just needed to be pedestrian and safe within a smart game plan, and provided adjustments where needed in-situ....and pulled when he got hurt...as well as being provided with the healthiest options to distribute the ball to...and we win. Our coaching let him down and he bears the brunt...that being said tho...as a 600k a yr QB he needs to have that something something extra to put the game and dead weight around him on his back and carry them across the goal line...I don't think he has that part of his game anymore...

[johnzo]

18 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

That was "Don't Cover Kenny Lawler Day",

Yeah, the Riders D was beyond horrible that day. We won the game, we deserved to win it, but we did not have a worthy opponent on that day.

As for all the multiverse talk of us winning 2024 with a non-Zach quarterback -- I don't believe it.  The Argos D was playing out of their minds all game.  It works have been a huge steal for us to beat them. They deserved the win. 

[GCn20]

30 minutes ago, johnzo said:

Yeah, the Riders D was beyond horrible that day. We won the game, we deserved to win it, but we did not have a worthy opponent on that day.

As for all the multiverse talk of us winning 2024 with a non-Zach quarterback -- I don't believe it.  The Argos D was playing out of their minds all game.  It works have been a huge steal for us to beat them. They deserved the win. 

Every game has busts by the opponents D. How our QB, receivers etc recognized the opportunity and executed was the difference. I have never been to a football game where I haven't been yelling at the QB that so and so is wide open down the seam, or watch the QB get sacked just as he recognizes the bust. It's not all on what the Riders gave us, it was equal parts how we used it. Were the RIders D making mistakes...yep...but every defence does every game.

Edited 8 hours ago by GCn20

[17to85]

2 hours ago, johnzo said:

As for all the multiverse talk of us winning 2024 with a non-Zach quarterback -- I don't believe it.  The Argos D was playing out of their minds all game.  It works have been a huge steal for us to beat them. They deserved the win. 

If it was a one off you got some traction there.... but we're on 3 straight years of making excuses for the top paid qb in the league... 

[Mark H.]

3 hours ago, GCn20 said:

Every game has busts by the opponents D. How our QB, receivers etc recognized the opportunity and executed was the difference. I have never been to a football game where I haven't been yelling at the QB that so and so is wide open down the seam, or watch the QB get sacked just as he recognizes the bust. It's not all on what the Riders gave us, it was equal parts how we used it. Were the RIders D making mistakes...yep...but every defence does every game.

Agreed. But the Argos front 7 allows less opportunity to spot the busts.

[wbbfan]

4 hours ago, GCn20 said:

We shouldn't  blame him for his bad games, but discredit him when he plays great. There are a myriad of factors behind every great and poor performance a QB has. However, most will lay blame squarely on the QB when his performance appears off, so it's only fair to do the same when things are clicking....otherwise it's a biased take.

The thing is his bad games have very largely been in the post season with all kinds of teams around him. That kind of consistent struggle is worthy of criticism. 
 Sport performances are biased towards play off success. From Marino to big shot bob. Expectations are higher in the play offs, success and failure are amplified justly.

3 hours ago, johnzo said:

Yeah, the Riders D was beyond horrible that day. We won the game, we deserved to win it, but we did not have a worthy opponent on that day.

As for all the multiverse talk of us winning 2024 with a non-Zach quarterback -- I don't believe it.  The Argos D was playing out of their minds all game.  It works have been a huge steal for us to beat them. They deserved the win. 

We’ve seen similar loses our self here like with Kelly off the bench. 
 The chances for a qb other than Zach winning that game was real low for us. But the chances of post injury Zach winning it was zero. 

[GCn20]

4 hours ago, wbbfan said:

The thing is his bad games have very largely been in the post season with all kinds of teams around him. That kind of consistent struggle is worthy of criticism. 
 Sport performances are biased towards play off success. From Marino to big shot bob. Expectations are higher in the play offs, success and failure are amplified justly.

 

I have no issue with criticism of a QB in the playoffs as long as it comes with praise when he does well also. You were deriding, rightfully so, his play in Grey Cups lately but then suggesting he got lucky in the good games he played. I don't think either of those opinions are a complete story. When his team has played well and executed so has he, when they haven't he hasn't. Is he able to lift a team badly playing up to victory..nope..but I don't see anyone in the CFL right now who can.

[wbbfan]

7 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

I have no issue with criticism of a QB in the playoffs as long as it comes with praise when he does well also. You were deriding, rightfully so, his play in Grey Cups lately but then suggesting he got lucky in the good games he played. I don't think either of those opinions are a complete story. When his team has played well and executed so has he, when they haven't he hasn't. Is he able to lift a team badly playing up to victory..nope..but I don't see anyone in the CFL right now who can.

I don’t think he got lucky in the wf, if any one was lucky it was buck. 
 I think he’s had two good strong games in the play offs here, and they are similar. He was able to get his deep shots. That’s kind of how it goes with Zach. He could score a td on every drive, or complete barely 10 in a game and toss a bunch to the wrong team. Hes always been that guy. Live by the sword die by the sword. I get rolling with that a few years ago. 
 

I don’t think zach is zach any more. I’m not expecting to see 3-4 td passes in a half or score on every drive into the 4th any more. I think his injuries from the past season and a half ish. I think he’s injured and aged to a point where he just isn’t that same guy. 
 

At this point, I would take other guys over Zach right now going into the season. Straight up, I’d rather bank this year and the future both on any of Dru/rourke/vaj. I wouldn’t be happy paying rourke that money, and I’m not sold on Adam’s maturity/culture. But I’d still take the risk on those guys. Even just for this year. The fact all 3 should play as good if not better next year is a bonus. 
 

Id love to be wrong, and I think the oc/ol changes and wr health will go far to help Zach. But at this point I kind of expect us to finish with another qb as our starter one way or another.