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

[Mike]

27 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

DL slightly better, LBers are better, Secondary worse, receivers slightly worse, OL same if not better. Not really seeing much of a difference from last year. I was hoping for a lot more out of Walters this offseason, however, I am fully cognizant it is very early into the offseason. A few years back I thought he had a pretty average to poor offseason then he pulls Bighill out of his arse a few days before TC. 

How is the OL “the same if not better” when we have literally only subtracted one player (a Canadian and a division all-star) and added zero players. 

[Arnold_Palmer]

2 minutes ago, Mike said:

How is the OL “the same if not better” when we have literally only subtracted one player (a Canadian and a division all-star) and added zero players. 

Yeah it’s definitely not better unless you think another year for some of the young players and the continuity is a plus rather than subtraction. But also we all know Dobson’s award was a farce. Not deserved at all but still a hole that needs to be filled. 

[Mike]

3 minutes ago, Arnold_Palmer said:

Yeah it’s definitely not better unless you think another year for some of the young players and the continuity is a plus rather than subtraction. But also we all know Dobson’s award was a farce. Not deserved at all but still a hole that needs to be filled. 

Agreed he wasn’t an all-star by traditional means but … I still don’t understand how anyone could even suggest our OL is “better” 

[Goalie]

Maybe we become more of a 2 back O. Osh been watching Eagles games. Zach gonna throw for 200 and we gonna run for 250. 3 American OL isn’t a bad thing. Unless signing, that’s what it appears cuz is Wallace ready? That would likely improve the oline by default no. 3 American hogs. 

Edited 16 hours ago by Goalie

[Booch]

30 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

DL slightly better, LBers are better, Secondary worse, receivers slightly worse, OL same if not better. Not really seeing much of a difference from last year. I was hoping for a lot more out of Walters this offseason, however, I am fully cognizant it is very early into the offseason. A few years back I thought he had a pretty average to poor offseason then he pulls Bighill out of his arse a few days before TC. 

honest question....how is it better tho...the dline?...Vaughters in an upgrade for sure....but he needs to be rotated as does WJ with another end as good or better...who's that end?....it's funny Haba and Garbutt were deemed exoendable but immediately picked up before FA even started...obviously other teams see value and usefuness there...no?...or are they dumb signings?

The secondary is probably as good...if not better to be honest...Ford was aa elite Canadian....but an import can offer the same as he did....and we are dep there....dline we have 2 legit proven ends...both albeit on wrong side of 30....One National DT....Lawson.....and 2 promising interior guys....Jake and Scmeck are neither elite...or promising....and just not good enough

Receiver to be determined....Mitchell could be a crazy good signing...but he has never been a 1000 yard guy...Demski is always knicked and not getting younger...Clercius is a 2nd yr guy, and nobody knows what Schoen is gonna do out of the gate.....could be a case of not missing a beat...or could be a case of just not Dalton for many game...Banking on him as the bell cow receiver with no issues is a fairly big risk coming off an acl injury. After that...what have we got....Wheatfall only who showed a wee bit of promise...but also a whole lot of stuff he needs to pick up on still....we aren't just slightly worse as it stands

OL  i have no issue with...and if we actually target and land one of the big fish in FA then even better....and there is no Bighill for arse pulling coming anytime soon prior to TC

We are better at returner tho and as a change of pace and package player on offence with Logan, and Jones is a big grab....but where we playing him...Behind the other Jones and Wilson....hopefully not but we all know Osh's loyalty to guys who have been here longer...whether they better or not

[Bigblue204]

.

Edited 16 hours ago by Bigblue204
wrong thread

[Booch]

16 minutes ago, Mike said:

How is the OL “the same if not better” when we have literally only subtracted one player (a Canadian and a division all-star) and added zero players. 

same question on how is the dline better?....we subtracted 3 guys who played (FOX/Garbutt/Haba) added an over 31 guy to replace...and re-upped Jake...who will not be the jake of 2024....hahaha....so i see no upgrade there

1 minute ago, Bigblue204 said:

Bombers signed DB Hagerty from the L'ks

I feel like I know the name, but not for good reasons.

Canadian kid who used to play for Argo's??..Maybe we gonna go Canadian at safety and looking for bodies....I'd be fine with that..I'd say Kelly has to be the front runner

minimize the need for all but 1 Canadian DT ...

[Goalie]

DL. Better but not by much. Woods and Adams are solid. Lawson should be an improvement on Jake. Vaughters and Person are solid ends apparently. 
 

LB. Improved with addition of J Jones for sure. No bighill in the middle = improved by default  

DB. Hard to say, Holm Nichols bonds are quite solid  Ford is a loss but for 230 I can live with it 

 

OL  currently worse  we lost a dude  didn’t add anyone yet  worse  

 

WR  it’s worse but prob not by as much as we all think  

 

[Booch]

9 minutes ago, Goalie said:

DL. Better but not by much. Woods and Adams are solid. Lawson should be an improvement on Jake. Vaughters and Person are solid ends apparently. 
 

LB. Improved with addition of J Jones for sure. No bighill in the middle = improved by default  

DB. Hard to say, Holm Nichols bonds are quite solid  Ford is a loss but for 230 I can live with it 

 

OL  currently worse  we lost a dude  didn’t add anyone yet  worse  

 

WR  it’s worse but prob not by as much as we all think  

 

more than should, he was an improvemet in 2023 but didt get to play as much

[blue85gold]

Receiver right now is better than the worst line up we played last year (Woli, Demski, Johnson, Wilson, Clercius? Lucky?) but maybe not better than the best line up (opening day for like a quarter before Lawler broke his arm). 

[bluto]

Nick Arbuckle re-signs with the Scullers.

[blue85gold]

13 minutes ago, bluto said:

Nick Arbuckle re-signs with the Scullers.

Never heard of him

[bluto]

1 minute ago, blue85gold said:

Never heard of him

😂No?

https://www.cfl.ca/2024/11/17/storybook-ending-nick-arbuckle-named-mvp-of-the-111th-grey-cup/

 

[rebusrankin]

2 minutes ago, bluto said:

😂No?

https://www.cfl.ca/2024/11/17/storybook-ending-nick-arbuckle-named-mvp-of-the-111th-grey-cup/

 

Fake News. This is obviously an AI generated piece of falsehood.

[Booch]

3 minutes ago, bluto said:

😂No?

https://www.cfl.ca/2024/11/17/storybook-ending-nick-arbuckle-named-mvp-of-the-111th-grey-cup/

 

OH him lol

[wbbfan]

39 minutes ago, bluto said:

Nick Arbuckle re-signs with the Scullers.

How do you find that move? He played the gc the way he had to. I wouldn’t want him though. 

[bluto]

7 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

How do you find that move? He played the gc the way he had to. I wouldn’t want him though. 

We have a guy with the mental toughness to come back from the brink of being out of the game to be our #3 when our QB1 was out. He very quickly rose to the point of contending to be starter in camp but the decision was made for Dukes. Dukes had two good games to start with and Arbuckle accepted his spot at #2. Dukes floundered and Arbuckle came in as our guy. Kelly returns, plays like we knew he could and Arbuckle quietly goes back to his support role. Kelly gets broken at the end of the East final and icewater-in-his-veins Arbuckle comes in to seal the win. He then becomes the entire focus of the 111th and goes out and executes to the point of being the game MOP.

You wouldn't want him? Really?? If you'd have had him instead of us, you'd be champions.

[wbbfan]

Just now, bluto said:

We have a guy with the mental toughness to come back from the brink of being out of the game to be our #3 when our QB1 was out. He very quickly rose to the point of contending to be starter in camp but the decision was made for Dukes. Dukes had two good games to start with and Arbuckle accepted his spot at #2. Dukes floundered and Arbuckle came in as our guy. Kelly returns, plays like we knew he could and Arbuckle quietly goes back to his support role. Kelly gets broken at the end of the East final and icewater-in-his-veins Arbuckle comes in to seal the win. He then becomes the entire focus of the 111th and goes out and executes to the point of being the game MOP.

You wouldn't want him? Really?? If you'd have had him instead of us, you'd be champions.

I don’t see it the same way, for what ever it’s worth. He barely clung to realistically being qb 3. Dukes was not good at all, stepped in late and wasn’t better. 
 

I don’t think we would’ve won with arbuckle honestly.  I don’t think we’d a won if zach was 100% the whole game. We had our asses handed to us in terms of coaching and execution. I think it would’ve taken some thing much larger for us to win. People look at the game being close on the score board until it wasn’t. But the play on the field was slanted for longer. 

I don’t think arbuckle has become any thing more or less than he’s always been. 

[Fatty Liver]

9 minutes ago, bluto said:

You wouldn't want him? Really?? If you'd have had him instead of us, you'd be champions.

Don't think they would win, Buck would have tried to squeeze Arbuckle into Zach's shoes.

Edited 14 hours ago by Fatty Liver

[Booch]

11 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

I don’t see it the same way, for what ever it’s worth. He barely clung to realistically being qb 3. Dukes was not good at all, stepped in late and wasn’t better. 
 

I don’t think we would’ve won with arbuckle honestly.  I don’t think we’d a won if zach was 100% the whole game. We had our asses handed to us in terms of coaching and execution. I think it would’ve taken some thing much larger for us to win. People look at the game being close on the score board until it wasn’t. But the play on the field was slanted for longer. 

I don’t think arbuckle has become any thing more or less than he’s always been. 

We could have had any QB in his prime last yr...and Osh wouldnt have ut him in...so it wouldnt have mattered anyway...as it was we may as well not even had 3 qbs dressed

6 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

Don't think they would win, Buck would have tried to squeeze Arbuckle into Zach's shoes.

nope...Osh would not have let him try...He to this day clings to the fact he made the right call amd would do it the exact ame way...he'sclueless in some areas

[sweep the leg]

Sorry if this has already been said, but I saw on twitter that the Elks paid Robbie Smith $230k & Ceresna got $225k. 

Edited 14 hours ago by sweep the leg

[wbbfan]

6 minutes ago, sweep the leg said:

Sorry if this has already been said, but I saw on twitter that the Elks paid Robbie Smith $230k & Ceresna got $225k. 

230k for smith? That’s kinda nutty. 

[Booch]

5 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

230k for smith? That’s kinda nutty. 

casue he a national...no reason he should be making more than Ceresna other than that

[Atomic]

Having trouble following the new CFL FA process. It looks like there are several good Canadian OL still available but I might have missed something. Is Sean McEwen available? I think he'd be a great add. I'd also not be opposed to starting 3 American OL and hoping Gabe Wallace wins a spot.

[3rdand1.5]

It is what it is, but Edm. is handing out a few "nutty"  contracts.......I guess no one can say there are not trying.....Every team us included have big contracts, Edm though is going to have a tough time building continuity I feel as many of the contracts are not sustainable beyond a year or two......I guess they are hopeful they catch lighting in a bottle and contend in the short term.....Time will tell and on paper they have talent, but so much turnover in the players, in the coaches in schemes, and IMO too risky of a home run hitter in Tre Ford.....I see them possibly lucking out a win or two but struggling early until/IF the build some chemistry.....certainly not a boring offseason in Elk land