gbill2004 Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 I actually agree with Lawless if a trade can be done. Here's the full article: Glenn January is Winnipeg's best offensive lineman, but could trading him make the Bombers a better team in the long run? Photo Store Kyle Walters can't be handcuffed by the past or the current appetite for victory here in Winnipeg. Walters needs to be free to chase more than a .500 record and some good feelings this summer. All things being equal, the Blue Bombers should get spanked tonight in B.C. by the Lions, but for Walters a second loss on the season should only affirm the fact his roster is thin, light on Canadian talent and still in the very early stages of a rebuild. A rebuild in the CFL doesn't have to take five years but it does require some basics and putting a stopwatch on the process doesn't speed it up. Walters got a quarterback this offseason and the early returns suggest Drew Willy is a pivot the Bombers can build around. Now it's time for Walters to be clear-eyed and realistic and keep his eye on the true objective and not be swayed by the ups and downs of a season that will almost certainly end short of the ultimate goal. Do what is needed to get to the real destination, no matter the pit stops in between. Walters isn't interested in being the next Blue Bombers executive that won a few playoff games but never a Grey Cup and if he has to deal with short-term pain to reach his goal he should do what he thinks best. Walters needs to operate in a vacuum and external considerations be damned. Wade Miller wants and needs to win games now. Mike O'Shea wants and needs to win games all the time. Walters has a bigger prize in mind and to do this he might have to ignore the wants and needs of his two most important colleagues. The Blue Bombers roared out to a 3-0 record and the fan base became swollen with pride. So did lots of the folks around Bomberland. But Walters wasn't fooled and when his club got spanked last week by the Edmonton Eskimos. It only underscored what he already knew: The Bombers are better than last year's team but have a long way to go before they can be called contenders. Tonight's result against the B.C. Lions, whether it's an unlikely win or the expected loss, won't change this. The same goes for limping into the playoffs this season. Such a result would only cover up blemishes that eventually must be solved for the Bombers to be a legitimate power again. Don't be fooled by the club's 3-1 record. It's a mirage. The Bombers have major flaws that the score of their first three games masked. Remember the 7-1 start in 2011 that resulted in a Grey Cup appearance and predictable loss? That team wasn't as good as its record suggested and eventually it crashed. Walters must be honest with himself and continue to evaluate and turn over this roster. It's not that strong and he knows it. If one believes Walters has been unable to undo all the damage previously inflicted on his organizational roster they are wrong. Walters has been on the job less than one year and he's done a lot. But the job has really only begun. The Bombers are thin on Canadian talent and have a major issue along the offensive line that can't be fixed overnight. Walters needs, in his own words, to "overspend on Canadians," in free agency and use the draft to improve his team's largest weakness which is its national (formerly non-import) status. The Bombers will start three Americans on the offensive line again this week. Not a winning formula in the CFL and the way this trio and their two Canadian counterparts got pushed around last week it's obvious not just the Canadians on the line need to be looked at but also the Yanks. Glenn January has been a good player for Winnipeg and he's far and away their best offensive lineman. But he may serve a bigger purpose for the club wearing another team's uniform. One good player does not a line make. And if taking the best part out of a weak unit can lead to improvement of the whole, it has to be considered. If Walters is approached with a deal similar to last season's international (formerly import) defensive lineman Alex Hall for Canadian guard Pat Neufeld involving January and a useful Canadian or a draft pick coming back, he'll be wise to take it. The only reason January is singled out is he's an international of value that could collect a meaningful return. The Bombers don't have many of those. Losing January would hurt, but in some ways he's being wasted here in Winnipeg. He can't carry the offensive line by himself and this isn't a group that needs a tweak. It needs an overhaul and January could be a catalyst. The trade deadline is a long way off on Oct. 15 and Walters will have lots of time between now and then to gauge his club and the level of interest in some of his players. Certainly it's too early to start selling assets. But it's also too early to be getting carried away by a thimble of success. Not when a gallon full of the good stuff is the true goal.
Fatty Liver Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Can't see getting much for January and if that's the case might as well keep him and upgrade the position when the opportunity presents itself, naturally.
Mike Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 How the hell did he manage to write so much about a trade proposal that makes no sense iso_55, Bigblue204, Blueandgold and 8 others 11
Booch Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 One of the more lamer articles penned by him lately....which is a tough thing to do as he spits em out weekly it seems, or blabbers like a fool on radio too often then not
TBieber Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Trade an offensive lineman from a group that is struggling for Canadians that which you likely won't even get. Draft pick tops. 3rd. Maybe 2nd. Awful.
bryan35 Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Lazy journalism. If you can call it journalism.
road griller Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 January for trade bait. Something funny in donuts around Winnipeg?
Mike Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Anyone wanna take a stab at a 1000 word essay about why we should trade Rene Stephan for Josh Bourke? Bigblue204, Adrenaline_x, road griller and 1 other 4
The Unknown Poster Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 its in keeping with Lawless' position that the Bombers are not very good and wont compete for a couple of years. Bigblue204 1
M.O.A.B. Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 If Kyle can get a decent return value (decent Canadian player or top to middle round picks) for January, I'll consider it. DR. CFL 1
Mike Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 If Kyle can get a decent return value (decent Canadian player or top to middle round picks) for January, I'll consider it. why on earth would you consider trading January for draft picks? We literally have nobody to replace him at the moment. blitzmore and SPuDS 2
Jpan85 Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Nate writing Lawless column now? blitzmore and Floyd 2
Floyd Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Well... technically, we do have Jarvis Jones as a replacement... Trying to think of the last time an import OL was involved in a trade? Dan Goodspeed?
gbill2004 Posted July 25, 2014 Author Report Posted July 25, 2014 If Kyle can get a decent return value (decent Canadian player or top to middle round picks) for January, I'll consider it. why on earth would you consider trading January for draft picks? We literally have nobody to replace him at the moment. Jarvis Jones and Cordaro Howard.
Captain Blue Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 This is like when someone complains that the Jets haven't traded for Sidney Crosby yet... Except this idiot gets a print and radio platform to spew this. I also enjoy that he throws in that the Bombers 'should get spanked' tonight. Lawless has been waiting for that first loss of the year so that he can trot out how we're so bad. I would love to know if he's seen more than five minutes of a BC Lions game.
JuranBoldenRules Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Sad to see the melodramatic style of coverage of the on-field product transferring over from the Jets to the Bombers. There is zero substance to this column. Lawless needs to spend less time around Steve Simmons. blitzmore 1
DR. CFL Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Why do people continue to shoot the messenger? There is some accuracy to this article, like it or not. January is at best equal to an average non import tackle. Those that want to wave the all star flag need to review the fact that those awards came when other teams in the east struggled to keep OTs healthy for extended parts of the season. Granted there is something to be said for durability but for a team weak in non imports trading an import for non import ( a rarity granted) is worth consideration.
Bomber_fanaddict Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Trading an Imp Olinemen for some starting Canadian ones is a great idea!!!! Now to figure out who is dumb enough to make such trade..... Taman used to like over paying for Vets but even he wouldn't touch this trade.
Bomber_fanaddict Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Why do people continue to shoot the messenger? There is some accuracy to this article, like it or not. January is at best equal to an average non import tackle. Those that want to wave the all star flag need to review the fact that those awards came when other teams in the east struggled to keep OTs healthy for extended parts of the season. Granted there is something to be said for durability but for a team weak in non imports trading an import for non import ( a rarity granted) is worth consideration. Yes but no team in their right mind would trade a Canadian for an American on the oline. Unless of course its a third stringer or some picks. I see the merit in the trade I just don't see how you could pull it off because as good as January is most teams have better players them him.
DR. CFL Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Injury and depth issues are the mother of necessity. When need overcomes value things sometimes happen
M.O.A.B. Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 One thing for sure... if the Bombers lose this week and shows no semblance of good protection for the Willy... ...the call for chance will goes louder and louder... and January might be the escape goat (I mean hog)
JuranBoldenRules Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Why do people continue to shoot the messenger? There is some accuracy to this article, like it or not. January is at best equal to an average non import tackle. Those that want to wave the all star flag need to review the fact that those awards came when other teams in the east struggled to keep OTs healthy for extended parts of the season. Granted there is something to be said for durability but for a team weak in non imports trading an import for non import ( a rarity granted) is worth consideration. What message is he conveying and for whom? A red herring that popped into his head on the john yesterday? If you shoot any moron with a column who has a bad idea, is it "shooting the messenger?" You just deconstructed the entire premise of the column while praising him. January has little trade value. That's why rambling for 900 words on this premise is pretty stupid. Floyd, Bigblue204, Mr. Perfect and 1 other 4
Adrenaline_x Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 This is like when someone complains that the Jets haven't traded for Sidney Crosby yet... Except this idiot gets a print and radio platform to spew this. I also enjoy that he throws in that the Bombers 'should get spanked' tonight. Lawless has been waiting for that first loss of the year so that he can trot out how we're so bad. I would love to know if he's seen more than five minutes of a BC Lions game. heh.. Trot like a pig. I like.
Adrenaline_x Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Yes.. Lets take the One Olineman that protects our longt erm (hopefully) starting QB so a lower calibre player can take over and provide less protection and more hits on our QB. Does Trading January make us better on the online? If no, then you don't trade him. Why don't we trade the worst player on the line and ugrade him? Ohh.. you can't trade your worst player to make the oline better? Ohhh... But you can trade your best olineman and make the online worse?? WTF is lawless looking at? Walters needs this team to win and be competitive. He needs to improve the oline play and provide more protection for Willy Et. al. Trading our best oline player for a draft pick is plain stupid. If you want onlinemen, draft them next year. Trade depth players for picks if you can. or ONLY DRAFT OLINEMEN next draft.. Lawless logic is ilogical.
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