Are the Bombers going to change the way the league thinks?

[Mike]

Louie Richardson. Mike Cornell. Teague Sherman. Matt Bucknor.

 

41 tackles

2 sacks

3 forced fumbles

2 tackles for losses

3 pass knockdowns

 

That's what those 4 guys have brought to the table this season after careers that totaled 82 games dressed and 51 tackles as their only stats registered in a defensive setting. 4 guys who were all undrafted. I'm not about to proclaim any of them to be 2014 CFL All Stars, but these 4 guys are taking a considerable amount of defensive reps this season and while they're not lighting the league on fire, they're proving to be contributing members to one of the league's toughest defenses. Some may suggest this is just Gary Etcheverry being Gary Etcheverry, but I think it has a lot to do with Mike O'Shea and Kyle Walters. These are guys who want that lunch bucket mentality. I truly think O'Shea means it when he believes his roster consists of 44 starters on a weekly basis. Guys like Richardson and Cornell are getting opportunities that they would have never got before. Even players like Kyle Norris and Derek Jones are seeing reps in our defense. Jake Thomas has been a contributing member. And the funny thing about it? It's working.

 

Is this going to give pause to the line of thinking that Canadians are not viable solutions in certain areas of the lineup? If this keeps up, is the league going to use the Winnipeg franchise as a model to support the idea that maybe our (the league, not Winnipeg) Canadian talent is not as weak as some suggest? And maybe all these guys need are a chance to prove it? Will we see more undrafted players getting the opportunity to show what they've got for meaningful offensive or defensive reps?

 

Whatever it is, I love it. How can you not cheer for these guys.

 

 

[Jpan85]

Etchs D has squeezed every ounce of talent out of that D. It really is a D made up of missed fitting parts and others scraps. Credit to the guys on D for buying in and playing where ever is best for the system.

[Noeller]

These are the exact type of players that make me love the CFL the way I do. Its the Jamie Stoddard's and Ryland Wickmans bof the league that define the CFL for me...

[Mr Dee]

The idea that these men (Walters and O'Shea) have brought in, is an indication of their belief in what they're doing, and the dedication to bringing in guys who will fit into each other's idea of what constitutes a professional, both in attitude and workmanship.

It's not that they have just employed Canadian talent just because they were available, but also it seems they have to have a certain mindset that will work on this team.

The knowledge, in the background of these players, is impressive, and that mostly goes into Walters' wallet, but to eliminate O'Shea's knowledge would be short-sighted, as he seems to have a great grasp of the personnel they acquire.

 

It's exciting to see these no-names get a chance to play the game they love as much as we do.

And it's damn exciting to see the Bombers take the lead in giving them these chances.

[Fraser]

Putting at an American at safety and a Canadian at the corner position that see's the fewest throws seems like a good idea.

[M.O.A.B.]

Putting at an American at safety and a Canadian at the corner position that see's the fewest throws seems like a good idea.

 

that's not the case, imo, opposing offesnse obviously throwing a lot of passes in Bucknor's way. proof is Bucknor lead the teams in tackles.

[Mark H.]

I think the overall decline in offensive line play might change the perception that most of your Canadian starters should ideally be on the OL.  

[Captain Blue]

Absolutely, and if not, then the Bombers have an even better advantage.  The goal should be to play your best Canadians and to find the best Canadians, regardless of position.  Remember how we needed to take Scott Mitchell because he was a Canadian OL and Henoc played a traditionally import position?  Just field the best team possible.

 

Let me put it another way.  Its simple market efficiency.  All nine teams target Canadian OL, so finding talented Canadian OL is harder since the demand is so high.  All nine teams are picking from that talent pool.  How many teams are targeting a Canadian corner? Canadian MLB?  Heck, even Canadian RB is still not that popular (and I really think this is a position that is going to seem a boom soon).  There is less demand for those positions so the teams that are looking at them get to pick from a deeper pool.  Its mining resources that have not yet been depleted. 

[do or die]

It seem that the "grass roots" approach has filtered down.... from the new management, through the coach, to the players.  Fits the traditions of this league, very well...

[Fatty Liver]

It seem that the "grass roots" approach has filtered down.... from the new management, through the coach, to the players.  Fits the traditions of this league, very well...

Agreed, this is a very encouraging sign.  This regime is not treating Canadians as temporary plugs-ins but is actually giving them the opportunity to contribute and develop as CFL players.  These are the players that a team can be built upon long-term with 5-10 year careers.  Hard to see Import players in the same light as they tend to have 2-3 year careers because they're easier to replace.  Hoping Fitzgerald can be worked more into the game plan as I liked what I saw from him.

[Floyd]

I like the idea of this thread... but I don't really see it as 'the bombers changing the way the league thinks...', more as an evolution of Cdn talent and the CFL.

 

We are only playing these four guys because of injury, they did not win starting spots.  That being said, this is a credit to Walters' scouting system and O'Shea's coaching imo.

 

I mean, if we had drafted some decent top round talent in the last few years, these guys would not be getting a chance.  Hammie was high on Bucknor too until they got Courtney Stephen.

 

Either way, the days of 'traditional' non-import positions are gone... 

[SPuDS]

Louie Richardson. Mike Cornell. Teague Sherman. Matt Bucknor.

 

41 tackles

2 sacks

3 forced fumbles

2 tackles for losses

3 pass knockdowns

 

That's what those 4 guys have brought to the table this season after careers that totaled 82 games dressed and 51 tackles as their only stats registered in a defensive setting. 4 guys who were all undrafted. I'm not about to proclaim any of them to be 2014 CFL All Stars, but these 4 guys are taking a considerable amount of defensive reps this season and while they're not lighting the league on fire, they're proving to be contributing members to one of the league's toughest defenses. Some may suggest this is just Gary Etcheverry being Gary Etcheverry, but I think it has a lot to do with Mike O'Shea and Kyle Walters. These are guys who want that lunch bucket mentality. I truly think O'Shea means it when he believes his roster consists of 44 starters on a weekly basis. Guys like Richardson and Cornell are getting opportunities that they would have never got before. Even players like Kyle Norris and Derek Jones are seeing reps in our defense. Jake Thomas has been a contributing member. And the funny thing about it? It's working.

 

Is this going to give pause to the line of thinking that Canadians are not viable solutions in certain areas of the lineup? If this keeps up, is the league going to use the Winnipeg franchise as a model to support the idea that maybe our (the league, not Winnipeg) Canadian talent is not as weak as some suggest? And maybe all these guys need are a chance to prove it? Will we see more undrafted players getting the opportunity to show what they've got for meaningful offensive or defensive reps?

 

Whatever it is, I love it. How can you not cheer for these guys.

Very cool concept and I hope your right.. Using Canucks in essentially non traditional roles and having them thrive is absolutely awesome and much be making enough noise to give thought to other coaches/GMs... I don't know if every leadership setup could manage this ides tho.. We seem to be getting blood from a stone almost every week.. Coaching is a big part of this imo

[iso_55]

I think it just shows how well Walters knows the CFL & the CIS & how, from what I understand, his knowledge was never properly utilized by Joe Mack. We all know the Mike Edem story. Imagine how much better this defense would have been with him playing safety for us. Well, Walters is in charge now & I expect our Canadian strength to  be vastly improved in the next 2-3 years because of it. We're just beginning to see the start of it.

[BaconNBigBlue]

I just love the fact that I can watch a game now with great optimism.  Knowing on any given day the boys in blue and gold can win.  The last few years it hasn't always been that way.  I watched games hoping the blue and gold didn't get blown out too badly.  If the lunch bucket players are making this so, then I have no problems with it.

[bearpants]

I admit I've been advocating for changing the ratio over the past couple years.... and I still think it's necessary if there's a tenth team.... but this does bring up a good point that maybe there are a lot of Canadians that can play skill positions... they just haven't got the opportunity yet.... this team should be fun to watch going forward...

[Stickem]

Louie Richardson. Mike Cornell. Teague Sherman. Matt Bucknor.

 

41 tackles

2 sacks

3 forced fumbles

2 tackles for losses

3 pass knockdowns

 

That's what those 4 guys have brought to the table this season after careers that totaled 82 games dressed and 51 tackles as their only stats registered in a defensive setting. 4 guys who were all undrafted. I'm not about to proclaim any of them to be 2014 CFL All Stars, but these 4 guys are taking a considerable amount of defensive reps this season and while they're not lighting the league on fire, they're proving to be contributing members to one of the league's toughest defenses. Some may suggest this is just Gary Etcheverry being Gary Etcheverry, but I think it has a lot to do with Mike O'Shea and Kyle Walters. These are guys who want that lunch bucket mentality. I truly think O'Shea means it when he believes his roster consists of 44 starters on a weekly basis. Guys like Richardson and Cornell are getting opportunities that they would have never got before. Even players like Kyle Norris and Derek Jones are seeing reps in our defense. Jake Thomas has been a contributing member. And the funny thing about it? It's working.

 

Is this going to give pause to the line of thinking that Canadians are not viable solutions in certain areas of the lineup? If this keeps up, is the league going to use the Winnipeg franchise as a model to support the idea that maybe our (the league, not Winnipeg) Canadian talent is not as weak as some suggest? And maybe all these guys need are a chance to prove it? Will we see more undrafted players getting the opportunity to show what they've got for meaningful offensive or defensive reps?

 

Whatever it is, I love it. How can you not cheer for these guys.

 

 

Not too much more you could add to this Mike. Well done. It's about time our Canadian talent are getting the break they deserve. I'd like to see a little more emphasis on canuck qbs., but I guess that's a bit down the road. I'm sure we have another Russ Jackson somewhere in the land or there will be, we just have to give them an opportunity, like we've done for other positions. Time will tell.

[Armchair GM]

Putting at an American at safety and a Canadian at the corner position that see's the fewest throws seems like a good idea.

 

What we're doing is quite simply putting our best players in their most effective spots, filling in around that, and keeping everyone fresh by utilizing the full 44-man roster.

 

Between that and the lunchbucket mentality Mike called it... it's a great recipe for a hungry, aggressive defense.

[Atomic]

We all know the Mike Edem story. Imagine how much better this defense would have been with him playing safety for us.

 

I don't know.  Edem lost his starting job in Montreal.  Would this defence be better with Edem at safety than with Bucknor at corner?  I'd lean towards no. 

 

No question Edem could have helped us last year, but who knows, in a year or two we might be thanking Mack for drafting Mulumba if he ends up here.

[17to85]

 

We all know the Mike Edem story. Imagine how much better this defense would have been with him playing safety for us.

 

I don't know.  Edem lost his starting job in Montreal.  Would this defence be better with Edem at safety than with Bucknor at corner?  I'd lean towards no. 

 

No question Edem could have helped us last year, but who knows, in a year or two we might be thanking Mack for drafting Mulumba if he ends up here.

 

Not to mention the talk that Walters wanted MItchell as opposed to Muamba. I like the guy but he's not perfect, no GM is. What he did do right, is hire the right man to coach the team. I knew Burke was a terrible head coach but man is it refreshing to see how O'Shea handles this team in comparison.

[mbrg]

Louie Richardson. Mike Cornell. Teague Sherman. Matt Bucknor.

 

41 tackles

2 sacks

3 forced fumbles

2 tackles for losses

3 pass knockdowns

 

That's what those 4 guys have brought to the table this season after careers that totaled 82 games dressed and 51 tackles as their only stats registered in a defensive setting. 4 guys who were all undrafted. I'm not about to proclaim any of them to be 2014 CFL All Stars, but these 4 guys are taking a considerable amount of defensive reps this season and while they're not lighting the league on fire, they're proving to be contributing members to one of the league's toughest defenses. Some may suggest this is just Gary Etcheverry being Gary Etcheverry, but I think it has a lot to do with Mike O'Shea and Kyle Walters. These are guys who want that lunch bucket mentality. I truly think O'Shea means it when he believes his roster consists of 44 starters on a weekly basis. Guys like Richardson and Cornell are getting opportunities that they would have never got before. Even players like Kyle Norris and Derek Jones are seeing reps in our defense. Jake Thomas has been a contributing member. And the funny thing about it? It's working.

 

Is this going to give pause to the line of thinking that Canadians are not viable solutions in certain areas of the lineup? If this keeps up, is the league going to use the Winnipeg franchise as a model to support the idea that maybe our (the league, not Winnipeg) Canadian talent is not as weak as some suggest? And maybe all these guys need are a chance to prove it? Will we see more undrafted players getting the opportunity to show what they've got for meaningful offensive or defensive reps?

 

Whatever it is, I love it. How can you not cheer for these guys.

 

 

No.

 

I'm not sure even the Bombers have changed the way they think.  They simply have had few opportunities to make the changes they want to make to this roster.  Combined with the injuries that hit our NI's early, roster decisions seem to be a matter of determining what is the best least-worst option.

 

None of which is intended to discount the contributions of the players listed.  They have been playing out of their minds and deserve full marks for it.

 

For 5 weeks now it's looked like our opposition's game plan has consisted of "expose Matt Bucknor" written in caps on the whiteboard, and for the most part, they have not been able to.  He's been beat a few times, and he's misfired on about 3 tackles he should have made, but for the most part he's keeping the play in front of him and completely eliminating YAC, and that's really all I expect from him.

 

Here's my take on the 2014 Bombers.  As individuals, our roster might be around the 7th best collection of talent in the league (I'm not going to rank them in order or spend 5000 words justifying that assessment).  As a team, OShea has them playing to the absolute best of their abilities.  Right now that has been good enough to win 4 out of 5 games.  Many nights that will be enough for a win.  Eventually some of the teams that have more collective talent than us will get on track and play to the best of their abilities.  Once that happens, wins will become a bit more rare.

 

The reason I bring that up is because I still think the Bombers will continue to try and upgrade their roster over the next few seasons in a manner that is completely traditional.  They are not trying to re-invent the wheel.  They have a chef in the kitchen who is making fantastic meals out of average ingredients.  The amount of credit this coaching staff should be getting for this team's record can not be overstated.  And the selection of players currently on the roster can be included in this.  For what they lack in pure talent, they make up for in being FOOTBALL PLAYERS.  Run hard, hit hard, battle, don't quit, scrapping in the trenches football players.  46 guys cut in the cloth of Mike OShea.  If Mike OShea was born south of the border and played Dline, his name would be Greg Peach.

 

I like the premise of the thread, I just doubt that any huge shift in the mentality of GM's is going to take place.  Are teams really going to re-examine their roster to see if they have their own Feoli-G sitting on the bench?  Not unless a huge rash of injuries forces them too.  Our decisions were made because of a lack of options.

 

I'm also glad it's working, I love it, and I am cheering for these guys every chance I get.

[Fraser]

 

Putting at an American at safety and a Canadian at the corner position that see's the fewest throws seems like a good idea.

 

that's not the case, imo, opposing offesnse obviously throwing a lot of passes in Bucknor's way. proof is Bucknor lead the teams in tackles.

 

 

He leads the team by one tackle over a guy who covers the slot. It would be really nice if there were pass defended stats because I can't see teams throwing way accross the field constantly just to pick on a percieved weaker CB.

 

Point I'm trying to make is it makes more sense to have a better safety and put your weakest CB on the guy playing the Aaron Hargraves role on the other teams offense.

[mbrg]

 

 

Putting at an American at safety and a Canadian at the corner position that see's the fewest throws seems like a good idea.

 

that's not the case, imo, opposing offesnse obviously throwing a lot of passes in Bucknor's way. proof is Bucknor lead the teams in tackles.

 

 

He leads the team by one tackle over a guy who covers the slot. It would be really nice if there were pass defended stats because I can't see teams throwing way accross the field constantly just to pick on a percieved weaker CB.

 

Point I'm trying to make is it makes more sense to have a better safety and put your weakest CB on the guy playing the Aaron Hargraves role on the other teams offense.

 

 

It makes more sense.

 

But teams have been targeting Bucknor, and if he isn't up to the task it's often a touchdown.  They aren't just throwing floaters across the field, they are rolling out to his side.  That is by design, and his side of the field is seeing way more action than Brandon Stewart ever did.  He's done alright.

[kelownabomberfan]

#Randleisland

#Bucknorexpressway

[iso_55]

 

We all know the Mike Edem story. Imagine how much better this defense would have been with him playing safety for us.

 

I don't know.  Edem lost his starting job in Montreal.  Would this defence be better with Edem at safety than with Bucknor at corner?  I'd lean towards no. 

 

No question Edem could have helped us last year, but who knows, in a year or two we might be thanking Mack for drafting Mulumba if he ends up here.

 

Edem was the starter last season & got injured this year from what I understand.

[pigseye]

If they can keep it going. By September/October the offenses will catch up to the defences and that will be the test.