OT: Blue Bombers Thread - 2018 Season

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Cellee

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Adam Bighill was released by the Saints today. I really REALLY hope that Bombers find some salary room and add him. What a stabilizing presence that would give the Bombers in the middle of their defense. I wonder in Rigmaiden will be of any help in this regard, Bighill arrived in CFL same year as Rigmaiden.
Bighill loves BC.

Comes down to cap space I guess. Sounds like we don't have much though.
 

nobody important

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Adam Bighill was released by the Saints today. I really REALLY hope that Bombers find some salary room and add him. What a stabilizing presence that would give the Bombers in the middle of their defense. I wonder in Rigmaiden will be of any help in this regard, Bighill arrived in CFL same year as Rigmaiden.

They'll probably get outbid by $70K. :sarcasm:
 

Holden Caulfield

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DdQx43JU0AA9kjf.jpg:large


Official training camp roster.
 

Holden Caulfield

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So at the start of camp may as well do a guess at the final roster since I'm bored. I know very little about CFL rookies, particularly international rookies, so yes this won't be close to reality. There will likely be more than a few surprises, particularly in terms CFL rookies. Also remember that this assumes 100% are healthy, when in reality like 5-8 players will go to IR after camp meaning that's another 5-8 spots.
Starters
Offense

QB: Matt Nichols
RB: Andrew Harris*
WR: Darvin Adams, Weston Dressler, Adarius Bowman, Nic Demski*, Drew Wolitarsky*
OL: Stanley Bryant, Patrick Neufeld*, Matthias Goossen*, Sukh Chung*, Jamarcus Hardwick
Defense
DL: Tristan Okpalaugo, Drake Nevis, Cory Johnson, Craig Roh
LB: Chandler Fenner, Kyrie Wilson, Jovon Santos-Knox
S: Taylor Loffler*
HB: Maurice Leggett, Anthony Gaitor
CB: Chris Randle, Stephen Clarke

Specials
K: Justin Medlock
P: Felix Menard-Briere*
LS: Chad Rempel*
PR: Kevin Fogg
KR: Nic Demski*

Backups (italics are the scratches)
Offense
QB: Alex Ross, Chris Streveler
RB: Timothy Flanders, Kienan LaFrance*
FB: Mike Miller*
WR: Rashaud Simionise*, Daniel Petermann*
OL: Michael Couture*, Manase Foketi
Defense
DL: Jackson Jeffcoat, Trent Chorney*, Faith Ekaktie*
LB: Ian Wild, Jesse Briggs*, Thomas Miles*, Frank Renaud*
S: Derek Jones*
DB: Kevin Fogg, Abu Conteh*

Practice Roster (remember I'm not predicting injuries so if we are being honest a bunch of these guys would be on roster or IR as well, which is why I am listing more than the practice roster limit as well as I don't know which players are eligible to return to school for 5th year so some might be heading there):
QB Zack Mahoney*, FB John Rush*, WR Tyrone Pierre*, WR Brendan Thera-Plamondon*, WR AJ Coney, WR Dontreea Dye, OL Qdar Spooner*, OL Cody Speller*, DL Larry Webster, DL Chris Casher, LB Shayne Gauthier*, LB Quentin Gause, DB Brandon Alexander, S Brendan Morgan*, DB Kahleen Branning*, DB Brian Walker

Holy crap with no injuries it's hard to say how tough this is. Like every other CFL team the Bombers will make use of the injury list to retain more players than I am listing here.
 
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Holden Caulfield

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Might be a few surprise cuts this year. lots of battle's everywhere, keeping a eye on the linebacker crew

As seen above, I tried to do a prediction (with no injuries), it's nearly impossible. They have no true MLB right now, but I think Kyrie Wilson likely has the inside track, with Santos-Knox and Wild getting looks as well the rookies. Then in the DB corps you have Fenner, Leggett, Gaitor, Randle, Clarke, Alexander, Fogg, Walker and the rookies competing for 1 WLB, 2HB, 2CB and MAYBE 1 backup spot. Randle, Leggett, Fenner likely locks and Fogg's return abilities likely give him an edge on the backup spot, but what do you with the rest if your healthy out of camp? I have no idea.
 

Holden Caulfield

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Can't freakin' wait....I'm actually a WAY bigger Bombers fan than Jets fan. I'm champing at the bit for some 3 Down!

I am too. It's a funny thing for me...I am a bigger Bombers fan than anything, but I am way more knowledgeable and committed as a hockey fan. I think I like Bombers better cause I get to be just a fan, but I can't help but more critical and knowledgeable about hockey.
 

Holden Caulfield

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If the Bombers could SOMEHOW get Bighill in under the cap this team will be really scary. Like might even knock Calgary off the top of the West scary. Only real weaknesses would be maybe be at 2nd National WR (hard to say how Wolitarsky/Simionise do there), LG (Neufeld is Neufeld), and maybe at the DL. Right now MLB is the biggest weakness, but never know hearing good things about both Wilson and Gause.
 

Holden Caulfield

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Asked Bauming about Chris Givens since I hadn't heard that he was released or that he retired. Apparently Givens simply did not report for mini-camp and they don't expect him back anytime soon.
 

Holden Caulfield

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Bombers sign four-time CFL All-Star linebacker Adam Bighill - Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers today announce the club has signed International linebacker Adam Bighill to a one-year contract.
Bighill (5’10, 230, Central Washington University, October 16, 1988 in Montesano, WA.) played six seasons with the BC Lions (2011-2016), recording 509 defensive tackles, 70 special teams tackles, eight interceptions, eight forced fumbles and 33 sacks in 99 career CFL games (85 starts). Bighill is a four-time CFL All-Star and five-time CFL Western All-Star.

Massive signing for the BB today. Bighill really stabilizes the middle of the defense. I'm guessing this may cost the Bombers a guy like Wild, but well worth it.
 

None

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That's a huge signing, I think it completely changes the dynamic of the defense having a real MLB that does more than fill a gap. They were porous on the run stop at times last season, and that's being generous I think, so getting Bighill will hopefully fix that.

Sometimes those fringe guys wait so long before signing back in the CFL that they're not available for training camp, hopefully they get him here as quick as possible.
 

Holden Caulfield

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That's a huge signing, I think it completely changes the dynamic of the defense having a real MLB that does more than fill a gap. They were porous on the run stop at times last season, and that's being generous I think, so getting Bighill will hopefully fix that.

Sometimes those fringe guys wait so long before signing back in the CFL that they're not available for training camp, hopefully they get him here as quick as possible.

If he's not here for camp opening tomorrow, he'll probably be in town by Monday or Tuesday. He's turning 30 this year he knew NFL dream was basically dead.

Hodge is mentioning that the Bombers will likely need to clear some cap to make this work. Looking around the roster, I am not sure where they find that room to be honest. It seems like they don't have that much room to clear. They have too many veteran DB's, and likely too many LB's on the roster right now as well, so I'm guessing that might be where it's cleared. Ian Wild is my guess for a veteran that won't make the team this year. I was really impressed with Santos-Knox last year, and they seem pretty high on Kyrie Wilson and Quentin Gause, albeit both sound more like MLB making keeping them harder now. Also not sure how they keep all the DB's around. Loffler, Leggett, Randle will be in starting lineup somewhere. Fenner, Chandler, Clarke are strong contenders coming over from BC. They still have Walker, Alexander, Fogg back. That's already 9 names for 6 spots not including any impressive rookies.
 
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Weezeric

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If he's not here for camp opening tomorrow, he'll probably be in town by Monday or Tuesday. He's turning 30 this year he knew NFL dream was basically dead.

Hodge is mentioning that the Bombers will likely need to clear some cap to make this work. Looking around the roster, I am not sure where they find that room to be honest. It seems like they don't have that much room to clear. They have too many veteran DB's, and likely too many LB's on the roster right now as well, so I'm guessing that might be where it's cleared. Ian Wild is my guess for a veteran that won't make the team this year. I was really impressed with Santos-Knox last year, and they seem pretty high on Kyrie Wilson and Quentin Gause, albeit both sound more like MLB making keeping them harder now. Also not sure how they keep all the DB's around. Loffler, Leggett, Randle will be in starting lineup somewhere. Fenner, Chandler, Clarke are strong contenders coming over from BC. They still have Walker, Alexander, Fogg back. That's already 9 names for 6 spots not including any impressive rookies.

Is bighill better than muamba?
 

BigZ65

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If he's not here for camp opening tomorrow, he'll probably be in town by Monday or Tuesday. He's turning 30 this year he knew NFL dream was basically dead.

Hodge is mentioning that the Bombers will likely need to clear some cap to make this work. Looking around the roster, I am not sure where they find that room to be honest. It seems like they don't have that much room to clear. They have too many veteran DB's, and likely too many LB's on the roster right now as well, so I'm guessing that might be where it's cleared. Ian Wild is my guess for a veteran that won't make the team this year. I was really impressed with Santos-Knox last year, and they seem pretty high on Kyrie Wilson and Quentin Gause, albeit both sound more like MLB making keeping them harder now. Also not sure how they keep all the DB's around. Loffler, Leggett, Randle will be in starting lineup somewhere. Fenner, Chandler, Clarke are strong contenders coming over from BC. They still have Walker, Alexander, Fogg back. That's already 9 names for 6 spots not including any impressive rookies.

Fogg, Neufeld and Okapalaugo are the obvious candidates for salary relief. Could just play it out and see who ends up on the 6 game too.
 

Holden Caulfield

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Is bighill better than muamba?

He's better by a fair bit. Muamba National status is what makes him as valuable as Bighill, but in terms of pure football skill Bighill is better. However Bighill hasn't played hardly at all in 18 months as well, so there will be some rust probably.
 

Holden Caulfield

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Fogg, Neufeld and Okapalaugo are the obvious candidates for salary relief. Could just play it out and see who ends up on the 6 game too.

Okpalaugo and Neufeld would be really hard cuts since there is not alot of proven depth behind them.

On the DL they have Jeffcoat and Roh, but you need at least 3 good DE and neither Roh nor Jeffcoat are as good in terms of pass rush as Okpalaugo.

For Neufeld that would move either Couture (spent all last year as the #6/7 OL, no career starts) or Spooner (spent all last season on PR, no career starts) into the starting lineup. It would move all of the OL up a spot behind them and they did not add hardly any depth on the OL this off-season. It'd be risky to be one injury away from having no depth at all.

Not sure where they will be going with return game, but Fogg having that in addition to experience at 3 different spots on the defense makes him a nice piece I don't want them to move on from.

And yes they will wait until camp ends to see how things shake out. I still think it'll be Wild. I don't see where he fits on the team anymore with Fenner/Leggett/Chandler - Bighill - Santos-Knox as the LB's. I think he probably makes too much to be a backup. He is the backup longsnapper as well, but I have heard the national rookie Thera-Plamondon does that as well.

With Durant's retiring the Bombers cleared up quite a bit of room, but probably not quite enough.
 

bustamente

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Did not see this coming very good news, like I said there will be some interesting cuts, does anyone know how much Durant was supposed to make this year holding a clipboard, back to Bighill this gives us many options but our ratio will have to be tweaked, everyone wanted a lb, we got that and more.
 

Holden Caulfield

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Did not see this coming very good news, like I said there will be some interesting cuts, does anyone know how much Durant was supposed to make this year holding a clipboard, back to Bighill this gives us many options but our ratio will have to be tweaked, everyone wanted a lb, we got that and more.

Our ratio doesn't change with this. Bombers were going to be starting an international at MLB no matter what this season. They been really clear that the breakdown of national starters is 1 S (Loffler), 3 OL (Neufeld, Goossen, Chung), 2 WR (Demski, Wolitarsky/Simonise), 1 RB (Harris). Guys like Chorney (DE), Ekakatie (DT) will be rotated in to give the Bombers a bit of flexibility.

Rumour was Durant was due to make about 160-180K this year, but 70K of that was in bonuses that will count anyways. So likely saved about 80-100K. CFL salaries are not publicly available.

Baseline though is that this signing probably doesn't happen if Durant doesn't retire. So maybe we should thank that idiot? Nah f*** him anyways.
 
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None

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Hodge is mentioning that the Bombers will likely need to clear some cap to make this work. Looking around the roster, I am not sure where they find that room to be honest. It seems like they don't have that much room to clear. They have too many veteran DB's, and likely too many LB's on the roster right now as well, so I'm guessing that might be where it's cleared. Ian Wild is my guess for a veteran that won't make the team this year. I was really impressed with Santos-Knox last year, and they seem pretty high on Kyrie Wilson and Quentin Gause, albeit both sound more like MLB making keeping them harder now.

The only issue I had with Santos-Knox was the penalties, if I'm remembering right he took quite a few penalties because he couldn't keep his calm after making a play. As mentioned above I could also see Okpalaugo getting cut. Fogg has a lot of versatility, but there might be younger guys they end up liking more. He always seemed to be the worst returner in practice and then the best in games.

Another thing to keep in mind with grabbing such a massive upgrade at MLB is that it also changes the pass rush. Bighill was also a pretty good pass rusher in BC, he was far more active in that than we've had since probably Henoc Muamba or Joe Lobendahn. He's not just a guy that clogs the run lanes like Hurl was. I wouldn't want to downgrade the DL just because we have a real MLB now, but maybe having Bighill lets them have more opportunity to run younger and cheaper guys there?
 

Holden Caulfield

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The only issue I had with Santos-Knox was the penalties, if I'm remembering right he took quite a few penalties because he couldn't keep his calm after making a play. As mentioned above I could also see Okpalaugo getting cut. Fogg has a lot of versatility, but there might be younger guys they end up liking more. He always seemed to be the worst returner in practice and then the best in games.

Another thing to keep in mind with grabbing such a massive upgrade at MLB is that it also changes the pass rush. Bighill was also a pretty good pass rusher in BC, he was far more active in that than we've had since probably Henoc Muamba or Joe Lobendahn. He's not just a guy that clogs the run lanes like Hurl was. I wouldn't want to downgrade the DL just because we have a real MLB now, but maybe having Bighill lets them have more opportunity to run younger and cheaper guys there?

It's pretty hard to say. I don't follow college at all, so most of these rookie guys I know basically nothing about. Pass rushing DE seems to be one of, if not the easiest position to find in a rookie international so I wouldn't rule it out. They don't seem to have that many options in camp though, with guys like Webster clearly a DT, Montgomery a guy who's been around for a while without breaking in (IIRC he was on PR most of last year), etc. Hard to say. I don't remember that about Santos-Knox to be honest, but it's possible. As a 2nd year guy those issues might be reduced. I was impressed with his speed for a pretty big guy who made some really athletic plays. I just think he has more range than a guy like Wild.

CFL camps are often all out battles with many veterans getting axed, rookies stepping up, surprises left and right. Basically all we know right now is that the BB upgraded big at MLB giving them a guy to lead the defense from the middle. Almost all good defenses have a rock in the middle (like Barrin Simpson or nowadays a guy like Singleton) so this is really huge to have a great player and veteran in the middle. I trust Walters to work out the cap issues as camp progresses.
 

bustamente

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Our ratio doesn't change with this. Bombers were going to be starting an international at MLB no matter what this season. They been really clear that the breakdown of national starters is 1 S (Loffler), 3 OL (Neufeld, Goossen, Chung), 2 WR (Demski, Wolitarsky/Simonise), 1 RB (Harris). Guys like Chorney (DE), Ekakatie (DT) will be rotated in to give the Bombers a bit of flexibility.

Rumour was Durant was due to make about 160-180K this year, but 70K of that was in bonuses that will count anyways. So likely saved about 80-100K. CFL salaries are not publicly available.

Baseline though is that this signing probably doesn't happen if Durant doesn't retire. So maybe we should thank that idiot? Nah **** him anyways.

True on both counts, winning the Grey Cup will be thanks enough and if Bighill is that one piece we need then he helped
 
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