sipowicz
The thrill is gone
- Mar 16, 2011
- 31,340
- 40,299
Is bighill better than muamba?
Is the Pope Catholic?
Is bighill better than muamba?
Is the Pope Catholic?
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.
Really like the Bighill signing.
Hurl vs Bighill...
Huge upgrade at MLB.
Bombers have re-signed Andrew Harris through the 2020 season. At the end of the 2020 season Harris would be turning 34 in a few months. Not alot of details, that's pretty old for a RB but he has shown no signs of slowing down to date. Not sure if he will last another 3 seasons, but it does pretty much mean he will retire a Bomber.
Now that the Jets have crapped out, I’m looking forward to the Bombers.
Seems like you have a pretty good roster set out there. We have a very good team this year.
However, we will be screwed if Nichols goes down. Hoping we can get a better backup, though it’s unlikely.
Hopefully the B.C. guys improve our secondary, but who is Clarke? I don’t remember him. And Wilson? Was he a backup for us last year? I guess he might backup now that we have Bighill?
Also hoping Ekakatie improves, do first overall picks usually spend their first season primarily as a backup?
Also think they might start Simionise, I know he is young, but the kid has got game.
Only area I think we downgraded was LG, because Bond is way better than Neufeld, but moving a Canadian into the starting lineup might actually be a positive move or at the very least a lateral move.
Now that the Jets have crapped out, I’m looking forward to the Bombers.
Seems like you have a pretty good roster set out there. We have a very good team this year.
However, we will be screwed if Nichols goes down. Hoping we can get a better backup, though it’s unlikely.
Hopefully the B.C. guys improve our secondary, but who is Clarke? I don’t remember him. And Wilson? Was he a backup for us last year? I guess he might backup now that we have Bighill?
Also hoping Ekakatie improves, do first overall picks usually spend their first season primarily as a backup?
Also think they might start Simionise, I know he is young, but the kid has got game.
Only area I think we downgraded was LG, because Bond is way better than Neufeld, but moving a Canadian into the starting lineup might actually be a positive move or at the very least a lateral move.
Awesome pick up with Bighill
Big Blue are gonna rock in 2018
FYI I am GOLD MEMBER on the B.B. forum, super fan and poster extraordinaire
Isn’t it nice having a GM who knows what he is doing? Back in the Joe Mack days, let me tell ya, we would have never have gotten someone like Bighill.
Is it possible that this has something to do with the Bighill signing in terms of freeing up cap money.
I think Petermann will be a great addition. I watched him play the last 2 seasons at McMasters and was terrific except when he played against my team Western . I think he has more upside than Simonize. Not sure if Simonize will get his head straight, he had issues in the past, hopefully that is behind him.
Ok I'll good point by point with what I think here.
We have no experience behind Nichols, this is true. However it also means we don't have any limitations behind Nichols. Durant or Glenn we know we are getting very mediocre play if he goes down. Alex Ross is a guy Rigmaiden at least seems really high on, and Chris Streveler is a guy that had lots of NFL interest but decided to take the safer bet with the Bombers. Who knows maybe one or both are home runs.
Clarke is a pretty talented guy that has struggled immensely to stay on the field due to injuries. Has just 7gp over the past two seasons, whether that's scratches or injuries I'm not entirely sure, but he was really good for BC in 2015 in 16gp. Kyrie Wilson was released out of camp last year, but ended up spending almost the entire season on the PR. Showed some promise late last year and the reports I've heard had him as the leading contender for MLB. This was posted before the Bighill signing. If he makes the roster now it might be as a backup LB with strong ST play like Knox was 2 years ago. But the reports I've heard about Gause has him as a more promising prospect, so I think Wilson might end up cut with the Bighill signing.
It's very common for 1st overall picks to be a backup for a year in the CFL. In fact most 1st round picks spend 2-3 years backing up before taking the step into a starting role. It's a contentious issue with many in the CFL since rookie deals are generally 3 years, which is how long it takes to develop guys out of the national draft. So right as they are ready they hit FA and leave for hometowns or more money. Ekakatie was always going to be bit of a project. They knew that going in. He will rotate in this year, but with the ratio changes Nevis and Johnson (along with maybe Webster) will be the starters in the middle of the DL. I expect another mediocre season from Ekakatie, he might be starter ready in 2019. This is just the reality with the national draft, most if not all players are projects (only the occasional OL step right in like Chung, even most OL is like Goossen in that they backup a year or two).
With the Coates injury and release, the wide side WR spot became super open for the taking. Drew Wolitarsky has the advantage of his experience of a year (where he actually showed ok in his very limited time) but both Simonise and Petermann have a realistic shot of taking it. The Bombers have committed too hard to the current ratio to try to change that now, it will be a national out on that island. In the past teams have just relegated a nobody out there to use up a roster spot, but nowadays it is important to have a guy that can play. I think Wolitarsky gets the spot out of camp, but Simonise has serious potential and in future years may even move into a much more important spot. Not many Nationals get NFL looks, and since Simonise has a suspension if he ever returns to NFL, that will not ever be an option for him. He has the most upside, but also the most risk. Wolitarsky and Petermann are more traditional national wide side WR, good possession guys that run good routes, whereas Simonise is a big fast gamebreaker but with character and consistency issues.
Yes we downgraded at LG for sure. But as you say getting that 3rd national on the OL is huge. The Bombers are going from a team that started 3 players on the defensive side of the ball to just 1. That should really help the D. Ultimately it is really REALLY hard long term to start 3 internationals on the OL. Neufeld if he can stay on the field has proven to be a competent guard (albeit a terrible tackle) and the really excellent play of Bryant and Goossen on either side of the LG spot should help nicely. Of note is that Neufeld will face challenges from Couture and Spooner. The BB staff have been really high on both those guys for a couple of years now and the current regime has shown be pretty good on OL matters. It's why they didn't target OL at all this off-season despite the Bond loss.
Overall with the Bighill signing I think the Bombers are nearly even with the Stamps as favourites to take the West. Stamps have suffered key losses in retirements, but they always find guys. Lions and Riders shouldn't be serious threats and the Esks you never know. Barring too many crippling injuries I haven't been this hopeful for a team since maybe the 07 team. This just might be the best team since the 01 team even.
I have seen you there. I check in on the BB forum often, but despite trying to register several times they never accept it whenever I've tried to register. It's really frusterating I never get the email to confirm my registration. I am always looking to talk Bombers.
Good old Joe Mack. So glad those days are done. Mack didn't believe in CFL UFA, you see his influence in MTL now (sign no proven QB's, trust NFL cast offs). **** that guy, Mike Kelly into Joe Mack where the worst days ever to be a BB fan. The change all started with Wade Miller becoming president. I don't normally support former players into upper management like that, but he is such a smart business man that knows how to hire then trust the guys he hires. Completely changed the BB both on and off the field.
Possible? Sure. Likely? No. IMO. I don't think Harris took any kind of discount for this. If anything I think they may have increased his pay this year to reduce future years hit since Bighill took such a huge sweetheart deal to sign in WPG (most CFL insiders are saying he signed WAAAAY below market value) and the Bombers have a pricy veteran in mind that if he doesn't have a huge camp they will release to get camp compliant. This is pure speculation from me though. The most likely scenario is that Harris wanted to commit to the Bombers long term and the Bombers were more than willing to make that work for him.
Great to hear. Petermann was very highly rated in the draft and considered one of the top 3 steals in the draft by most. I don't know alot about him but he sounds like a possession guy for the wide side that is always valued in the CFL. I don't think he has more upside than the bigger, faster more dynamic Simonise, but he is alot safer it sounds like. Simonise certainly has character issues which is why I laughed at projections that had the Bombers taking him but the Bombers obviously feel alot stronger in their character in the dressing room these days and Matthias Goossen went to high school with Simonise and has nothing but good things to say about him so I am hopeful. Let's hope that Simonise has learned from the past. Maybe the Bombers can eventually get their own "Canadian Air Force" going if all of Demski, Simonise, Petermann turn out ala Riders a few years back.
EDIT: Just to add rather than a new post, first day of camp is done. Of note Chandler Fenner, Kyrie Wilson, and Jovon Santos-Knox were the #1 D LB's. Leggett is still recovering from his injury last season (and the rumours have him moving the HB this season) and Bighill won't be up into camp until Tuesday or Wednesday. Camp is a REALLY volatile time so no guarantees, but Ian Wild not in the starting lineup is a clue that I think he will be a TC/cap casualty. He is too experienced and too expensive (I think CFL salaries are not widely available) to be a backup and ST guy. I really don't think he makes the roster day 1. Also disappointed Tharod Simon decided to retire rather than come north, he was an intriguing DB with great size and experience. But there's so many DB's in camp so we'll see. Chris Givens was officially suspended, it appears he does not want to continue in the CFL. Too bad.
Wow. Spectacularly marvellous post. I read it all. Thanks for this.
I really just can’t wait for this season to start. Much like you, I have high hopes for this team. Hoping they don’t disappoint.
One other point/question: Looks like the Bombers are going with a National punter now? Hopefully he’s pretty decent, and hopefully Medlock is back to his old clutch ways. Can this Menard-Briere guy kick field goals?
Edit: In regard to Givens: I agree that is too bad. He looked decent last year and was actually not bad for the Rams a few years back. But where exactly would he play? Receivers are probably Adams, Bowman, Dressler, Demski, Wolitarsky/Petermann/Simonise (which is an awesome receiving corps by the way). Even Harris, Flanders and LaFrance likely play more as receiver than Givens unfortunately.
Edit 2: Turns out I had more to say after reading your post another time.
I’m optimistic about our backup QBs but Ross seems like a guy BC gave up on, which is very concerning. Weren’t Brohm and Davis guys from other CFL teams too? I don’t know much about Strelever (or anything about him). Durant was meh in Montreal (though him and that overweight guy (Lewis) tore us apart last year) but I think he would’ve been a good backup. Although I prefer Bighill (who will start) over that bum AINEC.
If it’s true Bighill took a pay cut to come here, that is awesome news. I remember Obby Khan saying Winnipeg had a terrible culture compared to Calgary, and it would be hard to attract players. Hopefully Bighill’s signing shows that we are a good organization on the cusp on winning.
Like I said, hopefully these BC dudes are good for us in the secondary, because that was our downfall last year but then again BC was trash last year so I’m leary about being too optimistic.
Roh looks to be almost as good as Westermann just minus the passport (which Neufeld makes up for) so hopefully our pass rush is good.
How long is the Bombers camp?
Randle and Thompkins are 2 late adds to keep an eye on for sure.Bombers signed former Giant Rueben Randle ... probably an upgrade on what Givens would have been. That is some incredible receiving depth, bye bye Lankford
We can't get much worse than our back up play last year.