Jake Thomas Discussion

[Blueforlife]

Re-watch any Bomber game and look to see whether Thomas is on the field when the opponent makes a big play. That is a lack of pressure / contain less than when Lawson is on the field. This is not to say Lawson is perfect but it's almost predictable that Thomas is a larger deficit and the opponent more likely to make a big play.

Note that I suggest a similar thing when Gauthier is on defence. Although he's getting less reps and those are usually in very short field position in the red zone. I question whether he's the best option essentially as a run stopper inside our 10 yard line.

Gauthier and Thomas are good depth players that help us win.  Gauthier's reps are likely less now, not sure.  I like him on run D (in the past).  I see Thomas continuing to help this club.  Lawson will develop in time and will learn from Thomas and his teammates.  Yes Thomas will get beat and won't contribute on each down.  He is strong, steady, consistent and never gets hurt.  I am with techno and believe he has provided a couple examples of the value Thomas bring.  He just does his job well, play in play out.  I like how Thomas can stop the run.  I like the power he has to push the OL.  I like how he gets double teamed sometimes.  He does a lot of hard work to help his teammates who are better athletes make plays.  I haven't watch Gauthier this year at all.  Anyone see how many reps he gets or if he has made any plays? I am not sure at all on him (this year).  I greatly value the consistency that Thomas and Gauthier have provided this ball club.  Can't all be ballers.  These are the glue depth guys with the right passport.

Both will get beat at their ages, but they will also make plays and do a lot of things most won't notice but are consistent and steady.  Their influence on the club is starting to set, they are old but I believe still a part of our dominance on D, even if they don't jump out of the page and / or get beat sometimes.

You present some valid points, we have a different take on both players and that's ok.  I haven't paid enough attention to see the comparison between Thomas and Lawson this year.  Will be interesting to see how that develops and if others have insight on it thus far.

[Blueforlife]

I can't stand how you admit to not paying attention but go ahead and argue the point against people who have anyway.

I can't stand how you chime in just for the sake of taking a personal shot.  Saying I'm not paying attention is a false statement.  I provided some detail about Thomas's game that I like.  Been watching him for a decade.  No secret what he does for us and what he can't do.  I didn't present an argument for or against Gauthier other than my general thoughts.  I wasn't arguing a point, I was having a discussion here.  You are really stretching here.  We all come on here to talk Bombers and I value everyone's input.  I like to provide mine.  Nobody is right or wrong, we all have our take on the club and league.

I stand by what I said.  Gauthier is good against the run (in the past).  I also don't know how many reps he has taken this year. I was hoping that others would chime in on Gauthier this year.

I stand by what I have said about Thomas.  I don't have enough comparison this season between him and Lawson.  Perhaps other posters have more info on the subject. I like both players.  I am happy that we continue to give Thomas reps and are developing Lawson.  I like how the team is approaching the roster decisions and playing time of our DL.

Notice in my post I said to BnBC that he presents some valid points.  I provided a balanced and respectful reply to what he said and do believe he made some good points on the topic.

I would suggest that if you don't like what I post then please ignore me.  We are all here to talk and debate football.  There is no need to make this personal.  Chime in on Gauthier / Thomas / Lawson, that would be welcome here.

[TecnoGenius]

This is awesome dude.  The anti Thomas herd has thinned out a bit it seams.  So proud of what he was done for this club.

Everyone can say what they want about Thomas, but there's one incredible point everyone seems to miss: Fatboi never really changes, never really gets worse, doesn't seem to be aging.

Many say he is aging or getting slower or whatever, but they're wrong.  He's always been precisely this!  People say he has less impact, but he's always been middle of the pack and nothing more.

This is precisely why he seems to be on the roster until the end of time.  He is precisely what he is, and Mafia knows exactly what that is, and he stays that way.  No surprises.  If they didn't can him for being him 5 seasons ago, why would they do so now?  Nonsense.

But anyone who dismisses Fatboi isn't watching all the mayhem he's causing back there.  They're not watching how he's plowing over top 350lb OL multiple times a game.  They're not watching him getting his mitt back there in the face of the QB when he thinks he's safe to throw.  And he does this every game.

I don't care about the stat sheet for him.  And I promise you Mafia doesn't care either.  As long as he keeps doing what he's been doing for a decade, and we haven't found the next next NAT DT (need 2!), he'll be on the AR in some capacity.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Lawson is coming back from a serious injury and it takes awhile to get back to game speed. Lawson is already taking reps that Thomas would have been getting so this is likely to continue. Lawson missed the entire 2024 season.

I also think that the coaches adjust to accommodate his deficiencies. That means more 34 fronts as one of the options.

Even when Lawson is 100% there will still be plenty of rotation with Jake, if anyone is going to eventually replace him it has to be Schmeck or Kornelson, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon.  The narrative that Jake is a liability to the team is unfounded lunacy and it's spread like propaganda by a handful of people.

[Blue In BC]

Even when Lawson is 100% there will still be plenty of rotation with Jake, if anyone is going to eventually replace him it has to be Schmeck or Kornelson, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon.  The narrative that Jake is a liability to the team is unfounded lunacy and it's spread like propaganda by a handful of people.

Both forums think he should be pushed to more of a back up role. Go read 3rd down more. Even here I'd suggest more agree with that idea than support him as a starter.

[Blueforlife]

Even when Lawson is 100% there will still be plenty of rotation with Jake, if anyone is going to eventually replace him it has to be Schmeck or Kornelson, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon.  The narrative that Jake is a liability to the team is unfounded lunacy and it's spread like propaganda by a handful of people.

Agree with most, our strength is our rotation and Thomas will get his reps

Some folks claimed that Jake wasn't good enough when he came back to the club after a brief break.  Some argue year after year he isn't good enough.  Yes some say he is a liability.  They have been proven wrong time and time again.  Props to those that have shown Fatboi the love.  Well earned.

Both forums think he should be pushed to more of a back up role. Go read 3rd down more. Even here I'd suggest more agree with that idea than support him as a starter.

Ah they must be right over there if it's posted as such

Thomas has been and remains an important part of this club.

Lawson shows promise and will take his turns and will play more and more when the time is right.  As he builds confidence in himself and management sees him get back to game shape he will be an important rotational piece.  I like em both, best of both worlds imo.

You think the coaching staff doesn't watch what Jake does and evaluate accurately his effectiveness in film breakdown, game in and game out?  One thing about Jake, he puts in 100% effort every play from start to finish, no matter how many snaps he plays. Adams has looked great a few times, but in both games he's faded away badly and becomes a non-factor later in the game.

Well said agree all, Thomas is strong, consistent and never gets hurt, won't jump of the page but is steady and doesn't disappear

Both Thomas and Lawson were getting deep into the backfield.  Repeatedly.  Which forces the QB out. 

Against a mobile QB, it puts things into the DE and LB's hands to finish him off.

No soft pockets with Thomas and Lawson bullrushing.

Facts are presented above imo

[TecnoGenius]

Both forums think he should be pushed to more of a back up role. Go read 3rd down more. Even here I'd suggest more agree with that idea than support him as a starter.

The other forum has had a hate-on for Fatboi forever.  This forum is more of a split.

But everyone agrees Jake is no Nevis.  But who cares.  Nevis didn't give us the ratio.  Nevis had a mega-short career.  Nevis bailed on us.  Who provided more overall value to the team, even though Nevis was 3X the DT Fatboi is?

Sometimes you need to start Clericius instead of the next Kenny because that's what you have to do in the CFL.  I'd rather it be Fatboi than a nothingburger like Ternowski when it comes to filling the ratio.

It's not really as bad as you make it sound.  He's often more noticeable than the other NAT DTs in the league, and certain had more longevity.  And in the end you'll get your wish because he can't keep it up forever and Lawson is right there to be the next man up.

[Blueforlife]

The other forum has had a hate-on for Fatboi forever.  This forum is more of a split.

But everyone agrees Jake is no Nevis.  But who cares.  Nevis didn't give us the ratio.  Nevis had a mega-short career.  Nevis bailed on us.  Who provided more overall value to the team, even though Nevis was 3X the DT Fatboi is?

Sometimes you need to start Clericius instead of the next Kenny because that's what you have to do in the CFL.  I'd rather it be Fatboi than a nothingburger like Ternowski when it comes to filling the ratio.

It's not really as bad as you make it sound.  He's often more noticeable than the other NAT DTs in the league, and certain had more longevity.  And in the end you'll get your wish because he can't keep it up forever and Lawson is right there to be the next man up.

Well written, bang on.  Sure happy we have you here bud.  We haven't always seen eye to eye but this year we have.  Can you just please lie to me and say Zach can throw 50 yards 😪.  I am even starting to agree with you on that one.  Admitting is the 1st step lol.

[Blue In BC]

The other forum has had a hate-on for Fatboi forever.  This forum is more of a split.

But everyone agrees Jake is no Nevis.  But who cares.  Nevis didn't give us the ratio.  Nevis had a mega-short career.  Nevis bailed on us.  Who provided more overall value to the team, even though Nevis was 3X the DT Fatboi is?

Sometimes you need to start Clericius instead of the next Kenny because that's what you have to do in the CFL.  I'd rather it be Fatboi than a nothingburger like Ternowski when it comes to filling the ratio.

It's not really as bad as you make it sound.  He's often more noticeable than the other NAT DTs in the league, and certain had more longevity.  And in the end you'll get your wish because he can't keep it up forever and Lawson is right there to be the next man up.

We see the same comments on this forum about Thomas that he should be more back up than starter. Anyway, we don't want to hijack the game thread. Start a poll or new thread.

[Jesse]

We see the same comments on this forum about Thomas.

Not really.

The only thing we see about Thomas here is that he's an effective rotational player and is set up perfectly with Lawson back.

Last year was not the plan. Thomas had to take more snaps than anyone wanted because Lawson was injured and the young DTs were not ready.

[Blue In BC]

Not really.

The only thing we see about Thomas here is that he's an effective rotational player and is set up perfectly with Lawson back.

Last year was not the plan. Thomas had to take more snaps than anyone wanted because Lawson was injured and the young DTs were not ready.

You just proved my point. Rotational player not starter as his role.

[Jesse]

You just proved my point. Rotational player not starter as his role.

Because the word "starter" in our defence doesn't mean anything.

If at the end of the season,Thomas and Lawson have the same amount of snaps, who do you want to call the starter? It's an arbitrary word.

[Blue In BC]

Because the word "starter" in our defence doesn't mean anything.

If at the end of the season,Thomas and Lawson have the same amount of snaps, who do you want to call the starter? It's an arbitrary word.

That's a pretty thin argument. It's not a question about where he's listed on the depth chart. I asked earlier if anyone had a rep count so far in 2025. The context of the argument is that he should be getting less reps as time progresses and Lawson gets up to game speed.

Any player getting more than 50% of the reps then is the starter and not the back up.

It's about whether he has become less effective and frequently washed out of plays to the point where he's a liability on the field.

We're seeing Lawson starting to look good and even Kornelson is getting on the field more in rotation.

[Jesse]

That's a pretty thin argument. It's not a question about where he's listed on the depth chart. I asked earlier if anyone had a rep count so far in 2025. The context of the argument is that he should be getting less reps as time progresses and Lawson gets up to game speed.

Any player getting more than 50% of the reps then is the starter and not the back up.

It's about whether he has become less effective and frequently washed out of plays to the point where he's a liability on the field.

We're seeing Lawson starting to look good and even Kornelson is getting on the field more in rotation.

1. You first claimed that posters here were saying the same as the other board. They're not. The other board wants Jake cut, we simply accept that his value increases when he's being spelled. I think both boards expect Lawson's involvement to continue to grow.

2. No one counts reps in the CFL. Something I enjoy seeing after NFL games, but alas, we don't get that info. Your 50% marker is irrelevant for out defence, imo. The defence show's a 4-3 line up when that's not always how we line up. DL are coming off, extra LBs or DBs are coming in. If Jake gets 55 reps and Lawson gets 51 reps and Griffin get 47 reps, is Jake the only "starter"?. I just think you're being very black and white about things that are in shades of gray.

[Blue In BC]

1. You first claimed that posters here were saying the same as the other board. They're not. The other board wants Jake cut, we simply accept that his value increases when he's being spelled. I think both boards expect Lawson's involvement to continue to grow.

2. No one counts reps in the CFL. Something I enjoy seeing after NFL games, but alas, we don't get that info. Your 50% marker is irrelevant for out defence, imo. The defence show's a 4-3 line up when that's not always how we line up. DL are coming off, extra LBs or DBs are coming in. If Jake gets 55 reps and Lawson gets 51 reps and Griffin get 47 reps, is Jake the only "starter"?. I just think you're being very black and white about things that are in shades of gray.

There are a few on both sites that suggest he should be cut. I've said that in the past. The catch last year was Lawson getting injured. The other aspect is we use a DT as part of our ratio. Last year our imports were not very good and we had lots of injuries.

We know O'Shea loves to consider everybody including PR players as " starters".

Regardless it was possible at times that we could have had 2 import DT's on the AR taking away reps from the Canadians. We also lined up 3 DE's often instead of a usual DL.

The 50% marker is just a comparison between Lawson and Thomas. It is not a reflection of total plays or whether we're in various defensive sets.  Using Griffin in the equation is irrelevant. He's not lining up and taking on a role a DT might take.