Blue Bombers roster - 2021-2022

[gobombersgo]

Pre-season game 2:

Darrin Bauming   @DarrinBauming
Zach Collaros will not take a preseason snap in 2022.
Very few projected starters are headed to Regina for the #Bombers' preseason finale on Tuesday.

Bob Irving   @BobIrvingCJOB
Rasheed Bailey, Mike Benson and Nick Hallett among the very few vets that join the 63 Bombers playing in the final pre-season game in Sask Tuesday. Dru Brown and Dakota Prukop will share QB duties. DT and Doug have all the action Tuesday night on 680 CJOB.

Derek Taylor   @DTonOB
Bombers bring just two QBs for the game. And about 5 guys currently expected to be starters.

Excited to see Shane Simpson at RB. He's taken a lot of RB2 snaps in camp. And if I'm reading it right, just two natural DTs on the roster for this game

[gobombersgo]

Transactions:

2022-05-31   WPG   MANCUSO, Joe   QB   A   Richmond   Transfer To   Suspended
2022-05-31   WPG   GAUTHIER, Shayne   LB   N   Laval   Transfer To   Suspended
2022-05-31   WPG   HOLM, Evan   DB   A   North Dakota   Add To   Active Roster
2022-05-31   WPG   GREEN, Alfred   DL   N   Wilfrid Laurier   Add To   Active Roster

[Pigskin]

The term Suspended, is it now a roster move. I am interested in Alfred Green.

[theaardvark]

Transactions:

2022-05-31   WPG   MANCUSO, Joe   QB   A   Richmond   Transfer To   Suspended
2022-05-31   WPG   GAUTHIER, Shayne   LB   N   Laval   Transfer To   Suspended
2022-05-31   WPG   HOLM, Evan   DB   A   North Dakota   Add To   Active Roster
2022-05-31   WPG   GREEN, Alfred   DL   N   Wilfrid Laurier   Add To   Active Roster

Has Gauthier been in camp?  Mancuso has been, dressed last game but didn't get a sniff...  is there an issue in them not making the trip to SSK?  Or is it just book keeping until the PR is established, to keep them under WBB control.

[Blue In BC]

Has Gauthier been in camp?  Mancuso has been, dressed last game but didn't get a sniff...  is there an issue in them not making the trip to SSK?  Or is it just book keeping until the PR is established, to keep them under WBB control.

I think just book keeping but does seem a bit strange shuffling of the deck.

[LXTSN]

I didn't get to watch the entire game so I know I missed out on a few things, but here are a few things that stood out to me from the pre-season games:

QB
I'm hoping that we don't need to see much of either of these guys (knock on wood), but if we do, I would be a lot more confident in Dru Brown at the moment. He throws a nice ball, he's accurate and seems way more confident than his first start last season!

RB
I am really hoping that we go with Augustine. I feel like he is a lot less dependent on perfect blocking than the other 2 Canadians. I was also super impressed by the 2 non-national running backs that we went with last night! Simpson seemed to hit the hole really hard and fast, while McCrae's quickness to cut back and put linebackers into blockers was super impressive. Both of those guys have great potential in the league!

WR
To me WR is a toss-up. I remember a few years ago attending a pre-season game and seeing a guy named Kenny Lawler drop 3 or 4 of the easiest catches I've ever seen. I lost all hope in him and bashed him all year. Now he's the highest paid receiver in the league!
I'd really like Bailey to be our go to guy this year, Ellingson will be good, Demski should be the same dual threat, and Woli is a lock as well. That should leave one WR spot up for grabs and I will put the trust in MOS to pick the right guy! My front runners would be Schoen or Grant but it's really anyone's game.

OL
Here we will have the obvious Stanley Bryant, and Yoshi Hardrick filling out the edges. We will have Couture and Patty inside, leaving one spot up for grabs. Honestly have a hard time looking out for this position, but the one thing that does stand out to me is Gray's penalty trouble. I'd lean towards Dobson but that is pretty blindly I will admit.

DL
This is one that should be pretty locked up with Jeffcoat, Willie and Thomas but there will be one slot inside to fill. I like Sayles, Walker and Randall in that order. I will say Randal has really impressed my this preseason so far!

LB
Tough position to crack with Bighill and Wilson filling these slots! But our weak side linebacker is super wide open! I really like what I've seen from Clements, he would be a possible first down LB or run stop guy. I love Malcolm Thompson's work at safety and I think he could be a pure hustle guy at that weakside LB/DB spot on passing downs.

DB/CB/S
So we have Nichols, Nik Taylor, Alexander, and Rose as locks for when they are all healthy. I think it's Houston's job to lose, and he has done a great job from what I've seen in these 2 games. Ford has had a really quiet TC but for a DB that's kind of what I like to see. He is a great athlete and seems to put in the work. That could be a potential ratio changer if Thomas needs and we don't like the guys we've brought in to back him up.

K
.......Still waiting for someone else to just show up to TC. Not trying to brag, but I did call the Castillo signing about a month before we picked him up. I'm not calling this one, but Hajrullahu is a NFL free agent at the moment. If everyone else already has a qualified kicker on the roster, there shouldn't be much competition. I for one would love to have him back!

KR/PR
Grant 100%. If he gets hurt we can look at other guys, but for now there is no need!

For the most part our squad is still all together, with a few key departures. I'm hoping out of all these TC invites we find at least a couple diamonds in the rough! The rookies I'm most looking forward to seeing would be Ford and Randall.

GO BOMBERS!

[Blue In BC]

Just a comment on the import RB's. Our ratio doesn't really bode well for an import RB. He'd had to be a primary returner and there is no indication that will happen. Grant is a lock.

Regardless, we have Canadian depth at RB and even if an import RB was a DI it creates a problem if he's on the field. In theory a receiver would need to come out. Don't see it happening and wonder why we even bother bringing import RB's to camp unless they are outstanding returners.

Interesting comments about Clements who seemed to be everywhere. Wilson has been outstanding and don't see him losing his role. I'd keep Clements ( corrected from earlier typo ) around but don't see room for him on the AR.

If we don't roster Moutada then we might keep an import LB but I'm thinking more probably a DB. That said, lots of young Canadian DB's that could be in game depth instead of an import.

At the moment I'm not clear on the leading candidates at DB but Parker and Ponder got lots of playing time.

[theaardvark]

Lots of talk about the hashmarks changing the WIL position, and the number of DB's on rosters amplifying that... I don't think Wilson will be out of place playing the SAMized WIL position.  And he will still be needed on the run D. 

They were discussing the fact that SSK has 4 really solid LB's on the roster, and whether they could go to a 30 defence (3 down linemen, 4 LB's).  I think that's a solid Idea for us, dropping a DB outside Wilson as the 4th LB, and Jefferson, Thomas and Jeffcoat taking up the line, it also opens up Bighill and Wilson to blitz...

[DM83]

We will probably do both.
Difficult to tell how significant this move will be regarding the hash.

However, as a coach, if the defense doesn't have a guy capeable of being even faster than the SAM, it will be put at a disadvantage.  Just dump the ball to the guy.  And that's in zone!  Imagine in Man to man!

I think we are going to see, a lot of big plays from receivers slotted against the bigger guy. And if they put a smaller guy here he will get creamed by a run game like ours.

[Blue In BC]

Lots of talk about the hashmarks changing the WIL position, and the number of DB's on rosters amplifying that... I don't think Wilson will be out of place playing the SAMized WIL position.  And he will still be needed on the run D. 

They were discussing the fact that SSK has 4 really solid LB's on the roster, and whether they could go to a 30 defence (3 down linemen, 4 LB's).  I think that's a solid Idea for us, dropping a DB outside Wilson as the 4th LB, and Jefferson, Thomas and Jeffcoat taking up the line, it also opens up Bighill and Wilson to blitz...

34 defences are really susceptible to the run so I don't see that happening too much. Just in situational situations. Tietz is injured IIRC so broadcasts just talking. Riders might not decide to put all 3 imports on the AR. Those 3 guys are not inexpensive and they might even need to part ways with one of them.

Generally LB's are going to be slower than DB's ( SAM ), which would be another reason. DB's will be a little lighter and taller / leaner.

With the new hash mark issue a 34 seems less likely fitting extra import LB's onto the roster.

[famicommander]

Just the idea of Mourtada possibly making this roster has me physically sick.

[Blue In BC]

Just the idea of Mourtada possibly making this roster has me physically sick.

I wouldn't go that far. Very strong leg for long K/O and FG attempts. If his accuracy improves he could make the roster. I'd prefer a one guy does all and he's not the best punter. Noticed that Liegghio punted and K/O deeper than him in this game though.

[theaardvark]

Having Bighill and Wilson as ILB's in a 30 defense sounds like it could be OK against the run...

[Blue In BC]

Having Bighill and Wilson as ILB's in a 30 defense sounds like it could be OK against the run...

By definition a 34 defence leaves more gaps against the run. If in a situation where it's 2nd and very long the risk of a run is less likely. 34 defences can and will be used at times by the Bombers. Field position, score and the strength of an opponents run game all are taken into account.

34 defences can be very difficult for OL's to block in passing situations since players can come from different angles. It can work against the run but it's not a preferable match up.

It worked in 1990 when we had West, Jones, Randolph and Battle. That was a special group. They could rush the QB, maintain contain or drop into pass coverage.

4 very talented LB's are needed. You put Briggs and / or Gauthier in a 34 on 2nd and 6 and teams will run against them.

BTW. I wonder what the final word on Maston is looking like. Transferred to IR but how do we tell whether it was 6 game or 1 game. Other teams " note " show that for some players moved to IR.

Across CFL rosters I count about 30 suspended players and 5 or 6 on 6 game IR. Bomber roster neither shows suspended or any IR even though we know transactions indicate both happening.

[theaardvark]

The 3-4 would have Wilson/Bighill defending the run / rushing the passer.  Pretty solid talent.

Of course, it depends on game situation, field position, down and distance... just saying that Wilson at WIL should remain, moving inside with a DB outside (maybe Ford) in the 3-4 when the opportunity avails.