Off Season News - Other CFL Teams

[blue_gold_84]

Baron Miles added to Redblacks as DC. Another positive addition.

Quite a few solid additions recently. They should be an improved team in 2023.

[theaardvark]

Dyce is finding a nice mix... although the Miles/Jones combo is coming off a bad situation in MTL.  They definitely got a raw deal there, but still.

Wonder if Arndt gets a look elsewhere as an OC... maybe in SSK?  

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Dyce is finding a nice mix... although the Miles/Jones combo is coming off a bad situation in MTL.  They definitely got a raw deal there, but still.

Wonder if Arndt gets a look elsewhere as an OC... maybe in SSK?  

Benevides has also been set free, but he should find a soft place to land, even if it is on TSN.

[blue_gold_84]

Burnham retires: https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/bc-lions-bryan-burnham-retirement-1.1889437

This could be part of why Rourke was so emotional after losing the West Final.

[theaardvark]

Burnham retires: https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/bc-lions-bryan-burnham-retirement-1.1889437

This could be part of why Rourke was so emotional after losing the West Final.

Wow... it was a tough year for Burnham last year, broken ribs, punctured lung, fractured wrist.  Only 32... I guess Father Time catches up to some a lot faster than others.  Going into 2023 without Rourke probably doesn't have as much hope for success to work through those issues... wonder what he is moving on to?

[dd]

Burnham retires: https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/bc-lions-bryan-burnham-retirement-1.1889437

This could be part of why Rourke was so emotional after losing the West Final.

That makes 100% sense now. He wanted to send BB out a winner and didn't.

[Pigskin]

There was a great story on TSN about Burnham and his wife trying to adopt a couple of children. He had a great career and is amazing talent. 

[ModAdmin]

Sean Whyte
@SeanWhyte6
3h
There's no place like home. I'm so pumped to back for 2 more years. @bclions_official @cfl
@ White Rock, British Columbia

[M.O.A.B.]

Former Bomber DE Alex McCalluster added by BC

[TecnoGenius]

Edmonton releases 6 players including Duron Carter and Tony Washington.

Yay!  <Mumbles something something about rubbish>

Dyce is the new Head Coach in Ottawa. Congratulations.

Good move.  However, wasn't Dyce the temp HC of another team in the past... SSK I think when Chamblin was canned?  Didn't do that well.  Going by old memories here... don't quote me on this.  Didn't do that great as temp HC in OTT either, but hard to succeed with that lot.  Could be a stop-gap HC, they can sacrifice him without much cost if they have another garbage year.

Wonder if Masoli will be his guy... or if they make a play for a different QB...

Masoli is still a top QB.  He just needs to stay healthy.  If Masoli gets banged up and is gone another half/full season I think that'll be it for his career.

Burnham retires: https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/bc-lions-bryan-burnham-retirement-1.1889437

This could be part of why Rourke was so emotional after losing the West Final.

Ah, yes.  That makes a lot of sense.  Burnham going is a huge loss to the league.  He was still the best.  But too much tub time and he doesn't want to end up in a wheelchair.  Oh ya, and this makes BC far weaker, even with Rourke.  I'd say the top WRs in CFL are now are Lewis and Lawler.  Both are now elite (yes, Lawler can claim that title now that he regularly makes Burnham-style catches).

I hope the CFL scouts (all teams) are bringing up the next generation of talent, as the CFL has been hurting for more circus-level freak receivers the last few years.  Not enough to go around.  Why are there no waterbugs anymore?  The Dressler-type guys with sick hands are perfect for the CFL since they are too tiny to last long in the NFL (or get any look at all), and yet they are elite level receivers who can dazzle audiences with circus jumps and dives.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Yay!  <Mumbles something something about rubbish>

Good move.  However, wasn't Dyce the temp HC of another team in the past... SSK I think when Chamblin was canned?  Didn't do that well.  Going by old memories here... don't quote me on this.  Didn't do that great as temp HC in OTT either, but hard to succeed with that lot.  Could be a stop-gap HC, they can sacrifice him without much cost if they have another garbage year.

Masoli is still a top QB.  He just needs to stay healthy.  If Masoli gets banged up and is gone another half/full season I think that'll be it for his career.

Ah, yes.  That makes a lot of sense.  Burnham going is a huge loss to the league.  He was still the best.  But too much tub time and he doesn't want to end up in a wheelchair.  Oh ya, and this makes BC far weaker, even with Rourke.  I'd say the top WRs in CFL are now are Lewis and Lawler.  Both are now elite (yes, Lawler can claim that title now that he regularly makes Burnham-style catches).

I hope the CFL scouts (all teams) are bringing up the next generation of talent, as the CFL has been hurting for more circus-level freak receivers the last few years.  Not enough to go around.  Why are there no waterbugs anymore?  The Dressler-type guys with sick hands are perfect for the CFL since they are too tiny to last long in the NFL (or get any look at all), and yet they are elite level receivers who can dazzle audiences with circus jumps and dives.

Just look at the Bombers success, many teams (including the Stamps) are now taking the running game more seriously by bringing in bigger, stronger running backs.  Receivers are assigned blocking duties on many of these running plays which suits the Bombers receiver group very well.  Smaller receivers like Dressler and Banks are not as effective in this aspect of the game, which lessens their contributions to spectators on many plays.

[TecnoGenius]

Just look at the Bombers success, many teams (including the Stamps) are now taking the running game more seriously by bringing in bigger, stronger running backs.  Receivers are assigned blocking duties on many of these running plays which suits the Bombers receiver group very well.  Smaller receivers like Dressler and Banks are not as effective in this aspect of the game, which lessens their contributions to spectators on many plays.

That's a good theory.  Could be the game is changing, or it could be the general talent level isn't what it used to be.  How can you tell?  Maybe someone who watches the NFL can answer that... are there as many great insane-talent diving/contorting receivers as there used to be?

If you're theory is correct, then we have another big downside: we are directly competing with the NFL for NFL-style receivers.  That would mean that instead of getting all the too-short/small NFL rejects (Dressler) we are directly competing with the NFL for big-body, tall, giant receivers.  That is bad, because then we can never be any better than "NFL-Lite".

Remember when we had Dressler and Smith?  Both waterbugs.  They made some sick diving catches, each, every few games, and it was spectacular to watch.  You don't see Bombers doing that anymore, not since Lawler left.

Much of these thoughts stem from that first GC deep pass to Schoen where it's just off his fingertips.  Why didn't he dive for it?  Dressler would have dived.  Missing that pass set the (bad) tone for the whole game.  These big-body guys rarely lay out for a catch these days.

[Blue In BC]

Edmonton Elks Christian Saulsberry short and killed in the USA. Tragic news. RIP.

Spelling error corrected.

[J5V]

Edmonton Elks Christine Saulsberry short and killed in the USA. Tragic news. RIP.

Christian Saulsberry - yeah man, real shame to see any of our CFL brethren go down. Condolences to his family.

[dd]

That's a good theory.  Could be the game is changing, or it could be the general talent level isn't what it used to be.  How can you tell?  Maybe someone who watches the NFL can answer that... are there as many great insane-talent diving/contorting receivers as there used to be?

If you're theory is correct, then we have another big downside: we are directly competing with the NFL for NFL-style receivers.  That would mean that instead of getting all the too-short/small NFL rejects (Dressler) we are directly competing with the NFL for big-body, tall, giant receivers.  That is bad, because then we can never be any better than "NFL-Lite".

Remember when we had Dressler and Smith?  Both waterbugs.  They made some sick diving catches, each, every few games, and it was spectacular to watch.  You don't see Bombers doing that anymore, not since Lawler left.

Much of these thoughts stem from that first GC deep pass to Schoen where it's just off his fingertips.  Why didn't he dive for it?  Dressler would have dived.  Missing that pass set the (bad) tone for the whole game.  These big-body guys rarely lay out for a catch these days.

what are you taking about!?!? Lawler lays out for catches as good as or better than anyone big or small. Same with Burnham. Ditto for Ryhmes. And Eugene Lewis. And Shoen dove for many passes this year and I distinctly remember him getting s diving TD catch in BC. And Rasheed  bailey has made several diving specstular catches.  The Bombers have placed an emphasis on a receivers ability to block and have gone away from the small body reciever and rightfully so. Sure dressler and smith used to lay out for passes, but they couldn?t block a sneeze. And they were hurt quite a bit too.