What's the puzzle piece for 2023?

[TecnoGenius]

Pre-2019 we saw KW finding the 1 or 2 "puzzle pieces" each year to fill the holes the team showed the year(s) before.  He managed it to perfection.  Thus the 2 cups.

We got to rest on our laurels a bit for 2021 and 2022, but the failure of the team in the GC leads me to think KW will be back in puzzle-piece mode.  And the focus isn't so much on the regular season as it is on what stopped our playoff run, as they are often two separate things.

Standing back and looking at the GC from a distance, here are my 3 takes on this year's puzzle:

1. We need to be better at stopping the run.  This is far and away the most critical piece.  Letting AJ Omelette saunter into the EZ twice, mostly untouched, in the biggest game is truly an embarrassment.  And out on the edge!  Ugh.  It makes me want to cry.

That means we need upgrades/changes at DL and LB.  I think not having Wilson may have been a huge part of this.  Maybe having a weaker set of DTs meant the DEs had to focus more on B/C gaps instead of contain.  Who was spying AJ on these plays?  No one?  Where was BA?  Why was Jeffcoat injured (unheard of for a Bomber in a GC) for that final TD play?  No one player is to blame.  The entire D brokedown on those plays.

And how did we let Kelly run for 19 when a stop would probably have won the game?

My guess is we'll have to investigate what we're doing with Jeffcoat if he's going to be in the tub half the season and then again at critical moments.  We'll have to solve the WILL situation either with Wilson or without.  We'll have to make some changes at DT.  It may not require canning guys, it may just be matter of better quality depth.

2. Leggs.  No, he didn't cause that last minute FG miss.  And I think it would have gone in (I've frame-stepped that 2 seconds dozens of times).  But he did miss the PATs, as he has many times in the year, and as others document, his KOs are always shorter than league average.  I consider this a far distant second issue to #1, but if you want to look at leading causes of the GC-loss, you have to at least think over your kicker options.  Maybe that means splitting kicking duties in 2023.  Or we continue to watch (and hope) Leggs develop.  Which I'm ok with.

3. O.  If you really want to be critical, the O stunk in the GC.  But they were stellar all year, so I'm inclined to ignore it as a puzzle-piece.  You're allowed to have a bad game.  TOR called the perfect game and exploited every weakness.  But our weakness wasn't really personnel, it was scheme.  Buck planned a bad game.

No unit was poor, they just didn't gel when we needed it.  OL was good, but TOR brought +1 so we whiffed.  Not OL's fault.  Brady was stellar, no problems there.  Zach did his usual one-INT, and was pretty much shutdown on the deep pass, but that's not really on Zach.  WRs were good and even GE2 made a great play.  So I don't think we see any big change on O, but they don't go blameless.  The likely scenario is we pass on GE2 and lose Schoen to NFL and thus need some quality replacements.  I just mention O in this thread as it did factor into our GC loss.

Bonus: Boudreau... that kick-rush blocking breakdown on the final FG was due to bad scheme and personnel and it was drawn up by Boudreau.  Do we let him learn from the the mistake or might we be looking at a new STC??

What are your puzzle pieces for 2023?

[J5V]

That Toronto team was stacked and we still almost beat them because we were a better team. If you play by the rules, which the Bombers do, you can only do so much. The best team doesn't always win. Walters will field the best collection of coaches and players he can manage within the rules. I don't believe he will bend the rules and gamble the future just to field a stacked team for a shot at winning. We have been at or near the top of the league for many seasons now and I don't see that changing.

[pjrocksmb]

Retain OL
Keep Hall
Keep Zach healthy
Draft well
Find a couple gems at camp like we always do
Maintain the culture at all costs

[TecnoGenius]

Walters will field the best collection of coaches and players he can manage within the rules. I don't believe he will bend the rules and gamble the future just to field a stacked team for a shot at winning.

It's not a matter of that.  It's just a thread to speculate what the "major move" might be this FA.

The previous years' puzzle-pieces to fill specific shortcomings, at an acquisition rate of 1-2 per year, were like this: (you can fill in the precise years)

Medlock
Harris
Nichols
Bighill
Willie

It very well could be we stand pat and feel we don't need any major puzzle-pieces: just bring in some new Alfords & Schoens to fill normal attrition holes.

But my gut feeling is because of the clearly-earned GC loss that we are back into puzzle-piece mode.  And for me, this year, it's run-stopping.  That could be as simple as getting best-in-league lockdown WILL.

[TecnoGenius]

Retain OL
Keep Hall
Keep Zach healthy
Draft well
Find a couple gems at camp like we always do
Maintain the culture at all costs

Agree on all.  But most of what you said is "keep the status quo", which is totally necessary and I agree.  And I think we will.  The highlighted above could be part of the puzzle-pieces, but you really never know with ELC IMPs and DPs.

Do you have any thoughts about them making a FA splash on a known-quantity player at some key position?  What do you feel is the position we're weakest at?

[TBURGESS]

We're not going to make a big FA splash. We're a vet team with a ton of very highly paid players. We're up against the SMS. In fact, I bet we lose some players in FA to teams who can pay them more like Lawler last year. We'll be looking for young guys with upside who we can get for a 'Winnipeg price'.

[Jesse]

I don't know if I'd call them puzzle pieces at this point - we have been far and away the best team in the league for the last two seasons. There's nothing to fix, it's about replacing whatever holes appear after FA and continuing to restock the pipeline for potential future losses.

You absolutely cannot look at one game and make changes based on the outcome.

But, to your points:

1. Run game

We were really hampered by injury at LB. Luck of the draw. I was personally expecting Wilson to have an all-star/MODP kind of year, It didn't happen. So hopefully he is back next year. Re-signing Darby this time would be cool, but SMS. I think I expect Jeffcoat in his usual place.

One thing I will say it, we need to do better at game day roster management. Too often, the Jeffs are playing the whole game without someone to rotate them in and out.

2. Leggs

Once again, there weren't too many other kickers who did a better job than Leggs. You have to ask what replacing him would look like. There isn't a Medlock sitting there you can over pay, even if you wanted to make cuts to other parts of the roster.

He does all three jobs - which may hamper his abilities a bit, but provides roster flexibility elsewhere.

We may bring in a Global to "compete" for one of the roles, but this wasn;t the source of weakness that some assume it to be.

3. O

Like you, inclined to ignore it, other than the usual off season demands or re-signing out guys and looking for the next rookie game breaker.

I  think we played well enough to win, but made the coaching mistake[/u] of not leaning on the run when Brady was starting to heat up. Got too cute and lost the game, imo.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

We're not going to make a big FA splash. We're a vet team with a ton of very highly paid players. We're up against the SMS. In fact, I bet we lose some players in FA to teams who can pay them more like Lawler last year. We'll be looking for young guys with upside who we can get for a 'Winnipeg price'.

Have to agree, no money for big F.A. signings but Walters may still pick up some under the radar players for supporting roles. I suspect the D-line may receive some reinforcing but both the LB's and secondary are well stocked for next season unless they lose key players like Wilson.

[Blue In BC]

Have to agree, no money for big F.A. signings but Walters may still pick up some under the radar players for supporting roles. I suspect the D-line may receive some reinforcing but both the LB's and secondary are well stocked for next season unless they lose key players like Wilson.

I would disagree that we're in great shape at LB. Even if we re-sign Wilson his rehab curve may extend into 2023. At the moment he's a potential free agent. Cole may be a development player. Maruo is a potential free agent and Cooper didn't play much.

Darby might bolt for more money elsewhere but I hope he returns. Briggs and Gauthier are potential free agents.

So WIL and SAM are in doubt and so is depth at the moment.

[Jesse]

Yeah, we really only have Biggie at LB.

And his effectiveness has probably been limited by the transience around him.

[the paw]

Kyrie Wilson looked great in 2019, and half of 2021, but let's remember a couple of things.  He didn't break out until his third year.

I don't think Kyle Walters budgets to spend much on his WIL spot, and I think he sees that as a spot where he is constantly working new talent in.  I think we let Santos-Knox go because he no longer fit the budget when he became a top notch LB.

Kyrie might still fit in next year, but it is also likely that Malik Clements will be expected to round into form and have a breakout year in 2023, with Cooper as the LB-in-waiting. 

I agree with others who feel that we are unlikely to make much of a splash in free agency this year.  Although I like Darby, I think he will be too expensive to retain.   

[Blue In BC]

Clements might develop into a quality WIL. It's really too early to tell about Cooper because we didn't see him much in 2022. Cole did relatively well as an ST play so that's encouraging IMO. IIRC that's how Santos-Knox got his start.

All I'm saying is that there are questions due to free agency and some injury issues from 2022. There will be some competition in TC.

[dd]

The missing puzzle piece is easy- a reliable place kicker who can consistently put points on the board when called upon. That?s it.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I would disagree that we're in great shape at LB. Even if we re-sign Wilson his rehab curve may extend into 2023. At the moment he's a potential free agent. Cole may be a development player. Maruo is a potential free agent and Cooper didn't play much.

Darby might bolt for more money elsewhere but I hope he returns. Briggs and Gauthier are potential free agents.

So WIL and SAM are in doubt and so is depth at the moment.

Bighill is back for a year or two more, and I'm pretty confident Wilson will return to form quickly and re-establish himself as one of the best WIL LB's in the league. I'm also confident after his experience in Hamilton, Darby will re-sign. 

Behind those 3, Kramdi  and Rutledge (if they bring him back) established themselves as solid replacements and there are a number of imports coming back for their second year that will continue pushing from below. There may be some attrition of Natl. depth at LB due to retirement, but no reason those positions have to be filled with Natl's as there is a bit more ratio flexibility in other areas now. Bringing the Herdman-Reed twins home would also be a quick fix to replenishing Natl. depth if it becomes depleted, they are both Rider F.A.'s.

[Blue In BC]

Still curious why Rutledge fell off the radar. Possibly a medical condition that came up? Nothing to base that on aside from going from starter to off the entire roster even PR.  That's unusual. In any case I hope he is well if that was the case.