Blue Bombers Sign Tui Eli

[Go Big Blue]

Tui is going to make Samoan Vaifala & Palusami (Pineapple Juice & Baked Coconut) out of the opposition defence. Welcome back in 2023.

[TecnoGenius]

I?m expecting a hot take post from Tecno at 3 am in this thread

Haha, you guys crack me up!     Sorry, I'm 1 hour late.  Hope you didn't wake up for nothing!

Color me shocked: I did not see this coming!  We mostly thought he was done with football for good, eh?

Yes, Eli was quickly becoming my fave when the vax rules ruined his post-season.  He looked good every time he was in, usually as a 6th OL / TE.  He played every snap with gusto and aplomb even though 90% of the time he didn't have anything to do.  Bet he's that way at practice, too.  You know that type of ethic is what endears a guy to MOS.

I think he did get a couple of starts at guard(?) and IIRC performed surprisingly well for a rookie.  I thought he was growing into our solid next 6th dressed, and grooming as a future starter.  He certainly was helping to ease the pain of the loss of the "2 Sp's" and retirement of Goose, and later loss of Desjar to NFL.

After I learned of FIFO (shouldn't it be FIOFO?? FIFO means something else to us computer nerds) a few months back, I started guessing Eli didn't FI so had to FO.  But it may have just been the logistics and/or hard CFL rules vis a vis vax-free.  I'm pretty sure KW wouldn't bring back a guy ON A 3 YEAR(!!!) if the locker room wanted him to FO.  (A few forum posters did want him to FO, so those who shall remain nameless might have some crow to eat if Eli excels...)

So, yes, we should all rejoice, as whether he gets to be the dressed 6th in 2023, or is already being slotted in at C or G, he will come in very handy and is much needed even if Couture isn't gone.

If Couture is gone: I thought Ko-man was superb at C, and would hesitate to move him to G.  So LG might hinge on a TC battle between Gray/Eli.  I expect Dobson to remain the development guy, though he was looking good too.  If Ko-man get hurt, it's nice to have another potential snapper.

No thread about Eli is complete without giving yet another shout out to his TE (eligible) snaps where, upon having no one to block, he always runs downfield and turns to put his hands up asking for the ball.  He played it so convincingly, I always got a chuckle.  LBs always had to give him a second of their attention and the obligatory "huh wat?".  I swear I would have given my left ear to see Zach throw to him just once!!  5Y pass and the big guy could probably get another 4 YAC.  Eli was always wide open.  I'll always wonder if that was lined up as a trick play in the '21 post-season.  Maybe we'll find out in '23 -- though Buck isn't nearly as cheeky as Lapo.  I wonder if Eli has good hands....

Enjoy the hot take.

[pjrocksmb]

He will likely need a half season to get to the level he was at when he left.

Solid signing.

I bet the price was right.

[Blue In BC]

This is a very good signing and I'd think at a decent SMS hit. OTOH it would seem that Couture will be lost in free agency.

EDIT: It's not likely but we might still sign Couture and trade one of the other Canadian OL.

[blue_gold_84]

...the vax rules ruined his post-season.

LOL

That's not what happened. Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes happened.

Anyway, nice to have him back on a long-term deal. This is good news for the depth on the O-line.

[Pigskin]

I hope we can also sign ND10 to a 3 year deal.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

This is a very good signing and I'd think at a decent SMS hit. OTOH it would seem that Couture will be lost in free agency.

EDIT: It's not likely but we might still sign Couture and trade one of the other Canadian OL.

I'd hate to see Eli displace Dobson from the role he played last season as he's well on his way to becoming a starting OG, and they almost lost him to the USFL prior to last season, so he might be difficult to retain once his contract expires. If I had to guess I would say Kona becomes the odd man out as Eli or Neuf. takes over at C, this would make for a very aggressive O-line. 

[blue_or_die]

Haha, you guys crack me up!     Sorry, I'm 1 hour late.  Hope you didn't wake up for nothing!

Color me shocked: I did not see this coming!  We mostly thought he was done with football for good, eh?

Yes, Eli was quickly becoming my fave when the vax rules ruined his post-season.  He looked good every time he was in, usually as a 6th OL / TE.  He played every snap with gusto and aplomb even though 90% of the time he didn't have anything to do.  Bet he's that way at practice, too.  You know that type of ethic is what endears a guy to MOS.

I think he did get a couple of starts at guard(?) and IIRC performed surprisingly well for a rookie.  I thought he was growing into our solid next 6th dressed, and grooming as a future starter.  He certainly was helping to ease the pain of the loss of the "2 Sp's" and retirement of Goose, and later loss of Desjar to NFL.

After I learned of FIFO (shouldn't it be FIOFO?? FIFO means something else to us computer nerds) a few months back, I started guessing Eli didn't FI so had to FO.  But it may have just been the logistics and/or hard CFL rules vis a vis vax-free.  I'm pretty sure KW wouldn't bring back a guy ON A 3 YEAR(!!!) if the locker room wanted him to FO.  (A few forum posters did want him to FO, so those who shall remain nameless might have some crow to eat if Eli excels...)

So, yes, we should all rejoice, as whether he gets to be the dressed 6th in 2023, or is already being slotted in at C or G, he will come in very handy and is much needed even if Couture isn't gone.

If Couture is gone: I thought Ko-man was superb at C, and would hesitate to move him to G.  So LG might hinge on a TC battle between Gray/Eli.  I expect Dobson to remain the development guy, though he was looking good too.  If Ko-man get hurt, it's nice to have another potential snapper.

No thread about Eli is complete without giving yet another shout out to his TE (eligible) snaps where, upon having no one to block, he always runs downfield and turns to put his hands up asking for the ball.  He played it so convincingly, I always got a chuckle.  LBs always had to give him a second of their attention and the obligatory "huh wat?".  I swear I would have given my left ear to see Zach throw to him just once!!  5Y pass and the big guy could probably get another 4 YAC.  Eli was always wide open.  I'll always wonder if that was lined up as a trick play in the '21 post-season.  Maybe we'll find out in '23 -- though Buck isn't nearly as cheeky as Lapo.  I wonder if Eli has good hands....

Enjoy the hot take.

Boring! That was only 15% of controversy of what I expect from you.

Bust out that tin foil hat, my man!

[bwiser]

I don't know why you would want this selfish jerk back on the Bombers. I hope he gets cut.

[Pigskin]

I'd hate to see Eli displace Dobson from the role he played last season as he's well on his way to becoming a starting OG, and they almost lost him to the USFL prior to last season, so he might be difficult to retain once his contract expires. If I had to guess I would say Kona becomes the odd man out as Eli or Neuf. takes over at C, this would make for a very aggressive O-line. 

OLs get hurt all the time. Can never have to many good Canadian OLs. Good move by Mr. Walters considering Couture hasn't signed yet. We know Eli can play a couple of different positions on the OL, and he is a road grader.

[blue_gold_84]

I don't know why you would want this selfish jerk back on the Bombers. I hope he gets cut.

It's possible he could've learned from what happened and is a better person now. The Bombers seem to think so based on the contract he was given.

Time will tell but I wouldn't hope for him getting cut just yet. He's a good player and perhaps he's more selfless now than before.

[blue_or_die]

As much as I don't get the anti vax stance, if I truly had strong beliefs in anything that I was being asked to compromise, I wouldn't either. As much of a brotherhood as football is, etc., at the end of the day it's a sport and it's a job and I would put myself first. It doesn't matter if those beliefs are misplaced or not, it's clearly a part of who he is so I don't fault him. It doesn't sound like it was poisoning the clubhouse which would have been my only concern. He didn't sound like an outrageous idiot; rather a, "sorry, but this is just me and I have to put that first" kinda guy.

I'm just happy this is in the past and we can move on with him back with the club. It's the draft pick that keeps on giving!

[TecnoGenius]

He will likely need a half season to get to the level he was at when he left.

That's the key question.  No live snaps since Nov 2021.  That's like 18 months of no real football.  But since we snapped him up and gave him 3 years you have to believe he was keeping up with his training and practice.

From my inside knowledge of hoggies, the biggest thing they slack on in the off-season is staying bulked up in a calorie sense.  But that's ok, they can bulk up before TC.

[TecnoGenius]

I don't know why you would want this selfish jerk back on the Bombers. I hope he gets cut.

I was wondering if those-who-shall-remain-nameless would out themselves... that didn't take long.

Read my long post?  Clearly the locker room will happily accept the guy.  Therefore the guys are either (now) ok with his decision, or they might even respect him more for staying true to himself.  I have no idea, but it's clear they are not saying what you just said (would fail the FI test).  Neither is RH, neither is MOS, neither is KW...

Someone needs to stop watching CBC and CNN all day.  You going to boo Eli when they announce the starting O in June??  For 3 years?

[blue_gold_84]

Someone needs to stop watching CBC and CNN all day.

ThE eViL mAiNsTrEaM mEdiA!

Solid clown comment.