2024 Free Agency Signings/Transactions (Blue Bombers)

[Pigskin]

Ford could very easily slip into Sam if the bombers needed him to. He is a little bigger than Kramdi and with his 4.42/40 speed he is very quick. The kid is a swiss arm knife and is going to be very valuable to the Bombers. He can play CB, Safety, or Sam if required. You might also see him returning some kick this season. 

[Blueforlife]

I see Kramdi starting at LB and Ford at DB, but lots yet to be determined.

Ford will be good but will take some time.

[dd]

If we have 8-9 starting NAT's, I'd go out and find a stud DT and replace the Thomas/Lawson combo....they simply don't get any type of push or heat on the Qb

[Pete]

If we have 8-9 starting NAT's, I'd go out and find a stud DT and replace the Thomas/Lawson combo....they simply don't get any type of push or heat on the Qb

if we could find a stud dt we'd replace Walker's position with him. Lawton was/is just as effective as Fox. Likely why Fox saw such limited time last year on main roster.

[CrazyCanuck89]

If we have 8-9 starting NAT's, I'd go out and find a stud DT and replace the Thomas/Lawson combo....they simply don't get any type of push or heat on the Qb

Did you even watch Thomas/Lawson last year.  Both made plays.

[dd]

Did you even watch Thomas/Lawson last year.  Both made plays.

Ya, I can count them both on one hand. Jefferson made more plays when they moved him inside , showing me put an athlete in there and more things will happen. We presently have space fillers in there, we need someone who's a beast and commands a double team. The only way Thomas makes a play is when the play goes the other way and is pushed back to him, he's always training the play and the only way he makes plays now is by accident

[theaardvark]

Ya, I can count them both on one hand. Jefferson made more plays when they moved him inside , showing me put an athlete in there and more things will happen. We presently have space fillers in there, we need someone who's a beast and commands a double team. The only way Thomas makes a play is when the play goes the other way and is pushed back to him, he's always training the play and the only way he makes plays now is by accident

That's quite the interpretation.  Thomas got doubleteamed lots, and most DT's make plays that you claim are accidents.  The key is, contain the play and be ready to make a play.  Thomas does penetrate, and disrupt.  Lawson is improving at that as well. 

Are they the best DT's in the league?  No one claimed that.  But they are far from the worst, and are Nat to boot.

Would I want to be starting both?  Nope.  But I'm not opposed to rotating them..

[TecnoGenius]

Of course the SAM needs to be physical, they are playing closer to the line, than the safety is.  Their job is to help stop the run, whereas the safety is more the last line of defense.

I think our FS has been more physical than our SAMs for a few years now.  The only SAM we had since before Moe that I'd call "physical run stopper" would be Gaitor -- and maybe a slight nod to Rutledge.  Moe, Darby, Kramdi, etc, not so much.  I can't think of a single Kramdi "ooooh, ouch" hit on a RB at all, whereas we all have seen plenty by Alexander.

When we're talking LBers, it's WILL that has to have more beef and is more active in the run game (and it goes without saying: MAC).

Case in point, how many times do you remember Kramdi making big stops in the run game against a beefy RB in 2023?  Not many.  How did Kramdi do stopping that Cody strong-side run in the GC that probably lost us the game?  Wasn't even in the picture.

And I'm not even saying it's all on Kramdi: he's clearly playing to the scheme, and our scheme has the SAM chasing the slot rather than hanging around for the runner.

In fact, in my rewatch of 2023 (about 1/3rd way through) it's more often Holm coming up to stop the run in a hole than Kramdi.

[TecnoGenius]

That's quite the interpretation.  Thomas got doubleteamed lots, and most DT's make plays that you claim are accidents.

Ya, like that embarrassing last-series "sack" that probably lost the '23 GC for us... or was that a DE?  In any event, dude was just hanging around getting pushed around by Big Stan, and got lucky Zach ran right into his mitts.

Still counts as a sack, and still a very important play that can win you games.

Fatboi's forte is being smart about tying up more than just 1 player.  MOS is all about the chess game of winning the numbers.  He always says (said?) that's why he loves the Strev packages: because now you're +1 on the numbers since the QB is not taken out of the equation in 3s like Zach usually is.

Fatboi is good at sealing and occupying and distracting 2 OL or OL+blocker so the real play can be made to get behind the LoS.  He's not so good at shedding if he's being held (not enough beef).  I think Fatboi had a great year in 2023 and I can see why we're keeping him around another year.  Surely there's some plan to have him a part of the historic 2025 season too, when we win it all at home.  Could Fatboi have a DL coach-y role in 2025?

[CrazyCanuck89]

I think our FS has been more physical than our SAMs for a few years now.  The only SAM we had since before Moe that I'd call "physical run stopper" would be Gaitor -- and maybe a slight nod to Rutledge.  Moe, Darby, Kramdi, etc, not so much.  I can't think of a single Kramdi "ooooh, ouch" hit on a RB at all, whereas we all have seen plenty by Alexander.

When we're talking LBers, it's WILL that has to have more beef and is more active in the run game (and it goes without saying: MAC).

Case in point, how many times do you remember Kramdi making big stops in the run game against a beefy RB in 2023?  Not many.  How did Kramdi do stopping that Cody strong-side run in the GC that probably lost us the game?  Wasn't even in the picture.

And I'm not even saying it's all on Kramdi: he's clearly playing to the scheme, and our scheme has the SAM chasing the slot rather than hanging around for the runner.

In fact, in my rewatch of 2023 (about 1/3rd way through) it's more often Holm coming up to stop the run in a hole than Kramdi.

He made a couple, but than again your biased against Kramdi probably clouds your memory.

[dd]

I would be keeping an eye on mathieu betts and how things work out for him in Detroit, if he gets cut there, I'd be making a hard run at him as he's a stud NAT D lineman if there ever was one

[theaardvark]

I would be keeping an eye on mathieu betts and how things work out for him in Detroit, if he gets cut there, I'd be making a hard run at him as he's a stud NAT D lineman if there ever was one

We don't need / can't afford a high priced DT, we don't need a starting NAT at a premium.

We need the next stove, sayles, walker.  ELC guy that slots in well.

[TecnoGenius]

He made a couple, but than again your biased against Kramdi probably clouds your memory.

I'm not biased against Kramdi: I think he is good, and would love to see him improve to the same level as Moe at his peak.

I am biased against starting 8 or 9 NATs when traditionally IMPs were better and cheaper at those superfluous positions.  If it was superior, then every team would do it.

By all means keep giving Kramdi his shot, and maybe he becomes the best NAT SAM ever, who knows.  But it's still a gamble, and still against the norm, and still a bit of a shock to hardcore CFL fans.  And while we didn't really see Kramdi on a bad whiff costing us games in '23, we also often were sitting there watching a wide open flat being torn up by the opponent wondering "hey, where's our SAM?".

But like I said, Mafia usually knows best, and MOS often picks for attributes you can't always see on-field.  But if a superb IMP ELC SAM shows up in TC, that'll be the first place we switch starters.

[TecnoGenius]

I would be keeping an eye on mathieu betts and how things work out for him in Detroit, if he gets cut there, I'd be making a hard run at him as he's a stud NAT D lineman if there ever was one

Then we can start 10 NATs, weeeeeeeeeeee!    

[dd]

Then we can start 10 NATs, weeeeeeeeeeee!    

No, then we would have a killer D line again!!