Should the overpaid stars restructure?

[TecnoGenius]

There is a difference between just bashing the team and pointing out obvious problems and offering possible solutions.

I am quick to point out flaws, but I usually try to offer a solution (if I can think of one).

This entire thread and its title is about possible solutions.  That is a positive, optimistic contribution, not just a debbie-downer bash-fest.  Clearly we have major woes, who is going to deny that?  So what are the solutions?

No one else has offered any ideas for affording all the couch talent we probably should be bringing in right about now.

[Blueforlife]

There is a difference between just bashing the team and pointing out obvious problems and offering possible solutions.

I am quick to point out flaws, but I usually try to offer a solution (if I can think of one).

This entire thread and its title is about possible solutions.  That is a positive, optimistic contribution, not just a debbie-downer bash-fest.  Clearly we have major woes, who is going to deny that?  So what are the solutions?

No one else has offered any ideas for affording all the couch talent we probably should be bringing in right about now.

Well put! I do appreciate the solutions! I am willing to wait and see what we have in house before making a strong push to find new talent.  That said the injuries are challenging that view.

[TecnoGenius]

Thinking about it more, our DL has just been decimated.  It's quite astounding.

We let Walker & Jeffcoat walk.  We lose Lawson, Haba and Fox to injury.  Maybe short, maybe long.  What other team has ever lost so much so quickly?

People can say what they want about Fatboi, but give that guy props, he's played a decade or more and he's missed almost no games.  That's quite amazing for a DT!

I'm thankful for Fatboi (the tank) and Willie (the cat) and their much needed durability.

But they need real, legit, and strong co-players to allow them to have maximal effectiveness.  We've known that about both those guys for years now.

[Blueforlife]

We need to figure out the DL and OL.  The heart of any club.

[BLUEBOMBER]

Clearly we should have found money for Hardrick. I don't see how the big bucks we are paying Streveler is an improvement over Brown.

[Road Griller]

Clearly we should have found money for Hardrick. I don't see how the big bucks we are paying Streveler is an improvement over Brown.

I believe Streveler is around 140 which is a huge deal, Brown is around 250 I think.

Now Brown and Streveler for under 400 would have been the best case scenario for the team IMO.  Less than Zach is making alone I believe and far more productive.

We probably could have kept Hardrick, Bailey, Grant and signed a FA or two.  The team would still be a force and likely 1-1 or 2-0.

[Blueforlife]

Clearly we should have found money for Hardrick. I don't see how the big bucks we are paying Streveler is an improvement over Brown.

Strev was cheap, the big money went to offensive stars.

I believe Streveler is around 140 which is a huge deal, Brown is around 250 I think.

Now Brown and Streveler for under 400 would have been the best case scenario for the team IMO.  Less than Zach is making alone I believe and far more productive.

We probably could have kept Hardrick, Bailey, Grant and signed a FA or two.  The team would still be a force and likely 1-1 or 2-0.

Strev is great value.  Moving on from Zach isn't a move any football mind would have done.  Talking about him in this tone is knee jerk.  I did love Brown and he will be a star but we prioritized other players over him which was the right decision imo.  Losing Hardrick, Bailey and Grant has hurt no doubt but we could sign them all.

It's two games, we need to allow the teams some grace before we right them off and the roster moves that were done.

[Blue In BC]

A lot will depend on what the injury situation looks like.  If we are down even half of the injured WR, RB, DE, DT, DB on the 6GIR, then ya, even if we're winning buckets (which we won't) it will be clear that we need to fill some of those ranks with vets from elsewhere.  And since they won't play for ELC, the only way you get any vets is by having free SMS.  The 6GIR will give us back maybe enough for ELCs, it will take some restructuring to give us back enough to pick up vets.

No, but a can't-play-prone player is always of lower value to teams.  Look at Jeffcoat, the epitome of this situation.  And if the can't-play-prone player is also a league's top-paid player... well surely that gives you some wiggle room.

Brady, of course, isn't can't-play-prone, so I'm mostly looking at Kenny.  Missed half of '22 with EDM due to injury.  Missed half of '23 with us due to criminal conviction problems.  Now will miss half of '24 due to a fracture.  All roughly speaking, of course.  So since returning to WPG has he given us the value we expected and are paying for?  Not by a long shot.  Is it his fault?  Well, '23 is, but of course fractures are not.  But it still counts against him in the grand calculation of value.

The cool part is, if he restructures to help out the team, he wins as much as the team does.  When it's time to re-sign Kenny I guarantee you games-missed enters into the calculation.  If he restructures to $250k this year, I guarantee you it makes it easier for us to pull the trigger on a re-sign vs just letting him walk a la Jeffcoat or Nick Moore.

If he produces in '24 about as much as he did in '23, and he's up for re-signing next FA at $300k, I'll bet money right now we let him walk.  So why not do what makes him look like an altruistic hero, helps the team, and helps him get re-signed down the road?

Most re-structures are during the off season.

[Road Griller]

Strev was cheap, the big money went to offensive stars.Strev is great value.  Moving on from Zach isn't a move any football mind would have done.  Talking about him in this tone is knee jerk.  I did love Brown and he will be a star but we prioritized other players over him which was the right decision imo.  Losing Hardrick, Bailey and Grant has hurt no doubt but we could sign them all.

It's two games, we need to allow the teams some grace before we right them off and the roster moves that were done.

Actually many great football minds said the exact opposite in several discussions I have had. 

Salary, age were the the main concerns. They developed Brown into a starter then let him walk, could have gone younger, cheaper and most likely better.  Especially when you consider the talent they could have retained and getting a decent return for Zach.

A decision that will likely prevent a 5th GC appearance and trigger a rebuild in a GC year that could have huge financial consequences  if not corrected.

Now, my hot take?  A former BC QB bouncing around the NFL right now comes back to the CFL in blue and gold later in the season.  One can dream....

[theaardvark]

Clearly we should have found money for Hardrick. I don't see how the big bucks we are paying Streveler is an improvement over Brown.

Replacing Hardrick was not an issue.  Finding the $SMS for Hardrick would mean not signing BO20 or DS83, or both.  Totally fine with that decision.

We are paying Streveler ptobably less than half what we would have had to pay Brown to keep him.  Again, a very prudent decision.

[theaardvark]

Actually many great football minds said the exact opposite in several discussions I have had. 

Salary, age were the the main concerns. They developed Brown into a starter then let him walk, could have gone younger, cheaper and most likely better.  Especially when you consider the talent they could have retained and getting a decent return for Zach.

A decision that will likely prevent a 5th GC appearance and trigger a rebuild in a GC year that could have huge financial consequences  if not corrected.

Now, my hot take?  A former BC QB bouncing around the NFL right now comes back to the CFL in blue and gold later in the season.  One can dream....

Brown was not proven, is not proven, yet.  I was one that suggested we could move on from Zach and keep Brown, which would basically be a rebuild moment.  Had I known Streveler would be available, might have been even more in favour of the move.

But Collaros has led the team to 4 GC appearances, winning 50% of them.  You wouldn't have gotten back a lot for Zach if he was traded, nor would we have retained any players (OK, maybe Houston) with extra $SMS.  I don't think even if we had the $SMS we would have matched SSK's offer to Hardrick, and we did keep BO20 and DS83.

While many are ready to move on from Zach after the first two games, I wouldn't bet against him.  Now, if Rourke ever came available and Collaros hasn't righted the ship by mid season, sure.  Not sure how you make it work, maybe a small 2024 salaray and a huge bump, guaranteed, in 2025...

[Blue In BC]

Actually many great football minds said the exact opposite in several discussions I have had. 

Salary, age were the the main concerns. They developed Brown into a starter then let him walk, could have gone younger, cheaper and most likely better.  Especially when you consider the talent they could have retained and getting a decent return for Zach.

A decision that will likely prevent a 5th GC appearance and trigger a rebuild in a GC year that could have huge financial consequences  if not corrected.

Now, my hot take?  A former BC QB bouncing around the NFL right now comes back to the CFL in blue and gold later in the season.  One can dream....

All of those great football minds are all different characters in your " head ".  Even if Rourke returns to the CFL it most likely happens for 2025 season. While several teams would be interested, none will have $600K floating round in their SMS even if they cut their starter due to advance bonus payments.

[theaardvark]

Of all the teams, WPG having teh 2025 GC would put us in the "most needed" spot, *IF* Collaros stumbles this year.

If Collaros can't turn it around, his "retirement" would open the cap space.  With Lawler's contract up as well, there can be lots of cap space if needed.

[Blueforlife]

Actually many great football minds said the exact opposite in several discussions I have had. 

Salary, age were the the main concerns. They developed Brown into a starter then let him walk, could have gone younger, cheaper and most likely better.  Especially when you consider the talent they could have retained and getting a decent return for Zach.

A decision that will likely prevent a 5th GC appearance and trigger a rebuild in a GC year that could have huge financial consequences  if not corrected.

Now, my hot take?  A former BC QB bouncing around the NFL right now comes back to the CFL in blue and gold later in the season.  One can dream....

Like much of what you posted here thus far its your opinion not backed by facts.  You are free to post what you like but your take on things are a little over the top.  You seam to be more interested in being right and piling on than contributing to the discussion / debate.  Facts are Zach is and has been the best QB in the league for a long time.  Proven winner.  Brown has promise, Zach has the rings.  Agree with Blue In BC regarding the convos with the great football minds (in your head).  Zach has looked bad.  That doesn't mean that will continue.  Let's let the team play a number of games before we make any conclusions.  The Grey Cup is awarded in the late fall not now.  Teams prove their worth by labour day.  Bad start yes, but let's have some faith.  Injuries are our enemy at the moment.

[Jesse]

Wow.  How quickly many of you guys forget all of the CFL contract restructures in recent years.  This is not unprecedented for injured, underperforming, or even just overpaid players.

And some of these players come out and say they are doing it to help the team sign winners and win games.

Big names who have restructured contracts lower in recent years:

Vernon Adams Jr in BC
Bo Levi Mitchell in HAM
Masoli in OTT
Adam Bighill in WPG
Mike Reilly in BC

At the time of the restructure, all of them were either on the downtrend (however slight) or having injury problems.  If you don't believe me, just google "contract restructure <player name>".

So those teams and players didn't think it "sent the wrong message": actually it's the opposite, they are saying "I'm currently not worthy of that huge salary and/or I would rather my team have more SMS to surround me with better talent for the good of the team".

No one is talking about forcing anyone.  But the idea can be put out there in Bomber Land.  Then let FIFO sort itself out amongst the players, if that's what they want.

All of these things happen in the off season to free up space in FA. Signing a body for a few games at the end of the season doesn't require major restructuring.

This is a perfectly acceptable topic to bring up, just not in week 2. It's something we can debate after the season.