2024-2025 CFL (non-Bomber) off-season discussion

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Farhan is suggesting the front runners for the BC Lions HC job are Jordan Maksymic & Buck Pierce. Front runners in Edmonton are Rick Campbell & Mark Kilam.

Rick Campbell totes a fair amount of baggage, I wonder what happens to DC Ryan Phillips, OC Maksymic, ST Mike Benevides, OL Kelly Bates, DL John Bowman, Rec. Jason Tucker, etc. I guess with the coaching cap an entire staff can no longer be flushed and easily replaced.

[Blue In BC]

Rick Campbell totes a fair amount of baggage, I wonder what happens to DC Ryan Phillips, OC Maksymic, ST Mike Benevides, OL Kelly Bates, DL John Bowman, Rec. Jason Tucker, etc. I guess with the coaching cap an entire staff can no longer be flushed and easily replaced.

We don't know if any are under contract in 2025 or waiting for renewal deals. It won't surprise me to see some decisions made as early as next week. Some will survive and others will be part of the discussion with a new HC.

[Pete]

We will be hard pressed to sign all the FA's we want to keep.  Poaching a big name FA from another team can only happen if we are replacing one that we lost.

Love all the talk about what a difference make "Player x" would be on our team, but we need to keep our own guys first.  And other teams are in the same boat.  The only players changing teams will be ones their own team deems them not worth the contract or ones offer insane contracts.  Neither situation is one I want to be on the signing end of.

thats been a big issue for me, in the past we've so focused on our own free agents that we don't look at what could improve this team, as the man said if you're not moving forward your moving backward> It may mean we don't sign Bighill or even Shoen/lawler or replacing a number of vets like thomas/alexande/wilson to replace with rookies but you can argue the reason for our success has been having a good core cornerstone of talent. Unfortunately that talent is now aging

[Blue In BC]

thats been a big issue for me, in the past we've so focused on our own free agents that we don't look at what could improve this team, as the man said if you're not moving forward your moving backward> It may mean we don't sign Bighill or even Shoen/lawler or replacing a number of vets like thomas/alexande/wilson to replace with rookies but you can argue the reason for our success has been having a good core cornerstone of talent. Unfortunately that talent is now aging

Agree we may have waited a year or even two, too long in making some decisions. We lost some players in order to keep some others. Hindsight is great. I do think we need to move on from a few vets this season.

[gobombersgo]

From Farhan:

The #Elks have asked for permission to speak to #BCLions OC Jordan Maksymic for their vacant head coaching position. No request has been made yet for Rick Campbell. @CFLonTSN @TSN_Sports

[gobombersgo]

B.C. Lions confirm Vernon Adams Jr. will be traded, won't give QB a 'say' on destination

https://3downnation.com/2024/11/20/b-c-lions-confirm-vernon-adams-jr-will-be-traded-wont-give-qb-a-say-on-destination/?s=09

[Blue In BC]

B.C. Lions confirm Vernon Adams Jr. will be traded, won't give QB a 'say' on destination

https://3downnation.com/2024/11/20/b-c-lions-confirm-vernon-adams-jr-will-be-traded-wont-give-qb-a-say-on-destination/?s=09

It's a small league so it's not a luxury they can afford to give VAJ. Not every team will be considering trading for him. Timeline is interesting. The Lions probably want to get a deal done as quickly as possible. It's an advantage to the team acquiring him. If you use Calgary as a possibility it allows the Stamps to part ways with Maier either by release or trading him. The same premise would be similar with other teams if they are deciding to " move on ".

If he gets traded to Edmonton then that puts Ford and MBT out in the marketplace elsewhere.

I'm still betting on Hamilton as his destination as more optimal for the Lions. That may be true even if the trade value is less out east. I don't think they'd like to see him in the western conference playing against them.

[Blue In BC]

From Farhan:

The #Elks have asked for permission to speak to #BCLions OC Jordan Maksymic for their vacant head coaching position. No request has been made yet for Rick Campbell. @CFLonTSN @TSN_Sports

Maksymic wasn't too popular because of the big strike offence and lack of run game. He hasn't been mentioned as a candidate as HC in Vancouver. However, with the GM appointment today, that may change. Nobody has to make a request for Campbell after his release.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Maksymic wasn't too popular because of the big strike offence and lack of run game. He hasn't been mentioned as a candidate as HC in Vancouver. However, with the GM appointment today, that may change. Nobody has to make a request for Campbell after his release.

Maksymic grew up outside of Edmonton in St. Albert, I hope there's more to the Elks interest than being homegrown but maybe not. Looks like he was also with the Elks from the start of his career in 2013 up until 2019 when he moved to the Lions, so they know him well.

[Jesse]

B.C. Lions confirm Vernon Adams Jr. will be traded, won't give QB a 'say' on destination

https://3downnation.com/2024/11/20/b-c-lions-confirm-vernon-adams-jr-will-be-traded-wont-give-qb-a-say-on-destination/?s=09

Weird timing to confirm this.

They don't have a HC at the moment, so they're just confirming that the HC doesn't have a say in the starting QB.

[Blue In BC]

Weird timing to confirm this.

They don't have a HC at the moment, so they're just confirming that the HC doesn't have a say in the starting QB.

Yes and no. The GM controls the purse strings and has significant authority in deciding who gets added or deleted. It's good to get the HC approval but the GM gets final say. There isn't really an alternative to retaining both QB's due to SMS and both wanting to be starters. They've decided Rourke is the starter by the contract they offered.

I think Rourke has a higher ceiling, better football IQ and will be a better choice in the long run. 2025 might not be the best result but it's the a pre determined outcome.

[dd]

Why would anyone trade assets for VA?? Why not let him go to FA?? Yes, you run the risk of not getting him, but you also are paying a premium for getting him. I only see Calgary and Edmonton in the trade for FA conversation, but those are both bottom dwelling teams lacking a deep talent pool to trade, unless they trade one of their Qb
s as a #2 in BC and some draft picks

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Weird timing to confirm this.

They don't have a HC at the moment, so they're just confirming that the HC doesn't have a say in the starting QB.

Xactly, he'll do whatever the boss tells him to, it's his team.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

25 minutes of Ed Hervey, he certainly lays it all out.

[dd]

Xactly, he'll do whatever the boss tells him to, it's his team.

Welcome to the Ed Hervey Gong Show...we've seen this one before, it ends in disaster. Poor Edmonton fans, more misery on the way for them.