DL stronger or weaker

[TecnoGenius]

I'm watching the '24 WDF keeping an eye on the DL.  They did a pretty good job.  Then I'm looking at all the guys making plays and realizing that most of them weren't re-signed.

Haba, Garbutt, Fox.  All signed in HAM or TOR.  So clearly they have merit.

Vaughters solves a lot of DE problems, probably.

But what about DT?  It seems the hopes are pinned on Lawson, who was looking like a starter going into '24.  And we retain IMPs Adams and Woods.  Adams stuck out to me as a real future star, and a potential team-leader type.  Woods didn't look bad either, in rotational action.

If you look at the BB roster (assuming it's accurate) we're carrying a lot of NAT DL.  So it may be that we are really set on going 2 NAT DL, probably mostly at DT, but NAT DE could rotate in.

If we're keen on Adams, he could see heavy use as a DI.  Could he be a future Stove?

My gut says we're set to be stronger at DL as a whole.  But losing so many guys that looked like they were our future makes me wonder.  Everyone will agree our DL fared badly in '24 and was one major reason we couldn't win the cup (absent freak finger injuries).  Clearly if you're looking at the "cup puzzle", the DL was a major piece this season.  I think we want to run a lot less 3-man pass rush.

So what's your impression of the new DL line-up?

[Pete]

Vaughters is an improvement over Garbutt and Haba, Garbutt may have been signed by Hamilton but that doesn't mean much with their signing every exbomber in sight ( ie Josh Johnson) and haba did very little. Lawton should upgrade dt as well. A lot could depend On Adams progression and whoever they bring in as a rotational de.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Too complex to to guess if they will be better or worse, Woods and Adams roughly replace Haba and Garbutt in potential, and Lawson replaces Fox, ratio and positions to be determined as well as 3/4 or 4/3 formation.  Vaughters may be the wild card, he either excels and Frees Willy, or blends into the woodwork and becomes a non-factor, it's up to him to determine.

[GOLDMEMBER]

How the heck are supposed to know this now?
Waaay too early to be posting this.

Answer: don't know

[dd]

Easy. Stronger, but still needs work. Vaughters is an upgrade over what we had at DE. Adams showed promise last season hopefully takes next step this season.

[theaardvark]

Adding Lawson and Vaughters, recruits and draft picks, its going to be much better

[DM83]

The DL wasn't very good.  Average if they had a great day. Not much penetration or gap control. Linebackers were very good.

I would have liked to see a difference maker in there. I don't think they have one. I think we get run on quite a bit.

No DT, no safety, no Bighill.

[theaardvark]

The DL wasn't very good.  Average if they had a great day. Not much penetration or gap control. Linebackers were very good.

I would have liked to see a difference maker in there. I don't think they have one. I think we get run on quite a bit.

No DT, no safety, no Bighill.

Would be awesome to have 2019 Nevis/Stove, BA, Biggie. 

Unfortunately it isn't 2019.

As we do every year, we have new bodies and will make a new group.

[Blueforlife]

I think with so many changes will bring some challenges but I will make my judgement in camp.  I would like a deep group that rotates and everyone contributes.  Allows the older guys to stay fresh and the young guns to develop.  I think some of the guys we lost will be decent this year which is good for the league.  I hope the guys we brough in are good, I have faith this group will be fine.  Run D my only worry.

[TecnoGenius]

The DL wasn't very good.  Average if they had a great day. Not much penetration or gap control. Linebackers were very good.

I would have liked to see a difference maker in there. I don't think they have one. I think we get run on quite a bit.

Weren't we like a top-3 team against the run?  We stopped the run just fine in the post-season.  TOR had to go to an almost all-pass plan.

I think gap control is good, because the DL was basically doing nothing but gap control on 1st down.  We focus on gap control at the expense of pass rush.  Fatboi is basically the epitome of this.

But you are right, our run-stop success was more a function of the LBers probably.  And the DBs sneaking up.  We are very good at identifying who (extra) is staying in pass-pro and bringing the match coverage for them into the box.

[TecnoGenius]

How the heck are supposed to know this now?
Waaay too early to be posting this.

On paper.  We can make guesses based on the paper at this moment.  That's all any other "power rankings" are doing.

As a major problem in '24, we'd hope the "paper" moves in FA will improve the DL.  The status quo is probably not acceptable (at least not to us fans!).  Getting worse would be disastrous.

[Blue In BC]

Weren't we like a top-3 team against the run?  We stopped the run just fine in the post-season.  TOR had to go to an almost all-pass plan.

I think gap control is good, because the DL was basically doing nothing but gap control on 1st down.  We focus on gap control at the expense of pass rush.  Fatboi is basically the epitome of this.

But you are right, our run-stop success was more a function of the LBers probably.  And the DBs sneaking up.  We are very good at identifying who (extra) is staying in pass-pro and bringing the match coverage for them into the box.

I think the Argos could go to an all pass game with the lack of pressure, not the other way around.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Weren't we like a top-3 team against the run?  We stopped the run just fine in the post-season.  TOR had to go to an almost all-pass plan.

I think gap control is good, because the DL was basically doing nothing but gap control on 1st down.  We focus on gap control at the expense of pass rush.  Fatboi is basically the epitome of this.

But you are right, our run-stop success was more a function of the LBers probably.  And the DBs sneaking up.  We are very good at identifying who (extra) is staying in pass-pro and bringing the match coverage for them into the box.

The D played well all season but they allowed Arbuckles to put up 41 pts. against them in the championship game, that result should open up their defensive strategy to a whole lot of scrutiny. I wouldn't shed a tear if they completely abandoned the 3 man front and went back to basics with the focus on employing outstanding personnel.

[BomberFan73]

All I know is that Haba & Garbutt better not become stars now!

[theaardvark]

All I know is that Haba & Garbutt better not become stars now!

Like Nevis and Stove and so many others that we allowed to get away?

I hope they do well, except against us.  I don't think us letting them bolt after giving them time to succeed is any big issue, there are always players that succeed after their first team.  Like Cavillo...