Realistic Expectations

[BlueInCgy]

I'll pose what I expect will be an unpopular opinion - the best thing that can happen to this team is to finish dead last in the west (I can't see Ottawa winning 5 games so we can't finish last in the league).  It should force the powers that be to start the rebuild that should have happened after the second GC loss, but we kept rolling with the old guard and it landed us here.

It's now obvious Hogan wasn't the sole problem in the offense last year - we didn't get better.  MOS is now more a part of the problem than the solution- whether he's simply unwilling to deal with what needs to be done or whether he's unable is now putting him in the crosshairs of change.

I honestly don't know if I could list 10 players that need to stick around, and doubt they would if this continues.  Brady wants to play for a contender - we're seasons away from that.  Vaval is going to get poached.  Major is a bright spot this year and he'll be a Rider in a season or two.

The emotional attachment players need to retire.  We all know who they are.

I suspect we'll be in the 2030s before this team is competitive again. 

[Waffler]

It's now obvious Hogan wasn't the sole problem in the offense last year - we didn't get better.  MOS is now more a part of the problem than the solution- whether he's simply unwilling to deal with what needs to be done or whether he's unable is now putting him in the crosshairs of change.

Give MOS a roster stacked with allstars, indeed hall of famers (Bighill, Jefferson, Bryant, A. Harris, Collaros), LaPo and Hall as his co-ordinators and he wins, a lot. For a rebuild though, I don't see him as the guy. He's 55 now and I am not sure he'll ever change his approach. When I hear that Jefferson is "dominant" and Zach is the best QB, he just sounds out of touch. Barring mind blowing changes in coaching and personnel we are gonna keep getting what we got the last couple of years.

[Tecno]

I honestly don't know if I could list 10 players that need to stick around, and doubt they would if this continues.  Brady wants to play for a contender - we're seasons away from that.  Vaval is going to get poached.  Major is a bright spot this year and he'll be a Rider in a season or two.

Well, Brady can bite me because he's locked up until FA29, right?  Same with Major, FA29 if we up in the FA28 option year.  Same with Broxton (2Y?) and Ceresna (2Y?).

All these guys said in pressers they came here because they were sick of losing.

So we have a window where we still hold all these disgruntled quality players... gonna have to get back to winning before THEIR next FAs come up or we're going to be left with no one, and a 2012-2015 style full rebuild.

[Tecno]

Win the west?? Good one!! Not a chance.

It's going to be a dog fight between us, Calgary and BC and likely down to the last game of the season vs BC

Well, had we won the un-loseable gimme vs no-QB BC, and this totally winnable just-need-some-first-downs vs West-top EDM, then we'd be almost #1 in the W!  The W is just that tight.

But now, ya, 1st is hopeless, even if SSK continues to lose.  But making the playoffs should be totally doable.

The nice thing about CGY and BC is, while they are playing better than us, they are about as inconsistent as us.  No rhyme or reason when they win or lose.

I'm telling y'all, if we keep improving every week (and we are!) and keep every game close (even against top teams) then we should have enough juice to pull off some funky surprises come post-season.

[blue_gold_84]

Give MOS a roster stacked with allstars, indeed hall of famers (Bighill, Jefferson, Bryant, A. Harris, Collaros), LaPo and Hall as his co-ordinators and he wins, a lot.

I'm not excusing O'Shea's shortcomings as a head coach, but this statement above could be applied to many a head coach over the years, here and elsewhere.

IMHO, this organization's window has all but closed with its current iteration; it's a shame another championship or two wasn't realized, especially last year being at home and all.

I'm not sure if that means a rebuild is the next step but it's becoming painfully clear that piecemeal changes over the last couple years aren't the answer.

My concern is that fact that O'Shea just re-upped through 2028.

[Blue In BC]

Well, Brady can bite me because he's locked up until FA29, right?  Same with Major, FA29 if we up in the FA28 option year.  Same with Broxton (2Y?) and Ceresna (2Y?).

All these guys said in pressers they came here because they were sick of losing.

So we have a window where we still hold all these disgruntled quality players... gonna have to get back to winning before THEIR next FAs come up or we're going to be left with no one, and a 2012-2015 style full rebuild.

Williams would only be under contract for 2 seasons on an ELC. He could get extended in the off season but he may also try his hand getting another NFL try.

I think we made a big mistake giving Oliveria his new expensive contract.  Scheduled to earn $300K in 2027. I get that he's a home town Canadian but that's just a bad decision IMO.

The cost of every big contract is that there is less elsewhere on the roster.

[Jesse]

I don't think our problem is salary cap space. I think I the problem lies in recruitment and drafting.

[Pigskin]

I remember says at the start of the season that we needed to get out of the gate quick. I also remember 1 or 2 people saying the season doesn't start till labor day. We better be lights out good starting on labor day because we could be 5-6 after this weekend and in 5th. place in the West.   

[bunker]

I don't think our problem is salary cap space. I think I the problem lies in recruitment and drafting.

I think that is our main problem. Salary cap issue does contribute a bit. If we weren't overpaying Zac by 2-300,000 per year, and Brady by 50,000 per year, we would have had more money to spend on free agents in the off season. Would it have helped? Not necessarily, but it wouldn't hurt.

[DM83]

Oh no doubt the team is getting better.  But my points are that it's the same people nit performing. That leads to the same mistakes. Just watch. It's the same culprits.  Nice guys .but you need almost convicts to play defence.  When I tried out for the Buffalo Tonawanda cougars, the safety  was 6" 2" and closed on ball carriers  to tackle  only epwith a vengeance.
That was sem- pro in. Buffalo . .its your livelihood.  The other guy is trying to take it away.

[Jesse]

I think that is our main problem. Salary cap issue does contribute a bit. If we weren't overpaying Zac by 2-300,000 per year, and Brady by 50,000 per year, we would have had more money to spend on free agents in the off season. Would it have helped? Not necessarily, but it wouldn't hurt.

We did drop a load on free agents though. We brought in high end guys at WT, OL, DL, and CB. Who else would we have brought in with more cap space?

FA is supposed to supplement your roster, not the other way around.

[Blueforlife]

Williams would only be under contract for 2 seasons on an ELC. He could get extended in the off season but he may also try his hand getting another NFL try.

I think we made a big mistake giving Oliveria his new expensive contract.  Scheduled to earn $300K in 2027. I get that he's a home town Canadian but that's just a bad decision IMO.

The cost of every big contract is that there is less elsewhere on the roster.

Yeah I hate likely hall of famer Canadian RBs too.  Wow.  Yes he is expensive.  Also one of best of his generation.  You turned your back on Harris at the end too.  That worked out just fine and Brady will too.  Only risk is Brady's ability to remain healthy. 

Major be out sniffing for major 💸 and so should he.  I would give him a blank cheque and lock him down.  Doubt even that would work.

I think that is our main problem. Salary cap issue does contribute a bit. If we weren't overpaying Zac by 2-300,000 per year, and Brady by 50,000 per year, we would have had more money to spend on free agents in the off season. Would it have helped? Not necessarily, but it wouldn't hurt.

Nah, we paid Zach what he was worth at the time and yes it didn't work out.  Easy to say that now.  Don't pay him that and he would have gone elsewhere for similar $.  Brady is worth every penny.  Nit picking over $50k, drop in the SMS bucket.

We did drop a load on free agents though. We brought in high end guys at WT, OL, DL, and CB. Who else would we have brought in with more cap space?

FA is supposed to supplement your roster, not the other way around.

Agree all, well said

[Blue In BC]

Yeah I hate likely hall of famer Canadian RBs too.  Wow.  Yes he is expensive.  Also one of best of his generation.  You turned your back on Harris at the end too.  That worked out just fine and Brady will too.  Only risk is Brady's ability to remain healthy. 

Major be out sniffing for major 💸 and so should he.  I would give him a blank cheque and lock him down.  Doubt even that would work.
Nah, we paid Zach what he was worth at the time and yes it didn't work out.  Easy to say that now.  Don't pay him that and he would have gone elsewhere for similar $.  Brady is worth every penny.  Nit picking over $50k, drop in the SMS bucket.Agree all, well said

Oliveria is over paid at the cost of improving the roster elsewhere. Did you miss the early exit from the play offs last year and the chance that happens again this year?

If we didn't get rid of Harris there would be no Oliveria. You can't have it both ways.

Deciding when to move on from excellent players as new players take on bigger roles is a tough line to determine. Age, SMS and succession all fall into the equation.  Harris went to Toronto as essentially a back up to Ouellette and only played 20 games over 2 seasons.

Bighill was another player we moved on from and IIRC I suggested he would have made a good DI at a lower cost but that didn't work out.

[Blueforlife]

Oliveria is over paid at the cost of improving the roster elsewhere. Did you miss the early exit from the play offs last year and the chance that happens again this year?

If we didn't get rid of Harris there would be no Oliveria. You can't have it both ways.

Deciding when to move on from excellent players as new players take on bigger roles is a tough line to determine. Age, SMS and succession all fall into the equation.  Harris went to Toronto as essentially a back up to Ouellette and only played 20 games over 2 seasons.

Bighill was another player we moved on from and IIRC I suggested he would have made a good DI at a lower cost but that didn't work out.

Over stating the slight negative of the SMS hit for a top RB.

You stated the same thing about Harris when he was here, all he did was dominate, even when coming back from injury late career.  I wasn't speaking of his time in Toronto.  You gave up on him before that and now doing the same with Brady.  You were wrong about Harris and we shall see how this season ends and the next one goes.  Paying 2 to 1 odds you are wrong on Brady.  Yes Harris left to make room for Brady, that worked out and his time in TO was ok but not great.  The point was you gave up on him while on our roster (when hurt) but came back when we needed him and he cooked!

Brady is our core and an exceptional RB, blocker and catches well.  By far the very least of our problems.  He isn't the reason we exited early from the playoffs and isn't again this year, did you miss his consistent near the top rushing numbers his entire career?

He helps with the ratio and is going nowhere.  His extra SMS hit is a drop in the bucket and he earns every penny, every year.  Yes you sometimes move on from vets, but you don't turn your back on a generational CDN talent when he still has juice.

Few folks been wanting Peterson over Brady and that was wrong as well.  Peterson is good and I like him, Brady is close to a CDN🐐

Brady still got lots of time to cook, you keep him in the kitchen, he still is a top chef lo

Now at the end it might be good to move on from Brady like we did Harris but that time is not as soon as some suggest imo.  I would like to develop the 3rd gen 🐐 cdn back before he goes!  Or find Charlie 2.0, that would be ok lol.

[Blue In BC]

Over stating the slight negative of the SMS hit for a top RB.

You stated the same thing about Harris when he was here, all he did was dominate, even when coming back from injury late career.  I wasn't speaking of his time in Toronto.  You gave up on him before that and now doing the same with Brady.  You were wrong about Harris and we shall see how this season ends and the next one goes.  Paying 2 to 1 odds you are wrong on Brady.  Yes Harris left to make room for Brady, that worked out and his time in TO was ok but not great.  The point was you gave up on him while on our roster (when hurt) but came back when we needed him and he cooked!

Brady is our core and an exceptional RB, blocker and catches well.  By far the very least of our problems.  He isn't the reason we exited early from the playoffs and isn't again this year, did you miss his consistent near the top rushing numbers his entire career?

He helps with the ratio and is going nowhere.  His extra SMS hit is a drop in the bucket and he earns every penny, every year.  Yes you sometimes move on from vets, but you don't turn your back on a generational CDN talent when he still has juice.

Few folks been wanting Peterson over Brady and that was wrong as well.  Peterson is good and I like him, Brady is close to a CDN🐐

Brady still got lots of time to cook, you keep him in the kitchen, he still is a top chef lo

Now at the end it might be good to move on from Brady like we did Harris but that time is not as soon as some suggest imo.  I would like to develop the 3rd gen 🐐 cdn back before he goes!  Or find Charlie 2.0, that would be ok lol.

I'm not giving up on the player only the SMS. No single player SMS is responsible for a teams early exit. When we moved on from Harris and a larger contract, Brady was on an ELC. That was good for both the SMS and succession. RB's have short careers. He's not that old and doesn't have a long list of injuries. His performance is still top level but we are seeing more of the " DNP " reports in the past seasons.

I never suggested it was time to move on from him.. My only issue is the cost of his contract.

However you fail to see how wise decisions about salary and player retention are part of building a total roster. That includes drafting, free agent acquisition and finding good new talent on ELC deals.

That's the cumulative failure. Collaros, Bryant, Nichols, Kramdi are all also overpaid.

I don't really care if Brady is earning $300K or $350K if we're winning but we're not. He earns $100K more than the # 2 RB. Bombers have always had very good RB's. Often on ELC contracts.

Good teams have been finding more new young talent on ELC deals than we have in recent years. It's also a transition where you can't just add a bunch of rookies at one time.

OTOH we have some players that have aged out that likely will be gone in 2027.