Cahoon is back

yeah, O'keeke will be out, flory is back too

Great news today

http://www.rds.ca/alouettes/chroniques/217652.html

That is good news. So our only free agents will be Landry, Belli, Dorvelus, and Okeke.

I'd like to see Landry back if he's healthy and if they fix the return rules. Cobourne never impressed me as a returner (although we don't know what he'd do if we returned the rules to what they used to be).

Belli I wouldn't mind having back, but it is not an earth-shattering loss if he moves on, we still have Haywood to spell off Romero and Philion, and who knows we might be able to move either Acholonu or Bowman inside. Re-sign Belli if it's at a reasonable rate, but if not move on.

Dorvelus I wouldn't rush to re-sign; he's been here a few years and never really impressed; a bit player, and those are a dime a dozen. The impressive development of Etienne Boulay makes him expendable.

Okeke; had a great career but a tough year this year. I wouldn't just let him walk away without making an effort to re-sign him, but I'd sure be bringing in lots of competition for the O-line in 2007, we need a major upgrade there I think.

Say what you want about Jim Popp as a coach, he has proven once again why he is IMO the best G.M. in the league. Getting 22 players to sign contracts under the duress of Grey Cup week is just phenomenal. I would however be interested to know if it's true that BC, Calgary and Toronto knew about the deadline ahead of time, and if yes, how that can happen.

Agreed. And here I was thinking that we were screwed because with the Grey Cup and all, he would not have time to get the key guys re-signed. Well done Jim!

Gotta disagree here. Once again we're keeping deadweight like O'Neill WIlson and Thyrone Anderson. I love Popp but yesterday made it glaringly apparent that we need help at receiver, and we need to shake up our roster, coaching staff, etc. This group has gotten to the Grey Cup five times and only won once. It's time to rebuild, because we'll never hoist the Cup with our current lineup.

Of course, it's great that Cahoon re-signed. He's easily the best receiver we have and the only guy you can depend on to make the tough catch when it counts. We need more of him and less of Anderson, Wilson, Girard, and even Watkins.

I think us Als fans have just become a little spoiled the last couple of years with the great receivers that we had. I really don't think that they were that bad this year. Sure they dropped more balls than they should have, but we were also the only team with two guys over 1000 yards. The development of Wilson and Edwards over the course of the year was also very positive. All this talk of needing to rebuild is just plain foolish. I too would like to have seen them win the big one a few more times, but really, last year we were one play away from winning it, and had Edwards not fumbled this year, we would have had a real chance of winning it again. The team/coaching staff/management are obviously doing something right year after year to get to the big game. And with a couple of breaks going our way, we could very easily be talking about a team that's won 3 of 5 instead of 1 of 5.

I gotta disagree with yo udiscipline on Wilson. I think he really improved this year and if he keeps improving going into next year Id give him a shot at the starting lineup.

Id like to see stala get one more shot at a starting job next year since he has the potential to be an excelelnt receiver but because he was so concerned about protecting his injury he dropped passes he normally wouldnt and the coaches lost confidence in him and then he started doubting himself. Itd be nice if the new coach gives him another shot without having someone breathing down his neck.

Als all the way for what its worth we were also one play away from tying up the game in 2000 as well

When I look at Wilson, I see a less speedy Watkins with less heart. He drops the ball way too often. T. Edwards also drops it too much. Look at BC's receivers. Even their fifth or sixth receiver is better than anyone we have except Cahoon. I don't think I'm spoiled by our success, I'm just being realistic. Do we want to keep going to the big game and coming away empty-handed? I want bigger, stronger receivers with better hands and more athleticism than our current crop. I'm tired of predictable routes, dropped balls, and people like Anderson giving up on their patterns before the play has a chance to develop.

No exageration there eh? You would really take BCs fifth or sixth receiver for Watkins, Stala or the others. All I can say is thank god Jim Popp is Gm and not you. And do you think that big strong receivers with tons of athleticism grow on trees? I'm sure every team would like all their receivers to fit that mould, but there just aren't that many to go around. Although from what I saw of Birungi against Laval on Saturday, we very well could have just what you're asking for coming in next year. 135 yards and a TD against a very tough Laval secondary.I think we're going to be fine at the position for years to come.

What have our receivers done? Have they come up clutch? Did we win the Grey Cup? No, we didn’t. We came up short for the umpteenth time. At some point, you have to change things up. And hell yes, I’d take Paris Jackson over Stala, Wilson, Girard, and Anderson (maybe not over Watkins).

Girard gets injured if you look at him. Wilson’s progress rate is aeonian; at this rate, he should be a solid receiver by the year 2020. Stala disappointed bigtime this year, and let’s not use his injury as an excuse since Cahoon was playing with bad ribs the entire second half. Anderson is a lazy sack of crap who can’t be bothered to finish his routes or stretch out for the ball.

HOW is this group going to win us a Grey Cup, especially considering that Calvillo himself is struggling?

And do you think that big strong receivers with tons of athleticism grow on trees? I'm sure every team would like all their receivers to fit that mould, but there just aren't that many to go around.
Yes, they don't grow on trees, but B.C. sure has 'em, don't they? Makes you think that Buono may just be better at scouting receiver talent than Jim Popp.

Name one team besides BC that has a plethora of big athletic receivers. There are none. BC is the exception, and even with that, I don't give them that much of an edge over us in the receiver department. Besides Paris Jackson, none of those bigtime superstar receivers you covet did much more than any of our receivers in the game yesterday.

To say Stala struggled is misleading, seeing as how he didn't really get a chance to get into a game in the second half of the season. He looked pretty good last night in the game when he finally got in. Girard is at best 7th on the depth chart, so I don't even consider him an Als receiver any more. As for Anderson, I agree he didn't look good this year, but I'd like to see what he can do playing a full year at his natural wideout position instead of being bounced back and forth inside and out all year long. As for Wilson, he is developing at the rate he is being used. It is hard to develop when you don't get many passes thrown your way. This year, in the second half, I found that he really developed, so much so that I would say he was our best receiver in a couple of games down the stretch. He is a big guy with pretty good hands who runs good routes. He will never be a legitimate deep threat, but I believe he will develop into someone Calvillo can look to when he needs a first down.

Now I am just as frustrated as you are at only having won one out of five Grey Cups, but like I said, we were in three of those four losses, and had it not been for a bad break or two, we could very well have won two or three more. You don't just blow up and start over a team that consistently makes it to the big game and barely loses. Some of our young players really started stepping it up down the stretch, and with Birungi and Deslauriers already drafted, I think we have all the pieces to make it back next year.

Hey, sorry, man. Maybe I overstated the case a little bit. Sunday's loss is still very bitter to me. But I still think we need help at receiver. I'm sick of Anderson. He's had his chance and blown it. He hasn't been consistently productive inside or outside. He's the kind of receiver I hate: he'll celebrate a first down with a ridiculous pose, but disappears for 99% of the game. He gives up on routes SO easily. I can't remember how many times I've seen a long Calvillo pass fall short because Anderson broke off his route. No heart to the guy, no effort, no commitment to the team.

As for Wilson, okay, he is developing, but why is his rate of development so slow? Strasser needs to get him more involved in plays if he's going to be a dependable possession receiver.

Now we come to the big problem: no consistent deep threat. We haven't had it since Copeland left. Watkins isn't the answer; I like his heart, but he drops too many balls and isn't big and tall enough to get good position on the long balls. We NEED someone to catch those deep balls and keep the DBs honest. Terrence Edwards shows flashes of talent, but like Watkins and Wilson, he puts the ball on the turf WAY too often. Until we correct that, we aren't winning a championship.

Well I think in parts you are all correct. We can disagree as to how Wilson has developed, but I think he's shown enough to be around next year; if another Canadian receiver beats him out then fine and dandy.

Girard should be gone; he's too injury prone anyway. I totally agree with sending Anderson away; discipline what you said about him is 100% correct. Watkins I can take, he sure tries most of the time, but he hasn't the speed or the moves and drops too many; keep him around (again, unless someone beats him out at camp) but he cannot be our go-to deep threat.

I think we should use Stala and Cahoon as our starting slots, with Wilson backing them up (I think he'd be better inside than at WR). Try Edwards and Watkins as WR; then see who else Jim Popp can find in some US college to challenge them.

Running backs I'd like to see Edwards and Diedrick in the same backfield (sorry but Piercy and Vilimek do not make me forget Bruno Heppell).

QB? Ah, the million dollar question. As a minimum, we must develop a backup to AC, someone who can step in and pick it up if AC is struggling; a change of pace QB (sort of like back in the days when we had Sonny Wade, if things weren't going well, in would come Jimmy Jones who changed the tempo) would be a good idea to have. If it isn't to be Brady or Palmer (retire Nealon Greene please), find someone else.