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Expansion draft - prepare for it with deals for draft picks if possible, make certain harmful losses bring something back.
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Plan Anthony's retirement announcement
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Sign Carter to an extension
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Sign every UFA kicker in North America
Scout soccer leagues for good legs
Scout Aussie Rules football for good legs
Scout local elementary schools for good legs -
Scout the heck out of every UFA/draft eligible non-import receiver
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Decide on a coaching staff for next season (even it, shudder, these guys all stay)
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Take a hard look at all veterans; let them go a season too soon rather than a season too late
1- Popp step aside as HC
2- Berry step aside period.
3- Find a kicker who can make FG's from 25+ yards
4- Find a ST unit that can actually pick up some yards and maybe even score a TD once in awhile and actually help contribute.
Fire Popp (as HC), Berry, Speckman, and Campbell. Kick Pippin to the curb. Get a competent offensive staff and HC. People who whine about the cost (since we're paying Hawkins) should remember how much playoff revenue we lost from not hosting a game, and how many more dollars we'll lose if we continue to put such a crap product on the field and drive away the fans...
Extend young players like Edem,Klassen,Lumbala,Sutton
Do not allow Popp to talk the owner into releasing Carter so he can get browny points with Daddy Carter
Extend Troy Smith, bring in a coordinator who can integrate a proper running game and play action and use all his personnel (Fire Berry).
Workout kickers, Whyte can't be allowed to come back. He had a worse season than Duval ever had and he was kicked to the curb after 5 All star seasons.
Hire a HC if one can be found. Maybe Taffe and Barrett could make this offense work ?
There is no "offense" to work with. We have to blow up the playbook and start over. So might as well bring in a new HC and OC and have them work to build up a playbook designed for Smith from the ground up.
But you know what will happen? Popp will stay on. Berry and Miller and the rest of the offensive idiots will stay on. Calvillo will come back and we'll go with the same dink and dunk garbage as this year. MMW, it's going to happen. I don't know about you, but I have no faith anymore in Popp's ability to do what's best for the franchise...
They do that they will kill the franchise.
I agree, but we have to brace for the likelihood of it happening. Popp, to me, has completely lost the plot. Hubris has set in, coupled with a lack of competitive fire and complacency. For the sake of the franchise, Wetenhall HAS to remove him as HC and task him with finding a properly qualified HC, but will Wetenhall do that?
Popp absolutely cannot stay on as head coach he simply doesn't understand the game at the level a head coach needs to. It also limits his ability to go out and scout talent, an area he is generally very good at. He doesn't have Desjardins anymore to help him out with that while he does other things so he cant afford the extra work. As for our next HC I think it should be Thorpe because he took a unit that looked in shambles at the end of last year and made it the best unit on the team. He is an experienced CFL player and his unit gave us a chance to win every game if the offense even showed up for a full half of the game. Then the difficulty would only be in finding a strong offensive coordinator in place of berry and miller.
Calvillo needs to announce his retirement already. A guy that missed the vast majority of a season because of a concussion in his early 40s has no business coming back to such a violent game when he has nothing left to prove anymore. In fact he might not be a bad choice to look at as an offensive coordinator he even has experience calling plays. I don't think theres anyone that saw the field better than he did and could probably parlay that into a strong gameplan from up in the booth. It would also be a great way to allow someone this important to the organization to stay with the team. He should at least be asked if he'd want to do the job.
Our next priority should be to protect the guys that played well for us in a very difficult year. That means a good chunk of our defense, Green, Carter, Sutton, Smith, and our offensive line.
While I agree with all that has been said so far, I think the #1 priority in terms of signing, is head coach and OC.
Because there'll be a lot of competition out there.
Ottawa is looking for a complete coaching staff, so is Edmonton, and likely Winnipeg as well shortly. Seems to me that Popp's first priority should be getting that straightened out.
. . . and further thoughts on that:
Our defence was lights out this year. Nelson will be considered for D/C in Edmonton, Ottawa, and perhaps Winnipeg. Thorpe will be looked at as HC or DC and Asst. HC in Edmonton, Ottawa, and perhaps Winnipeg.
So, to avoid that, I'd promote Nelson to DC, promote Thorpe to HC, and look to hire some young, up and coming offensive mind to be O/C (I doubt AC would be ready for that but I'd sure consider him for QB coach if he has any interest in getting into coaching), and along with I think everyone else here I fire Berry and Miller.
Offer Dickenson big money and a three-year contract to be HC and dual-OC with a guy in training (like Trestovich). Thorpe has proven that he can handle himself just fine as DC without supervision, and Rychleski can and should do better assuming we kick Pippin to the curb and get ourselves a real placekicker.
People I don't want to see back as coaches: Popp, Berry, Miller, Speckman, Campbell
People I'd be willing to keep on, despite misgivings: Verducci, Rychleski
People I definitely want to have back: Thorpe, Nelson, Willis
this is a very interesting thread.
with the right moves ( and logical moves ), this team can be Grey Cup contenders next year.
hopefully, Popp is honest with himself..... and with Calvillo.
i guess we'll have to see if those moves are made.
this is a very pivitol off-season for this club.
This would probably be my choice of scenario. I would seriously look at Jason Maas and Khari Jones as potential offensive co-ordinators. Offensive co-ordinators with non-CFL experience do not work - Miller here, Crowton in Winnipeg.
Popp at one point this year kind of said he didn`t feel Thorpe quite ready to be a Head Coach. So he might hang on one more year - relax everyone 
We would then risk losing Nelson. But the key is getting a CFL knowledgeable, creative offensive co-ordinator.
Personnel wise we are as competitive as anyone - strong Canadian talent and a QB for the after-Calvillo era. Can use some d-line help, another receiver, a returner, and a kicker (perhaps Alverado).
Tough loss yesterday, tough season, but the sky is not falling!
We may also have some more good talent. We will draft 4th and that guarantees us a very good player. Likely one of Foucault, Tardif,Brion or Thibeau. Jesse Joseph will also be coming from Connecticut, should help Special Teams. Philip Blake is on the Practice roster in Arizona and Vaugh Martin lost his spot on the game day roster in Miami. Jamel could possibly be back as well. Outside of losing Nelson to Ottawa, Edmonton or Winnipeg. I don’t foresee any major changes in the coaching staff. I don’t know that we will see Speckman again next year.
On the player front the ones I don’t expect to see back are Calvillo, Devine, Whyte. Possibly Byron Parker and Duron Carter,
[url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000227188/article/hosam-shahin-leaves-rice-program-for-personal-reasons]http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100000 ... al-reasons[/url]
Shahin was the Als 2013 2nd round draft choice. Haven`t heard anything more than this.
Als 2013 3rd round choice Jesse Joseph tore his achilles and may be granted Redshirt status.
[url=http://articles.courant.com/2012-09-18/sports/hc-uconn-football-0919-20120918_1_kenton-adeyemi-uconn-coach-paul-pasqualoni-teddy-jennings]http://articles.courant.com/2012-09-18/ ... y-jennings[/url]A definite priority is both head coach and OC. We have a great defense team and, I hope Thorpe is retained as DC. He's been great in that position, with the exception of making half time adjustments. A week ago he kept in the same blitz attack despite the "out of the blue "offensive changes made by Austin's QB attack. This resulted in diminishing our blitz performance and, the number of QB sacks were diminished.
I don't see Thorpe as head coach at this point in time. Our prime need for our team is that of locating offensively focused persons. Looking around the league in recent years, the movement of defensive coaches to the position of head coach has been a disaster. Rich Stubler, was one of the best coaches in the league with the Argos. When appointed head coach, he was a calamity. Tim Burke was another defensive specialist who could not get Winnipeg's offense moving. Greg Marshal, again one of the celebrated defensive coaches, only lasted a few weeks in a head coach role before being fired. Therefore I hope Thorpe stays with the defense where had great success.
The Als, with Trestman, established their greatest offense ever. He was a QB specialist who put his mark on the Alouette offense. Eliminating Popp. our greatest coaching requirement is someone, like Trestman, who has established himself as an offensive specialist. Who will be that candidate, will require considerable and detailed scouting, thought and, more thought. Lets retain Popp in the scouting role. Despite his horrid selection of Hawkins this year, Popp remains as our best recruiter. The selection of our next HC is the greatest areaof concern for the 2014 season. After Hawkins's early firing, I do believe we need a HC with a solid offensive background. However, we may have to consider a candidate from the CIS or, a renowned individual who is just beginning in the coaching role but, someone who is equated with great offensive success as a player. D+P, your selection of Dave Dickinson as a HC a while back, in your listing of potential coaches, was a brilliant choice! Dickinson, or someone who has made such a mark somewhere in Canadian football, is the person required by our struggling offense.
Cannot possibly see how Popp would justify bringing Berry or Miller back given how this season went.
As I wrote before and along with idealsheldon, I definitely think that Jim Popp "might hang on one more year"; along with idealsheldon,"relax everyone". Assuming that Jim is not back,which I doubt, I expect that Noel Thorpe will become the next Head Coach. Mr Wetenhall won't start the process of finding a whole new coaching staff.
The Als have very good and young Canadian talent along with a future QB all-star in Troy Smith. There are good Import talent but improvements/new talent is needed as DTs and WR and KR; a new K/P is a priority.
Yesterday's loss was difficult to take/accept but,for me, the previous two season losses to Hamilton and Toronto were much more difficult,since the expectations were much higher.
I definitely don't agree that the Als were out coached yesterday; some players,namely Whyte,Bowling on 3 occasions,Green on 2 occasions,Bruce on 1 occasion and the defence,in the last 4 and a half minutes of the last quarter could not stop Burris and some of their receivers,Ellingston,Giguere,Grant, who made difficult catches.
A loss is always difficult but the future is bright. How do you think the BC Lions feel? There were ahead for most of the game and stopped the Riders,except in the last quarter. Were they out coached? No. Darian Durant was the master as was Burris in the last drive-97 yards- of the regular game.
Richard
Je te suis en bonne partie, Richard, mais pour la défaite d’hier, je retiens les deux placements manqués par Whyte. S’il ne réussissait qu’un seul de ces deux placements, nous parlerions de victoire aujourd’hui. Pas d’une belle victoire, mais d’une victoire.
Tu vois déjà Smith en quart-étoile, mais pour moi, ça demeure à confirmer. Je n’ai encore rien vu de Smith qui le hisse au niveau des Allen, Calvillo, Ray et Burris, ni même au niveau de Glenn. Ça viendra peut-être et je le souhaite, mais ça n’est pas encore arrivé. On n’est pas un quart-étoile dans la LCF avec un taux de passes complétées sous les 60%.
Tu as raison de dire qu’il y a beaucoup de talent dans cette équipe. Je crois que personne n’a remis ça en doute, sauf pour les postes de botteur et de retourneur de bottés. Mais l’équipe manque d’entraîneurs compétents à l’attaque et possiblement sur les unités spéciales. Il y a donc une base sur laquelle construire, mais n’a pas les bonnes ressources pour mener cette construction avec succès.
Il y a des joueurs que je voudrais voir partir. Whyte, Messam, Devine, Carrier, Deslauriers, Cash et Adebayo sont de ceux-là.
Il y a aussi Duron Carter qui doit maturer. Il se laisse facilement déconcentrer et ne s’aide pas en demandant des infractions à tour de bras. C’est ce qui a nui à Greg Carr, et où est-il exactement maintenant?
Nous saurons mieux le 17 décembre ce que l’équipe devra rechercher comme talent chez les joueurs, outre le botteur et les retourneurs de bottés. Au moins, nous savons ce qu’elle doit rechercher comme entraîneurs.