With all the media negativity going on around Edmonton. I am not going to pile on and add to the fire. Matt Nichols broke his leg and thats the main concern for Edmonton right now. Thoughts and prayers go out to Matt and his family. Lets all hope he is going to be okay and if we are lucky back next year and is able to play.
As of now, the next biggest thing for Edmonton is to find their new GM. This off season is the BIGGEST offseason in Edmonton in the last 10+ years. If the wrong moves are made, Edmonton's track can be derailed and the long struggles will continue. So with everything being said, i have listed 10 postive things that came out of the 2012 season (off the top of my hhead):
#10- Nate Coehoorn, became a starter at reciever. Bright future. #9- Brandon Lang, another depth injury replacement. Became a starter, and has a bright CFL future. #8- Almondo Sewell, an injury depth replacement. But took off and had an All-Star season in 2012. #7- Donovan Alexander, a silent but steady player who became an All-Star in 2012. #6- Scott Mitchell, became Edmonton's top O-linemen. He will be a main stay on the OL for Edmonton. #5- Matt Nichols, the guy will certainly be the starting QB heading into next season (unless moves are made, or injury). #4- Rookie Canadian Reciever Shamawd Chambers. The guy is going to be a top play making reciever in the near future. #3- The play of Damaso Munoz, the guy is a star who did not get much spotlight with JC having a record setting season. #2- Finding Defencive Back Joe Burnett. Lets just hope he doesnt end up back in the NFL. #1- Linebacker JC Sherritt breaks the all time CFL tackle record. No one will remember todays game, that record..we all will.
The two biggest things that the Eskimos need, other than signing free agents are:
An Offensive Coordinator who understands the game and managing the Quarterbacks. Is there anyone besides Kavis Reed who knows why Joseph was still in the game at half time. 4-12 doesn't cut it and Reed has shown once again, he manages defences great but it ends there, the only positive is it's better tha 4-24.
A bonafide return specialist, Joe Burnett did okay as a safe choice but let's face it the Eskimos need someone who can break the odd run, not just a guy who can hold onto the ball.
This team was not prepared to play today that rests on the coach. Time to dump Reed , Crandel, time to get new GM right away and any one who says reed should be is crazy . Every coaching position he has taken over has become a mass confusion.
Firing Kavis Reed is not smart. The guy brought back pride to the Edmonton Eskimos organization! He was given this team. He did not bring in these players. Making the playoffs with Steven Jyles as your #1 for most of the year is an amazing thing. lol. He had NO offence and still made the post season. Kavis stays imo.
And from what i have been told. And even Len Rhodes has said it, Edmonton is NOT firing Kavis Reed. He will be in this organization for along time.
Ed Hervey is likely the next GM, and Kavis Reed is likely the next Assistant GM & still head coach. The Edmonton Eskimos will have a new OC.
Firing guys every two years and wanting new guys every game/year is not the way to run an organization. Tillman would be still here if he didnt do the bad things behind the scenes. Tillman wasnt fired for his moves as GM, etc. Stay the corse. Reed is a great coach.
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This team was not prepared to play today that rests on the coach. Time to dump Reed , Crandel, time to get new GM right away and any one who says reed should be is crazy . Every coaching position he has taken over has become a mass confusion.
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I don't have a problem with keeping Reed but he needs help on the O side. This team is badly in need of an offensive coordinator and Reed has to let him run the offense. The Eskimos may be the best coached team in the CFL on the defensive side of the ball, the worst on the offensive side of the ball. They led the league in time count violations by a country mile and at times the offense was totally confused. I am all for giving the reigns to Reed for another year but he has to let someone else run the offense because he simply can not do it himself.
Ed Hervey as GM? That would be a major mistake. I remember a Ed Hervey quote in the middle of a season when the Esks were losing and on the verge of missing the play-offs for the first time in some 27 years. Quote "we have to lose sometime". Anyone with leadership skills would never say that. Ed wrote the season off before it even ended.
In my opinion coaching makes a huge difference. My proof is with the Calgary Stampeders. Wally Buono won the Grey Cup with a crappy quarterback, Crandell.
I really think the GM should be fired. Actually you ever hired the GM should be fired first.
You would think that the scouting staff could find a decent quarterback from over 400 colleges to choose from in the states.
Your right, 400+ colleges, but all of them do NOT play CFL rules. Its a completely different game. Edmonton has found Ricky Ray, Jason Maas, Matt Nichols, even Warren Moon back in the day. Etc. Thats not the problem. Even with Jyles at QB, Edmonton could have been 6 wins better this year. Its just the OC calling the wrong plays and running the wrong offence for this team. The GM was fired (ET). And Hiring a new person that would want his own head coach, his own players, his own view of this team, etc would set the Eskimos back another 2-3 years at least. Currently the Eskimos are on track. They just need to run their offence better. And they are there. Kavis Reed is the best Coach any Edmonton team in Pro sports has had in 10+ years. Hes ALL Edmonton ALL the time. As for Hervey, who cares what he said years ago in 1 quote. Eric Tillman, Wally Buono, Jim Barker and MANY CFL GM’s have said things like that or worse. Hervey is and always will be a Eskimo at heart. In his eyes, its Edmonton on and off the field and he has all the tools to do the job. IMO, i would be SHOCKED if he isnt the next GM. But when you talk its up to the BOD and Len Rhodes, you NEVER know… Rhodes has ZERO football experience. So Hervey is his best and savest option imo.
I'd be fine with keeping Reed as long as he is only Head coach, and that's all IMHO he can't handle all the other duties correct me if I'm wrong but is this not his first head coaching job if so then it was a major mistake to pile on 2 other jobs on him.
Constantly changing coaches and GMs isn't how you build a winner. I think Reed stays based on his ability to keep the team competitive despite the absence of a no. 1 QB and having to double as OC AND assistant GM in his first year as head coach. In the offseason, though, the Esks need to find an offensive coordinator and give him a multi-year mandate to put his stamp on the offense. It is absolutely absurd how many OCs the Esks have gone through in the past few years (Reed, Crandell, Strasser, Worman, etc.). Even the best QB in the league is going to have a hard time being effective if he's always being asked to learn a new playbook / terminology and adapt to how a new OC runs the offense.
Look at the four teams left in the playoff picture and you'll see teams with stability in the coaching ranks. Chapdelaine has been OC in BC for years. Dickenson is in his second year as OC in Calgary after having been QB coach the year before. It took the whole season, but Milanovich has managed to get Ray comfortable with his offense in Toronto. And though Marcus Brady is a first-year OC in Montreal, Trestman calls the plays and is heavily involved in the offense, has been since he came here in 2008.
There has been way too much instability in Edmonton's coaching staff, going back even to the Maciocia era.
When Kavis Reed picked Kerry Joseph to start at QB over Matt Nichols in Toronto, i thought ok. Good with the vet and take the pressure off Nichols. Who imo, was going to play no matter what happened in the game. But to play both Hugh Charles and Corey Boyd back to back. Giving each guy two series a piece was a total mistake. I can see that if Charles was out and it was Boyd and Messam. But when your starting RB is 100%, you start and play him the entire game!