Suggested Block-Buster Trade & FA signing for Bombers

Winnipeg Blue Bombers
1

Prolly too late to make a significant difference but here’s my suggestions anyways!

  1. Sign FA offensive lineman and canadian Geoff Gray - no one in NFL has picked up the big heavy from the Bisons, he’s had 2 years to make his game down south and he’s floated to around 3 or 4 practice rosters. Sign him now - let him have an opportunity to play live football games and see what happens.

  2. With Harris iffy (I’m sure he’ll be telling O’Shea & the staff he’s fine and he’ll be ready for next week, we’ve seen this story before). He might be good for a quarter and then goes down. Flanders might not be the answer. Demski is also nicked up - he usually nicks up about this time every year.

So the trade would be acquiring international RB James Wilder, Jr. from Toronto for either draft picks or neg list guys, maybe even Brian Bennet.

Need a monster back to carry the load, can’t let Mr. Immobile, Matt Nichols try to go it alone against monster trucker pass rushes. With a limited play book Wilder can be ready to go in a couple days vs. Edmonton.

Gray would be insurance for the current o-line; perhaps allowing us to trade the kid with the drug reading problem who doesn’t play anyways - ie. Q Spooner i think his name is.

All speculation because we know how committed Mike O’Shea & Kyle Walters are to stubborness!

But thats what I would do fwiw . . . .

2

If we signed Gray and he’s a total bust, does that put you in the same category as Walters and his bad signings ? C’mon Lyle, think about it. ;D

I still don’t think Wilder is any more than a flash in the pan. Wilder is the Argo’s new star and for a little while he may sparkle. He can take the eyes away from the season record and the fact RR is hurt.
I don’t want him on the team . He reminds me too much of another sparkle in our league- Duron Carter.

3

I think Gray has washed himself out of the NFL - too many teams have taken him on - and then released him shortly thereafter . . . .

The bombers main competition for Gray in the short-term at least is his burgeoning engineering career.

Making $100k to $150k in CFL for next 10 yrs or so (unless he’s another Walby) seems paltry - especially if he latches onto a top engineering firm for $100k to $125k (and perhaps far more at the executive level in 10 years) seems like a full career decision.

But signing him to a 5 game contract w/ option for 2019 (even giving him the NFL window) doesn’t seem like much of a risk . . . . perhaps $105,000 which equates to less than $30,000 for remaining games, perhaps a $4,500 signing/housing bonus?

As far as Wilder is concerned - if Harris is shot and we don’t put a concerted effort into finding a monster replacement (Flanders is OK, but he’s no monster) then we may as well start recruiting for 2019. Lets go!

Wilder has the talent, no question - Gray would just be a nice insurance policy for our o-line. How did Pad Neufeld make out when Hardrick was injured?

Getting the two of them on board would at least show that the team is still in the game. By doing nothing THEY ARE NOT IN THE GAME. GET IN THE GAME WAD!

4

My concern is James Wilder's singularly unimpressive average of 4.7 yards per carry.

:-\

5

……Signing Gray is a no-brainer…I don’t understand why he’s not here already….He could be washed out of the nfl but the new league might be bending his ear hence his no-show so far in the Peg…As well as the o line…we need a big downfield receiver like a Duke Williams…Plodding along with what we have is not getting it done…I don’t like trading for Amerc. running backs…They’re a dime a dozen and we do have Ned Flanders on the pr…so scratch that…Walters seems to be zoned out on some other planet…No moves or even a hint of a move…He’s treading water and the ship is taking on water…He better appear to be doing something pronto…bit it’s not a trade with Toronto

6

I like how all these ideas assume your trading partner is a moron.

How does the trade make any sense whatsoever. First, Wilder. He’s a capable back, Argos also have Burks, but after trading away Martese Jackson to give Burks a bigger role, why would they then move Wilder and leave themselves exposed at RB if Burks gets hurt? Do you honestly, genuinely think picks and neg list players convince Popp to move their starting RB and their third leading receiver? Does Bennett, our 3rd stringer, really sweeten the pot? How does he help them when they are seemingly all in with Bethel-Thompson now and won’t even entertain the notion of taking him out? And trading Bennett also leaves the Blue with having to make additional roster moves in having to find a third string QB to come in and change Medlock’s holder on kicks back to Dressler yet again, which is a risk with how often he gets hurt.

You’re assuming Harris may be done for the year, but he was moving around decently on the sideline in street clothes. Chances are likely that if he’s hurt, it seems more like a soft tissue injury based on how he went down so it’s likely he misses 1-4 weeks and not the rest of the season. So if somehow Popp accepts your trade offer, what do you do once Harris is healthy? Scratch Wilder? You’re not dressing two starting RBs. I’m sure that won’t cause any issues with Wilder…

As for Geoff Gray, it takes two to tango. Gray’s agent has always expressed that they are going to explore NFL options first and I don’t think Darren Gill will move off that stance easily. Even if he was open to the option, are the Bombers? Where do you play him? He’s not going to start day 1 at tackle so it’s not likely that he bumps off Hardrick or Bryant, it’s probably Neufeld that gets bumped, so you’re the move is not changing your ratio. Also, you’re not going to start him after a typical prep week of a couple of practices and a walk through, so you’ll need at least a couple of weeks to get him integrated into the Oline, assuming he picks it up quickly. So you in effect get 2-3 weeks of Geoff Gray, doe that make you any better at this point? It would have been different if he came over after being released at the end of August. But at this point I think they’d rather have him come in at the start of the season rather than upend the Oline. Furthermore, we may not have that kind of salary cap space to give him what you’re suggesting.

Just making roster moves doesn’t signal that you’re in it to win it. If you’re making changes to the active roster at this point, they need to be smart moves. Neither of these really addresses deficiencies in the roster.

Biggest loss out of the Als game was Bighill. Harris I think only misses a few weeks. If Demski is out long term it sure looks like Petermann is ready to fill that void. We have and can find options to fill in Demski’s return role. But Bighill? Ian Wild is more of an outside LB. Kyrie Wilson is also a ? Bighill was already wearing a compression sleeve on that elbow and the how he went down? If there is a significant ligament or tendon injury he could be done for the year. Fingers crossed it’s only minor. If not, if I make a trade, it’s trying to find a fit at MLB.

7

……The way we look right now I’m not trading for anybody but receiver…The year looks like a wash and we are headed for a high-end first rounder to go with our other two…We have to find a deep receiving threat…Adams is falling off but still looks good at 2…Package one of our pics and a current roster player for a solid deep threat…Don’t know if there’s a trading partner out there at present as everyone of note is still in the Cup hunt…BUT depending on our scouting crew (if you want to call them that) is futile…We need a Duke Williams or a Burnham type

8

Popp may not be as tied to Wilder as you think. I see Wilder as a rental w/ slight chance to re-up for 2019 if things go well. Without Harris and Demski - may as well mail in the points. Even the final game of year where Calgary usually donates us 2 pts is in question.

If going status quo for budgetary reasons is the way they go. So be it. Its a sign of concession - nothing more, nothing less.

Gray may have almost all the checkpoints a decent 6th or 7th NFL olineman has but he's green under fire. (ie. no reg. season game experience). Gray is slightly above average height of NFL o-linemen and slightly below average weight. His strength metrics are well above average. His weakness = footwork. Brian Dobie is not the guy you want to learn footwork from. So if the bombers took him on for the balance of -18 and option for 19 then no problem. Get him some training on footwork. Even at his current level he'd have to be better than Paddy Neufeld on the outside - and at least as good as Neuf at OG or C

As for Wilder - if NFL hobo RBs are a dime a dozen, where are they? I'd consider sending Flanders to Toronto to seal the deal if a decent packet of draft picks and neg list player(s) doesn't wash!

9

And we coulda had Posey…

Watched all 3 games on Sat and noticed the significant difference in pass coverage compared to ours in all 6 teams. The difference is all 6 teams had one. We had Manziel to Bowman and we couldn’t stop it. We make fun of how bad and slow Bowman is and yet, we can’t cover him. Thank God Bowman can’t catch anymore… I would like a couple of real CBs. It’s either them or Hall who’s at fault.

This is a wish list, right ?

Is it a Christmas wish list or just a regular season one ?
I know, a Thanksgiving wish list. We’ll probably stand pat and being eating turkey.

10

He's not made much of an impact with the Lions yet.

:-\

11

……Made some nice catches and continued an important drive that aided the Leos in their win from what I remember…so I wouldn’t say he didn’t have an impact…Hasn’t exactly got the play book down either…but hey…we could never use a receiver who starred in last years Grey Cup right…

12

Which import receiver then would you have benched to make room for DeVier Posey?

???

13

Prolly Jeff Boyd - more recently Ladarius Vann!!! lol

14

While the bomber Drain-Trust sits on its hands - the BC Lions just acquired import RB Tyrell Sutton from the Montreal Als.

Wally & his sad sacks still fighting like dogs to claw back into relevance, even without star QB Travis Lulay.

I knew someone would get off their hands. I kinda knew it wouldn’t be our group of sad sacks!

15

???

I see the Blue Bombers are starting but three import receivers this year. Neither Boyd nor Vann are among those. I’m therefore presuming that you agree that there’d be no place in the Bomber lineup for DeVier Posey.

16

Tyrell Sutton should provide a much better insurance policy to the Lions in the event of an injury to Jeremiah Johnson than Travon Van with his lifetime rushing average of 4.6 yards per carry does right now.

I don’t understand though why the Blue Bombers haven’t brought in Bakari Grant or Kevin Elliott for at least a look.

???

17

You get rid of Washington and replace him with a proven CFL receiver until he works his way on to the roster…pretty easy…Seems to have picked up the playbook on the coast fairly quickly

18

……I doubt the Bombers want to make anymore moves and are seemingly preparing for their exit…Probably want to let a new bunch start with what they want…Sure looks like it to me…Unbelievable complacency coming from Mr. Undying Loyalty…….

19

Two things Mr. Undying Loyalty is NOT loyal to:

  1. The Fans

  2. The Blue Bomber tradition

20

……Maybe he just couldn’t get T.O. out of his system…Wonder if they’d take him back