Team Needs

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1

The fans of this team are split on improvement of this team this off season. I believe we have improved, but alot of you think we have regressed. Let's take a look at every position and see where we stand.

QB-solid starter and backup in Printers and Williams, could use improved 3rd string

RB-strongest point of team, with Lumsden and Caulley. Johnson is a good special teamer

FB-loaded Depth

WR-Much improved this off season with the additions of Miles, Murphy and Woodcock. Could use another solid young Canadian. The lineup of Miles, Armstead, Bauman, Murphy, French, Woodcock and possibly Rashaun Woods looks good to me.

OL-Our interior is spectacular, big part to why our running game was so good. Our tackles could use some improvement. Cavka is developing into a solid tackle, but there are two tackle positions. We could use another decent tackle.

DL-Could use another DE and DT. Wayne, Mckay, and Keith are good, but we need a monster in the middle to just eat anything that comes through. Mckay is good and Keith showed flashes of excellence, but it is always good to have 3 good DE's.

LB's- Another strong point of the team. Moreno is the best LB in the league, and Mariuz, while not as athletic as Armour is a workhorse, brings his game each week and plays with heart. Jamaica Jackson could play the other linebacker.

DB's- Much improved, but still an area of concern. With Dylan Barker, this secondary wouldn't be looking half bad with Gordon, Bradley, Thompson and Mitchell all ready in place, but you can never have enough DB's.

ST's: best kicker in the league, and half decent returner in Walker, nothing is needed.

Possible Moves- could trade Chang, a FB, or an interior lineman away for more draft picks or players. you can never have enough draft picks.

2

Like your calls Chris but I have to say that Chang is a keeper. With him and Williams competing for #2 we would have the best QB depth in the league.

Also, I'm not as sold on the O line. Inconsistent at best last year (and the last few). Even Printers had trouble getting the O moving with little time to read and react. A lot of that pressure came right down the middle.

Can't wait for training camp to start.

3

If you believe this you really need to take off your black and gold glasses. Printers, is great, no argument there. Williams, although was able to move the team down the field, didn’t put up great numbers. Chang played horrible, and I really don’t expect him to get much better (he’s had many pro chances and blown them all).

Let’s look at a the entire league, and then tell me we have the best QB depth in the league.

Hamilton - Printers, Williams, Chang
Toronto - Joseph, Bishop, Butler, Allen
Montreal - Calvillo, Brady, Banks
Winnipeg - Glenn, Taylor
Saskatchewan - Crandell, Jyles, Durant, Tate
Calgary - Burris, Dickenson, Nealy, Sankey
Edmonton - Ray, Maas, LeFors
BC - Pierce, Jackson

Personally, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton all have better QB depth than us. Although, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Edmonton have a better starting QB than us.

Lest we forget, this team went 3-15 last year, with basically the same QBs.

4

How quickly we forget. Chang was THE bright spot of training camp last year, and was the only QB that sparked the O in the pre-season. He came off the bench in a few regular season games and was able to do good things with limited time. Now that he has had a year to learn the CFL game he will be better.

I can't believe that you think that Calvillo is a better QB than Printers. I would take Williams or Chang over Brady as a back-up any day. (remember, Brady was here and couldn't cut it on a 3-15 team)

Toronto only has a better starter because he is this weeks golden boy and they just traded for him. Bishop is not a starter (if he was they wouldn't have felt they needed Joseph) but has played well. Again, Butler was here but couldn't cut it.

Calgary - you have an argument there.

The Peg - no depth and a disgruntled starter.

Edmonton- solid starter, very questionable back-ups.

BC - Is Buck a Starter long term?

I think that we have a great QB corps.

By the end of the season QB was not the issue. Everything else was. Printers was new to the system and injured. Chang had been shell-shocked and needed time to recover. Williams finally showed his promise.

Chang needs to prove that he can be solid as a starter when needed, but I think he can and will.

5

If Printers plays the whole season and wins the MVP again, who needs depth anyways?

6

That Won’t Happen Count on it.

7

Casey is awesome when he's healthy, no doubt about that.

I do worry about his attitude. He had it when he was in BC. Even though I agree that he should've started the Grey Cup, I think that his true colours came out.

He is still young though, 26 and could be a starter here for 10 years. BUT I think he wants to go a prove himself in the NFL. This is what I dislike. I understand that these guys grew up watch the NFL on TV and feel ashamed that they have to play in Canada. They have to get over it.

Look at all the failed attempts in the NFL:
-Henry Burris
-Dave Dickenson
-Casey Printers
-Kerry Joseph (Saints didn't sign him after his workout)
-Sean Salisbury
-Sam Etchevary

But on the other hand, there have been successful jumps from the CFL to the NFL:
-Doug Flutie
-Jeff Garcia
-Warren Moon

If Casey is in the right frame of mind and wants to win and contribute to a winner, he'll be awesome. I just don't know what Casey will show up at training camp.

My fear is that he'll be here for 2 years and bolt. My fear is that he just wants to impress NFL scouts and if he wins, great, if not, oh well.

Does anybody else have this feeling?

8

All the above are great posts....

Now my two cents worth.

QB....I don't think that you can compare AC and Printers at this point. Casey needs to commit himself to the cats and the CFL for a few years and produce. No doubt, AC is nearing the end of his career and Printers should be at the pinnacle of his, but to say that Printers is the best in the league is wishful thinking...he might very well be by the end of this season or next, but he's got to do it on the field. Same goes for Joseph, Glenn, maybe Pierce/ Jackson. At this point Casey is below them and has the disadvantage of having the weakest receiving corps in the league.

Receiving.....Murphy and Woodcock are retreads, in fact woodcock hasn't done anything since his first season with the als....bad hands poor routes, when healthy he can run.....kind of a Brock Ralph clone.

RB.......Jesse is an enigma. Lots of talent, a ratio buster, often injured but can he play thru pain? Mind you maybe he could but let's face it the ticats haven't played an important game in 3 or 4 years, maybe he would bance back quicker if it mattered. Caulley is a keeper as well but if both he and Jesse are healthy, how you gonna play them both????

OL......better get better quickly cause Casey isn't as quick as he used to be.

DL......no real improvement there.

LB.....gonna miss Armour big time

DB's......jury is out but if opposing QBs have all day to throw the best DBs in the world are going to have trouble.

STs are fine...Settas right up there.

Final though...if anyone thinks that Timmy Chang has any value to anybody out there they are kidding themdelves...I mean he was the third string QB on a horrible team for gosh sakes. Maybe Brady was bad in Hamilton but so was AC.

Despite all this, I still predict that the Als and Bombers will fight it out for first, and the Cats will finish third. The Argos will be brutal.

9

Above all else, the team needs chemistry. It's something you can't account for and something all winning teams have.

10

best qb depth in the league?? i see someone needs to smoke that hippy lettuce to get their day going.
before you make such claims please look 45 minutes down the road to the blue team's qb tandem. nothing against richie and timmy but,i think kj and bish are a little further ahead in the learning curve. best qb depth in the league?? please see red and black team currently residing in the west div. furthermore, please see orange and black team that currently resides on the left coast. i know you've got more reason for optimism this year than the trainwreck desjardins put together last year but-easy cowboy.

city legend

11

My 2 cents:

Set at QB as long as Printers stays healthy. And he's now a career CFLer. In 2-3 years he'll be too old to garner any NFL interest. Williams is good enough to be a good backup and Chang can learn the game as 3rd string (I still think he's got potential).

RBs are set. Two solid starters and depth behind them.

Receivers have been upgraded but still lack a true gamebreaker. Miles can be--sometimes. Woodcock is a gamble at this point.

OL was inconsistent in 2007. Some good games, some poor games. I hope they still land a cornerstone type O-lineman, preferably a tackle.

The D-line was inconsistent. McKay-Loescher tailed off after a really strong start but they all did. A Belli type guy in the middle would be a great addition.

Moreno is one of the best MLBs in the CFL but Mariuz is one LB because he tries hard and he's Canadian. When push comes to shove, he's not talented enough. Armour was a big loss.

CBs were awful last season and I don't see much improvement. Still an achilles heel. DBs were so-so last season and they haven't been seriously upgraded either.

STs are fine. Setta will win games close on his own.

An Argo-Cat fan

12

He he… Good post.

I think if you read back you will see that I agree that Calgary has a great QB situation. Better than us? I’m not so sure. As for BC, no proven starter left but Wally is a great QB coach so…? If history holds true, Bishop will mope about being bumped and this has the potential to tear the dressing room apart. The instability in TO makes our corps better.

Depth and continuity have more to do with quality than mere talent does.

Only time will tell.

13

Richie Willaims has done nothing in this league to prove that he is a bonafide CFL QB.

14

First, I don’t think Calvillo is a BETTER QB than Printers. Calvillo has obviously achieved more in his career, whereas Casey has had one incredible season. I think Printers has what it takes to be MOP. Brady is a better QB than Williams and Chang at the moment. Although, I feel that Williams with enough time will be a legitimate starter in this league. With Montreal, it’s just a matter of growth before we pass them in my mind, but right now, we just don’t cut it. Just as a last point, Brady had a different team to work with, and was basically given the starting role (and along with that came extreme pressure).

Second, in regards to Toronto. They just picked up the leagues MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER, he obviously rockets them up the QB Depth Chart (in the league). Bishop is not a starter, but if I had to choose either Williams or Bishop to start a game (with meaning, assuming we aren’t way out of a playoff race) I’d pick Bishop. Butler might not have been able to cut it here, but honestly Chang didn’t either, he looked like a lost puppy dog on the field. Trade him before he has absolutely no value.

15

This is a very important point. From what I have observed and read, Jesse both can, and is willing to, play through pain. On a 3-15 team, however, the team management probably wanted him to heal fully before he played again, in order to prevent a further, more serious, injury.

If the team was 15-3 and in the Grey Cup, I’m sure it would be a different story…

16

I agree :wink: I really think we will see a much improved team this year!

I think we will see a determined effort to make the play-offs and then anything can happen. :thup:

Gotta believe in Bob and Bob o’ :lol:

17

just resigned Kordic, announced the Mays signing and added another guy. Lots of competition going into camp,especially if you add Barker.

18

Just announced the addition of Mays today, along with the additions of Carlyle and Kordic. Add this to the addition of Thompson and Dennis Mitchell, and the other two guys, we've got alot of stiff competition going into camp next year. Add Barker and that is ALOT of competition. Secondary is looking much improved on last year, and i don't think Obie is done yet. Now to focus on getting a DT and DE.

19

I beleave the whole success of the 2008
ticats lies on the O-line, If they remain in
tack it will take another year for them to
improve enough that they can efficently
protect the QB.
With an addtion of a Veteran OT through a
trade we may have a chance to make the
playoffs.