OT: Winnipeg Blue Bombers 2023 Season - Another terrible disappointment. NEXT: Tough Decisions on How to Rebuild.
- Thread starter Holden Caulfield
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Walters was talking a bit about this situation on Bonfire sports. It was pretty interesting. He was saying how people ask why the Packers would sign a guy who has had very little pro football reps and probably not much tape from Waterloo. He said he’s basically just a name on a spread sheet with some fantastic combine numbers, they have never seen him play. This is Apparently very common. He’s not another year older and they and they want to see what those combine numbers look like on the field for themselves.
Holden Caulfield
CANADA. True North Strong and FREE
Yup watched that. I'm not at all surprised.
It's what I've talked about before, NFL scouting is very basic. Age and measurables are all that matters. I mean I'm not knocking Ford here at all, I think he has fantastic upside. But it shows you how little NFL values on field talent.
Most CFLers (60-80%) could contribute on an NFL roster. Hell a bunch of bottom end NFL guys wouldn't even crack a CFL roster probably. That's not to say CFL is better lol, the top 20-25% of NFL rosters are obviously the best in the world. But that mushy middle the difference tends to be razor thin often coming down to contract status, age, injuries, relationships and just plain luck all that separates CFL players from NFL.
Also, I’ve very rarely seen a player suck ass in the NFL who becomes a star in the CFL.
Usually players that blow chunks in the NFL that come up north also blow chunks here.
I think that has to do with the NFL expectation of a body type. We also see good NFLers come here and suck. We see great CFLers go down, bust out, come back and suck.
None
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- Feb 22, 2012
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The NBA invited one of our young offensive linemen to their camp in the early 2010s because he was 6'10", they somehow ignored that he was 360lbs.
Good NFLers don't really come to the CFL or haven't for several decades. Last one I can think of was Ricky Williams who was injured most of the season back in 2006. Others that came to the CFL who were formerly good players in the NFL were well past their prime ie. Rison and Johnson.
Was Ricky hurt? Or just playing not to get hurt? I thought he was just here to smoke the electric lettuce.
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If he gets last night’s first-half Trevor Lawrence, he might be the starter before you know it.
Tom ServoMST3K
In search of a Steinbach Hero
They're gonna either play for bombers or retire at this point probably.
Rourke to NFL!
Injury situation was so unfortunate for Winnipeg CFL fans this season.
Walters was a little salty there. He's saying they didn't scout him live in CIS but they have film. NFL college scouting departments do target CIS players. Ford was in mini-camps with NYJ and Steelers last year. Played 18 games of special teams and about 2 games worth of defensive snaps with the Bombers, the NFL guys would watch that film too. Just did the option year CFL player workout circuit with everyone else they have interest in. They didn't just sign him unseen from a 40 time.
It's the exact same way CFL teams are able to synthesize 4000 D1 players who graduate each year. Then they do the scouting circuit of NFL camps, run open and private workouts. But there's a bunch of Americans they'll bring into training camp each year that no one has had live eyes on.
jetsforever
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- Dec 14, 2013
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Not sure if it'd be cooler to have the only Canadian QB play in the CFL or to have any Canadian QB in the NFL
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I don't think his bank account cares but it would be cool having a Canadian starting Qb in the NFL
Certainly lots of opportunities for QB's right now in NFL.
Look at the some of the guys playing in the wildcard round. 3 guys from the 2022 draft, 2 7th rounders and an undrafted guy.
Look at the some of the guys playing in the wildcard round. 3 guys from the 2022 draft, 2 7th rounders and an undrafted guy.
You can't really blame Rourke for wanting to try. Even if he never starts, he hangs around long enough in the NFL and he gets access to some pretty solid post career benefits. (3 to 4 years of service time for access to most of the good stuff) Selfishly, i wanted him to go to a more...QB needy team so he would get a legitimate shot at a starting gig. No shot that happens in Jacksonville.
It's a cold, realistic reality that Rourke's goodbye statement basically sums up what the CFL is to most guys; a "unforeseen detour."
Full disclosure; i love the CFL. grew up watching it with my dad and grandfather and will rock the Blue and Gold until i'm dead and in the ground. But he's not wrong. How many kids who grow up playing in this city, let alone country grow up dreaming of being a CFL star? Hell even me growing up, if somebody asked me i would probably say i'd rather be a Steve Young or Brett Favre instead of a Damon Allen or Dave Dickenson. Did guys like Andrew Harris grow up wanting to be heroes in the CFL? Probably not, but they embraced it all the same. And that's okay too.
For some guys, the CFL is nothing more than a fallback option to continue playing ball on the off chance they get a shot to go down south. Some guys will realize that's not possible and will either fade away or embrace this "fallback" and become stars. Willie Jefferson is a great example of this. Probably wasn't really thrilled with the idea of playing north of the border at first but years later he's now beloved in Winnipeg to the point he now calls it home.
Probably not much you can do about it either sadly.
I also have to imagine a lot of the bitterness i'm seeing is from the fact Rourke was finally that "chosen one" all the oldheads/media have been waiting decades for; an actual honest to god good Canadian QB. Monikers don't pay the bills, higher salaries do. I choose to still embrace these guys though. Cameron Wake is one of my all time favorite Dolphins and it's even better i can say i got to watch that guy before anyone knew who the hell he was.
Edit: there's also the variable a lot of people seem to be missing; it's no guarantee he makes the roster. For all we know he's back in Canada by like August or September.
It's a cold, realistic reality that Rourke's goodbye statement basically sums up what the CFL is to most guys; a "unforeseen detour."
Full disclosure; i love the CFL. grew up watching it with my dad and grandfather and will rock the Blue and Gold until i'm dead and in the ground. But he's not wrong. How many kids who grow up playing in this city, let alone country grow up dreaming of being a CFL star? Hell even me growing up, if somebody asked me i would probably say i'd rather be a Steve Young or Brett Favre instead of a Damon Allen or Dave Dickenson. Did guys like Andrew Harris grow up wanting to be heroes in the CFL? Probably not, but they embraced it all the same. And that's okay too.
For some guys, the CFL is nothing more than a fallback option to continue playing ball on the off chance they get a shot to go down south. Some guys will realize that's not possible and will either fade away or embrace this "fallback" and become stars. Willie Jefferson is a great example of this. Probably wasn't really thrilled with the idea of playing north of the border at first but years later he's now beloved in Winnipeg to the point he now calls it home.
Probably not much you can do about it either sadly.
I also have to imagine a lot of the bitterness i'm seeing is from the fact Rourke was finally that "chosen one" all the oldheads/media have been waiting decades for; an actual honest to god good Canadian QB. Monikers don't pay the bills, higher salaries do. I choose to still embrace these guys though. Cameron Wake is one of my all time favorite Dolphins and it's even better i can say i got to watch that guy before anyone knew who the hell he was.
Edit: there's also the variable a lot of people seem to be missing; it's no guarantee he makes the roster. For all we know he's back in Canada by like August or September.
Tom ServoMST3K
In search of a Steinbach Hero
Jeffcoat re-signs, per the PR email I just got from the Bombers.
One year like all the rest.
One year like all the rest.
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Tom ServoMST3K
In search of a Steinbach Hero
As someone who somewhat follows sports all around the world, I'm baffled by two things.
A) NFL fans in Canada who hate the CFL.
This one baffles me more, because who cares? Do fans of Premier League teams in Norway and Denmark and all non-major European countries degenerate their home country's league fans? Probably some, yes, but imagine how bitter and soulless that sounds.
And, BTW, every single one of those leagues has a home-grown player requirement.
Different leagues exist in different countries, and North America is a big exception.
I'm convinced this is people thinking the CFL is the thing preventing a Canadian NFL team, when that is quite simply not the case. Maybe in the 60s, when the CFL and NFL were on more even footing, but ever since the 90s, the NFL has been the big brother in that relationship.
B) CFL fans in Canada who view the league as destined to become a major player, if only (Insert conspiracy/theory here)
My personal favourite is people insisting the CFL put games on Youtube for free, somehow missing that the league, much like curling, is basically an extension of TSN to get solid ratings, and taking that away would be really dumb.
I love the CFL. It is my favourite sports league by far. I love it so much I stopped rooting for the bombers, because I enjoyed the league too much to attach myself to a sad-sack franchise.
But it is just a fun secondary league. I'd argue the best secondary league in any sport, because I vastly prefer the gridiron rules in the CFL to the NFL, but still a secondary league.
gojetsgo
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Kind of out of left field, but if he can pick up where he left off in 2021 this is very good signing.
Holden Caulfield
CANADA. True North Strong and FREE
That's...not a name I ever expected to hear again. Interesting. Hope for his sake he finally got vaxxed. 7 veteran OL signed for 2023 now. No openings really, teams rarely carry more than 7 on active roster.
Eli, Dobson will be the backups to Bryant-Gray-Kolankowski-Neufeld-Hardrick on opening day I'd bet.
Eli, Dobson will be the backups to Bryant-Gray-Kolankowski-Neufeld-Hardrick on opening day I'd bet.
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