Western Conference Predictions

[TheLionKing]

Lions will be in a fight for the last playoff spot.

[JohnnyMusso]

I think Sask will be most improved, if Durant stays healthy. Jones is smart and I think they will recruit well. When he took over Eskimos I was shocked they improved so much and were that good. I think same will happen with the Riders. Yes Winnipeg signed a lot of free agents, but will it improve them enough to make playoffs. I think they will be better and compete for 3rd or 4th. Calgary lost some good players, but Dickenson is a great offensive mind. I think BC's biggest problem is Khari Jones. I am not sold on him at all as an OC and if he is as bad as 2 years ago, then BC will be no better than 3rd. I just don't see them improving enough to finish 2nd or 1st, a pipe dream in my opinion. Their secondary improved, but how much. Yes, maybe I undervalued their receivers, but I don't think Gore is that good. He did not do much last year and never has developed into a great receiver. I think the loss of Collie will hurt. Yes Moore is an upgrade and Manny is good, when he wants to be. Hawkins who knows if he can be as good as last year. Their RB is unknown.

[JohnnyMusso]

One thing no one has mentioned is BC's kicker. If Leone is as inconsistent as last year and misses tons of converts again and field goals, BC is going nowhere. I think BC should seriously looks at drafting a kicker.

[TheLionKing]

One thing no one has mentioned is BC's kicker. If Leone is as inconsistent as last year and misses tons of converts again and field goals, BC is going nowhere. I think BC should seriously looks at drafting a kicker.

I would love to see the Lions draft local boy Quinn van Glyswk

[David]

Predicting the West in the 2nd week of April is a mug's game. Way too early IMO. It's like judging a new restaurant before the entrée has been served. We still have the draft and likely, some more FA signings. I want to see our team in Kamloops in June, and maybe one preseason game before making a prediction (interesting to note that I read that Wally desperately wants to win his preseason games this year. Thinks it will set the tone for the year - good habits, winning environment etc.).

It should also be noted that the CFL veteran I sat beside on the plane a couple of weeks ago told me that the perception that the Eskimos were ravaged by free agency is greatly exaggerated. The players they lost to the Riders weren't key starters; lots of depth at those positions. Maybe some NFL defections (Aaron Grymes, Dexter McCoil, Willie Jefferson) will hurt, but is confident in their depth - and especially Reilly.


DH

[B.C.FAN]

I admire the courage of those who have made predictions in this thread. They're all interesting but I need to do more research and see some football before going out on a limb.

The CFL is a QB-driven league and the West Division has some outstanding QBs, when healthy, led in no particular order by Bo Levi Mitchell, Mike Reilly, Darian Durant, Drew Willy and Travis Lulay. The only one of those QBs who played all 18 games last year was Mitchell. But of all West Division QBs who threw at least 200 passes, the one with the highest efficiency rating (99.8), highest TD percentage (7.0) and highest yards per pass attempt (9.3) was Jonathon Jennings. I'm not yet ready to bet that he'll lead the division in those categories over a full season, but he gives Lions' fans reason to hope.

[Sir Purrcival]

Seems to me that the biggest upgrade for the Riders is in the coaching ranks. I am having a hard time seeing them being worse than they were last season but they may not be much improved either. You have a QB that is aging and hasn't played a meaningful amount of football in 2 seasons. They have basically cleaned house across the board and they will either be world beaters or egg beaters (probably the latter). It will take a bit of time for staff to put their mark on this team.

The Esks are going to have to adjust to an complete rebuild of their coaching ranks. That could be either really positive or really negative. You have to believe after winning the Grey Cup, they are most likely to have a let down this season. You might expect that under normal conditions but when you throw in the loss of most of the coaching you can almost bank on it.

I think the Stamps are most likely to be the stable team of the conference. Yes there has been a coaching change but it is Huff's protege after all. They will need a RB for sure and a new WR but they are going to look reasonably similar to last season's version of the Stamps and I expect them to play at a high level.

The Lions. Who really knows with this team? Coach is gone but the Coach is actually back at the same time? How is that for confusing. The Lions could be great or garbage. Much of this is going to be on how Jennings performs. He created some magic last season at points and you got the sense that this team was really turning it around late in the year. Not good enough to be successful in the playoffs but certainly the beginnings of being dangerous. If that trend gets picked up this year, then it could be a very good season. If it doesn't, well, more of the same of last year.

Bombers. Who can tell with this team? They seem to try and work out the kinks, bring in proven performers and all that but they still seem to find ways to falter every year. Think this is going to be a make or break season for Drew Willy. He has got to stay healthy for one thing and they are going to have to be consistent. They could be a contender but also a pretender. Based on the last season, and the season before that, and the season before that and so on, I am expecting them to find some interesting way of under performing.

[Hambone]

Over in RF the denizens have determined that Jones walks on water and Murphy can wave his arms and part Lake Diefenbaker at will. They are beside themselves in giddiness at a scouting network unprecedented in the prairies since the days of Lewis & Clark.

[OV - 54:40]

Over in RF the denizens have determined that Jones walks on water and Murphy can wave his arms and part Lake Diefenbaker at will. They are beside themselves in giddiness at a scouting network unprecedented in the prairies since the days of Lewis & Clark.

LOL !!! - good one

[DanoT]

Over in RF the denizens have determined that Jones walks on water and Murphy can wave his arms and part Lake Diefenbaker at will. They are beside themselves in giddiness at a scouting network unprecedented in the prairies since the days of Lewis & Clark.

LOL !!! - good one

OTOH there are many on RF that don't think it will happen...until 2017.

[Hambone]

Over in RF the denizens have determined that Jones walks on water and Murphy can wave his arms and part Lake Diefenbaker at will. They are beside themselves in giddiness at a scouting network unprecedented in the prairies since the days of Lewis & Clark.

LOL !!! - good one

OTOH there are many on RF that don't think it will happen...until 2017.

Yes they do have some realists amongst their ranks willing to accept that things won't turn around overnight. For the most part though apparently Ed Hervey had very little, if anything, to do with the Eskimos' return to prominence. It was Jones' coaching and more importantly Jones' scouting that built the team. Even in Calgary apparently Murphy was the man moreso than Huf.