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Rammer
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David wrote:
Mon Feb 19, 2018 12:22 pm
Hambone wrote:
Sun Feb 18, 2018 11:52 am
IMO $130K is far too expensive when priorities are to address other areas. If Winnipeg was willing to go that high with no competition from Hervey then no doubt $130K wasn't going to be their final offer. No team can pay top dollar for every position. Match the Bomber offer and in all likelihood BC has to pass on Figueroa or Cummings or both.
I'd agree with this take. Ed's strategy seems pretty clear. Address the lines of scrimmage and spend your resources there. If the D line is plugging holes and getting to the quarterback as expected, you simply need a very good nickel, not an exceptional one (sidenote: with Winnipeg throwing money around like drunken sailors, it seems obvious to me they've adopted the "spend now, shed later" mentality. Can't see them not having to cut some high-priced talent come training camp).


DH :cool:
Agree in the Bombers seemingly having an open wallet and will have to cut some high price salary or have talent on the IL.

As for Hervey and FA, a strong DL is going to make up for the only true losses of Fenner and Puriofy. Unfortunately with all the secondary talent the Lions have had, it still comes down to the DC, and he is still there for 2018.

Can't see this ship really making a turnaround until 2019 when Hervey can find a better coaching staff.
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WestCoastJoe
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Rammer wrote:
Mon Feb 19, 2018 3:13 pm

As for Hervey and FA, a strong DL is going to make up for the only true losses of Fenner and Puriofy. Unfortunately with all the secondary talent the Lions have had, it still comes down to the DC, and he is still there for 2018.

Can't see this ship really making a turnaround until 2019 when Hervey can find a better coaching staff.
Agree, Rammer.

Re Purifoy. Not sure he is much of a team player. Body language, gesturing. I won't miss him.
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Hambone
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David wrote:
Mon Feb 19, 2018 12:22 pm

I'd agree with this take. Ed's strategy seems pretty clear. Address the lines of scrimmage and spend your resources there. If the D line is plugging holes and getting to the quarterback as expected, you simply need a very good nickel, not an exceptional one (sidenote: with Winnipeg throwing money around like drunken sailors, it seems obvious to me they've adopted the "spend now, shed later" mentality. Can't see them not having to cut some high-priced talent come training camp).


DH :cool:
In the grand scheme of things Winnipeg was relatively inactive in free agency. Bowman was added beforehand. They added Fenner, Demski and Roh. They lost Feoili-Guidino. TJ Heath, Hurl, Bond and Westerman. Denmark remains unsigned. Bond, Westerman and Heath would not have been cheap to retain. They may have added payroll but nothing overly significant.
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JohnnyMusso
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Is Kirby Fabien still unsigned? No news that he has signed anywhere. Surprised. He has fallen off the map.
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^^ So in short, Canadians, including 3D Nation never pay much attention to what is going on west of the Rockies.
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SammyGreene
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Rammer wrote:
Mon Feb 19, 2018 3:13 pm
Agree in the Bombers seemingly having an open wallet and will have to cut some high price salary or have talent on the IL.

As for Hervey and FA, a strong DL is going to make up for the only true losses of Fenner and Puriofy. Unfortunately with all the secondary talent the Lions have had, it still comes down to the DC, and he is still there for 2018.

Can't see this ship really making a turnaround until 2019 when Hervey can find a better coaching staff.
I echo Rammer's thoughts. Washington is in a precarious position. Either the defence makes a significant turnaround with many new faces or he is out the door with Wally at the end of 2018 with a new HC bringing in his own staff.

This is a two-year transition for the Lions. It gives Hervey a huge mulligan for this coming season, even though he has said all the right things of wanting Wally as his HC. I really believe that's more Braley than him. I fully expect every media member will be pegging the Lions for last place in the West. I would too.

Is Dunk and others forgetting how bad this defence was last season and even in 2016 for that matter when we needed some big time performances from Jennings to pull out games including the Western semi-final when Nichols lit up our defence? That was the biggest difference between the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

I will give the secondary some props for the lack of pressure up front but I also recall at one point early last season Yell and others were comparing themselves to potentially being one of the best DB backfields in recent memory on the Lions. That got a reaction from Korey Banks and some other former Leos on social media.
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CardiacKid
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I know a lot of folks are hoping for an aggressive defense (which I am assuming means lots of blitzing, stunts along the line, etc) but I suspect we won't be seeing a lot of that in 2018. I believe we will see a lot of rushing 3 and dropping extra bodies into coverage.

I don't know if it can be called a trend but the above scenario certainly seems to have become more prevalent across the league. Chris Jones certainly gets a lot of stick from Riderville for doing it. Willis did a surprising amount of dropping back into coverage last year from what I recall.

The revamped D-Line looks like it should be able to exert a greater degree of pressure so I expect our level of QB pressures will increase along with a modest increase in the sack totals. But I don't think we will see a "release the hounds" approach next season. Just a hunch from an armchair rover....
TheLionKing
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CardiacKid wrote:
Tue Feb 20, 2018 12:11 pm
I know a lot of folks are hoping for an aggressive defense (which I am assuming means lots of blitzing, stunts along the line, etc) but I suspect we won't be seeing a lot of that in 2018. I believe we will see a lot of rushing 3 and dropping extra bodies into coverage.
We've been accustomed to seeing that for years.
green road kill
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This brings up an lntresting question ? Why did we bring in WIllis knapton ,Commings
To beafup the D line , get after the QB if we are not going use them , to do what they were brought here to do.
I myself am looking forward to seeing Brooks and Cummings lined up on the inside.
Both Cummings and Knapton seem like they have a load of nasty.
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pennw
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TheLionKing wrote:
Tue Feb 20, 2018 2:34 pm
CardiacKid wrote:
Tue Feb 20, 2018 12:11 pm
I know a lot of folks are hoping for an aggressive defense (which I am assuming means lots of blitzing, stunts along the line, etc) but I suspect we won't be seeing a lot of that in 2018. I believe we will see a lot of rushing 3 and dropping extra bodies into coverage.
We've been accustomed to seeing that for years.
Yup ever since Rich Stubler brought that approach here and taught it to everyone else , we've seen lots of it . Even Chris jones the number one user of that approach is a firm believer in it . Mark Washington , probably uses it far less than most.
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David
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Figueroa making in the $175,000 range, per Ed Willes (a little more than anticipated).

Hervey says about a dozen players took haircuts to make this possible.

Story here

DH :cool:
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TheLionKing
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Wow, how much are haircuts these days ? :wink: :wink: :wink: Sorry David, couldn't resist.
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David
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TheLionKing wrote:
Tue Feb 20, 2018 8:06 pm
Wow, how much are haircuts these days ? :wink: :wink: :wink: Sorry David, couldn't resist.
:rotf: Well, they're not that cheap TLK. I pay $55 plus tip = $65 for mine!!


DH :cool:
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maxlion
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Having to ask more than a dozen players to restructure their contracts in addition to likely being weaker in certain areas (the secondary especially) illustrates very well the problem with building through free agency and having to outbid everyone else for so many players.

Hervey has made some bold moves that I think will change the character of the team for the better. Guys like Willis, Cummings and Knapton will make us a tough team to play against. But I'm not sure that we will have a better record next year. A lot will depend on Jennings and whether a new coordinator and offensive line will give him what he needs to get back on track.
TheLionKing
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Weakening the secondary to strengthen the offensive and defensive line.
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