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The CFL Outsiders/February Means Free Agency. · The CFL Outsiders

• 0:00
  Hey kids, welcome back to a February bonus issue of the CFL Outsiders.
• 0:06
  I remain, as always, your 100 % unbiased, completely impartial, and thrilled to have a guest tonight host, Old Man Shouting at Clouds.
• 0:20
  Joining me as usual is MJ.
• 0:23
  Things are really great in Tiger Town right now.
• 0:26
  Happy to be here.
• 0:28
  Haha, and GT.
• 0:30
  Hey everyone, how you doing?
• 0:31
  Welcome back.
• 0:32
  It's February, which means it's Olympics, which we're talking about tonight.
• 0:35
  So did wear my Olympic shirt.
• 0:37
  I wore this back in Canada day and kind of explained it, but for all the new people that have not been around, weren't listening to us back in the dark days of July.
• 0:46
  This is leftover from when I lived in Calgary for the 1988 Olympics.
• 0:51
  And we might talk about that with our guests a little bit later.
• 0:54
  And it's the Canada flag on the front and all of the other
• 0:58
  before and after olympics behind us we have alberville we have the poor old on the back there's a couple of more this thing is now i can't believe what's close to forty years old
• 1:08
  and hanging in so that's not bad and it's you know not from costco so that's all right
• 1:12
  It's a close, it looks like a classic.
• 1:16
  Yes.
• 1:17
  And as I said, we've got a bit of an interview going here.
• 1:20
  think GT had to lobby me hard on this one because I think the whole thing of it is a pretext.
• 1:26
  It's just so that we get two Calgary fans on the podcast and they can outnumber us now.
• 1:30
  But our guest, Ken Childs, who tells me has never been to a Calgary loss.
• 1:36
  They've won every time he's been there.
• 1:39
  And he's here to talk to us a little bit about the connection between bobsledding and the CFL.
• 1:46
  So where do we go from there?
• 1:48
  Do you have something you'd like to start with Ken or do you want someone to throw a question at you?
• 1:52
  No, I just I also did not get this in Costco.
• 1:55
  was the this is by far the best indigenous people's hoodie out of all of them.
• 2:01
  Their best logo by far.
• 2:03
  Also, a little disappointed that we're not having as good of an offseason as Hamilton is.
• 2:08
  Everything's debatable.
• 2:10
  uh
• 2:15
  and winning the offseason gets you nothing as we know.
• 2:20
  Sure.
• 2:24
  I understand you got some time.
• 2:25
  You're going to talk CFL with us as we go through the rest of this, too, Ken.
• 2:28
  I'll hang out.
• 2:29
  got nothing else I put the dog to bed a while ago.
• 2:31
  We're hanging out.
• 2:32
  Good stuff.
• 2:33
  Well, here we go.
• 2:34
  This is basically the rest of this is going to be free agency with, with one other tangentially connected thing.
• 2:41
  And that's the fact that the salary cap has been raised again this year.
• 2:46
  It was announced last week.
• 2:48
  I believe these league revenues went up 10 million, which translates under the deal with the CFLPA to another 220,000 on the salary cap for every team.
• 2:59
  So it's going to be 6.
• 3:01
  to six million now.
• 3:02
  And I forgot to go back and double check for certain on this, but I believe that's about three quarters of a million that it's come up in the last three or four years.
• 3:12
  So that's really good to see.
• 3:14
  The more we can get these players paid, the better chance we have of keeping the good athletes.
• 3:21
  So that's the news.
• 3:22
  Anybody got any comments on it then start?
• 3:24
  I paid the guys.
• 3:25
  You know, it's the way you're gonna keep them around, your top guys are gonna get their money, right?
• 3:30
  You wanna see the, especially your mid-tier guys that maybe aren't getting all the snaps, but are getting a bunch of the snaps.
• 3:37
  It's, you you wanna keep them around.
• 3:40
  You wanna kind of keep them on the same team for a little bit longer too when you can.
• 3:44
  And I think being able to pay them a little bit more gives them that opportunity.
• 3:47
  Yeah, I wish there's a couple things that I'm not one of the notes that I did read was that there's also a $50,000 allowance per team for veterans for training camp expenses.
• 3:58
  And that's nice that you know that they're able to because a lot of them are coming in and bringing families or trying to figure out and vet and not necessarily our training camps
• 4:06
  in the city where you're where you're going to be playing like you know Saskatoon this year for the riders, Guelph for Toronto, so on and so forth.
• 4:14
  So
• 4:15
  kingston last year for the red black so it means that they have to pay out of somewhat the you know other expenses so that's good news and yeah i think that the edge it's going to
• 4:25
  be great when we get if we get a new contract dot television wise the money goes up again and as well hopefully at that stage we you know that the uh...
• 4:35
  the salary cap was up and i'd like to see some
• 4:39
  some minimums go up again for the first year players.
• 4:42
  think rookies salary base would help a lot rather than just the top guys getting, know, if they took all the and chopped that off and gave the rookies another 15 or 20 grand and
• 4:52
  made it a more, even more enticing for some of the U.S.
• 4:56
  players to come up as rookies, it might get us to keep that talent level higher yet.
• 5:02
  For sure and those guys that are like yeah first year are they're on the practice roster those guys are hustling they're taking the bus They're like got like they're stacked in
• 5:11
  apartments and that's it's not conducive to professional play.
• 5:16
  I mean CFL is not the only
• 5:18
  league with this problem.
• 5:19
  MLB also has a very similar issue with their farm teams.
• 5:22
  But if we could raise the floor a little, like it's it's fun to talk about, know, like Rourke and Alexander getting paid, like these guys also need to be getting paid.
• 5:31
  yeah, exactly.
• 5:33
  you mentioned GT the Americans getting them to come up here, but more than that, even there's, I'm trying to think of the names now, but there's been at least two, can think of
• 5:42
  one lineman and one other Canadian prospect that ended up either just not signing with a team or retiring halfway through the first year, just because they could make so much more
• 5:53
  on their, on their university degree.
• 5:56
  So yeah, if we could get that bumped up to a.
• 5:59
  something that gives them more of an incentive.
• 6:01
  It would be great for the game.
• 6:03
  Absolutely.
• 6:05
  And speaking of how they're spending that money, this is the, free agency frenzy issue.
• 6:11
  They were, we're now into the, the legal negotiating window that's on.
• 6:18
  So some of these ones that we've got are ones that are committed, but not necessarily signed.
• 6:23
  And I've put together going through it all the, between the CFL tracker and the reports that have come out from CFL and from Three Down and whatnot.
• 6:33
  I think it's about as close to what we can get as is real right now If any of you know that I made a mistake on anything, please speak up.
• 6:42
  And I think what I'm going to do is there's a lot of information here.
• 6:46
  doesn't even have the most up-to-date information.
• 6:49
  Like there's people being signed and the CFL tracker hasn't even updated.
• 6:53
  So.
• 6:55
  Oh, yeah.
• 6:57
  some, it has some that says reportedly signed with and so who knows.
• 7:01
  But I think this is solid information.
• 7:03
  And like I said, there's a lot to go through, but what I figure I'll do is I'll go through team by team.
• 7:09
  I'll give you the kind of the highlights of what we're seeing.
• 7:12
  And then we'll have a bit of a talk about how, how did they come out of this?
• 7:18
  Are they stronger?
• 7:19
  Are they weaker?
• 7:19
  What's the big loss?
• 7:20
  What's a big gain?
• 7:21
  That sort of thing.
• 7:23
  Sound fair?
• 7:24
  Absolutely, and I just want to say thank you for doing that because I knew somebody would so I didn't bother.
• 7:29
  The lazy gene shit was kicked in and I just went, somebody will take care of it.
• 7:34
  uh
• 7:35
  nah, I...
• 7:36
  It wasn't near as hard as I thought.
• 7:39
  sad handwritten notes that are like mildly illegible.
• 7:42
  So I'm glad there's like a little more.
• 7:44
  I've got a full color-coded spreadsheet here.
• 7:47
  somebody was gonna do it.
• 7:48
  I love it.
• 7:49
  The information may not be right, but it looks good.
• 7:52
  Ha
• 7:52
  I was like trying to scroll through blue sky to see what happened.
• 7:56
  Yes.
• 7:58
  All right.
• 7:58
  So we'll, we'll start in the East with Montreal.
• 8:02
  Montreal had 23 free agents.
• 8:05
  And at this point, there's 14 of them that haven't resigned with the Alouettes and there's three that have signed other way.
• 8:14
  So they've lost Dylan Wynn, Darnell Sankey and James Letcher Jr.
• 8:19
  And then the other names, there's not a lot of
• 8:22
  big names in there.
• 8:23
  The two that kind of, well, the quarterbacks, Bethel Thompson and uh Caleb Evans are non-signed with anyone at this point, but Sean Thomas Erlington and Sean Lemon are also
• 8:34
  still sitting out there.
• 8:36
  Levin says he still wants to play.
• 8:38
  Yeah.
• 8:39
  Now they did have Marc-Antoine de Croix retire saying it's a bit too much on his body.
• 8:44
  And I think also is.
• 8:48
  Yes.
• 8:48
  was dramatic because he signed and it was splashed everywhere and I was like, oh good.
• 8:53
  Yes, he signed.
• 8:55
  He said he got what he wanted.
• 8:57
  He signed a year contract and then at two in the morning, he had signed the night and then the morning he decided to retire.
• 9:04
  So Danny Machosha said it completely shocked him, but.
• 9:08
  can see that.
• 9:08
  Well, I can see being, you you're so focused on, I getting the money I want and everything?
• 9:13
  you just, that's what you're looking at.
• 9:14
  And then you finally get it and you go to bed and wake up the next morning and your body's still aching from last season.
• 9:21
  Maybe not.
• 9:22
  he's been quite injured lately.
• 9:24
  So I just and he he's a pretty big celebrity in Quebec.
• 9:29
  And so he's I'm sure he's not hurting for work.
• 9:31
  It's not like being big in Japan.
• 9:33
  is that just like a thing where like you're big in Quebec and that's a, yeah.
• 9:36
  Love it.
• 9:38
  I absolutely love it.
• 9:39
  Yeah.
• 9:40
  Yeah, they have their whole own television culture and everything there.
• 9:43
  And yeah, I understand he's been doing some of the reality shows and that, yeah, mind you, he was a player that played full out and doing that at safety, you can wear yourself out
• 9:53
  in a hurry.
• 9:55
  Yeah.
• 9:56
  So that's where they're at.
• 9:59
  They're re-signing again.
• 10:00
  I'm not going to run through them all, but some of the more notable ones, of course, re-signed Tyson Philpott, Pierre Olivier Lassage on the line.
• 10:08
  And it surprised me.
• 10:10
  I think we talked about it on the last, last, when we did the one in January that they re-signed Alexander Hollins, but haven't re-signed Rambo.
• 10:18
  So there's that.
• 10:20
  And then the, who they've actually signed.
• 10:22
  Out of the free agency, they've only assigned three players.
• 10:26
  They, from Ottawa, they picked up Devante Dedman as the returner.
• 10:31
  They've got Dustin Cumm as the backup quarterback.
• 10:35
  And from Winnipeg, they picked up the slot receiver, Jareth Sterns So what do you think?
• 10:41
  don't know what they're doing there.
• 10:42
  was very surprised by Stearns because I didn't think he had a great year in Winnipeg last year.
• 10:48
  I didn't think he lived up to expectations.
• 10:50
  And I also thought, you let Austin Mack walk and then you signed Jareth Stearns?
• 10:56
  You know, you signed, like, you've got Rambo not signed and then you signed Jareth Stearns?
• 11:02
  Like, just, to me, it doesn't make much sense in the receiving core.
• 11:06
  Like I understand they paid a lot of money for Philpot, but they must have budgeted that in.
• 11:10
  They must have known.
• 11:11
  I like, I'm, I was just surprised at that signing.
• 11:14
  That one just didn't struck struck me as really that just weird, just weird.
• 11:20
  a wild rumor that because of what the money Dequay was going to get, they couldn't afford Mac.
• 11:27
  I don't think it's true.
• 11:29
  So Mac was on a four year contract and he got released after two.
• 11:35
  And actually he went on to Instagram to say how upset he was because he had moved his entire family to Montreal and he was committed to playing there and they were there all
• 11:45
  year round.
• 11:45
  And he's like, and now I'm being cut.
• 11:49
  And I just like CFL's business, capital B, but there's people and there's families involved too.
• 11:56
  that broke my heart that day listening to him, like reading him.
• 12:00
  Anyway, I hope he's doing I hope he's going to have a good time in Edmonton.
• 12:05
  Yeah, and actually this shows how hard it is to get all this information together.
• 12:09
  just realized, completely missed that one.
• 12:11
  He wasn't on the CFL tracker.
• 12:14
  And yeah, that would explain it.
• 12:18
  oh
• 12:19
  sick of the CFL teams releasing players right before bonuses being due.
• 12:24
  It's becoming a trend and it makes you look cheap.
• 12:28
  I s- I Not becoming a trend
• 12:31
  yeah, exactly.
• 12:32
  I was gonna say if you're just noticing it unfortunately It's been there for years and years and years and oh, yeah
• 12:40
  are players still- why are players having this as a part of their contract then if you know that they're just gonna cut you loose?
• 12:48
  Well, you're assuming, I guess, that you're going to do well enough they want to keep you.
• 12:52
  But, okay, well.
• 12:54
  Yeah, and I like I said, I forgot about the Mack one, which is big.
• 12:58
  Sterns, I don't know either, but it does occur to me.
• 13:03
  Maas was the his OC in Saskatchewan when he broke into the league.
• 13:08
  So maybe Maz sees something there he likes.
• 13:11
  Maybe, But I think going back to your point, MJ, the reason players sign and as Oldman said is they're betting on themselves that the contract's gonna pay off.
• 13:23
  in football, in both sides of the border, less so in the south of the border from what I understand because there's more guaranteed contracts now than there used to be.
• 13:32
  But certainly in the CFL, every contract's a bet on yourself because you can get cut at any moment.
• 13:40
  So you're betting on yourself every day you go out there.
• 13:43
  So, I, when I look at this, kind of figure.
• 13:47
  Maybe their most significant loss, when I look across it, all is maybe Letcher as their return guy.
• 13:55
  And they've let him go and brought Dedmon Do you figure an upgrade or straight across?
• 14:02
  How do you see it?
• 14:03
  I think both of them might be past their prime, so it's a, I think it's probably a trade-off more than anything.
• 14:10
  Yeah, yeah.
• 14:14
  I was surprised when I saw, I was surprised when I saw a Dedmon get signed there, because I posted, said, I thought Montreal just had found their new guide last year.
• 14:22
  Didn't they find somebody else at the end of the year out of nowhere that was all of sudden, and it wasn't Letcher, it was somebody else I thought that they found.
• 14:32
  they put the running back the sin for a while or ties.
• 14:36
  How have you say you
• 14:37
  kicks, but I thought...
• 14:37
  I don't think that's who it was.
• 14:39
  was somebody, you're right, was somebody else.
• 14:42
  so I was surprised.
• 14:44
  And then when I saw a Letcher signed somewhere, went, OK, so maybe that's the trade-off.
• 14:50
  And you still need somebody in camp for uh competition, I guess.
• 14:56
  See, I figure personally, Dedman is probably one of the top two in the league right now when he stays healthy.
• 15:04
  But he's had so much trouble staying on the field the last couple of years.
• 15:08
  But, yeah.
• 15:11
  you run the game with it, you pay a guy and you're worried you're going to get what out of the 18 games?
• 15:17
  How many do you actually get out of them?
• 15:19
  That's going to hurt your signing every time.
• 15:22
  Yep, exactly.
• 15:24
  You're best.
• 15:24
  I said, you know, just to follow up on what Ken was saying there, you know, the old saying, right?
• 15:29
  Your best of it, your best ability is availability.
• 15:32
  So.
• 15:33
  yes.
• 15:34
  But he is very good at pressing up close to the blockers on the returns and he's got the burst if the hole opens.
• 15:42
  So I thought that was a bit of an upgrade.
• 15:45
  Anything else worth talking about or do we move on to?
• 15:49
  I have two items.
• 15:54
  Okay, well, I guarantee you're not going to do one, but we'll see.
• 15:59
  They announced today that AC is going to take over play calling from Jason.
• 16:03
  So he's going to be legit offensive coordinator now.
• 16:06
  I didn't realize that...
• 16:08
  I knew he hit the title, I didn't realize Maas was still calling plays that.
• 16:12
  well I thought I also thought AC was calling the plays but no apparently it's been Jason this whole time and um AJ Gass is gonna I think he's doing linebacker coach there he was
• 16:21
  with the U of A Golden Bears coaching over there so and then most importantly you guys most importantly McLeod Bethel Thompson and Jeremiah Mazzoli are running a football camp
• 16:32
  in California together so maybe this is their new little business venture.
• 16:38
  Two old What's it called?
• 16:39
  Two old guys throw a ball.
• 16:41
  Maybe.
• 16:42
  uh
• 16:46
  you to stand out here about 15 yards out.
• 16:49
  We're going to show you how to throw a 40 yard pass to a 20 yard opener receiver.
• 16:52
  Just right over.
• 16:54
  Here's how you, here's how you try to run a boot, but you're too slow.
• 17:01
  uh
• 17:02
  both free agents and they've both been on Instagram pressing this camp hard.
• 17:08
  So yeah.
• 17:11
  I can, uh, actually I thought what you were going to talk about was, the, you know, the signing and the other signing that they made, which was, think pretty important.
• 17:18
  considering we just talked about, Thompson was, uh, Dustin crumb as the backup, signing him as a, as the backup.
• 17:25
  And that's, it's interesting.
• 17:27
  I read a bunch of stuff saying, he's the perfect quarterback.
• 17:29
  Cause he sees the same style as, as Davis Alexander.
• 17:33
  And I'm like, I don't see those guys the same at all.
• 17:35
  I don't see them as the same type of quarterback, but he's, you know, he's, he's played enough and you see him and he's going to be your second.
• 17:43
  He's, you know, he's going to be good enough to get you through a few games that they didn't have last year.
• 17:47
  It solves the rest of that carousel that they went through last year when they didn't have Alexander and he's going to be good.
• 17:53
  You're good at yardage.
• 17:54
  So it solves a lot of their problems.
• 17:56
  So I think that's a really good signing by, by Montreal.
• 17:59
  I do see kind of what they're saying about him matching Alexander's style in that Alexander will use his legs and get out of trouble when he wants to, but they're not,
• 18:10
  they're certainly not the same quarterback by any means, because Alexander's accuracy this year when he was playing was amazing.
• 18:17
  And that's where Crumb still just.
• 18:19
  doesn't seem to have it.
• 18:20
  Do think they're going to cut Caleb Evans loose and just use Crum for short yardage?
• 18:25
  Well, they haven't re-signed him at this point, so I'm pretty sure that Crum may be their short yardage guy and then is he the number two or do they have someone else they're going
• 18:35
  to use in there.
• 18:37
  Well, they didn't, I think they went through enough of those guys last year that, Dave was their short yardage guy and he wasn't bad other than the one that they needed.
• 18:51
  ah But, know, other than that, he did relatively well.
• 18:57
  So maybe they keep him around as short yardage and Crum is strictly number two, but I don't know why you would do that again.
• 19:04
  You might as well.
• 19:06
  Let Crum do both and then have a third guy as a developmental guy rather than Shay Patterson who you know what his top is and you've already reached it.
• 19:14
  So what's the point?
• 19:15
  can we sidebar for a second?
• 19:17
  Did you see Tommy Stevens and Farhan like get into it with Farhan about short yardage QBs?
• 19:24
  No.
• 19:25
  oh For one, this whole area in North Carolina, this is the Tommy Stevens fan club home of North Carolina.
• 19:34
  So there's a jersey in the closet right now.
• 19:39
  I'll go get it if I need to.
• 19:41
  Okay, well Tommy comes out on top here.
• 19:43
  So Farhan was talking about how like they're like, we shouldn't have short yardage QBs because it's taking away from development of like other quarterbacks.
• 19:52
  And I was just like, A, Ti cats don't use a quarterback for short.
• 19:57
  No one says you have to use a quarterback for short yardage.
• 20:00
  teams are choosing to, but that doesn't mean you need to.
• 20:03
  And Tommy Stevens was basically like, well, now I know how you feel about me.
• 20:08
  I am no time for you.
• 20:10
  Right, like.
• 20:12
  Yeah.
• 20:12
  Yeah.
• 20:14
  I have I have said for a while now, there's nobody better at that position at that thing that Tommy Stevens just as far as week in and week out.
• 20:22
  The number of times he'd go in to get a yard and rip off 35 for Calgary for years, know, just it's not just get the ball jump forward.
• 20:33
  And and when when Tommy has to come in and play traditional quarterback.
• 20:39
  He can go in there and play that position just as well.
• 20:42
  Yeah, he's not going to play it as well as like a VA or, you know, for Fajardo or any of those guys.
• 20:47
  But he's a very decent quarterback that can get you out of a pinch if you need him in there.
• 20:51
  You know, I I don't think someone like Tommy Stevens takes away from anybody.
• 20:56
  If anything, he's just another quarterback in the room.
• 20:59
  If you're carrying three, usually got your your number one guy, you got your number two guy who's kind of your development guy.
• 21:06
  And then your third down guy is just
• 21:08
  Its own thing and if you look at it as your own position Yeah, tommy's absolutely in the right on that 100
• 21:15
  yeah.
• 21:15
  And, and you're right.
• 21:17
  there is a definite art to that.
• 21:18
  remember back when Fagiardo first signed with the riders and he was the backup behind, um, Colaros before Colaros got hurt right away.
• 21:27
  But in that first game, when it still looked like Fagiardo was the backup and going to be their third string guy, the commentator, I think it was Souter talking about the fact that
• 21:36
  during the week, as they were doing their interviews, they asked him about.
• 21:41
  Was he happy with the third string?
• 21:42
  And he said he ended up giving him a half hour lesson on how you run third string.
• 21:47
  So it's, it's a lot more to it than just fall forward.
• 21:52
  And,
• 21:53
  Cody is starting QB now.
• 21:55
  Yeah.
• 21:56
  Well, he was from that game on because that was the game where Colaros got rocked out and he picked up the season and well, I guess he's been a backup for a while last year, but
• 22:06
  you can't knock him out.
• 22:07
  um
• 22:09
  think the knock on them is they're not being used and they're not being shown that they can actually throw the ball.
• 22:16
  If Tommy Stevens was given the opportunity to throw the ball, but he just isn't, or it hasn't been, and I don't think he ever will.
• 22:23
  Even Schreveler has never really been given a full opportunity to throw the ball.
• 22:27
  So those two guys are the leaders and the best two at it.
• 22:33
  they haven't proven that they can throw the ball accurately or at all when they needed can make throwing decisions to be a full on quarterback.
• 22:42
  So that's where the detriment comes from.
• 22:45
  But um if you had a guy like Fajardo that was at that time able to do both, then certainly that's not a detriment and that guy can be whatever you want him to be.
• 22:57
  That's why Tommy Stevens got why he went to when he put a thing out saying one of the reasons he wanted to go to the Riders was that he wanted a chance to show he could be a
• 23:07
  traditional quarterback.
• 23:08
  Obviously it didn't work out that way.
• 23:10
  He ended up in the exact same position it was in Calgary.
• 23:13
  But when he had put something online when he chose to go chose to leave the Stampeders he's like, I want a chance to show I'm I can do more than just this one thing.
• 23:24
  and you know the the times he you know especially preseason and stuff like that he was a very decent quarterback given the few reps he's been able to show but you're right he's
• 23:35
  one of those guys it's it's definitely a thing though because the number again the number of times i've seen him rip off what what needed to be a yard turned into 25 yards yeah
• 23:45
  absolutely yeah
• 23:47
  remember, of course.
• 23:49
  Yeah.
• 23:50
  are just going to become more of an elite position because of the way they're changing the rules.
• 23:55
  They're trying to make these coaches gamble more.
• 23:57
  So if you're going to gamble more, you're going to need more short yardage specialists.
• 24:02
  And again, you can't make it's up to coaches.
• 24:05
  You want to be mad.
• 24:06
  Don't be mad at the short yards QB.
• 24:08
  Be mad at the head coach and the OC that are making quarterbacks do short yardage.
• 24:13
  Right.
• 24:13
  But the other side of it though, is you can do, as you pointed out MJ, what Hamilton last year did for a while in BC where they put a running back in and let them do the short
• 24:24
  yardage.
• 24:25
  The advantage of having someone like a Stevens or a Strebler who has actually played quarterback is it keeps the sneak play or the trick play in play.
• 24:36
  There's always a chance he can drop back and they try and.
• 24:39
  pop somebody down the sidelines Whereas you're not going to try that with a David Mackie or...
• 24:45
  don't enjoy Leetre getting stood up five times in a row against the Argos in the goal line?
• 24:50
  Come on!
• 24:51
  Come on!
• 24:55
  Come on!
• 24:56
  They're gonna have to teach Litre to throw!
• 24:58
  I thought Littre was pretty darn good at the short yardage.
• 25:02
  But again, it's, there's no, there's no surprising what, you're not going to surprise anyone with him doing anything other than.
• 25:10
  Yes.
• 25:11
  And we got into, well, like this is what happens.
• 25:16
  And just uh to say, and you mentioned Shea Patterson, he's been, he hasn't been resigned either.
• 25:21
  No, no, they haven't signed anyone of their QBs.
• 25:24
  they had who played a couple of games last year.
• 25:27
  Can anyone think of that?
• 25:29
  was that guy?
• 25:30
  Is he still under contract?
• 25:32
  I'm...
• 25:34
  Yeah, he's not on the free agent list, so I'd have to see, but...
• 25:38
  on the free agent list and he is not one of them.
• 25:40
  Yeah, so, so I think their quarterback room at this point is him, Alexander and Crum
• 25:46
  Yeah.
• 25:46
  that's fine.
• 25:47
  Alexander's rehabbing that hammy properly then they should have no problem.
• 25:53
  I would hope so.
• 25:55
  Okay.
• 25:56
  I'm moving on because we're only one team and we got more to do.
• 26:01
  No, I'm well, old time rough riders Ottawa.
• 26:05
  I'm just going from east to west.
• 26:07
  So Ottawa had the most, I believe.
• 26:12
  No, Ottawa had the second most free agents available.
• 26:16
  They've got a lot of people they're not bringing back.
• 26:18
  There is a
• 26:20
  24 of them that they haven't resigned.
• 26:23
  And yeah, exactly.
• 26:25
  And most of what's there is not necessarily big name names.
• 26:30
  Braylon Addison, who hasn't got a sniff from anybody yet was kind of surprising, Kenny Onyeka who was with the red blacks at Canadian edge Russia went over to Hamilton.
• 26:39
  Adaris Pickett and Robert Priester both went back to Toronto.
• 26:43
  Deadman, like I said, and Crum went to Montreal.
• 26:47
  And who's the last one here that I should have but don't?
• 26:52
  So.
• 26:52
  Oh no, I see what it was.
• 26:54
  Yeah.
• 26:54
  So that, so that was basically about it.
• 26:56
  They, so only five of their.
• 27:00
  24 that they did not resign themselves got picked up anywhere.
• 27:05
  They did extend, another 10 of them.
• 27:07
  And again, not a lot of necessarily big names in there.
• 27:11
  Michael Wakefield is probably one of the biggest ones and, uh, Justin Hardy.
• 27:17
  They.
• 27:18
  Also picked up though, these guys were the most act.
• 27:23
  Yes, they were the most active in free agency.
• 27:25
  They signed two, four, six, eight, 10, 11 people so far.
• 27:31
  So from Hamilton, they got the running back Greg Bell and linebacker special teamer Brian Cole.
• 27:36
  The second, believe it is.
• 27:39
  Winnipeg.
• 27:39
  got DiMario Houston and Eric Lofton on as a tackle.
• 27:45
  They've,
• 27:45
  picked up four of them out of, the riders, AJ Allen, who is a very good Canadian linebacker.
• 27:52
  Havocut Baldanodo who is a concern to me that he's gone.
• 27:56
  He's a world player that did very well as an edge rusher for the riders.
• 28:00
  CJ Revis was the either Sam or safety and he's gone over and they picked up Jake Maier as their backup.
• 28:09
  So they also got from BC, Aiden Eberhart from Montreal, they picked up Dylan Wynn and Michael Mordryk, I believe it's pronounced, linebacker that I didn't really recognize the
• 28:20
  name, but they got him out of Edmonton.
• 28:23
  So there's where they're at.
• 28:26
  They're down a couple of linebackers and a couple of receivers, but they've picked up those.
• 28:34
  um Trevor Harris made a post on Instagram with the Ottawa Rough Riders thing and said just called like he's like just moved the team over.
• 28:42
  Hahaha
• 28:43
  Well, that's how was for the Stampeters for a long time too, where Toronto kind of became almost like Calgary East for a bit there.
• 28:49
  yeah.
• 28:50
  I thought it was interesting that both we talked about this with Pickett, I think last time around and now Priestner did the same thing that there two of their key defensive
• 28:59
  guys went back directly to the Argos after one year uh away from there and went back directly.
• 29:05
  And as soon as Dinwiddie came over, they left from Ottawa and they left from Toronto when he was there.
• 29:10
  So again, I wonder how much of that is, you know,
• 29:13
  Yeah, no, we're not playing for this guy.
• 29:15
  ah
• 29:17
  they were able to sign so many people because there is this quite this little carousel.
• 29:22
  Yeah, and it could go either way.
• 29:25
  yeah, again, it's money, right?
• 29:26
  And a lot of these guys are chasing the paycheck and good on them and they deserve the bag if they can get it, 100%.
• 29:32
  But as a lot of them find out, the grass isn't always greener and they will end up next year.
• 29:38
  And especially in these kinds of situations where there's these wholesale changes that the next year, like the team decides, yeah, no, we made those changes, we're gonna make more,
• 29:47
  check out the Elks again.
• 29:48
  They did it again this year.
• 29:50
  And you know, that's happened.
• 29:52
  And so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of these are one year deals or even two year deals with that bonus to be paid in the off season.
• 30:00
  are a lot like maybe four of these dozen guys won't be there next year.
• 30:07
  I'm really surprised they signed Jake Maier
• 30:08
  You what?
• 30:10
  but like I didn't think Ryan would be interested in him, I guess is what I was thinking.
• 30:15
  There's nobody else out there that could have stepped in and was your guaranteed starter that if you don't think Brown, if you're kind of like, okay, is Brown going to be the guy
• 30:28
  or not?
• 30:28
  We don't know.
• 30:29
  So we need somebody that can step in immediately.
• 30:31
  If three games in or six games in like Edmonton decided last year, he's not the guy.
• 30:37
  We need somebody that can step in just like Edmonton did last year.
• 30:40
  That's what Jake Maier is going to do.
• 30:42
  He's going to get you through this year if nothing else.
• 30:44
  and then you can make your decisions from there.
• 30:47
  You think they're going to resign Tyree?
• 30:49
  They have it at this point, which is a shame.
• 30:52
  I always thought he should have gotten a better shot at it.
• 30:55
  Yeah, but...
• 30:56
  The only thing I'm mad about, the only person I am upset about is that DiMero Houston got signed.
• 31:02
  So he reportedly signed with BC first and honestly this is my conspiracy theory but I think Nathan Rourke threw a fit.
• 31:10
  I think he threw a fit and they rescinded and he went over to Ottawa because Ryan clearly has no problem with guys like that.
• 31:18
  Yes, well, it's...
• 31:20
  oh
• 31:22
  That was gross.
• 31:23
  Everything else.
• 31:24
  Good job, Ottawa.
• 31:26
  I'm hoping you're doing great this year.
• 31:28
  like some of what they've done.
• 31:29
  Their, their defense should be, should definitely be better with some of the players that they brought in and mayor, like you said, GT yeah, he's, he's a seasoned the backup as
• 31:41
  you're going to get.
• 31:41
  Plus I think it was last week.
• 31:45
  I haven't listened to the three down guys cast yet this week, but I think last week they were talking about it and they pointed out that Dinwiddie.
• 31:52
  had left by the time Maier came to Calgary, but it was just the next year.
• 31:58
  So he would have been involved in the whole scouting process as they were looking at him and evaluating, did they want to bring him up So he's probably got a pretty good idea of,
• 32:06
  who he is.
• 32:07
  My, my biggest concern with, with, em with what's how it's all played out here is they had at best a middle of the road old line last year.
• 32:19
  that's where I was gonna go.
• 32:21
  in the league.
• 32:21
  Yeah.
• 32:22
  They brought in Greg Bell as a running back and gone away from Stanback still have Da Daniel, I don't know about boy, who I'm no, I'm not pronouncing that right.
• 32:30
  I also just heard out the way that it's being pronounced most by most people is wrong anyway, but he's a very good Canadian running back.
• 32:37
  So you could just, you could platoon the two of them there.
• 32:41
  But the only one that they've, that I've really seen that they've picked up on the old line is Eric Lofton who is not.
• 32:47
  Not a quality tackle in my opinion.
• 32:49
  nailed last year.
• 32:51
  Like he just was running for his life.
• 32:55
  Huh.
• 32:56
  Yeah.
• 32:57
  with everything that they did.
• 32:58
  was surprised.
• 32:59
  Well, not surprised even before the window that they that they didn't improve their offensive line or that they resigned the entire offensive line because it's not been a
• 33:10
  great offensive line.
• 33:11
  I don't know.
• 33:11
  Maybe didn't what he thinks.
• 33:12
  He's got a better offensive line coach.
• 33:14
  I don't remember who the new.
• 33:16
  in their staff if they brought somebody new in with Dinwiddie or if they kept the same guy or not.
• 33:21
  But certainly it hasn't been a position of strength over the last few years.
• 33:25
  that to me is the most outstanding weakness they're going to have now.
• 33:29
  So, and I mean, again, no one's talking about it yet, surprisingly enough, but you got to question how's your salary cap?
• 33:38
  It's not like you
• 33:40
  Yeah, I mean, like they paid, they must have paid those every one of those guys.
• 33:44
  you had already paid Gino Lewis, you'd already paid, you know, those offensive linemen, you'd already paid some other people.
• 33:50
  So I don't know how all of a sudden they're able to sign Greg Bell and, that's a big contract.
• 33:55
  I'm sure he got a decent raise.
• 33:57
  I'm sure that AJ Allen got the truck because he should have.
• 34:01
  If they, if he didn't get the truck, why would he have gone there?
• 34:04
  Um, you know, so yeah, it's like, yikes.
• 34:08
  I don't know where their salary cap is.
• 34:09
  And as we know, salary cap doesn't matter to the end of the year anyways, but nonetheless, it's just, it's something.
• 34:16
  If you're within a certain amount, maybe it's worth going over.
• 34:20
  Oh, it's always worth going over.
• 34:22
  100%.
• 34:23
  Like every team should be over
• 34:24
  the fine is not like a big deal.
• 34:28
  but, you're also a team though, that's going into two or three years with only half your seating capacity.
• 34:34
  So it's not like it's going to be a lot of revenues.
• 34:37
  they've got the pockets to do it, that's great.
• 34:39
  but what other choice do they have?
• 34:43
  Yeah, if they don't do anything, they're not even gonna need half their seating capacity, because they won't have that many people in the stands.
• 34:51
  And they didn't, they didn't resign the entire O line back again.
• 34:54
  Jacob Ruby hasn't been signed by anyone at this point.
• 34:57
  He may be back.
• 34:58
  there's a lot of these guys that may be back when they don't sign anywhere else, but.
• 35:03
  And their offensive line coach is Mike Gibson and he is back for another year.
• 35:07
  Yeah, okay.
• 35:09
  I don't even know who that is.
• 35:10
  Yep.
• 35:12
  All right.
• 35:17
  Welcome to the podcast.
• 35:19
  That's the kind of stuff I would normally throw out there.
• 35:23
  uh
• 35:29
  Okay, anything else for Ottawa before I take us ahead again?
• 35:35
  No.
• 35:35
  Okay.
• 35:35
  So we'll slide down to Southern Ontario with the Argonauts.
• 35:39
  there they had, what did I say here?
• 35:42
  21 in total 14 of them aren't coming back.
• 35:46
  Probably the biggest names are, Dijon Brissette and Winton McManus who just got released and then picked up by Hamilton and Brissette's gone to Calgary, which should make a couple
• 35:56
  of people happy here on this podcast.
• 35:58
  Everyone is happy here.
• 36:00
  Yes, he was, as long as he still keeps playing the way he did.
• 36:04
  He was my, uh, my sleeper on fantasy last year.
• 36:07
  got a lot of points from Brissette.
• 36:09
  And then, uh, but they don't, they're sitting out there unsigned by anybody yet.
• 36:13
  It's still DeVaris Daniels, Jenarian Grant, Anthony Lanier, Jamin Pelli.
• 36:20
  And they did,
• 36:21
  the barn.
• 36:21
  they resigned Pelley.
• 36:23
  Not from what I've got, what I saw on it, but again, I, I was putting the information together the best that I could.
• 36:31
  could be wrong on this.
• 36:33
  So, so there's no promises.
• 36:35
  as far as re-signing people, was mostly again, sort of backups.
• 36:39
  they did go with Darkangelo at Linebacker and I'm guessing that's why McManus got released.
• 36:46
  And then their, their pickups, they picked up, like I said,
• 36:48
  uh Darius Pickett and Robert Priester out of Ottawa.
• 36:52
  They got Deshaun Amos out of Hamilton and Jonathan Congbo, Deann out of Edmonton.
• 36:59
  Amos hurt guys, that hurt.
• 37:02
  So, who hurts them the most?
• 37:03
  Who helps them the most?
• 37:06
  I think it's a bit of a wash.
• 37:09
  I think again, Amos coming back helps their defense.
• 37:13
  Priester coming back a little bit of help, not tremendous.
• 37:16
  Pickett's a huge upgrade from what they had.
• 37:18
  Darkangelo is going to be fine at linebacker.
• 37:21
  He was quite good when he played last year, so I think he's going to be fine.
• 37:26
  know, Brisset's a loss because they lost Tommy Neal last year.
• 37:29
  So then to lose another Canadian receiver this year, that hurts them a bit.
• 37:36
  Yeah, I think it's a bit of a wash there in Toronto.
• 37:39
  I'm surprised the virus Daniels hasn't been signed anywhere or even really discussed for them.
• 37:43
  mean, he's older, but he can still catch.
• 37:47
  He's still, you know, he's still, he's one of those guys.
• 37:49
  I don't think you put him in for like.
• 37:51
  you know, every snap or anything like that.
• 37:53
  But he's a guy that would be a veteran, you know, in the locker room that can still go out there and get you yards and get your receptions.
• 37:59
  And the fact that he's not signed yet is a little shocking to me.
• 38:03
  Not not a huge shock.
• 38:04
  And again, he's getting a little older and all that.
• 38:06
  But still, I it's surprising that he hasn't really gotten a look.
• 38:10
  Yeah, well, he's coming off that big injury last year too, right?
• 38:13
  Where he only played a little bit, so maybe that's holding him back.
• 38:16
  He might be one of those guys that we see signed in as an emergency replacement in July or August type of thing.
• 38:22
  I wouldn't be surprised.
• 38:24
  he'll be playing this year.
• 38:25
  It's just who, who loses enough people quickly enough it's hard to say with Toronto because they lost a lot of people last year at the start of the year in free agency and.
• 38:36
  It just, they, they weren't the same team for a lot of different reasons.
• 38:39
  So with a, with a new coach and changes in the coaching staff with Kelly back Maybe, you know.
• 38:47
  Yeah, they're going to be a bit like Ottawa is going to take, like Edmonton was last year, it's to take a while for Ottawa to put all those pieces in place and get cohesion amongst
• 38:56
  all those 12 new guys and a new coaching staff and a new direction and all that good stuff.
• 39:02
  In Toronto, it'll be the same, but it'll be more of a, what's the word I'm looking for?
• 39:08
  You just don't know which way it's going to go in Toronto.
• 39:10
  Whereas as Ottawa, you expect it to happen at some point.
• 39:13
  given the players.
• 39:15
  there's a lot more variables going on in Toronto than in Ottawa right now.
• 39:20
  the unknown unknowns as they say.
• 39:22
  All right.
• 39:24
  And then, well, I guess unless there's anything else to talk about the Argos, we'll jump over to Hamilton who they obviously had a good team last year because they were the ones
• 39:34
  that had the most players signed away from them.
• 39:37
  They lost a total of 10 players to other teams.
• 39:41
  They, John Amos.
• 39:43
  Wow.
• 39:45
  Yeah.
• 39:45
  DeShawn Amos went to Toronto.
• 39:48
  Greg Bell went to Ottawa.
• 39:50
  Brandon Bordner went to Hamilton or to Edmonton.
• 39:54
  Brian Cole went to Ottawa.
• 39:56
  Jonathan Moxie, Winnipeg.
• 39:58
  Jordan Murray, Brandon O'Leary Orange and Taylor Powell all went to Edmonton.
• 40:03
  So Powell will be the new backup in Edmonton.
• 40:06
  And then they lost, Isaiah Wooden to the, to the NFL.
• 40:10
  Mm.
• 40:10
  there was quite a bit there.
• 40:12
  They did sign or resign a bunch of play resigned.
• 40:15
  They've got a huge quarterback room because they, picked up Ford, but they've still also got Dalagalla and Harrison Frost and bow, of course.
• 40:24
  And, they resigned Stavros Casantones is a big name on there.
• 40:28
  Brandon Revenberg, one of the names that I was surprised that they aren't at least at this point, looking at bringing back is, Colter Woodmansey who I thought was.
• 40:38
  a fairly good lineman, but he's unsigned by anybody right now.
• 40:43
  And as far as, did they, well again, I couldn't find that.
• 40:47
  all an Emmenten.
• 40:48
  thought he signed in Edmonton.
• 40:49
  I might be wrong, but that's, think, yeah.
• 40:51
  Yeah.
• 40:52
  I couldn't find anything saying he was signed anywhere.
• 40:55
  Maybe that's how I should start phrasing this.
• 40:57
  Yeah, sometimes.
• 40:59
  Yeah, don't forget this.
• 41:03
  This is the same CFL last year that they during their draft, their live draft tracker crashed and anybody to accommodate it works anyway.
• 41:12
  But so they have picked up, they picked up Wynton McManus.
• 41:16
  Once Toronto released him, which will be very good for them because of course they have, that's the other name that didn't pop up in there and I should have thought of it.
• 41:26
  they're rookie linebacker.
• 41:28
  Her suck, Verashuk That's it.
• 41:31
  Yeah.
• 41:31
  So that'll be a good replacement there.
• 41:33
  got Chris Koski as lineman out of Winnipeg and okay.
• 41:37
  Did I?
• 41:38
  Yeah.
• 41:38
  Kenny on Yaka went to them.
• 41:39
  Yes.
• 41:40
  And Tyson middle most and Trey Ford came over from Edmonton.
• 41:44
  Looks like what I have there.
• 41:45
  Yeah.
• 41:46
  Actually, I have Eric Lofton playing in two places.
• 41:50
  what one of those must be wrong.
• 41:52
  I will have to double check that.
• 41:54
  You know, it doesn't matter that the Ti cats can't field a team right now because they have Trey Ford and Witton McManus and everything is fine.
• 42:04
  Yes.
• 42:04
  Witten McManus the day they released the Argos, was like think the day the Argos the CFL on Instagram they posted that Witten and as soon as did that Jamal Peters come over to
• 42:15
  Hamilton, Stavros Kastotonis, oh hey just like keep going and then like a couple of the coaches and a couple other players are all posting like hey Witten and then you know just
• 42:27
  a little while later he's signed in Hamilton so
• 42:30
  well, nice thing about that is you probably don't have to move your home.
• 42:36
  Just like commute just commute.
• 42:38
  It's fine.
• 42:39
  Just like hit the QET of you.
• 42:41
  You're gonna hit your new town and then It's Tre day guys.
• 42:46
  I I thought he was going to Calgary.
• 42:49
  I was sure of it Thought he was for sure.
• 42:54
  I honestly yeah
• 42:55
  felt like the ideal place for him.
• 42:58
  I mean, behind a VA who's a similar style quarterback, you know.
• 43:04
  You know, I don't like to use the phrase running quarterback because that makes you feel more like like Navy's football team where they run the ball and the quarterback happens to
• 43:13
  throw it once in a while.
• 43:14
  But like a more mobile guy that's going to get himself out of situations, which all that's all Trayford has been able to do in Edmonton is run away from It's horrific, offensive
• 43:24
  line.
• 43:25
  And anytime he's been in there.
• 43:26
  And so it felt like being able to be behind VA for a season, see, you know, kind of get the feel for all that and then be
• 43:34
  be able to fill in when VA inevitably forgets to slide and dives head first and is out for three games.
• 43:40
  You know, it would have been a perfect spot for him as far.
• 43:43
  But if Bo calls, you answer Bo's call.
• 43:46
  You know, you can't.
• 43:47
  wasn't even a team that talked to him though.
• 43:49
  He said it was like Vancouver, like well, BC, Montreal and Hamilton.
• 43:56
  No, that's who he said he was most interested in.
• 44:00
  He said more teams had reached out to him.
• 44:02
  So we don't know that.
• 44:04
  But he definitely brought those three teams up as his priorities.
• 44:08
  Yeah, that quarterback room is big, but he and Bo are quite good friends.
• 44:16
  If you guys watch the video where they do their little ride along interview, it's like when they kind of first met and it's the most awkward video ever and it's the best.
• 44:25
  It's so amazing.
• 44:26
  They're both like awkwardly like being fed these questions they ask each other and it's like so stilted.
• 44:31
  Anyway, it's hilarious.
• 44:34
  They've been reposting it since.
• 44:36
  But apparently they become quite good friends and I mean you're if you're gonna pick between Rourke Alexander and Bo I mean your best shot at playing in the next four years is
• 44:48
  with Bo
• 44:49
  Yeah, exactly.
• 44:50
  Yes.
• 44:50
  It's probably a good choice.
• 44:53
  Plus that's basically his hometown, isn't it?
• 44:55
  Because his family's Southern Ontario.
• 44:57
  He played Waterloo.
• 44:59
  Yeah.
• 44:59
  He said his wife, like, I mean, his wife's family is also from around there.
• 45:03
  So I think for family wise, again, this isn't just business, right?
• 45:07
  This is family.
• 45:07
  And sometimes that is a big decision as well.
• 45:12
  And then he can, you know, just run his.
• 45:14
  all have Thanksgiving dinner.
• 45:16
  Yeah, you're gonna be treated well, but you're not gonna win a Grey Cup.
• 45:20
  It's fine.
• 45:23
  Yeah, poor Tyrell.
• 45:24
  Sorry, Tyrell.
• 45:28
  Yeah.
• 45:31
  But I honestly, I really hope that he is gonna have a good time in Hamilton.
• 45:38
  Every Tycat fan I talk to is really excited about this, and every Elks fan I've talked to is really upset about this.
• 45:45
  and they are all upset about how he was treated in Edmonton and are really sad he's gone but happy for him.
• 45:52
  were they more upset that they weren't gonna get to watch him sit on the bench inexplicably for a long time and then get put out in really bad situation?
• 46:00
  I mean, that was...
• 46:01
  Coming from someone who is not an Elks fan, it was very enjoyable watching them just screw with this poor guy for years and not know what to do with what was clearly their better
• 46:12
  quarterback.
• 46:13
  Like they had a young dude who maybe wasn't as great as polished but the upside is way up here.
• 46:18
  And like, yeah, we're just going to take whoever we happen to find and throw them in front and not really give them the reps and not really like they took what was otherwise.
• 46:28
  They killed three years from that for two or three years.
• 46:30
  yeah.
• 46:31
  absolutely ruined it.
• 46:33
  Well, they went into his rookie season starting Taylor Cornelius ahead of him.
• 46:37
  Then they brought in McCloud Bethel Thompson and started him ahead of him.
• 46:40
  know, it's just, I someday I'd love to hear the real story about what all happened there because there's so many rumors about sort of them, him and the, team and all the rest of
• 46:52
  it.
• 46:52
  The three down guys were trying to get him to spill some tea about Chris Jones and he was being very diplomatic.
• 46:58
  If McLeod Bethel Thompson is ever your answer, you're asking a really bad question.
• 47:03
  Yeah.
• 47:04
  that is true as Montreal found out this last year going back there, but hey, we've got good news sort of on the Keaton-Brugelling front because, what is it, Brennan
• 47:20
  O'Leary-Orange, who was ahead of him on the depth chart for Canadian receivers has now gone off to Edmonton.
• 47:27
  So he's resigned.
• 47:30
  yeah, sure.
• 47:33
  a lot more targets.
• 47:34
  I mean, was perfect on the season.
• 47:37
  from what I've been told, from what I've heard about him, you know, it's hard to tell always on the TV as it were, but I understand he's extremely good special teamer.
• 47:46
  So he's contributing that way anyway.
• 47:49
  And if he can start getting more on the offense, so much of the better.
• 47:53
  Well, O-Leary Orange is another guy who probably should have got more thrown his way and he didn't, so he might have an opportunity to kind of do well.
• 48:01
  I know everyone, seems like the receiving corps in Hamilton is decimated, but they have Smith, Keandre Smith still.
• 48:07
  They have Kenny Lawler, so I think they're probably gonna try and re-sign Shemar Bridges.
• 48:12
  That hasn't happened yet, but I can see that happening.
• 48:14
  So it's not complete wash there, but.
• 48:18
  And then um Bo is very excited.
• 48:20
  He posted about this.
• 48:21
  He's very excited that Quentin Barrow was re-signed on the O line.
• 48:25
  So he's really excited about him.
• 48:28
  things aren't a complete disaster.
• 48:30
  They just kind of feel like it with a little flash of two big signings that are kind of overshadowing some things that need to be filled in.
• 48:40
  Like we...
• 48:40
  that both social media is very much like fanboying the guys that are signing.
• 48:45
  Like he's just like, yeah, we signed so and so.
• 48:48
  I'm like, man, that's nice.
• 48:49
  Like he's a, yeah.
• 48:52
  Yeah.
• 48:52
  Well, talking O'Leary Orange, I say he had two, he didn't get a lot of time and a lot of targets last year.
• 48:58
  I say he had two touchdowns.
• 49:00
  The official record says he has one, but I figure he should get credit for that one that Robert Carter Jr.
• 49:06
  took away from him in BC because nothing as a receiver he could have done any better.
• 49:12
  And he has to watch it all the time!
• 49:15
  Constant replay of him getting picked.
• 49:18
  Yes, and it's beautiful as he's looking back, he's like, where did you go?
• 49:23
  no, oh poor breath.
• 49:26
  well, anything more for Hamilton?
• 49:29
  MJ, you're the expert here for the tiger cat, anything before we go on?
• 49:33
  the fandom, despite what other people say about Tim White, we are happy he's out of town.
• 49:39
  Yes.
• 49:39
  we'll, we'll speaking of which we're going on to Winnipeg.
• 49:47
  Yes.
• 49:48
  Yeah.
• 49:48
  They, interesting, interesting stuff going on in Winnipeg.
• 49:53
  had, what did I have here for numbers?
• 49:55
  32 free agents and they aren't bringing back 14 of them.
• 50:01
  So some big names gone there.
• 50:03
  said, Kalinkowski and Eric Lofton, DiMera, Houston, of course, went off to Ottawa.
• 50:08
  A Stearns went to Montreal, James Vaugetters went to Saskatchewan.
• 50:11
  We'll talk about that more with the riders.
• 50:15
  But other than that, Dalton Shown, they haven't resigned and Kerrick Wheatwell, so a couple of receivers.
• 50:20
  They did resign the second or yeah, extend the second most players of any team.
• 50:26
  They had 17 of them.
• 50:27
  So I won't run through them all, but they're basically.
• 50:31
  The jest of their team.
• 50:32
  They've got a lot of backups there, a lot of special teamers, and then they're bringing back some of the old guys.
• 50:37
  They brought back Stanley Bryant and Willie Jefferson for one more try.
• 50:41
  They brought their punter back and they have picked up Jonathan Moxey and Tim White from Hamilton.
• 50:49
  So that's either side of the passing game.
• 50:52
  Tommy Neal, who I really hated to see the riders lose.
• 50:55
  I think he'll do well there.
• 50:57
  They brought Jake Ceresne in for the D line from Edmonton.
• 51:01
  and Jarell Brockston from BC now.
• 51:05
  I'm sure Brockston played left tackle.
• 51:09
  So can he switch?
• 51:10
  Do you switch them?
• 51:11
  Does Bryant move over to right tackle now?
• 51:13
  Cause that's where they've struggled since Hardrick left.
• 51:16
  Now they'll flip one of them for sure.
• 51:18
  I was surprised just to me, it seemed a little out of the ordinary, at least in the last few years for Winnipeg to be this active.
• 51:26
  They don't in my, it maybe, I don't know, it just seemed to me that they haven't been this active for quite a while.
• 51:33
  they, know, considering it's the year after a home Grey Cup it's a little surprising that they decided to go for it.
• 51:39
  But they made, I thought most of the moves they made were pretty.
• 51:42
  pretty good moves.
• 51:44
  And I thought they improved in a lot of areas they needed to improve in.
• 51:48
  So I think they did okay.
• 51:50
  I think they're gonna be, you know, not necessarily the force again at the top, but they're still gonna be in the hunt.
• 51:59
  it'll probably come down to again is can Zack play and how well can he play?
• 52:04
  they were fourth place this year, but they, then they had some really terrible games, but they had some not bad ones too.
• 52:10
  They, they still have the core of stuff there.
• 52:12
  I, I didn't mention Jake Thomas retired from the D line.
• 52:17
  Ceresna will definitely be an upgrade there, but other than that, they're still coming back with a lot of people who are fairly long in the
• 52:24
  tooth.
• 52:24
  I'd like to see what the average age is.
• 52:26
  I expect they may be the average, the oldest team on average in the CFL right now.
• 52:31
  Yeah, probably.
• 52:32
  I um, joked if...
• 52:35
  I just want to know if the...
• 52:37
  they do know that Tommy Condell is the OC, right, when they signed.
• 52:41
  Like, you were aware.
• 52:44
  Yes, I'm very much aware and very happy, gotta say, but...
• 52:48
  but we'll see.
• 52:49
  you knew, you knew Tommy was the OC of when you signed.
• 52:53
  uh
• 52:54
  exactly.
• 52:55
  Mr.
• 52:56
  Olivera.
• 52:57
  Yeah, I'm wondering if he's gonna use Tim White like he tried to use Brandon Banks.
• 53:02
  I have a feeling he is because he, worked with white when he was in Hamilton.
• 53:07
  think that that's probably it.
• 53:09
  And you know, I, again, I'm not, I don't know what they're going to be paying him.
• 53:13
  I'm sure it's nowhere near the, the 300 he wanted last year I'm willing.
• 53:18
  I'm perfectly willing again, being the, the rider guy, lot of my focus is Winnipeg and I'm perfectly willing to have them
• 53:26
  put Tim White in there and have him catch 120 yards on six passes because when they finally get them open the end zone, it'll be bye.
• 53:34
  It's gonna hit him in the numbers and drop.
• 53:37
  Yup!
• 53:37
  Maybe I'm being too nasty.
• 53:39
  He did say apparently in his press conference in Winnipeg He did say that he knows he's been struggling with catching the ball and he's been working on it and feels like he
• 53:48
  improved somewhat last year and we'll keep working on it.
• 53:50
  So
• 53:51
  Last year was an improvement?
• 53:53
  no.
• 53:54
  dear.
• 53:55
  Yeah.
• 53:56
  no.
• 53:57
  Good luck, Winnipeg.
• 53:59
  That takes us over to the riders and they did have the highest number of free agents and lost a lot of good people.
• 54:06
  They, 21 of them they're not bringing back and of those eight signed elsewhere.
• 54:12
  And we've covered most of them already.
• 54:14
  AJ Allen, Habakak Maldonado and CJ Rivas to Ottawa.
• 54:19
  Malik Carney and Joe Robustelli to Edmonton, Tommy Neal to Winnipeg.
• 54:26
  and Jake Maier to Ottawa as well.
• 54:27
  So a total of eight people gone from there.
• 54:31
  The other noticeable, notable ones I thought that they didn't resign are, um, their long snapper, Jorgon Hus I can't even say it who's been there forever.
• 54:41
  And I didn't know they even had another one in the pipeline.
• 54:45
  So there's that and then, where was the other one?
• 54:48
  Oh, the fact that they've released Brett Lauther there and they're going to be going with a new, some new kick next year.
• 54:55
  And of course they lost Don Donde Myers to the NFL.
• 54:58
  But of their, what was it here?
• 55:01
  45 free agents.
• 55:03
  They did extend and bring back 27 of them.
• 55:06
  So it's going to be largely the same sort of team that we saw last year with some of those exceptions that are out there.
• 55:12
  And they've been very quiet.
• 55:14
  w the second least signings at all.
• 55:16
  They brought in James Letcher in as a returner and Mario Alfred isn't signed anywhere.
• 55:23
  They brought in Josh Woods just in the last day or so from BC at linebacker and James Vodders out of Winnipeg.
• 55:31
  the big question, that's the part that worries me the most.
• 55:34
  The rest of them, where they've lost big name people, AJ Allen is a
• 55:41
  hell of a Canadian linebacker, but they do have a couple of good Canadian linebackers from the last two drafts.
• 55:47
  And I can see them filling that in.
• 55:49
  Okay.
• 55:50
  CJ Revis was very good, but by the end of the season, they'd moved him back to safety and, Brooks, think it was, or was Miller that anyway, was, starting in there.
• 56:01
  So those ones aren't bad, but they're D ends They haven't brought back Shane Ray.
• 56:05
  They've lost Carney and they've lost Baldonado.
• 56:08
  So.
• 56:10
  Hopefully they've got some American kids that they're high on.
• 56:14
  And if they're looking at Vaughters to replace Kearney, I think, I don't think they're comparable players.
• 56:23
  My opinion.
• 56:24
  no, no, think that proved it in Winnipeg last year where he just ended the end of his tenure in Calgary where he just wasn't the same player that he had been before he left,
• 56:35
  went south and then came back and was hot as hell when he originally came back to the Stampeders and then got the injury and just never seemed to recover after that when he
• 56:43
  came back from that.
• 56:45
  I think Saskatchewan's big thing last year.
• 56:47
  was the depth that they had at every position.
• 56:50
  And I think that's what they will, they still have good players.
• 56:53
  And I think there are still a top-notch team, but the depth is gonna be tested if they have any injuries, right?
• 56:59
  From quarterback on down, because now you've thrown all your weight into the kid behind Harris.
• 57:07
  And if Harris gets injured this year, you don't have Jake Maier or you're relying on Tommy Stevens and go show us that you can throw the ball.
• 57:16
  So it's going to be, yeah, it's Jack Cohn the quarter, right?
• 57:21
  So yeah, I mean, maybe he's gonna be that good.
• 57:24
  Maybe he is the next Davis Alexander that's just been developing in the pipeline, but we don't know that yet.
• 57:29
  And there's a lot of that same type of thing in a lot of positions.
• 57:34
  whereas last year you just felt like it didn't matter.
• 57:37
  The guy gets injured, they got another guy behind him.
• 57:39
  This year, I wouldn't necessarily say that's the case.
• 57:42
  And if they run into injuries, they could fall, they could get into some trouble is how basically I see the riders.
• 57:49
  I agree with you on that.
• 57:50
  We will see.
• 57:52
  did, like I said, they do have players that are stepping up, but who's behind them some more and, and not to beat a dead horse, but again, it's the, it's that D line.
• 58:01
  Cause come to think of it, the other thing I didn't mention is, Micah Johnson retired and became the D line coach.
• 58:07
  They finally resigned Mike Rose just pretty much either as, or just after the negotiation window opened, but.
• 58:16
  But yeah, so you're down three D ends and your best defensive tackle.
• 58:21
  It's that's, that's a rebuilding program there for as far as that, that line group goes in my opinion.
• 58:29
  and, sorry, what was the number that you said at the beginning of how many, how many free agents they have?
• 58:34
  Then they have the most in the league.
• 58:37
  At 45 of them, they extended 22 of them.
• 58:43
  had 45 free agents.
• 58:46
  thought there was a, yeah, basically that's your entire team.
• 58:50
  That's not good management.
• 58:52
  I mean, I was thinking about this and I'm not sure how I would, but there's gotta be a better way.
• 59:01
  If the CFL wants to cure this, they've gotta have this whole turnover of players every year.
• 59:08
  players always are gonna move in every league, but you've gotta be able to like stagger your contracts, sign guys to one year now and then another guy to two years and another
• 59:20
  guy to three years so that you you're starting to, don't allow these players to get into year on year, and then don't cut them on a bonus or figure it out somehow.
• 59:31
  But if you're gonna go in with 45 guys that you know are all gonna be,
• 59:36
  free agents at the end of the year.
• 59:37
  To me, that's just not good management.
• 59:39
  Sorry, that's not.
• 59:41
  Yeah, it is questionable.
• 59:43
  I will say this when you look at it, part of it comes from the amount of depth they have because a lot of the people that they're letting, letting go that they're, that they
• 59:53
  either haven't resigned or couldn't resign are ones that they'd brought in the year before and didn't work out.
• 1:00:01
  had Sean McEwen, they had, uh, Philip Gagnon both brought in last year.
• 1:00:05
  McEwen missed the whole season.
• 1:00:07
  Gagnon missed a big chunk of it.
• 1:00:10
  Um, Sean Bain Jr.
• 1:00:12
  Who got hurt a year and a half ago and they didn't really use them last year, like that Shane Ray, who they did bring in as a, on a one year thing last year, but he's getting
• 1:00:19
  older.
• 1:00:20
  So there's, there's a lot of, of that involved too.
• 1:00:24
  if they hadn't had so many injuries last year, they wouldn't have had as many people on the roster at this point.
• 1:00:31
  But it doesn't, it doesn't take away from what you said.
• 1:00:33
  It is.
• 1:00:34
  That's an awful lot of people to.
• 1:00:36
  to have to be trying to negotiate with.
• 1:00:38
  Yeah, and I'm not picking on them in this case.
• 1:00:41
  I'm just saying as an example, it just shows you.
• 1:00:43
  that to me is, it could be the set, it doesn't matter which team it is.
• 1:00:48
  I think that GMs across the league just have to do a better job so they don't put their teams in this kind of position.
• 1:00:56
  Yeah.
• 1:00:57
  I mean, they were the highest at 45, but Edmonton was the lowest and had 19 and the rest were all somewhere in between there, mostly in the 20, well, mostly in the thirties
• 1:01:07
  actually.
• 1:01:08
  So there's a lot.
• 1:01:09
  Yeah.
• 1:01:10
  It's, it's something the league has to figure out a way to keep people on teams longer and let the fanship develop that, that relationship with them.
• 1:01:19
  I agree completely.
• 1:01:20
  yeah, I guess the only other thing just looking at the list here, the only other one of it all that I hope that they're looking at who they've still got left that they do resign is,
• 1:01:31
  Trayvon Tate because he was a, good depth piece on the O line last year.
• 1:01:36
  But anything else?
• 1:01:39
  Okay.
• 1:01:39
  We're going North to Edmonton then Edmonton at the fewest free agents.
• 1:01:43
  had 19.
• 1:01:45
  Let's see, they managed to.
• 1:01:47
  Resign or extend five of them.
• 1:01:49
  They had 13 that won't be back this year.
• 1:01:52
  And five of them were, have gone to other teams.
• 1:01:56
  the Michelle border, Rick, I think it's pronounced as the linebacker that went off to, Ottawa.
• 1:02:01
  Devon, Rick Bynum, who I think was a DB.
• 1:02:04
  I didn't even recognize the name, but he's gone down the road to Calgary for you guys.
• 1:02:08
  uh
• 1:02:11
  Yep.
• 1:02:11
  Rezna went to Winnipeg, Johnathon Knogbo went to Toronto and Middlemost and Trey Ford, course, went off to Hamilton.
• 1:02:22
  And then as far as pickups, they, yeah, it's the, uh, it's the Edmonton Tigercats because they got people back from them.
• 1:02:31
  got Jordan Murray, Taylor Powell, Brandon Bordner and Brandon O'Leary, Orange Hall from Hamilton.
• 1:02:37
  And then Malik Carney and Joe Robustelli from.
• 1:02:40
  Saskatchewan.
• 1:02:42
  The Taylor Powell was actually pretty surprising.
• 1:02:45
  So clearly Scott and Co.
• 1:02:48
  don't think he's the guy.
• 1:02:50
  So interesting that he went over to Edmonton.
• 1:02:53
  So we'll see.
• 1:02:53
  Because I don't even think he took, didn't even take a snap last year.
• 1:02:57
  Like I don't even.
• 1:02:58
  in late in like the mop up for two or three minutes in a game or two.
• 1:03:04
  I think that I remember, I think there was a game that Bo got rocked a couple of times and with about five minutes left, they had a good lead and they put.
• 1:03:12
  like he was the guy he's the guy that got Bo got benched for a couple years ago and now he's he's out of town
• 1:03:21
  Yeah.
• 1:03:21
  And again, I'd wonder, I wonder if it's, if it's a little bit of money and a little bit of opportunity.
• 1:03:26
  mean, again, he, he may feel like Cody is more likely to go down or get injured Cody's talked about retirement more than Bo has Bo just signed in two year deal.
• 1:03:37
  Cody was talking about not even playing this year.
• 1:03:39
  So maybe.
• 1:03:40
  Yeah.
• 1:03:42
  So, so he might, so he might've just felt like this was a better opportunity to have a team.
• 1:03:48
  You know, in two years and what's his name?
• 1:03:50
  The JGM there was, was with them in Hamilton.
• 1:03:54
  So they know each other.
• 1:03:55
  Right.
• 1:03:55
  So that Hervey.
• 1:03:57
  Yeah.
• 1:03:59
  Yeah.
• 1:04:01
  Yeah.
• 1:04:02
  And yeah, and the thing is there's a possibility that he might've been the best quarterback on the market this year.
• 1:04:09
  Maier gets more, gets more points or, or gets more noticed because he started as much as he has, but he's also got a, showing that he's got a definite ceiling in both Calgary and
• 1:04:22
  Saskatchewan now.
• 1:04:24
  So.
• 1:04:24
  Powell could have a huge upside.
• 1:04:26
  Yep.
• 1:04:27
  Exactly.
• 1:04:28
  Yeah.
• 1:04:30
  Or you could be another Casey Printers you never know.
• 1:04:34
  can't have another bad year.
• 1:04:36
  No, no.
• 1:04:37
  And interestingly enough, they've, know, a lot of the people they brought in last year are not coming back again.
• 1:04:46
  You know, Gregor McCeller is they haven't brought back the one outside the ones that they lost like uh Ceresna and they're not bringing, they, at this point, they haven't resigned
• 1:04:55
  Dunbar or curly Gittins Jr.
• 1:04:58
  That doesn't matter.
• 1:04:59
  Arkel Smith.
• 1:04:59
  they're, they're looking at replacing basically their whole, very close to their whole receiving core.
• 1:05:06
  And so far, what do I see here?
• 1:05:10
  They brought in Brandon o'Leary Ornage and Joe Robustelli, who again has a lot, could have a lot of upside, but hasn't had a lot of chance to prove it.
• 1:05:18
  And when they put him into the, uh, into Keishon Johnson's spot in Saskatchewan, when Johnson was injured, he.
• 1:05:26
  He made a few nice sketches, but he was nowhere near as productive as you would hope.
• 1:05:30
  Yeah, so their big star number one, I mean, their big star guy is going to be Austin Mack.
• 1:05:37
  And if he's not injured, but I still maintain they need at least one more big guy, big name guy to come in.
• 1:05:46
  mean, Roba Steli might be that guy, but.
• 1:05:48
  Yeah.
• 1:05:50
  And the thing with Mack is he played with Fijardo in Montreal when he had his great season and his numbers were fantastic.
• 1:05:59
  But to me, they were, it felt like, it felt almost like invisible numbers.
• 1:06:06
  You know, everybody was talking about how well he was doing and look at all, all this and obviously the stats were there to back it up, but watching him in the games, he didn't.
• 1:06:17
  Seemed to, he made some very good plays, but he didn't seem to have the impact I would have expected from what they were talking about for, the numbers he was putting up there
• 1:06:25
  and how much they were supposedly leaning on him.
• 1:06:29
  Maybe that's just me, but it's also more than a year ago.
• 1:06:32
  So, you know, I'm lucky if I can remember any of it.
• 1:06:36
  Yeah, no, they, and they obviously, they must feel like those guys that they brought in late last year are gonna develop again a little further along the line, because they did
• 1:06:45
  bring in a couple of guys late last year.
• 1:06:47
  Edmonton, as I said earlier, when you sign all those free agents, you tend to churn them at the same time, you know, for the next year or two, and then a few of them stick and
• 1:06:56
  become core, but a lot of them are churned,
• 1:06:58
  Yeah.
• 1:06:59
  Well, and if you look at it, they, they basically, they only extended five players.
• 1:07:06
  So it wasn't, it wasn't all that much for it.
• 1:07:10
  I will see where, where they go.
• 1:07:12
  That takes us down to, I guess the part that half the podcast has been waiting for the, the Stampeders um
• 1:07:19
  So they had 27 free agents.
• 1:07:21
  They are saying goodbye to 16 of them.
• 1:07:24
  Nobody else from the team, no one that they've left unsigned has been picked up in the CFL.
• 1:07:29
  But of course they lost Hutchinson's and Roberts down to the NFL.
• 1:07:32
  And other than that, the names don't surprise me that much.
• 1:07:36
  They brought in Lorenzo Malden at the end of last year.
• 1:07:39
  He didn't pan out.
• 1:07:41
  They're not, haven't resigned Dominic Ryhmes and Kyle Wilson at linebacker.
• 1:07:45
  But other than that, there's not a lot that I was seeing that looks to me like it's going to hurt them.
• 1:07:50
  They did extend a good number of players here.
• 1:07:55
  10 of them that they Clarence Hicks, Eric Brooks, people that were starting to really show up last year.
• 1:08:01
  Thomas Jack Kordula on the line there.
• 1:08:03
  else?
• 1:08:04
  Marquel Lee the linebacker who looked very good in the start of the season.
• 1:08:07
  Diedrich Mills, Derek Moncrief and Jod Vrijeñeca who picked up at the corner last year when once they had green go down and played quite well.
• 1:08:16
  So.
• 1:08:17
  Yeah, they lost the two sort of two big people on the front end of that defense, but otherwise they're looking quite good.
• 1:08:23
  And as far as who they brought in, like I said, Devadriq Bynum from Edmonton and then, Dejaun Brissette and Dante McMahon, Mack Mahone from Toronto.
• 1:08:34
  at Mac, yeah.
• 1:08:36
  really, I don't, you know, just I'm looking at the list right now of like everyone that's resigned and all that and the people that kind of gone not resigned.
• 1:08:43
  I'm not gonna say no one's gonna be not missed per se.
• 1:08:47
  But I feel like they really by and large hit short of Malik Henry, maybe like everyone else kind of you'll look at me Logan Bonner, I guess, yeah, kind of as a third stringer or
• 1:09:00
  whatever, maybe.
• 1:09:02
  But you know, the
• 1:09:03
  Resign Clark Barnes.
• 1:09:04
  just kind of write down the list anyone you kind of expected them to resign to keep A core of what was generally a very good team.
• 1:09:12
  They kept most everybody You know, I I don't see a whole lot of names that are I'm I don't see Gary Johnson jr.
• 1:09:19
  Leaving being a problem, you know, you know those the guys that are going I don't Generally see as a problem
• 1:09:26
  really last year's team was.
• 1:09:27
  VA remembering how to slide away from being a very good playoff team that had a shot at maybe winning the championship, but if we could just remind him to stop diving headfirst
• 1:09:38
  and everything, maybe things go a little better.
• 1:09:41
  You know, I mean, he's always going to have that bit of a gunslinger mentality, so you need a couple of guys that can go up and get a ball, but.
• 1:09:48
  You know, I looking at who they've resigned they resigned all the guys they needed to resign, you know
• 1:09:54
  rhymes, do think?
• 1:09:55
  Yeah.
• 1:09:56
  Rhymes is the only guy that I think is the most obvious on that list that probably could be resigned.
• 1:10:02
  But one of the names that people aren't talking about is Reggie Beggleton.
• 1:10:06
  Reggie's coming back and he's ready to roll again.
• 1:10:11
  That's a huge signing having him come back because he was out all year.
• 1:10:15
  If Malik Henry
• 1:10:17
  even looks like he can play.
• 1:10:19
  They will let him play.
• 1:10:21
  They just haven't resigned yet and nobody's going to resign him until then.
• 1:10:24
  So I think he's still a wild card.
• 1:10:27
  I don't expect him to happen to be honest.
• 1:10:30
  I don't think he's coming back, but Reggie's definitely coming back and that's a huge addition.
• 1:10:35
  I would like to have Dominique Ryhmes back.
• 1:10:38
  I really would.
• 1:10:39
  I was surprised that they signed Tevin Jones again instead of Dominique Grimes.
• 1:10:42
  I would have much rather signed Rimes than Jones.
• 1:10:45
  Do you think that was a money thing?
• 1:10:47
  It might well be.
• 1:10:48
  It might well be money.
• 1:10:50
  I don't know what else it could be because he certainly
• 1:10:53
  a few years between them.
• 1:10:55
  Not a lot, but I think there's about three years.
• 1:10:58
  there is and there's a few smarts between them too.
• 1:11:02
  I should say Dominic's got them.
• 1:11:04
  I'm not sure Tevin Jones does.
• 1:11:06
  I just saw him drift around way too much last year.
• 1:11:09
  We talked about it during the season when I was on my rants He just drifted too much.
• 1:11:14
  He made great catches, but there was too many times he missed blocks and too many times that he just wasn't there.
• 1:11:20
  Dominic Rhymes never misses a block.
• 1:11:23
  So I was like, that's a guy I prefer to have back.
• 1:11:27
  But anyways, hopefully they can still get them.
• 1:11:29
  But I agree with Ken that if you look at the list, there's really not, I think they've done a really good job.
• 1:11:36
  And it's interesting that they signed Bynum, you talked about it earlier, that old man that people were signing players the minute the window opened.
• 1:11:49
  They signed Bynum the minute the window opened.
• 1:11:52
  wasn't like it was any way for a guy that, again, people went, who, why?
• 1:11:58
  They must see something there that they wanted that guy.
• 1:12:01
  And if you go back and look two years ago at his statistics in Edmonton, he was all over the backfield.
• 1:12:07
  And he had like six or seven interceptions, if I remember correctly, that year.
• 1:12:11
  And then he got injured last year and didn't play at all.
• 1:12:14
  So,
• 1:12:15
  I think he could be a sneaky good signing.
• 1:12:17
  think Biresset"s a really good signing.
• 1:12:19
  He's not Alfred fast, but he's got pretty good hands and I've always been a fan.
• 1:12:24
  So I think he's a really good addition.
• 1:12:27
  so, and I think McMahon Mahone, if he can get back to the level that he was two years ago in his rookie year, that's a nice little backup, probably not much money for, for Diedrich
• 1:12:39
  Mills.
• 1:12:39
  So as to, to offset Mills a little bit.
• 1:12:42
  So I think, you know,
• 1:12:43
  They didn't do much, but they did nice things.
• 1:12:47
  I'm pleasantly surprised.
• 1:12:48
  As always, you don't expect them to do much.
• 1:12:51
  And when they do, it always seems to backfire anyways.
• 1:12:54
  So I'm just as glad that they didn't spend a lot of money.
• 1:12:56
  Yeah, I really I think that they've really it was almost it's almost been kind of an uneventful offseason, which can always go one of two ways.
• 1:13:05
  But when you when you've just your your offseason has been spent mostly just resigning dudes that were good for your team last year.
• 1:13:13
  It's not going to look terribly exciting, right?
• 1:13:15
  Like, you know, you resigned so and so.
• 1:13:18
  All right, cool.
• 1:13:19
  You got the guy back.
• 1:13:20
  But like, you don't need a lot of big splashes if you had a good team.
• 1:13:23
  And by and large, the core that they had last year is still going to be there.
• 1:13:27
  I again, I think.
• 1:13:28
  You look at the games Vernon didn't play and those were really bad.
• 1:13:32
  And you look at the games where he got injured very bad when he was healthy and on.
• 1:13:37
  That team was just about unstoppable.
• 1:13:39
  mean, I was in the seats watching them absolutely run over Saskatchewan.
• 1:13:45
  You know, as long as they don't get Ottawa 15 times in the rain, they're going to have a really good chance.
• 1:13:49
  um It is infuriating that you keep beating Saskatchewan over and over and then get to Ottawa and be like, man, I don't know what to do.
• 1:13:57
  And like, how do you lose to the worst team over and over
• 1:14:02
  like you said.
• 1:14:03
  those games was definitely on the schedule.
• 1:14:05
  Like, you know, when they were up and VA got hurt, it was kind of a throwaway game.
• 1:14:10
  You know, like, okay, we can afford to lose that one.
• 1:14:13
  Let VA have an extra week, get, you know, feel better or whatever.
• 1:14:17
  But then like VA, I don't, I think he came back a week too quick.
• 1:14:22
  And I really just.
• 1:14:24
  The team wasn't the same for a few weeks and then they kind of got back on a little bit of a roll toward the end and you know, whatever.
• 1:14:30
  But yeah, with the couple of guys healthy here and there, I that was a very, very good football team.
• 1:14:37
  And if you bring most of those guys back, you generally still have a very good football team.
• 1:14:42
  Yeah, and one of the things last year was VA was in his head and injured and then in his head at the same time that Flo got injured.
• 1:14:49
  So your two key guys were out in that stretch for three or four games where they faltered there in September, October, late September through early, mid October.
• 1:14:58
  And then VA got his head back together and they played well again into the playoffs.
• 1:15:03
  Flo, I just saw that interview on Stampeders TV.
• 1:15:07
  And he's talking about being back for the beginning of training camp.
• 1:15:10
  Like a lot of people are saying Labor Day and he's saying, no, I should be ready to go for training camp.
• 1:15:15
  So that would be a huge difference.
• 1:15:18
  And even if they're both wrong and they settle in the middle sometime in mid July, that's still, because we know Labor Day doesn't mean as much as it used to because it's three
• 1:15:30
  quarters of way through the season now.
• 1:15:32
  if you're back by middle of July, you still have half the season in front of you.
• 1:15:36
  to, you know, that makes a huge difference.
• 1:15:38
  And one of the other things, I don't know if it's just because, I follow the team, but it does seem like they're making a ton of signings.
• 1:15:46
  guys, like new guys bringing into camp, they've been very, very active.
• 1:15:50
  So that's also to me says, you know, we're building our own core.
• 1:15:54
  We're not necessarily retreading a whole bunch of guys from the league.
• 1:15:59
  Right.
• 1:15:59
  And, and I think it'll be interesting to see who they sign over the next week or two as the big names have come off.
• 1:16:06
  Because we talked last year on the pod about the fact that the biggest problem they ran into was just a lack of depth at positions.
• 1:16:14
  They were a world beater team with their starters in there, but as the injuries came up, they didn't necessarily have the plug and play pieces to make that work.
• 1:16:24
  So.
• 1:16:25
  Yeah, you don't need to be signing big names for that.
• 1:16:28
  You, you're looking at picking up good solid people either out of the States, like you say, signing from there or through this or through the draft.
• 1:16:35
  And I think that they, they look in good shape.
• 1:16:39
  If Flo is back.
• 1:16:40
  The only thing that's, that worries me about that is sometimes you get the stuff where they say I'm coming back early, I'm going to be ready.
• 1:16:46
  And you look at like Keon Hatcher two years ago in BC came back partway through the season when he probably should have been out.
• 1:16:54
  had a nothing burger of a year and then with another off season of rehab was fantastic this year.
• 1:17:01
  So I hope that they don't let Flo push himself in too early.
• 1:17:07
  If you know what I mean.
• 1:17:08
  Yeah, no, absolutely.
• 1:17:09
  And he didn't sound like he, yeah, it didn't sound like it was one of those I'm coming back or else.
• 1:17:14
  It was more of, yeah, I think I'll be ready.
• 1:17:16
  And so it was an interesting way that he put it because even the interviewer for Stan Peters TV was like, Whoa, you're, you think that?
• 1:17:24
  And he was like, yeah, I think that.
• 1:17:25
  So it'd be interesting.
• 1:17:27
  is PJ throwing yet?
• 1:17:29
  We don't know.
• 1:17:30
  They don't know.
• 1:17:31
  That's a big question.
• 1:17:33
  But I'm not as stressed about that.
• 1:17:36
  Again, I was on the Stamps fan board and I said, you know, cause that's, and a lot of guys are stressed about that.
• 1:17:42
  And I, as I said, when we talked about it during the game, after the game last year, I was very impressed with Josh Love in the moments that he played.
• 1:17:52
  I thought he had a rifle of an arm and I thought he controlled the play and I thought he,
• 1:17:57
  controlled the huddle really well.
• 1:17:58
  I thought he looked pretty good.
• 1:18:00
  So I think he can be an, and now with a second full training camp, he can step in.
• 1:18:05
  I think he can be an adequate backup if PJ Walker either doesn't come back or doesn't come back completely enthusiastically.
• 1:18:13
  You know, if he comes back just cause he wants the money, then what's the point, right?
• 1:18:17
  know, so not that he needs the money I imagine after a few years, but maybe he does.
• 1:18:21
  That's another spot where I, if they're, you know, if they're looking at who do we pick up and sign and see how they look through camp, I wouldn't mind seeing Tyree Adams get to
• 1:18:32
  Calgary.
• 1:18:34
  That's interesting.
• 1:18:35
  Yeah.
• 1:18:37
  Cause he is smaller, but similar style to, VA as well.
• 1:18:41
  And he's, I mean, he's, he's been given very little chances.
• 1:18:48
  He had the one game to start before he got injured and then didn't get another chance for two and a half seasons.
• 1:18:53
  And then they take them out halfway through to pay tribute to a retiring quarterback.
• 1:18:59
  If anybody deserves.
• 1:19:01
  a chance to go somewhere and actually maybe get something, do something, it's him.
• 1:19:07
  Tyree
• 1:19:09
  Yeah, I think for whatever it's worth, I think the stampeters are on the right track.
• 1:19:14
  And like I said, even when I look at sort of who they're re signing there's some very good names in there, but there's others that are just, they're the best of the second ones that
• 1:19:24
  they have the best of the second stringers and they're letting an awful lot go.
• 1:19:28
  You know, people talk about Malik Henry, but we really haven't seen him play in forever after the injury.
• 1:19:35
  They know better than us if he's got anything left in the tank, so they're not signing him.
• 1:19:40
  Yeah, and they did resign Divine Bailey Scott yesterday.
• 1:19:44
  So I think that's a really good depth piece again.
• 1:19:48
  And so it's nice to see.
• 1:19:50
  I was glad to see that.
• 1:19:52
  They've got a lot of Canadian strength in their defensive backfield.
• 1:19:57
  There, because there's the three that we mentioned and I can't even think there's a fourth one there, but you know, there was green and Onyeka and Bailey Scott and then probably the
• 1:20:06
  best of them.
• 1:20:07
  I'm drawing a blank on them anyway.
• 1:20:09
  so I guess we'll, we'll jump on to the last of these now.
• 1:20:12
  we are, we're definitely.
• 1:20:14
  We'll be definitely splitting this into two podcasts because we're doing a half hours in.
• 1:20:19
  Okay.
• 1:20:19
  So that takes us to BC.
• 1:20:23
  BC didn't, well, they had 26 free agents.
• 1:20:27
  They signed an awful lot of them.
• 1:20:29
  resigned 16 of them, extended 16 of their free agents.
• 1:20:33
  So that left them with, 10 that they didn't take.
• 1:20:36
  Four of them went somewhere else.
• 1:20:38
  Robert Carter went to the NFL, Josh Woods to Saskatchewan.
• 1:20:42
  Brockston and Eberhart went to Winnipeg and then other than that they're you know, Adam O'Claire Jalen Edwards Cooper David Jeremiah Masoli their names that you'd recognize but
• 1:20:54
  they're not gonna be hurt that much by it and like I said, they signed six extended 16 guys and
• 1:21:01
  If not having Missolli is a huge blow.
• 1:21:06
  He's been running his football camp, he's ready to go!
• 1:21:10
  He's looking for his replacement.
• 1:21:12
  Anyway, and yeah, as far as free agent signings, they've done nothing within the window here.
• 1:21:17
  They picked up Sankey after he got released by Montreal and they picked up Isaiah Cage, who I don't think even played last year.
• 1:21:25
  Yeah, I don't think he did either.
• 1:21:27
  think he was in it.
• 1:21:28
  So, yeah.
• 1:21:29
  So they're basically running back what they've got.
• 1:21:32
  And you know, how much of that is because they're paying a quarterback just shy of 700 grand and, and who do they get?
• 1:21:40
  Like Brockston was the one piece of a really not very good old line that you could count on.
• 1:21:47
  Well, they they, did resign Alan, the guy that they got from the Argos last year, who was injured on and off throughout the year.
• 1:21:53
  Right.
• 1:21:53
  So that they, I think that they feel like that's an uh upgrade you can also say though, if they were within the cap last year, they were, they had the same contract for, for Nathan.
• 1:22:04
  So they were, should be within the cap this year and they were what,
• 1:22:10
  one play away from going to the gray cups.
• 1:22:12
  they don't need overhauls.
• 1:22:13
  Lots of teams need overhauls, some teams need tweaks and they need tweaks.
• 1:22:18
  And they can, as you said earlier, they can get those on the secondary market now, well, you know, now that the major kerfuffling is over.
• 1:22:26
  Yes.
• 1:22:27
  importantly, they've re-signed Chase Bryce.
• 1:22:30
  Yes.
• 1:22:31
  Very important for sideline continuity.
• 1:22:35
  Ha
• 1:22:35
  May I ask?
• 1:22:36
  Be interesting to see what they do with their third down short yardage stuff.
• 1:22:41
  Yeah well Mozilla was doing short yardage so yeah Bryce is not trusted to do short yardage or throw.
• 1:22:53
  He must just stand on the sideline watching.
• 1:22:58
  Yeah he's really great with the clipboard.
• 1:23:01
  We're nasty people
• 1:23:03
  know, but they are gonna have to figure their short yardage out.
• 1:23:05
  Yes.
• 1:23:06
  We're nasty people.
• 1:23:07
  If you somehow happen to listen to this chase, you're a far better football player than I ever was.
• 1:23:13
  I'm not standing on the sideline with the clipboard so there you go.
• 1:23:18
  exactly.
• 1:23:19
  And even though you may not be making big money, it's more than I've ever been paid to play football to.
• 1:23:23
  So, okay, so that kind of wraps this up other than.
• 1:23:28
  for free agency to open on February 10th.
• 1:23:31
  Yeah.
• 1:23:32
  Well, the one thing that bothers me is like you said, GT, they had a free agency window that opened whenever it was two weeks from now.
• 1:23:43
  And they said, there's too much tampering going on.
• 1:23:45
  So we have to open this negotiation window where you can legally talk to people, which is a great idea.
• 1:23:51
  And now at two minutes after the
• 1:23:55
  negotiation window opens, teams are talking all about, we've agreed with these six people.
• 1:24:01
  So it's still going on.
• 1:24:02
  They've just pushed it back.
• 1:24:04
  Yeah.
• 1:24:05
  Again, though, as we also talked about, technically, you're right.
• 1:24:10
  And I agree with you.
• 1:24:11
  And as I said before, it also happens in every league, so there's nothing you can do about it.
• 1:24:17
  And technically, this window, during this window, you can still negotiate with other teams, right?
• 1:24:24
  If you've reached an agreement, another team can still swoop in and you can back out of the agreement, as we saw in a couple of cases early in the week.
• 1:24:32
  So it's not
• 1:24:34
  well it's almost a fate to complete it's not a hundred percent that all these players are going where they've been reported to be gone
• 1:24:40
  Yeah.
• 1:24:41
  So I guess that's the one part of it.
• 1:24:42
  wasn't thinking of, because otherwise, like I said, why not just leave it where it is?
• 1:24:46
  If people are going to negotiate early, they're going to.
• 1:24:49
  But I would like to finish with just one thing here round table on each of the teams.
• 1:24:56
  Sort of two word answers or three choices, better, worse, or unchanged.
• 1:25:03
  But they were at the going from the end of last year to with the rosters they have at free agency.
• 1:25:09
  better, worse or unchanged.
• 1:25:11
  we'll start with you MJ and then we'll just work around until we get to me on the screen here.
• 1:25:16
  So it'll be you and then where do we go from there?
• 1:25:19
  I think Ken and GT and then me.
• 1:25:21
  So Montreal.
• 1:25:23
  I think for a minute they're a little bit worse and they have a bit more work to do.
• 1:25:28
  Yeah, agreed.
• 1:25:29
  Not not better, but not terribly worse.
• 1:25:34
  I- W- Worse.
• 1:25:35
  I, yeah, I would say they're, to me it's almost status quo.
• 1:25:41
  I don't see them having improved or fallen back a whole lot.
• 1:25:46
  Ottawa, same rotation, you go and print.
• 1:25:50
  I don't even know because it's like basically an entire new team.
• 1:25:56
  I think that they can't be worse, so they has to be better.
• 1:25:59
  That was my answer.
• 1:26:00
  can't be worse.
• 1:26:01
  Technically, I guess they could, but it's not gonna be, they're either gonna still hurt to watch or they're gonna be more fun to watch.
• 1:26:09
  Yeah.
• 1:26:10
  an answer?
• 1:26:11
  Yeah, that could be the one of them.
• 1:26:14
  may be.
• 1:26:15
  personally, I think they're partially because of the free agent signings, but mostly because of the coaching change.
• 1:26:23
  Full respect to Bobby Dyce but he's doesn't have the coaching record that Ryan Dinwiddie does.
• 1:26:30
  So, yeah.
• 1:26:32
  Okay.
• 1:26:33
  Then we have Toronto, who Dinwiddie left and where are they at?
• 1:26:37
  Better, worse, the same.
• 1:26:39
  They're the same, I think.
• 1:26:40
  Yeah, they're the same.
• 1:26:42
  Oh, skipping people.
• 1:26:46
  You're so excited to be like, take that Argos.
• 1:26:51
  much the same.
• 1:26:52
  But our girls, I honestly couldn't care less.
• 1:26:55
  Yeah.
• 1:26:55
  Ha ha ha!
• 1:26:58
  this may be personal bias on my part, but overall I think they've even dropped back a bit further.
• 1:27:06
  I think that there's, yeah.
• 1:27:10
  Anyway, this is supposed to be one word things.
• 1:27:12
  Hamilton.
• 1:27:15
  so, again, this is kind like the Wizard of Oz paying no attention to the man behind the curtain.
• 1:27:20
  Look at Stavros, Witton McManus, Trey Ford.
• 1:27:25
  Don't pay attention to like all the drama.
• 1:27:28
  They're a little bit worse-ish right now.
• 1:27:30
  I think they need to do some work to shore up some lesser-known positions before they can say that they've improved.
• 1:27:39
  thinking right now they're the same, different, but still the same level right now.
• 1:27:44
  A couple more additions, better, because if anything, we got Trey forward backing up.
• 1:27:48
  Yeah.
• 1:27:48
  I think they're worse right now because of Greg Bell.
• 1:27:52
  I don't know what they're doing in their backfield.
• 1:27:54
  that's, unless they've got, even unless they can find another Greg Bell, I mean, I don't know if they have one, but at this point, I think that's a pretty big deficit.
• 1:28:05
  Yeah.
• 1:28:05
  Mind you, they didn't use him until after Labor Day.
• 1:28:08
  So, you know, when you think about it, they had a hell of a running game after Labor Day, but it was almost non-existent before that.
• 1:28:14
  But I agree with you largely because of him.
• 1:28:17
  And then just some of the other pieces that are out there that have gone away.
• 1:28:21
  think that they are probably have regressed a step.
• 1:28:25
  And I think part of it is no disrespect to Trey Ford.
• 1:28:28
  You know that I've got huge respect for his, his talent.
• 1:28:33
  And I still think that he can be one of the best that's there but I think right now, if I had to have Taylor Powell or Trey Ford step in as a backup mid game, I might lean towards
• 1:28:42
  Powell.
• 1:28:43
  Well, I think I would lean towards Powell.
• 1:28:46
  I would have lent towards Powell only because he has continuity in the system.
• 1:28:50
  You've got Trey Ford, you know, going into another new system again, right?
• 1:28:54
  So it's like a lot of people talked about Nathan Rorkin going through four systems or five systems in three years or whatever.
• 1:29:01
  Trey Ford's done the same.
• 1:29:02
  He's had five different coaches, right?
• 1:29:04
  He's had, none of them have been.
• 1:29:06
  if you call half of what that was a system.
• 1:29:09
  Yeah.
• 1:29:11
  Yeah.
• 1:29:12
  yeah.
• 1:29:13
  Nothing wrong with that.
• 1:29:14
  And like I said, it's no disrespect to Trey.
• 1:29:16
  I think he is, he is very good, but just what I have seen of the two of them, I think right now at this point, if I just had to pick, regardless of the system, I've got to
• 1:29:27
  bring them in, give them some time to get acclimatized to it and move on.
• 1:29:32
  Powell just seems a little more steady.
• 1:29:36
  Trey's got a lot more upside.
• 1:29:39
  but you're just not as sure.
• 1:29:41
  They have a steady quarterback though, that's not what they need.
• 1:29:46
  Yeah.
• 1:29:47
  Yeah.
• 1:29:49
  I will not have you ruining Trayford Day for me.
• 1:29:52
  yeah, no, okay.
• 1:29:53
  yes, and mean, they've got lot- they actually have lots to choose from because they've got frost and Dalagalla too, so they can-
• 1:29:59
  they have like, it's gonna be quite the training camp.
• 1:30:02
  But we have all the quarterbacks and none of the online and it's fine, it's fine.
• 1:30:08
  Okay, how about Winnipeg?
• 1:30:10
  I think despite them scraping into playoffs last year, think the additions of like Ceresna and Neld I think that they've improved a little bit.
• 1:30:21
  don't know.
• 1:30:23
  Oh, Tommy Condell.
• 1:30:25
  I don't know.
• 1:30:27
  I'm going to say it's a wash because I think Tim White and Tommy Condell kind of wash out anything Serezna and Tommy Neild bring to the table.
• 1:30:36
  Yeah, I don't know that dropping balls is gonna help anybody.
• 1:30:39
  So I'd say at best, they're the same if not worse.
• 1:30:42
  Yeah, I think they're better, but because of the two linemen, one on either side of the ball, I think that makes them better.
• 1:30:50
  Those were their positions.
• 1:30:51
  And I think they weren't, you know, their receivers weren't great last year to begin with.
• 1:30:56
  So adding another bad one doesn't make that much difference.
• 1:30:59
  Yes.
• 1:30:59
  Exactly.
• 1:31:00
  And I'm kind of where you're at.
• 1:31:02
  If they're going to play traditional Winnipeg football, what they've played the last five years, putting Broxton on that line and still having Brady Olivera running behind it
• 1:31:12
  should make them better.
• 1:31:13
  As MJ said, the wild card is Condell.
• 1:31:17
  You know, does Brady become basically a blocker and an outlet receiver?
• 1:31:23
  Anyway, but okay, so we're both going better on that.
• 1:31:26
  Saskatchewan.
• 1:31:28
  So they released Lauther so they have to be better even though they won Grey Cup.
• 1:31:35
  I want to say the same part of this better because they didn't resign to Kadeem Carey and I'm grouchy at anybody that doesn't resign Kadeem Carey.
• 1:31:42
  So I want to say that's the same.
• 1:31:44
  but you know he's coaching now,
• 1:31:46
  I know, still that's not the point.
• 1:31:48
  they gave him a spot to play, he'd have played.
• 1:31:52
  I'd rather see him on the field than coaching.
• 1:31:55
  So a little bitter part of me says, yeah.
• 1:31:57
  Yeah.
• 1:31:58
  Mind you, that was an ugly injury he got too.
• 1:32:00
  So I can see after that, maybe coaching is, And he obviously had a good relationship with the folks in Toronto because that's where he's gone back to coach.
• 1:32:10
  So anyway, GT.
• 1:32:13
  worse
• 1:32:13
  I would say so too.
• 1:32:15
  My, I am still got big concerns about that D line.
• 1:32:19
  I think the rest of it is probably a wash with maybe some loss of depth, but the D line scares me.
• 1:32:29
  I, I hope that and the fact that they're, how much do they actually allow the new defensive coordinator to be a defensive coordinator?
• 1:32:38
  If he gets the full thing.
• 1:32:40
  Could be better, could be worse, but a lot of their sacks came from defensive scheme too.
• 1:32:45
  So I've got question marks.
• 1:32:47
  Edmonton.
• 1:32:48
  The Eminton Tiger Cats.
• 1:32:50
  So the Tiger Cats, despite being first in the division last year, were not a good team.
• 1:32:56
  It's just because McLeod Bethel Thompson and whatever happening in Ottawa and Toronto was going on.
• 1:33:01
  they were just there by default.
• 1:33:04
  I think Edmonton is kind of at a wash because they are working on their receivers, but I don't I still don't think they have a
• 1:33:13
  Superstar receiver despite Austin Mack being there Hopefully he does better with Cody is Cody can be able to Even play for a full season.
• 1:33:24
  I think I I would say they're kind of the same
• 1:33:28
  They were bad last year.
• 1:33:29
  They're bad this year.
• 1:33:30
  Still the same.
• 1:33:32
  Agree- Agreed.
• 1:33:33
  I don't see them winning the division, but I think they're better.
• 1:33:37
  I like the moves they've made.
• 1:33:39
  I think they've shored up some of the areas that weren't working so well for them.
• 1:33:44
  They've flushed out some of the choices in last year's free agency that didn't work out so well for them.
• 1:33:51
  I could see them being a playoff team this year.
• 1:33:54
  Mind you, it's going to be very tough to be a playoff team in the West next year.
• 1:33:58
  I think all five teams are playoff teams in the West.
• 1:34:02
  It just depends on where you land.
• 1:34:05
  No, it just depends on where you land.
• 1:34:07
  It's just, it's going to be that close.
• 1:34:10
  I think.
• 1:34:11
  To tell you the truth, I think a big part of it will come down to injuries.
• 1:34:15
  100%.
• 1:34:16
  who gets hurt bad in key positions and who carries through because yeah, at this point.
• 1:34:22
  I don't think I'm a homer saying it.
• 1:34:24
  I don't think it's a lock, but I would say that there's a reasonably good chance that the riders end up the top of the five and a fairly good chance Edmonton ends up the bottom of
• 1:34:37
  the five.
• 1:34:38
  But with that said, there could be two points in the standings separating them.
• 1:34:43
  Okay.
• 1:34:43
  So what about Calgary?
• 1:34:45
  Yeah, maybe GT's prediction that everyone's gonna go 9 and 9 might come true.
• 1:34:49
  could happen.
• 1:34:49
  Calgary, I think we kind of talked about, they are kind of just retrenching everyone and I think Brissett a good addition.
• 1:35:00
  I think right now they're kind of the same.
• 1:35:03
  Yeah, I'd the same, but that's not bad.
• 1:35:05
  I think I think, yeah, I think last year's team was very good.
• 1:35:09
  I think this year's team is going to be very good.
• 1:35:10
  Yeah, you can not change a whole lot and still be very good.
• 1:35:13
  So, yeah, I'd say the same, but in a good way.
• 1:35:16
  I think right now I say worse.
• 1:35:18
  I think they lost with Hutchings, that's a huge loss on the defensive line that they haven't replaced as of now.
• 1:35:25
  So right now I say worse.
• 1:35:28
  say, know, Roberts, Jacob Roberts is a huge loss and they haven't replaced right now, so I say worse.
• 1:35:34
  Damien Alford is a huge loss that they haven't replaced right now, so I say worse.
• 1:35:39
  Potential, the same.
• 1:35:41
  Yeah.
• 1:35:43
  Yeah.
• 1:35:44
  Yeah.
• 1:35:44
  I, and I think I hate to say this because we're not supposed to always be agreeing GT, but I'm kind of with you.
• 1:35:50
  don't think there are a lot worse.
• 1:35:52
  think that they're, they're still good, could easily be a first place team.
• 1:35:57
  I think it'll come, come down to how much does Hutchings especially hurt them and does Flo get back early enough and perform well enough.
• 1:36:07
  If, if he ends up missing the, you know, the first
• 1:36:10
  four or five games and they lose say three of them in this division that might put you in a tough place early.
• 1:36:16
  But the one thing that I do where I do think they have definitely improved is I firmly believe Brissette was the sneaky good deal of the free agency.
• 1:36:25
  I think he was the best signing that was out there that was made so far and I think he'll really do some good stuff with that team.
• 1:36:33
  Okay and that takes us to the end.
• 1:36:35
  BC.
• 1:36:35
  I don't think they've shored up their O line to protect their massive high paying assets, so I'm going to say worse.
• 1:36:42
  Yeah, I'm gonna say worse as well.
• 1:36:43
  Plus Jeremiah Masoli, not there.
• 1:36:45
  There you go.
• 1:36:49
  I got you on that one, MJ.
• 1:36:52
  Yeah, I think generally speaking worse, but then also no Jeremiah Masoli, worse.
• 1:36:57
  sure.
• 1:36:58
  Yeah, I'd say worse as well because of Broxton leaving.
• 1:37:03
  Yeah.
• 1:37:04
  Yes, I, I agree with that.
• 1:37:07
  do.
• 1:37:08
  And the other one that's going to hurt them is, is Carter going down to the NFL.
• 1:37:13
  I mean, he made some fantastic plays and that defensive backfield was a little bit shaky at times and there's been no movement on.
• 1:37:22
  mean, they brought in TJ Lee at the end and everybody was saying, well, he made it a lot better.
• 1:37:26
  He, he made a bit of a difference.
• 1:37:27
  don't know, but yeah, I,
• 1:37:30
  I think we're going to see another season of them winning games 41 to 35.
• 1:37:37
  there's at least a couple of games there where the receivers bailed out the quarterback by making some absolutely insane catches and if he's got to keep eventually that's going to
• 1:37:47
  catch up.
• 1:37:49
  You can't go on forever.
• 1:37:50
  You know, it's there's a couple of those games.
• 1:37:52
  There was a big scramble kind of a semi hail Maryish 30 yard pass that a dude caught with one hand and like it's like man, you can't live like that forever.
• 1:38:01
  Yeah.
• 1:38:02
  And it's, and it's as good as a quarterback as Nathan is, and he is a fantastic quarterback.
• 1:38:07
  It can get wearing knowing you're carrying the team every week.
• 1:38:11
  All right, so what we normally do now is we basically we're pretty much done.
• 1:38:17
  So we say our goodbyes and any last thoughts.
• 1:38:20
  then if there's anywhere that you do any social media that you want people to be able to follow you and get even more of the wisdom that you've been, that's been flowing forth
• 1:38:30
  tonight.
• 1:38:31
  So MJ, you go first.
• 1:38:32
  Well first of all I just want to say well thank you to Ken for coming this has been such such a treat and I'm so excited for Olympics.
• 1:38:40
  I also want to say that it's Black History Month and a lot the CFL teams have put together really good social media videos there's lots of players posting about it.
• 1:38:50
  Watch a video, read an article, read a book by a black author, buy something from a black creator
• 1:38:58
  And then you can find me tweeting, tweeting, no, I'm not tweeting.
• 1:39:03
  What am I doing on Blue Sky?
• 1:39:05
  I am just skeeting about, I'm just posting, posting away about heated rivalry and Olympics and CFL free agency over there.
• 1:39:18
  You can find me at Sports and Plants.
• 1:39:20
  I'm posting.
• 1:39:21
  free agency frenzy on Instagram and the dead zone that is threads, I guess.
• 1:39:29
  Alrighty, How about you Ken
• 1:39:33
  At the Ken Childs dot com on blue sky at the Ken Childs pretty much everywhere else there was somebody else had Ken Childs when I first got on Twitter.
• 1:39:41
  So like I just that was a Ken Childs.
• 1:39:43
  am the Ken Childs.
• 1:39:44
  So that's how that happened.
• 1:39:45
  So at the Ken Childs dot com on blue sky is where I post most of my stuff.
• 1:39:48
  It's where I post all of my live stuff for uh bobsled Skeleton, Luge that will start Saturday, 11 a.m.
• 1:39:55
  Eastern Time is when the first runs of Men's Luge kick off.
• 1:39:59
  but all winter long, every season, got three and a half, we got three years and 50 weeks where there's not the Olympics.
• 1:40:06
  And during those times, we still have sliding sports stuff happening.
• 1:40:10
  Even during the off season, I'll have probably a dozen athlete interviews going on during that time as well.
• 1:40:15
  I will also start randomly posting about Stampeders games and other CFL games as they're happening just because it's what I do.
• 1:40:22
  Yeah, and then slidingonice.com is the website where I have all my stories, my, this is where all the interviews will go and all that.
• 1:40:28
  I linked to that pretty much everywhere I can.
• 1:40:29
  So yeah, at thekenchilds.com I'm blue skies where you can find me the most.
• 1:40:33
  Good, thank you very much.
• 1:40:35
  And back to what MJ said, thank you for joining us and letting us know all about this stuff.
• 1:40:40
  It's fantastic to find out.
• 1:40:43
  I'm also right at the end here, I'm gonna put you on the spot.
• 1:40:45
  You said that the men are a long shot, but the women might be able to uh medal So yes or no, are Canadian women on the podium this Olympics?
• 1:40:53
  I think you're gonna get one.
• 1:40:55
  Good stuff.
• 1:40:56
  I like it.
• 1:40:56
  You heard it here first, folks.
• 1:40:58
  Okay, GT, how about you?
• 1:41:01
  I've got nothing to finish it off.
• 1:41:03
  It is a great time to be alive with sports.
• 1:41:06
  Everything's going on.
• 1:41:08
  Our league just changed every player it seemed like over the course of the last four days.
• 1:41:12
  And then I was following all of that and then the NBA happened and I was like, I'm overwhelmed.
• 1:41:18
  So if you haven't followed that, it makes the CFL look like nothing because the amount of movement there is unbelievable.
• 1:41:26
  ah Anyways, that's me and I'm at GT Barnum on Blue Sky and ah occasionally you'll find me there and that's the best I can give you.
• 1:41:36
  Okay, thank you much for another month there.
• 1:41:40
  And I of course am Old Man, Shoutingatclouds You get me on bluesky at oldman-sac.
• 1:41:48
  bluesky.social, da da.
• 1:41:49
  The show is on X and on bluesky.
• 1:41:53
  And it's been long time since been doing this.
• 1:41:55
  We're on Instagram now, all as the CFL outsiders.
• 1:41:58
  And threads now as the CFL outsiders.
• 1:42:00
  You can also catch me on the CFL subreddit as old man shouting clouds and please on any of those spots or right here.
• 1:42:08
  If you've got something to say, leave a comment.
• 1:42:09
  We love to hear them.
• 1:42:11
  If you haven't subscribed yet, now's a great chance because we're probably have two more of these monthly ones and then we'll all basically be back into the preseason and, go on
• 1:42:22
  every week again.
• 1:42:23
  And we don't want you to miss any of that.
• 1:42:26
  You know, we, we, feel.
• 1:42:27
  We are so concerned about you and making sure you get your weekly dose of the best football podcast in the universe here.
• 1:42:35
  So that's about it.
• 1:42:37
  Until next time for our special guest Ken and for MJ and GT, this is Old Man saying, get the hell off my lawn.