7 hours ago, GCn20 said:

There are not many 6'5/250 receivers that run a 4.5/40 and can run routes. Here in Canada it never happens for the reasons you have listed and in the US they can't even find enough to supply the NFL so don't tell me there are all kinds of hidden gems. If the NFL can't find enough of them you know that there is a shortage of these type of athletes. 

Yeah, there are hidden gems every year. At all positions. The kids don't know the potential they have but you keep doing you. One of the best receivers I ever saw played bantam football for me. He was totally raw in Grade 9 & couldn't run great routes but he caught every football thrown to him. He was years ahead of every kid on the team & the league as a pass catcher. Just a damned natural talent. I literally begged the kid to play HS football. I told him the sky's the limit if he works hard to perfect his routes & blocking. His hand to eye coordination was simply off the charts. He played volleyball in HS instead. Wasn't interested in playing football. My son Tyler was his qb & even he couldn't convince him to play in Grade 10. We still talk about him sometimes. He was one that got away.

Edited January 26, 20223 yr by SpeedFlex27

I could tell you stories about kids I coached that would have been great players had they stuck with it or were stolen by other sports. As well as a couple of players who went on to play in the CFL.  They weren't all my position players. When I say 'coached", I mean I was part of the coaching staff of the team I was on with them. Some were my guys. Most were other coaches guys. 

16 hours ago, JCon said:

He left the TiCats in summer and signed with the Rams. Was released at the end of camp but must have kicked around the NFL trying to catch on somewhere. 

He was on the Bombers practice roster for the 1st week of October. 

Edited January 26, 20223 yr by WinnipegGordo

Come'on Walters! LFG. Time is ticking.  

10 minutes ago, JCon said:

Come'on Walters! LFG. Time is ticking.  

Bum.

I really think if Lawler signs in the NFL Walters will go hard after Burnham.

Time for Walters to turn it up to 11 and sign a few more key guys.

9 minutes ago, Bubba Zanetti said:

Bum.

I really think if Lawler signs in the NFL Walters will go hard after Burnham.

Watch him sign both and the follow up of Rider fans flipping out

4 minutes ago, Bubba Zanetti said:

Bum.

I really think if Lawler signs in the NFL Walters will go hard after Burnham.

Would be a nice possession guy IF Lawler sticks down south....Weineke would be another consideration....I know Mont. wouldn't like to see him walk BUT alls fair in the fa game

10 minutes ago, Stickem said:

Would be a nice possession guy IF Lawler sticks down south....Weineke would be another consideration....I know Mont. wouldn't like to see him walk BUT alls fair in the fa game

He's more than just a possession guy, he can still do it all. Still a couple good years left in him i think.

Edited January 26, 20223 yr by Bubba Zanetti

Isn't Weineke from Minnesota and his parents like to drive to all his games? Minnesota Winnipeg a lot closer than everywhere else 

15 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Yeah, there are hidden gems every year. At all positions. The kids don't know the potential they have but you keep doing you. One of the best receivers I ever saw played bantam football for me. He was totally raw in Grade 9 & couldn't run great routes but he caught every football thrown to him. He was years ahead of every kid on the team & the league as a pass catcher. Just a damned natural talent. I literally begged the kid to play HS football. I told him the sky's the limit if he works hard to perfect his routes & blocking. His hand to eye coordination was simply off the charts. He played volleyball in HS instead. Wasn't interested in playing football. My son Tyler was his qb & even he couldn't convince him to play in Grade 10. We still talk about him sometimes. He was one that got away.

Dude, I coached high school football for 23 years too. I am yet to see a 6'5/250 lb that can run a 4.5/40 with great hands kid that got overlooked by anyone. We had a Bomber scout come and look at one in his senior year but within five minutes he told us he needs a ton of work on his route running and his speed needs work. Gave him some contacts for developmental guys that could help him with these things. He went on to Div 3 ball in the US and never saw the field. In 23 years of WHS school football...one guy....that's as close as he got....and WHS yielded many great CFLers. There are NOT a ton of these guys around. 6'5/250 with 4.5 speed is not an easy find either north/south of the border. To find them with great hands, route running and a head on their shoulders even tougher. There is a reason the NFL snaps them all up.

14 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

I could tell you stories about kids I coached that would have been great players had they stuck with it or were stolen by other sports. As well as a couple of players who went on to play in the CFL.  They weren't all my position players. When I say 'coached", I mean I was part of the coaching staff of the team I was on with them. Some were my guys. Most were other coaches guys. 

Sure, tons of kids that got away. I saw some of the best football natural talents walk away instead of playing HS ball as well. That doesn't change the fact that TE types just aren't readily available at the pro level.

Edited January 26, 20223 yr by GCn20

On 2022-01-24 at 9:02 PM, Fatty Liver said:

I'm still waiting on the second coming of Nik Lewis, I can't figure why no GM has found a younger version of him yet.  Nik was a revolutionary player.

Declan Cross, Toronto.  big, gets open , catches the ball, hard to bring down. doesnt see the field much.

 

nfl does odd things sometimes. passed on money medlock. Bighill. Willie Jeffersen

laquon tredwell. dud. still at it. but didnt want cordarelle pattersen.

Edited January 26, 20223 yr by Mark F

Sometimes good athletes want something specific or maybe don't like the physical stuff. A guy named "Tiger" Wiseman broke at lot Gretzky's records in the OHL, but had no interest in pro hockey. Last I heard he was a fireman in North Bay. My son was a good, big hockey player, but when he reached the age where bodychecking started, he opted out- didn't like hurting people.

22 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Sometimes good athletes want something specific or maybe don't like the physical stuff. A guy named "Tiger" Wiseman broke at lot Gretzky's records in the OHL, but had no interest in pro hockey. Last I heard he was a fireman in North Bay. My son was a good, big hockey player, but when he reached the age where bodychecking started, he opted out- didn't like hurting people.

i rather enjoyed it lol

54 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Sometimes good athletes want something specific or maybe don't like the physical stuff. A guy named "Tiger" Wiseman broke at lot Gretzky's records in the OHL, but had no interest in pro hockey. Last I heard he was a fireman in North Bay. My son was a good, big hockey player, but when he reached the age where bodychecking started, he opted out- didn't like hurting people.

Never heard of the guy before, but on brief investigation he continued on with his hockey career drafted by the Rangers in 1990 and even played for the Leafs briefly, he is currently an asst. coach for the Oilers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Wiseman

Edited January 26, 20223 yr by Fatty Liver

2 hours ago, GCn20 said:

Dude, I coached high school football for 23 years too. I am yet to see a 6'5/250 lb that can run a 4.5/40 with great hands kid that got overlooked by anyone. We had a Bomber scout come and look at one in his senior year but within five minutes he told us he needs a ton of work on his route running and his speed needs work. Gave him some contacts for developmental guys that could help him with these things. He went on to Div 3 ball in the US and never saw the field. In 23 years of WHS school football...one guy....that's as close as he got....and WHS yielded many great CFLers. There are NOT a ton of these guys around. 6'5/250 with 4.5 speed is not an easy find either north/south of the border. To find them with great hands, route running and a head on their shoulders even tougher. There is a reason the NFL snaps them all up.

Sure, tons of kids that got away. I saw some of the best football natural talents walk away instead of playing HS ball as well. That doesn't change the fact that TE types just aren't readily available at the pro level.

Did you coach more than 20 years ago and was it in Canada? Cus that would explain a lot besides most of these big athletic tes hit a late growth spurt and get jacked post hs or late hs. 

You would be stunned by the number of phenoms that fall through the cracks in d1. Seriously you could make a full pro bowl roster of kids who couldn't make school work and or had home life problems that took them away from football. 

Football does a worse job than any other north American sport of pulling those kids up. It's not like the 80s when guys started 4 and 5 years in college while not being able to read. 

A better none school alternative to juco would  be the real start up football league thatd succeed. Late and end hs kids who aren't cut out for school getting paid to play and developing for the nfl and cfl. 

1 hour ago, Tracker said:

Sometimes good athletes want something specific or maybe don't like the physical stuff. A guy named "Tiger" Wiseman broke at lot Gretzky's records in the OHL, but had no interest in pro hockey. Last I heard he was a fireman in North Bay. My son was a good, big hockey player, but when he reached the age where bodychecking started, he opted out- didn't like hurting people.

You aren't wrong about big soft kids. That's a story as old as time. But you don't have to be tough at 6 5 250 to beat up on cfl Sams. Or even wil and macs. 

5 hours ago, Bubba Zanetti said:

Bum.

I really think if Lawler signs in the NFL Walters will go hard after Burnham.

That's essentially my prediction. 

10 minutes ago, holoman said:

That's essentially my prediction. 

I'd love weinke. 

4 hours ago, GCn20 said:

Dude, I coached high school football for 23 years too. I am yet to see a 6'5/250 lb that can run a 4.5/40 with great hands kid that got overlooked by anyone. We had a Bomber scout come and look at one in his senior year but within five minutes he told us he needs a ton of work on his route running and his speed needs work. Gave him some contacts for developmental guys that could help him with these things. He went on to Div 3 ball in the US and never saw the field. In 23 years of WHS school football...one guy....that's as close as he got....and WHS yielded many great CFLers. There are NOT a ton of these guys around. 6'5/250 with 4.5 speed is not an easy find either north/south of the border. To find them with great hands, route running and a head on their shoulders even tougher. There is a reason the NFL snaps them all up.

Sure, tons of kids that got away. I saw some of the best football natural talents walk away instead of playing HS ball as well. That doesn't change the fact that TE types just aren't readily available at the pro level.

Why are you hung up on this 6'5/250 lb TE a 4.4 or 4.5 fourty? First of all, the TE won't be going mano a mano on 285 lb DT's. He'll be handling quick outside linebackers or D ends. So, he'll be cracking down  or chipping on the edge then slipping into the flat or going downfield for a pass. He doesn't have to run 4.5 to be successful. 

Burnham, Wienke, Bailey, Demski and Woli... SOme nice targets for Zach

Yeah the stereotype TE u see in the NFL isn't the metric u need...or would see here...also he doesn't have to be a big dude either ..it's the position and role of it that would be king...sure a big lanky guy could be ideal in some situ's...but also a body type like teams use now to chip off the edge...or widen out the dline... Now Toss a guy t he ete who can catch...and work in traffic and you are golden...

That be a nice transition for Harris to extend a career...true tight end set...blocks ..slides out like he already does...crossers...deeper routes to pull a backer out of the box...it's how you use the guy...not his body type

Cripes....in a goal line set use Willie...he could crack down and block...drive the pile...or post up for a endzone toss...he'd have to be accounted for and opens up so much more to your offence

 

1 hour ago, wbbfan said:

I'd love weinke. 

Cant see Montreal letting him go and Weineke's got a good thing going with VAJ. In Burnham's case he might be looking for a change of scenery, being surrounded by a crap team with no QB and all.

1 hour ago, wanna-b-fanboy said:

Burnham, Wienke, Bailey, Demski and Woli... SOme nice targets for Zach

Yep, personally I'd like to see them sign Bailey to 2 years first and then go after Burnham if we can't get Lawler. Bailey is a gamer and has tons of heart,I think 2022 will be a 1000 yard season for him.

5 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

Never heard of the guy before,

nice try.... not fooling me with that name change.  (kidding)

 

good to see you back.

2 hours ago, Booch said:

Yeah the stereotype TE u see in the NFL isn't the metric u need...or would see here...also he doesn't have to be a big dude either ..it's the position and role of it that would be king...sure a big lanky guy could be ideal in some situ's...but also a body type like teams use now to chip off the edge...or widen out the dline... Now Toss a guy t he ete who can catch...and work in traffic and you are golden...

That be a nice transition for Harris to extend a career...true tight end set...blocks ..slides out like he already does...crossers...deeper routes to pull a backer out of the box...it's how you use the guy...not his body type

Cripes....in a goal line set use Willie...he could crack down and block...drive the pile...or post up for a endzone toss...he'd have to be accounted for and opens up so much more to your offence

 

Harris as a te hback flanker would be tight. 

Kinda crazy how they don't use willy in goal line pack. 

A lot of te tweeners would tear it up too. Guys who could flex out more. A lot of really good 6 foot to 6 2 240 and under highly skilled two way tes who never get looks. 

1 hour ago, Bubba Zanetti said:

Cant see Montreal letting him go and Weineke's got a good thing going with VAJ. In Burnham's case he might be looking for a change of scenery, being surrounded by a crap team with no QB and all.

From mtls situation sure. From Jake's if he got lawlers role and touches he'd be in the nfl.