Winnipeg Blue Bomber Thread

[jerrym]

At CFL Week, Kyle Walters discusses his plans for the team and the draft including those missing who are pursuing NFL dreams.

“We’re just looking to upgrade overall depth,” he said. “Obviously along the offensive line every year you’re looking to draft and develop guys. We lost Rory (Kohlert) in free agency, so you’re looking at receivers as well. It’s the same groups. We start two (Canadians) along the defensive line so you’re looking for depth there. Your linebackers bring special teams depth and now we’re starting a Canadian free safety as well.
“We’re always looking for depth and we’re in a spot with our Canadian content to take the best player available regardless of his position.” ...

The list of no-shows includes Mississippi State offensive lineman Justin Senior, Laval tight end Antony Auclair, UCLA defensive tackle Eli Ankou, Manitoba’s guard Geoff Gray – ranked first, second, third and fifth in the December rankings of the CFL Scouting Bureau.
“It’s frustrating,” Walters admitted. “You sure would like all of the top prospects to come here and compete. But, unfortunately that’s not the way it works. I don’t think it’s going to hurt them, it just puts a little bit more onus on the teams to do more work and you don’t have the luxury of seeing them up here all together competing against each other which is the benefit of these types of things. But it’s the way of the world now.”

The Bombers will be represented at the combines by Walters, Head Coach Mike O’Shea, Assistant General Manager/Director of Player Personnel Ted Goveia and National Scout Craig Smith.
The one-on-one player interviews begin Thursday evening, followed by testing on Friday and one-on-one battles on Saturday.
Walters said a player can change a team’s opinion in the next few days, but this look-see also must be tempered with what has popped out from the game film.
“There’s two lines of thought on that,” he said. “You watch a player on film who might not jump out at you, whether it was effort or something wasn’t just quite right and he shows up here and athletically he tests through the roof. And then you need to go back and figure out why he’s not performing and watch a couple more games and figure out his athleticism that he is showing here doesn’t show up in productivity on the field.
“And, conversely, you’re going to find a lot of guys that run around, play hard, that are tough, physical and the kind of football players you really want on your team but you need to see them to make sure there is that baseline of athleticism that allows them to compete here.

http://www.bluebombers.com/2017/03/2...ters-cfl-week/

[jerrym]

Possible Bomber #1 draft choice Geoff Gray is skipping the National Combine. He might be available later when the Argos draft.

Geoff Gray declined his Combine invite, as he's expecting over a dozen NFL teams to attend his @MBBisons Pro Day in Winnipeg on March 30.

— Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming) March 23, 2017

[jerrym]

HC Mike O'Shea and QB Matt Nichols talk below about the upcoming season and the importance of getting off to a good start, unlike last year.

It’s important for the Bombers to get off to a better start than last year, when they started out 1-4 before rebounding to finish 11-7.
With head coach Mike O’Shea, offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice and defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall all returning it might be easier for the Bombers to gel more quickly in the season than they did last year.
Or so you’d think.
“I don’t think it makes it easier,” O’Shea said Thursday while participating in a West Division coaches panel as part of CFL Week.
“You put a lot of pressure on yourself every year. I don’t think any player or coach on our staff views last year as a success.
“Continuity certainly helps. Familiarity with how we do things, maybe having to spend less time explaining how we do things, certainly allows you more time to try to get things done. I don’t think it’s easier because there’s possibly still that lingering effect of not achieving your goal. You’ve got to be able to wash that aside and figure out how to do that with your group of guys and your coaches and get moving again in the direction you want.”
Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols talked this week about how important it was for him to be returning to such a familiar situation and to be working with the same offensive co-ordinator this season. O’Shea agreed that it’s important but wants to make sure his players don’t lose any of their drive because of it.
“When players have to learn new language and a new list of expectations, it takes a little bit of time so we will be ahead in that regard,” O’Shea said.
“I don’t want us to feel any complacency though, saying ‘Hey, we already know all this so we can take it for granted.’ Lapo is going to teach it this way: You’re going to start back at Page 1 and go through it all from the beginning.”
The Bombers have a lot of veteran players, who will surely enjoy the familiarity. The players who talked during CFL Week all have strong feelings that the team will be better this year and a Grey Cup contender. O’Shea doesn’t want anything to mess with their preparation for living up to that kind of expectation.
“I don’t think the coaching staff will let the players relax during that learning process,” he said. “Because the veteran players will have more understanding of the actual expectations of the playbook, the language that we’re speaking, they’ll be able to help the younger guys along much more easily. It should move us along more quickly and get us to a better place after training camp but we’re certainly not taking it for granted, saying ‘There’s some continuity, so we can let down our guard.’
“It doesn’t work that way.”

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2017/03/2...on-last-season

[jerrym]

Ryan Smith has retired, a surprise for a WR who is only 25. In 2015, he gained 991 yards in receptions, but last year he dropped to 488 yards, in part due to injuries that limited him to 11 games.

he news, which was revealed on Friday in a press release from the team, is sudden and surprising from the 25-year-old pass-catcher out of Wahpeton, N.D.
Smith joined the Bombers in February 2016 as a free agent after spending his first two CFL seasons with Saskatchewan.
» Bio: Ryan Smith by the numbers

“Although this was an extremely difficult decision, it is one that I am ultimately comfortable with,” said Smith. “I have the opportunity to pursue interests outside of football, and I just feel this is the time for me to step away.
“I would truly like to thank the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, my teammates, the CFL, and the fans of the Blue Bombers. Most importantly, Mr. Wade Miller, Kyle Walters and Coach O’Shea for their understanding and support throughout this process, and ultimately my decision.
“I will miss the game and the great people in it, but this was the right decision for me at this time.”

http://www.cfl.ca/2017/03/31/bombers-receiver-smith-announces-retirement/

[jerrym]

The Bombers will not being bringing RB coach Avon Cobourne back this year.

The Bombers announced in a press release that Cobourne is pursuing interests outside of football, while the search for his replacement is already under way.
Cobourne, 38, played seven seasons in the CFL with Montreal and Hamilton before joining the coaching ranks in 2014. After two seasons as the running backs coach with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Camden, N.J. native was hired by the Bombers in 2016.
The Bombers say their entire coaching staff is expected to be finalized in the next few weeks.

http://www.cfl.ca/2017/04/01/stateme...avon-cobourne/

[jerrym]

GM Kyle Walters discusses his impressions of the CFL National Combine below.

Walters wouldn’t tip his hand when asked who he might pick with the first-overall selection, choosing instead to highlight some who had good combines. His shout-outs went to Guelph running back Johnny Augustine, Calgary defensive lineman Connor McGough, Manitoba lineman Evan Foster and Sherbrooke fullback Anthony Gosselin while also indicating the offensive line prospect pool in attendance offered five or six guys who will play in the CFL.
“There weren’t any definitive winners and losers today,” he said. “I think everybody competed hard. Maybe some of the kids you graded high versus the kids that maybe grade a little bit lower… they all had some good reps, they had some bad reps so now it’s a matter of we’ll sit down and have to watch this film a lot more closely over the next couple of weeks and go back and watch some more game film.
“The more information you got as the week went on murkied the waters, I’d say.”

http://www.cfl.ca/2017/03/25/murky-w...lters-bombers/

[jerrym]

Podcast: @DarrinBauming discussed @ryguy_4's retirement w/@RickRalphTSN https://t.co/CNcoHA2MbS

— TSN 1290 Winnipeg (@TSN1290Radio) March 31, 2017

[1971GreyCup]

Bombers host Fan Forum at Investors Group Field at the Pinnacle Club on April 5th.

Head Coach Mike O’Shea, GM Kyle Walters, and Winnipeg Football Club President and CEO Wade Miller taking questions from the crowd after their opening statements.

[1971GreyCup]

Details are below on Winnipeg's 2016 Financials. Community teams are public.

If you want to know what we're missing in Toronto, go see an Argos game in Winnipeg. The full day experience is to die for.

I think for the future of CFL, community ownership is the preferred route. Certainly they have the same tough economic decisions, but I doubt the will ever give up live radio play-by-play, pre and post game shows.


The Winnipeg Blue Bombers posted a $2.8 million operating profit in 2016, but had to dip into its excess cash fund to cover its annual stadium cash payment.

The football club released its 2016 financial statement on Wednesday and the report included a four percent decrease in total operating revenue and a three percent drop in average attendance.

On a positive note, corporate partnership revenue grew seven percent.

As well, the club did meet its financial obligations with its third annual excess cash payment to Triple B Stadium Inc. of $4.5 million last December by pulling $1.7 million from its reserves. Worth noting: under terms of the stadium agreement, the annual stadium payment drops to a maximum of $3.5 million in 2017 and $4.4 million in the years following.

All of this, in short, demonstrates how much work the organization still must do to overcome the damage to the brand done over the previous eight years. The Bombers were 11-7 in 2016, posting just their second winning season dating back to 2008.

“As a team we had struggled the past five-six years,” said Winnipeg Football Club President & CEO Wade Miller. “We’re not going to win our fans back overnight. This is something we’re always working on.

“We’re starting to see progress on the field… we just came off a season in which we had our best record since 2003. It’s going to take time for our fans to come back and we totally understand that.”

“We’re working on making the game day experience better every year and with a good start to the season, are hoping more fans will be in the stadium.”

The key numbers in the financial report included:

Total operating revenue was $27.1 million, a decrease of four per cent from 2015, primarily due to a drop in non-football events held at Investors Group Field. In 2015, the stadium hosted the Grey Cup, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and concerts featuring AC/DC and One Direction. Last year the lone non-football event was the NHL Heritage Classic.
This year’s events include the Canadian women’s national soccer team hosting Costa Rica in a friendly on June 8th and Guns N’ Roses on August 24th. Those dates are critical in the club making its annual stadium payments.
“We work hard to bring in multiple events and last year there were less non-football events,” Miller said. “This year we’re trending to have more. Those events are critical in helping us make the (stadium) payment, but there is the expense side to consider as well. When you look at making our payment, we have a large cost every year for transportation, our stadium operation costs are substantially higher than anyone would have anticipated, in addition to the fact the club has invested over $15 million into finishing the stadium.”
Overall operating expenses were $24.2 million, an increase of $300,000 over 2015. Included in that were a 2.8 per cent increase in football operations expenses, a good chunk coming from the increased travel costs associated with heading to Vancouver for the West Division Semi-final.
Average attendance was down to 25,936 from 26,746, or 810 fans per game. Those numbers were disappointing given a seven-game win streak as part of a run to the playoffs, but were also the result of a poor start – 1-4, including two home losses – and then an iffy schedule.
The Bombers didn’t secure their first home victory until Week 7, a victory over Hamilton on August 3rd. On top of that, the seven-game win streak from July 28-Sept. 17 featured a stretch of 36 days – Aug. 5 to Sept. 9, including a bye week – in which the team wasn’t at home.
“The CFL schedule was not advantageous for us in 2016 and compounding that was our 1-4 start, including not winning our first two home games,” added Miller. “All those things added up to a three percent drop.”
The Bombers played to 77.6 percent capacity in 2016 – the league average was 77.8 per cent – and Miller was asked by bluebombers.com to address the question of whether Investors Group Field, with a capacity of 33,234, was too big for football.

“I think the size of the building is great when we’re able to bring in other big events,” he said. “For a CFL stadium it’s a little bit on the big side, but that also works when we’re hosting events like the Banjo Bowl and other big games. Plus, if you don’t have a big enough venue, you’re not getting concerts and that helps us generate more revenue to offset the costs of the stadium.

“If you actually look at our average attendance, in three other stadiums in the CFL (Montreal, Ottawa and Hamilton) our numbers would be considered sell outs.”

“Obviously, though, the experience is better when there are more fans in here and we’re working on that.”

Miller said season ticket numbers are trending to meet last year’s total. Asked if those totals were disappointing given the turnaround last year he added:

“We’ve got to prove ourselves. This just didn’t happen overnight and getting our fans back to buy season tickets isn’t going to happen overnight, either. It was a positive year in 2016. We’ve always got work to do. We’re up to the challenge, so let’s go.”

[ArgoRavi]

Community ownership has generally worked well over the long-term in Regina, Winnipeg and Edmonton but also failed in the 1980s in Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa. I really don''t see it as a viable alternative in Toronto.

[AngeloV]

Community ownership has generally worked well over the long-term in Regina, Winnipeg and Edmonton but also failed in the 1980s in Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa. I really don''t see it as a viable alternative in Toronto.

Didn't Hamilton briefly try it prior to David Braley bailing them out too? Let's face it, some markets just need owners that are capable of taking losses if need be.

[1971GreyCup]

Didn't Hamilton briefly try it prior to David Braley bailing them out too? Let's face it, some markets just need owners that are capable of taking losses if need be.

In the GTO, I'd love to create 2,000,000 private shares @ $10.00 per share. 10,000 shareholders with $2,000 invested. Green Bay did this year's ago in a far less affluent marketplace.

I am pretty sure Bell Media and Larry T. would be more than willing to have another group own them. Your capital raise would cover the team losses for years to come. Bell Media would have a much more secure TSN CFL football property.

[jerrym]

The Bombers annual report reflects the fact that the team has pluses and minuses both on and off the field, but is moving in the right direction.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers posted a $2.8 million operating profit in 2016, but had to dip into its excess cash fund to cover its annual stadium cash payment.
The football club released its 2016 financial statement on Wednesday and the report included a four percent decrease in total operating revenue and a three percent drop in average attendance.
On a positive note, corporate partnership revenue grew seven percent.
As well, the club did meet its financial obligations with its third annual excess cash payment to Triple B Stadium Inc. of $4.5 million last December by pulling $1.7 million from its reserves. Worth noting: under terms of the stadium agreement, the annual stadium payment drops to a maximum of $3.5 million in 2017 and $4.4 million in the years following.
All of this, in short, demonstrates how much work the organization still must do to overcome the damage to the brand done over the previous eight years. The Bombers were 11-7 in 2016, posting just their second winning season dating back to 2008.
“As a team we had struggled the past five-six years,” said Winnipeg Football Club President & CEO Wade Miller. “We’re not going to win our fans back overnight. This is something we’re always working on.
“We’re starting to see progress on the field… we just came off a season in which we had our best record since 2003. It’s going to take time for our fans to come back and we totally understand that.”

“We’re working on making the game day experience better every year and with a good start to the season, are hoping more fans will be in the stadium.”

http://www.bluebombers.com/2017/04/0...annual-report/

[jerrym]

Marty Costello will be the Bomber OL coach in 2017, replacing Bob Wylie who left for the Cleveland Browns.

Costello joined the team last season, working with Coach Bob Wylie in helping form an offensive line that finished the season tied for third in fewest sacks in the CFL in 2016.
“Marty showed last season that not only is he ready for this role full-time, but he was a vital part of our offensive line coaching last season,” said O’Shea. “Players respond well to him, he understands the game through and through, and we’re very glad to retain him heading into 2017.”
Previous to joining Winnipeg last season, Costello spent two seasons at UW-Stevens Point as the Run Game Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach. In his first season there, the team put up 114.8 rushing yards per game and was third in the conference with 14 rushing touchdowns.
Before UWSP, Costello coached at Valley City State. He started as Co-Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach, and for his final three seasons he was promoted to Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach. His team at Valley City State won three consecutive conference championships.

http://www.bluebombers.com/2017/04/0...ve-line-coach/

[jerrym]

Kyle Walters discussed improvements for team followers at a Fan Forum. Are any similar things worth exploring for the Argos?

http://www.bluebombers.com/2017/04/06/new-changes-2017/

[jerrym]

Ed Tait looks at recent Bomber draft picks and first overall draft picks since 1994.

It’s true, the Bombers have mined the draft effectively in the last three years, landing starters like guards Matthias Goossen (second overall in 2014) and Sukh Chungh (second overall in 2015), safety Taylor Loffler (19th overall in 2016) and fullback Chris Normand (33rd overall in 2015). Depth pieces have also been added, including Jesse Briggs (17th/2014), Derek Jones (29th/2014), Addison Richards (11th/2015), Brendan Morgan (15th/2015), Justin Warden (46th/2015), Garrett Waggoner (supplemental draft, 2016), Trent Corney (9th/2016), Michael Couture (10th/2016) and Shayne Gauthier (28th/2016). Two more selections from the 2016 draft class – Zach Intzandt and Rupert Butcher – will both be in training camp in a few weeks.
But first overall? That’s an entirely different beast, especially when the list of top picks over the last couple of decades is studied to determine the hits and the whiffs.
It’s true; for every Muamba, Pierre Lavertu (2014), Steve Morley (2003), Chad Folk (1997) or Val St. Germain (1994) who carved out long CFL careers, there is a Linden Gaydosh (2013), Chris Bauman (2007) or Miguel Robede (2005) who did not.
Simply put, there are never guarantees in any draft that a first-overall pick is going to change a franchise or, at the very least, contribute long term and morph into a starter. ...

WITH THE FIRST PICK IN THE DRAFT…

2016: Josiah St. John, OL, Saskatchewan

GP: 10/6 starts; Held out in contract dispute before signing in July and making a half dozen starts in his rookie season.
2015: Alex Mateas, OL, Ottawa

GP: 35/10 starts; Grey Cup champs still grooming the 6-4, 309-pound hometown lad.
2014: Pierre Lavertu, OL, Calgary

GP: 41/29 starts; West Division All-Star in ’15; started eight games last year before season-ending ankle injury.
2013: Linden Gaydosh, DL, Hamilton

GP: 10/2 starts; Signed with Carolina Panthers in his draft year, spent two seasons in the NFL on practice squad. Appeared in nine games with Hamilton in 2014; missed 2015 with torn Achilles tendon; traded last October to Saskatchewan.
2012: Ben Heenan, OL, Saskatchewan

GP: 49/46 starts; A ratio-breaking tackle for the Riders, Heenan was part of the 2013 Grey Cup team and then signed a three-year $1.575 contract with the Indianapolis Colts, spending time on their practice squad; Retired last April at the age of 26 to concentrate on running the family farm.
2011: Henoc Muamba, LB, Winnipeg

GP: 56/37 starts; Spent three years with the Bombers – including being named the team’s Most Outstanding Player, Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Most Outstanding Canadian in 2013 – before signing with the Indianapolis Colts. Bounced from Montreal to Dallas before landing in Saskatchewan last year.
2010: Shomari Williams, LB, Saskatchewan

GP: 79/22 starts; Two stints with the Riders, with stops in Hamilton, Calgary and Edmonton. Has not played since 2015 and now runs Student Blitz to help players in Canada earn NCAA scholarships.
2009: Simeon Rottier, OL, Hamilton

GP: 120/103 starts; Reliable dependable starter at both guard and tackle. Joined Edmonton in 2012 as a free agent.
2008: Dylan Barker, DB, Hamilton

GP: 35/16 starts; An All-Canadian in college, Barker had his career cut short after four seasons because of a chronic back injury.
2007: Chris Bauman, WR, Hamilton

GP: 79/38 starts; Injuries cut short what could have been and Bauman, who went from Hamilton to Edmonton to Calgary, took his last snap in 2014.
2006: Adam Braidwood, DE, Edmonton

GP: 46/40 starts; Played five years with the Esks, and after playing his last game in 2010 (and after some legal troubles), has now turned his attention to MMA and boxing.
2005: Miguel Robede, DE, Calgary

GP: 53/12 starts; Played at both Laval and Miami in college before the Stamps made him the No. 1 pick in ’05. Suffered a head injury with Calgary before being traded to Toronto in 2011 and then being released in camp.
2004: Wayne Smith, OL, Hamilton

GP: 180/118 starts; Now with the Argos, Smith has two Grey Cup rings from his days with Saskatchewan and Toronto.
2003: Steve Morley, OL, Calgary

GP: 128/118 starts; Ratio-changing tackle who moved from Calgary to Green Bay, to the Rhein Fire, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, Toronto and Saskatchewan before finding a home in Winnipeg. Spent six years in Bomber colours before retiring.
2002: Alex Gauthier, OL, Ottawa

GP: 149/140 starts; The first pick of the expansion Ottawa Renegades in 2002, Gauthier was a divisional All-Star with the Bombers in 2007 and played 10 years in the CFL, the last with Saskatchewan in 2011.
2001: Scott Schultz, DL, Saskatchewan

GP: 128/115 starts; Durable and tough – he didn’t miss a game in his career – Schultz was a CFL All-Star in 2005 and a finalist for the Most Outstanding Canadian award.
2000: Tyson St. James, LB, Saskatchewan

GP: 87/6 starts; Was drafted as potential edge rusher and, while he played five years with both the Riders and Winnipeg, was primarily a special teams contributor.
1999: Robert Meier, DE, B.C.

GP: 0; Meier played pro football, just not with the Lions. A seventh-round draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2000 he spent his entire career in the NFL before being released in 2010.
1998: Tim Fleiszer, DL, Hamilton

GP: 126/24 starts; Has four Grey Cup rings during his days with the Ticats, Montreal, Edmonton and Saskatchewan, primarily as a depth lineman. Now a CFL agent.
1997: Chad Folk, OL, Toronto

GP: 180/174 starts; Spent his entire career with the Argos, winning two championships and starting almost every game. Twice named Toronto’s top lineman.
1996: Don Blair, SB, Edmonton

GP: 116/104 starts; A dominant college player at Calgary, Blair had one 1,000-yard season (1998 with the Esks) and seven years with better than 550 yards receiving.
1995: Tom Nutten, OL, Hamilton

GP: 13/0 starts; Was also drafted by Buffalo in 1995 (seventh round) and spent eight years in the NFL, mostly with the St. Louis Rams.
1994: Val St. Germain, OL, Hamilton

GP: 180/170 starts; Bounced around the CFL from Hamilton, Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan. A three-time divisional all-star.

http://www.bluebombers.com/2017/04/0...overall-picks/

[jerrym]

The Bombers have signed Internationals QB Myles Carr and WR Quinshad Davis.

http://www.bluebombers.com/2017/04/1...dd-carr-davis/

[1971GreyCup]

ANNOUNCEMENTS COMING FROM BLUE BOMBERS FAN DAY

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are slashing concession prices after listening to fan feedback.

Starting with the 2017 season, hot dogs, perogies, grilled Kielbasa on a stick and other new options will start at $4.

Winnipeggers do love a deal, after all.

Blue Bombers president and CEO Wade Miller shared the appetizing news with fans during Wednesday’s fan forum.

Also new this season will be the rapid transit terminal at the University of Manitoba, set to open in early July. All buses will use the terminal, including those acting as park and rides.

A new Blue Bomber Bar Network will shuttle fans from Gate 2 to downtown bars after the game.

The football club has also removed approximately 400 seats to make more viewing space on the concourse, alleviating some of the congestion and creating a better view of end zones.

Season ticket holders who can’t make a game this season will be able to donate their tickets for a tax receipt or swap games through a new ticket swap program.

The Blue Bombers open their season on the road July 1 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders before returning the following weekend to host the Calgary Stampeders July 7 at Investors Group Field.

[Argo57]

ANNOUNCEMENTS COMING FROM BLUE BOMBERS FAN DAY

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are slashing concession prices after listening to fan feedback.

Starting with the 2017 season, hot dogs, perogies, grilled Kielbasa on a stick and other new options will start at $4.

Winnipeggers do love a deal, after all.

Blue Bombers president and CEO Wade Miller shared the appetizing news with fans during Wednesday’s fan forum.

Also new this season will be the rapid transit terminal at the University of Manitoba, set to open in early July. All buses will use the terminal, including those acting as park and rides.

A new Blue Bomber Bar Network will shuttle fans from Gate 2 to downtown bars after the game.

The football club has also removed approximately 400 seats to make more viewing space on the concourse, alleviating some of the congestion and creating a better view of end zones.

Season ticket holders who can’t make a game this season will be able to donate their tickets for a tax receipt or swap games through a new ticket swap program.

The Blue Bombers open their season on the road July 1 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders before returning the following weekend to host the Calgary Stampeders July 7 at Investors Group Field.

Nice to see the Bombers taking advantage of an improved on field product while at the same time reacting to fan input with some of these other ideas.

[AngeloV]

Nice to see the Bombers taking advantage of an improved on field product while at the same time reacting to fan input with some of these other ideas.

Why do I have a feeling they are not going to be able to repeat last season's on field success? Everything went right for them last season. Can't see Matt Nichols doing it again. Just my opinion.