Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Ottawa redblacks: June 13, 2016 game thread

[doubleblue]

The Bombers first team offense was absolutely terrible and as many people anticipated; their offensive line is still their weak link. I really don't understand how Walters & Co. didn't try to improve it this off season (Jeff Keeping isn't really going to be much help IMO).

I agree everything on offense starts with the offensive line. I would say Winnipeg is going to have to go with more than one import up front. Either Ottawa is going to have one whale of a pass rush or some of the Winnipeg OL are not up to it. LT Stanley Bryant is ok, Suuk Chungh is a good young Canadian Guard. But after that they look very ordinary to me. Nuefield has never panned out IMO and Goossen has been slow developing. I think the fact they signed Keeping and drafted Couture probably verified that, with maybe the thought Goossen could play Right Guard. But Keeping is out for a while so it back to the drawing board.

[OV Argo]

I agree everything on offense starts with the offensive line. I would say Winnipeg is going to have to go with more than one import up front. Either Ottawa is going to have one whale of a pass rush or some of the Winnipeg OL are not up to it. LT Stanley Bryant is ok, Suuk Chungh is a good young Canadian Guard. But after that they look very ordinary to me. Nuefield has never panned out IMO and Goossen has been slow developing. I think the fact they signed Keeping and drafted Couture probably verified that, with maybe the thought Goossen could play Right Guard. But Keeping is out for a while so it back to the drawing board.

The Bombers have tried a string of mediocre import O-linemen at OT for some time; Bryant may be solid, but Neufeld is probably as good as some of the import OTs they have had; and they were playing an import O-lineman at guard beside Bryant on their 1st team offence in last night's ex. game = they could easily go with 2 or even 3 import O-linemen if you want to assume that makes things automatically better - they could easily start 4 NIs on their defence. Couture is a promising young O-linemen; Chung & Goosen are more maybes at this point, but I'll bet they all play wayyyyyyyy more in the CFL than any of Barker's O-line draft picks this year ever do.