Josh Bourke on trading block?

[ArgoRavi]

Gary Lawless is tweeting that the Argos are in the market to unload Bourke:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Word around <a href="https://twitter.com/CFL">@cfl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cfl?src=hash">#cfl</a> is <a href="https://twitter.com/TorontoArgos">@TorontoArgos</a> national OT Josh Bourke is on trade block</p>&mdash; gary lawless (@garylawless) <a href="https://twitter.com/garylawless/status/776434119404171273">September 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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[Wobbler]

Interesting. He can't have lost all that much value after a half season with us... can he?

[Argo]

Interesting. He can't have lost all that much value after a half season with us... can he?
Looks that way, for whatever reason(s).

[AngeloV]

High price tag. My guess is they now believe they overpaid for him.

[OV Argo]

Expensive veteran; maybe missed a couple of blocks this year. Makes a nice scapegoat; this guy has totally lost it as an OT - useless bum - trade him or cut him. $M$ problems ?

I'm with those who have huge questions about this Argo football "braintrust" - cutting Bulcke (after one game) and Raymond; getting fleeced badly in a trade for a mediocre QB talent = smacks of desperation - just IMO and sorry for offending true Argo fans with this opinion. We shall see though - crunch time in the season and the East is still easily up for grabs. All these "moves" pay-off with a bunch of wins and a strong play-off performance and some doubters will have to eat crow/ admit they were wrong and give credit to the braintrust.

[AngeloV]

Expensive veteran; maybe missed a couple of blocks this year. Makes a nice scapegoat; this guy has totally lost it as an OT - useless bum - trade him or cut him. $M$ problems ?

I'm with those who have huge questions about this Argo football "braintrust" - cutting Bulcke (after one game) and Raymond; getting fleeced badly in a trade for a mediocre QB talent = smacks of desperation - just IMO and sorry for offending true Argo fans with this opinion. We shall see though - crunch time in the season and the East is still easily up for grabs. All these "moves" pay-off with a bunch of wins and a strong play-off performance and some doubters will have to eat crow/ admit they were wrong and give credit to the braintrust.

Why don't you wait and see the results before determining the Argos were fleeced. Issaac has played much better than Raymond did all season. Raymond has lost more than a step, and that is why you haven't seen anyone jump to sign him since he's been available. It was a bad signing in hind sight, not a bad decision to cut him. Van Roten certainly looked good last game at tackle, and makes considerably less money than Bourke. It was only 1 game, but we'll see how it goes going forward.

[Wobbler]

Looks that way, for whatever reason(s).
I meant *trade* value.

[doubleblue]

I don't get this rumour, that must have been leaked unless it is to put pressure on Bourke to take a pay cut. Has the new owners suddenly started to put pressure on Barker to reduce the pay roll because of less than anticipated gate receipts? Bulcke cut, Redmond cut is Bourke next. The guy had been playing with a dislocated thumb and needed time off to allow it to heal. Or do they want to carry two big ticket QB's and are trying to find ways to make that work. Lots of questions. Kind of out of character for Barker from his past. First signing all these FA's and then having to cut them. Makes one start to wonder who the Captain of the Ship is.

[Argo]

I meant *trade* value.

Hmmm, if Milanovich is thinking addition by subtraction then perhaps others will also => decline in trade value.

[Argo]

I don't get this rumour, that must have been leaked unless it is to put pressure on Bourke to take a pay cut. Has the new owners suddenly started to put pressure on Barker to reduce the pay roll because of less than anticipated gate receipts? Bulcke cut, Redmond cut is Bourke next. The guy had been playing with a dislocated thumb and needed time off to allow it to heal. Or do they want to carry two big ticket QB's and are trying to find ways to make that work. Lots of questions. Kind of out of character for Barker from his past. First signing all these FA's and then having to cut them. Makes one start to wonder who the Captain of the Ship is.

Well, I like a good metaphor as much as I like a bad pun. The crepe is flipped and now in mid-air - how will it land? A successful season? A miserable failure? Stay tuned...

[Will]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Per <a href="https://twitter.com/garylawless">@garylawless</a> Argos are looking to trade Josh Bourke. Pressures allowed by LTs this season...3rd most:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Details?src=hash">#Details</a> <a href="https://t.co/xESC2On8y7">pic.twitter.com/xESC2On8y7</a></p>&mdash; Derek Taylor (@DTonSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/DTonSC/status/776463384820719616">September 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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[ArgoGabe22]

If Van Roten is doing better at LT and Watman is more than capable at G, then what's the need of keeping a highly paid, underperforming LT?

[OV Argo]

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Pretty interesting and amusing stat there; the stats that they are coming up with in some sports now are often questionable to laughable - maybe more to feed the "fantasy" industry ?


That stat has lots of subjective content to it and cannot take into account all sorts of other factors - play calling, opponent faced, mobile vs. immobile, or experienced vs. inexperienced QB the lineman is protecting, etc. etc.
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[argotom]

Wasn't impressive looked like a pylon at times when he played.
Unless he has completely lost it, he is a perfect example of a player that should have stayed being comfortable in the same system instead of moving on to the unknown.

[Wobbler]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Per <a href="https://twitter.com/garylawless">@garylawless</a> Argos are looking to trade Josh Bourke. Pressures allowed by LTs this season...3rd most:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Details?src=hash">#Details</a> <a href="https://t.co/xESC2On8y7">pic.twitter.com/xESC2On8y7</a></p>— Derek Taylor (@DTonSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/DTonSC/status/776463384820719616">September 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Taylor has a lot of interesting stats in his twitter feed (e.g. Shaw has been targeted >62 times this year and has 0 drops). Do you know if this stuff is available online somewhere?

[AngeloV]

Taylor has a lot of interesting stats in his twitter feed (e.g. Shaw has been targeted >62 times this year and has 0 drops). Do you know if this stuff is available online somewhere?

Well, Shaw did drop a TD at the end of the first half on Sunday.

[Wobbler]

Well, Shaw did drop a TD at the end of the first half on Sunday.
The stat I quoted was actually 62 targets and zero drops... going into last week.

And yeah, I shouldn't have forgotten that play - even though we won!

[argofan81]

Not sure what they can get for him at this point considering he is listed on our 6-game IR.

[paulwoods13]

If he was an INT there is no one who would be questioning the notion that the "brain trust" should shop him around. While none of us is qualified to really judge o-line play, it's pretty evident even to untrained eyes that he has had a poor season. Perhaps it's because of health, perhaps he's just a bad fit with our system, perhaps he has just gotten old all of a sudden. It happens even to high-priced, highly coveted free agents.

He and Bulcke were tight based on their backgrounds in Windsor. Now one is gone and one may be on the way out. Maybe there is more to this story.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/cfl-preview-bulcke-bourke-setting-big-goals-argos-reunion/

[Reggiemac]

Be nice if they could get something for Bourque, hr certainly cantbplay anymore and I hold him responsible for our season cause of his lackadaisial attitude towards blocking for Ricky. Watch the play he didnt make on Rickys knee injury. Pathetic, he just doesnt care enought to play honest football, he shouldnt be cashing his patcheques! I am not a fan of his.

[OV Argo]

Be nice if they could get something for Bourque, hr certainly cantbplay anymore and I hold him responsible for our season cause of his lackadaisial attitude towards blocking for Ricky. Watch the play he didnt make on Rickys knee injury. Pathetic, he just doesnt care enought to play honest football, he shouldnt be cashing his patcheques! I am not a fan of his.

WOW ! - Bourke goes from being one of the best OTs in the CFL for years and years now to suddenly a lazy and under-performing bum ? Could be i guess - older/ lost a step, or could be he has been hampered by an injury? Or maybe this Argo offence and it's tendencies and play-book & coaching makes some pretty solid players look bad at certain positions?

I guess some hope that draft picks Sackey & Campbell will step-up to be the next Chris Schultz's for the Argos - we shall see; some rookie draft pick O-linemen of this year have been starting for their CFL teams - Gagnon for the Als; Lauzon-Seguin starting at OT for Ottawa lately; Revenberg for the Ticats looks like a force at guard for the them IMO. Bourke and his big pay-cheque can fade off into the Argo sunset i guess - or trade him for some value before it is too late? and maybe Sackey or Campbell get a shot to play next year ? - or do they need a few more years of seasoning & "developing" ?

McEwen IMO looks very solid and maybe a fixture on the Argos O-line for years to come. Some good O-Line prospects up next draft too IMO - but unless they reacquire a 1st rounder, the Argos have already given away a chance to use a top pick on a very good O-line (or other position) prospect for next year.

[doubleblue]

Be nice if they could get something for Bourque, hr certainly cantbplay anymore and I hold him responsible for our season cause of his lackadaisial attitude towards blocking for Ricky. Watch the play he didnt make on Rickys knee injury. Pathetic, he just doesnt care enought to play honest football, he shouldnt be cashing his patcheques! I am not a fan of his.

Probably nothing wrong with Bourke's talent yet, but apparently he was trying to play through an injury of a dislocated thumb. Offensive Linemen use their hands almost extensively when pass blocking which would be painful for Bourke trying to block with one bad hand. When he is healthy he will probably come back to form. But having said that Van Roten would be a cheaper player who looks like he can do the job.

[Will]

Be nice if they could get something for Bourque, hr certainly cantbplay anymore and I hold him responsible for our season cause of his lackadaisial attitude towards blocking for Ricky. Watch the play he didnt make on Rickys knee injury. Pathetic, he just doesnt care enought to play honest football, he shouldnt be cashing his patcheques! I am not a fan of his.

I've definitely noticed you aren't a fan of his, but I gotta ask do you have something personal against the guy? I would agree that he hasn't been a good signing, but to hold him 100% responsible for this season is not correct either.