Chris Williams

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don corleone
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Chris Williams was absolutely, with out a doubt, the most electric player in the CFL through the early part of the 2016 season. It is so easy to see how it could seem like a good idea.

Is it too much brilliant hindsight to say the Lions would have been further ahead standing pat with Nick Moore. People have posted about losing Jovan Olafioye but Anthony Allen was also a salary cap casualty that was not replaced. Chris Rainey, although being a tremendous asset in other ways, does not have the same backfield dynamic . JJ24 complimented Allens style well.

June Jones says the passing game starts with the running game.

It's all entertainment at this point. Change is on the horizon. Anything can happen. Would be nice to see CW80 find a groove and be that guy. Almost reminds me of Charlie Roberts.
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David
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Very frustrating. I know how good he can be. I just don't think we ever figured out a way to use him properly. I think he's still battling back from his injury, but the dropped pass is probably a function of trying to do too much and the pressure he's putting on himself. Hope it's not a "one and done" season as I still think he can be a game breaker. We're not getting the production for the $$$ we're paying him, but I don't put this on CW.

Right now, Nick Moore would be better suited to this offense. He should not be standing on the sidelines in civvies. Total waste of talent.

We need to find a way to get them both on the field. I'd have Parker/Bucknor play wide side corner.


DH :cool:
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KnowItAll
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interesting how sometimes star players are not the same on different teams. Look at Ernest Jackson. Not doing to well in Montreal. Maybe they both should have stayed in Ottawa. or not
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B.C.FAN
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David wrote:
Mon Oct 09, 2017 11:10 pm

Right now, Nick Moore would be better suited to this offense. He should not be standing on the sidelines in civvies. Total waste of talent.

We need to find a way to get them both on the field. I'd have Parker/Bucknor play wide side corner.


DH :cool:
I've been calling for that all year. It would improve the offence and defence at the same time but I doubt theatre Wally would consider it because it would involve playing an extra national on defence and reducing the roles of Iannuzzi and Shaq Johnson on offence.

Ottawa offensive coordinator Jaime Elizondo deserves a lot of credit for the success that Williams enjoyed with the Redblacks. It's no coincidence that Williams and Ernest Jackson have both had sharp drops in production since moving to new teams this year. Elizondo puts players in position to succeed and probably makes them look better than they are.
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Rammer
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Wally was hesitant on the CW front when posed the question on whether to replace him in the lineup on 3down nation.

I don't understand how an elite receiver like Williams can't offer a play or two that he ran on his previous teams offense into the Lions. Even the dropped TD wasn't likely designed for him to get the ball, as Jennings had to scramble first.

Probably has to do with our lack of imagination from the tried tested and disapproved riutes.

Even funnier was Wally giving Ottawa credit for the inside kick, saying it was gutsy as failure would have almost secured the game in the Lions favour. That shows you how Wally's tendencies are an attempt always with the law of average as his guide. He expects his rivals to do likewise, and that is burning him game after game now.
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JohnHenry
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Chris Williams is not a polished receiver, more of a track man, who needs to be wide open catching the ball on the dead run. If the catch is contested he's not very effective. Basically a one-dimensional player. Not sure he fits into the Lions offensive scheme. He's kind of expensive for a "decoy" to streak down the field and open up the underneath routes. I'd predict he'll be released next season if he signed a two-year contract.
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JohnHenry wrote:
Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:29 am
Chris Williams is not a polished receiver, more of a track man, who needs to be wide open catching the ball on the dead run. If the catch is contested he's not very effective. Basically a one-dimensional player. Not sure he fits into the Lions offensive scheme. He's kind of expensive for a "decoy" to streak down the field and open up the underneath routes. I'd predict he'll be released next season if he signed a two-year contract.
He is completely mis-used. Against Ottawa, he was lined up on the LOS so he had a standing start. He was in man to man coverage and the defender had a very big height advantage so there would be no contest on a jump ball... The defender gave him 10 yards and floated backwards. IMO if his number is not called, CW does not run hard downfield so there is very little impact as a decoy...He certainly was not "streaking" downfield..... ending his route after maybe 15 yards.... He needs to hit the LOS in a run, use what speed he has left and provide a long-ball option to JJ10.... I did not see him doing that the last game.... It is clear that the coaches don't know how to use a speed receiver or they will not change the playbook to accommodate his talents....
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WestCoastJoe
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Dusty wrote:
Tue Oct 10, 2017 7:56 am
JohnHenry wrote:
Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:29 am
Chris Williams is not a polished receiver, more of a track man, who needs to be wide open catching the ball on the dead run. If the catch is contested he's not very effective. Basically a one-dimensional player. Not sure he fits into the Lions offensive scheme. He's kind of expensive for a "decoy" to streak down the field and open up the underneath routes. I'd predict he'll be released next season if he signed a two-year contract.
He is completely mis-used. Against Ottawa, he was lined up on the LOS so he had a standing start. He was in man to man coverage and the defender had a very big height advantage so there would be no contest on a jump ball... The defender gave him 10 yards and floated backwards. IMO if his number is not called, CW does not run hard downfield so there is very little impact as a decoy...He certainly was not "streaking" downfield..... ending his route after maybe 15 yards.... He needs to hit the LOS in a run, use what speed he has left and provide a long-ball option to JJ10.... I did not see him doing that the last game.... It is clear that the coaches don't know how to use a speed receiver or they will not change the playbook to accommodate his talents....
Points well made, Guys.

It is not part of CW's skills to go up and contest a ball. He does not seem like a good route runner. It seems evident we have no idea how to use him. (Some, including me, speculated when we acquired him that we might not know how to use him.) As noted he is not even a good decoy. And there is Nick Moore, not suited up. And there is Olafioye in Montreal.

Stuff adds up. The mistakes and misjudgments started early in this season.

Some other issues ...

Our D Line Internationals are so ordinary. IMO you cannot go that route with personnel. The D Line needs some International monsters. Guys like Tyrone Williams, Aaron Hunt, Eric Taylor, Khalif Mitchell. IMO our Nationals on the D Line are plenty good enough. I cannot help but think that Mark Washington got the INT D Line guys he wanted. To me it seems like bad judgment.

Our DBs? That has become a mess. At one time I thought we had very good talent there. But it has evolved into a train wreck. Guys in positions that seem foreign to them. So many changes. Guys not knowing assignments. Guys getting beat one on one. At least one guy seemingly giving up last game.

STs. A schmozzle. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Fool me over and over again? One gets a hopeless feeling.

O Line. "Deja vu all over again," as Yogi Berra would say. So many problems. And occasionally some good games. Last game not bad IMO. But there was a lot of pressure on JJ10. He dumped it off. He dodged. He released quickly. The team made some adjustments that helped.

Last game our offence was pretty good. And we had an excellent final drive, before it fizzled. No fault of JJ10's IMO. Playing for us, in my opinion, Bo Levi Mitchell would be on the long-term injury list, as has been the case with all of our QBs over the years. And his confidence would be shaken.

Our defence was a fail. Complete collapse, as Harris and Ellingson carved us up like turkey.

Amazingly, it ain't over yet. The Eskimos have a tough schedule remaining. This fan cannot write off our prospects yet. This fan believes we have very good talent at many positions. If we do sneak into the playoffs, we could win in the East. And then off to Calgary. "Aye, there's the rub," said Hamlet. Calgary. LOL

My emotional reaction? Much subdued these days. It is just a game, as they say. But when we grow up in North America, sports take on a life and death sense of importance. Victory brings jubilation. Losing brings intolerable pain.

Just IMO ...
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David
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I'll echo what Blitz noted in another post. The decision to not sign Jovan (whose salary was a bit high, yet I am sure both sides could have worked on a more reasonable number) was costly. That money went to Chris Williams, coming off extensive knee surgery who both hasn't been used properly and hasn't looked comfortable..

Funny thing is, if we're averaging 25,000 fans a game, I really doubt Wally makes that move. I believe he did it to add "more excitement" and sell more tickets, but the move has backfired. No way should we have given up on a perennial All-Star tackle. Farhan Lalji has said that Jovan is not the same player and is not having a great season in Montreal. While that may be true, he is head and shoulders better than what we have in Johnson and Palmer IMO. And Jovan is versatile in that he can play left or right tackle.


DH :cool:
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What a fiasco ! Signing a high priced free agent and the staff don't know how to utilize his talents.
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B.C.FAN
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I'll side with Farhan in downplaying the significance of the Olafioye move. HIs play slipped significantly last year as he tried to adjust to the left side, and it seemed to slip further this year in Montreal before he suffered a hand injury last month and was lost for the season. I have been impressed with the way Antonio Johnson has adjusted to the switch from right to left tackle. I don't think the Lions have lost anything at that position, and they have saved salary. Olafioye's old position of right tackle has been a weakness with Palmer this year. Olafioye could have helped the Lions at that position but I don't think they had any desire to move him back to right tackle at his salary.
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Is it coaching, or talent? How many years have we had problems with the o-line?

Signing a receiver and letting go an all-star offensive lineman is putting the cart before the horse.
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Toppy Vann
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MacNews wrote:
Sat Oct 14, 2017 2:02 pm
Is it coaching, or talent? How many years have we had problems with the o-line?

Signing a receiver and letting go an all-star offensive lineman is putting the cart before the horse.
Setting aside letting the Big O go to the Als and CW80, I suspect that the Bombers intimate (Buck Pierce WPG coach) knows exactly how Dorazio coaches 'em up and that's why the Bombers sent the house all day.

Jennings in the pocket tossing 40 and 4 yarders wasn't smart.

I feel bad for the Lions - until the end they looked defeated by their play book and lack of creativity and Jennings standing back there was dumb.

Williams coming off the injury isn't the exciting player he was and he's never open like he was with OTT and Burris.
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KnowItAll
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don't suppose sask would consider trading owens for Williams and something else

would the lions??
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