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Surprised that McKenzie cleared waivers. He was a very good LB for us in his tenure. I wish him the best.......

Money appears to be freed up for more signings.....

Big thanks to both players for outstanding years of service to the Lions. They're both true pros who quietly lead by example. I wouldn't be surprised to see McKenzie surface in Ottawa.

B.C.FAN wrote:Big thanks to both players for outstanding years of service to the Lions. They're both true pros who quietly lead by example. I wouldn't be surprised to see McKenzie surface in Ottawa.

Low maintenance professionals.

The off season makeover continues.

I'm going to find a nice comfy spot where I can watch the dumpster fire that is the 2014 BC Lions burn....

At least we don't have to watch your dad twirling his fingers on the sidelines.

WestCoastJoe wrote:

B.C.FAN wrote:Big thanks to both players for outstanding years of service to the Lions. They're both true pros who quietly lead by example. I wouldn't be surprised to see McKenzie surface in Ottawa.

Low maintenance professionals.

Archibald - driving instructor. Business must be a factor in that too.

Anton might be a decent Ottawa pickup if he doesn't have other plans and would only keep playing if he gets his price.

Hawkballer 14 wrote:I'm going to find a nice comfy spot where I can watch the dumpster fire that is the 2014 BC Lions burn....

You're just hanging out at Simon Frazier nowadays with most of the rest of the family anyway, right?

Hawkballer 14 wrote:I'm going to find a nice comfy spot where I can watch the dumpster fire that is the 2014 BC Lions burn....

There are a lot of big changes and with new OC and DC and a lot of core group changing plus other teams improving - this year is going to be very interesting.

For the HC who inherited a winning team he will be challenged to prove that this team is heading back to the top.

I'd not write them off myself.

Also, I never knew that Hawkballer was related to the former OC - based on his posts during JC's time as OC with BC.

Changes in OC can be bigger than a change in DC.

Toppy Vann wrote:

Hawkballer 14 wrote:I'm going to find a nice comfy spot where I can watch the dumpster fire that is the 2014 BC Lions burn....

Also, I never knew that Hawkballer was related to the former OC - based on his posts during JC's time as OC with BC.

Actually not. But if that's what some of you fools need to get by, knock yourselves out.

Hawkballer 14 wrote:I'm going to find a nice comfy spot where I can watch the dumpster fire that is the 2014 BC Lions burn....

You're being a little preemptive on the dumpster comment, but changes were needed as the 2013 team wasn't entertaining enough to captivate the paying public. The largest part of that was due to the offense, just play conservative and count on the D to hold them in the game. However the overhaul may have gone too far now, and it will be tasking on the new OC and DC to get this team to gel in time to host a GC. As long as the Lions make the playoffs they may have enough time during the season to make men out of some boys and find a few gems that they will need to make a GC run. Don't count them out yet, they aren't the Maple Leafs.

Does anyone disagree with the notion that the Lions needed to get younger? We've all seen what happens to teams that hang on to players from glory years when age catches up......when those aging vets leave en masse, the team spends the next few seasons in "rebuild" mode to replace them.

IMHO, Buono has ensured that there are replacements already on board or readily available (oline being the exception). As for leadership, there are still a number of well respected vets whose turn it is, to step up and become the new leaders.

Shi Zi Mi wrote:Does anyone disagree with the notion that the Lions needed to get younger? We've all seen what happens to teams that hang on to players from glory years when age catches up......when those aging vets leave en masse, the team spends the next few seasons in "rebuild" mode to replace them.

IMHO, Buono has ensured that there are replacements already on board or readily available (oline being the exception). As for leadership, there are still a number of well respected vets whose turn it is, to step up and become the new leaders.

I don't think it was unreasonable to conclude that portions of this team, including the coaching staff, were reaching their expiry date.

I didn't think McKenzie was among that group, nor would I have chosen Banks, necessarily, but as a team you do have to evolve or die. Two seasons removed from a GC win with regressions strikes me as the right time for an overhaul. You can't go 9-9 forever.

Unless you want to mortgage everything for one glorious year and then end up in cap hell, something the Riders have done twice now. (To be fair, they rebuilt after the first one.)

That said, still waiting for some significant D Line contributions here.....

Shi Zi Mi wrote:Does anyone disagree with the notion that the Lions needed to get younger? We've all seen what happens to teams that hang on to players from glory years when age catches up......when those aging vets leave en masse, the team spends the next few seasons in "rebuild" mode to replace them.

IMHO, Buono has ensured that there are replacements already on board or readily available (oline being the exception). As for leadership, there are still a number of well respected vets whose turn it is, to step up and become the new leaders.

I don't disagree at all. The Lions were on the verge of slipping from being a veteran team to an old team. Leading up to free agency I was very surprised how little work had been done to get younger.

I still think a big reason for the Eskimos fall from grace was Hughie Campbell milking a bunch of older veterans for one last hurrah under his watch. He got that GC win in 2005 then turned an old team needing a total overhaul over to Maciocia etal. That 2005 Eskimo team had something like 12 to 15 starters over 30, most of them on defense. They've never really recovered from that.