3 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

He's going to get the same CFL contract no matter how long he waits.

This is one of the interesting bits. Someone talked about wasting a draft asset (the Bombers got from playing Canadian players anyways so might as well YOLO this one) but the Riders took Rourke, who is two years older, has 2 more surgically repaired knees, and has already fulfilled one year of his ELC sitting on the 49ers injured list. Elgersma could have signed here after he got cut from GB, tolled a year of his contract and tried again in the NFL window, but now he is looking at 3 years of the national minimum before potentially hitting paydirt.

This whole thing feels like fool's gold for Elgersma, but being a bit contrarian is it really the worst thing for his development? It's not like he needs to learn the Canadian game, it's all he has ever played. Glancing at the CFL CBA there really isn't much opportunity for the team to do anything with him until Rookie Camp opens... which would be after week 6 of the UFL schedule. Surely there could be worse things a potential QB3 could be doing with their time than hanging out on a "pro" roster for 6 weeks. In theory he could decide that the visa isn't coming at that point and turn tail up here and make it in time for camp?

Elgersma listed as inactive unsurprisingly. Has missed 20% of the UFL season waiting for his visa.

Elgersma watch continues.

Depth chart for Week two has him at QB2 and Hiers at QB3. No news of his visa status or what happened to the QB the Stallions signed for Week 1. Is he actually allowed to play or is UFL being bush League and not checking things against real life? I guess we'll find out Sunday

On 2026-03-27 at 4:25 AM, SpeedFlex27 said:

Which is why I don't understand why we never went after Taylor Powell & allowed Edmonton to sign him. Zach will be 38 this season & Cody Fajardo is 34. Why we couldn't have matched what Edmonton was paying or beat it is a real head scratcher. Why did we completely put aside qb development or improvemnet of the position because we're waiting for some diva qb who thinks he's good enough to play in the NFL after 2 years of trying? Life should have gone on. Except for Walters. He;s put the entire team on hold hoping Elgersma signs here & it hasn't happened. He blown it big time with Powell signing in Edmonton. In essence, the Bombers have done nothing because they're hoping Elgersma decides to come here. They've conceded the QB 2 position just waiting for him. So, now we have the worst QB room in the CFLn waiting for a guy who may never take a snap here. If he does sign, the moment his rookie contract is up he'll bolt to a CFL team in Southern Ontario or continue his NFL quest.

Why are we assuming the QB2 spot is being held for Elgersma? Sure he could compete for it but how often do USports QBs show up and immediately got slotted into backup QB?

Bombers will have Bryce Perkins who won the UFL MVP last year and Payton Throne who had a reasonable NCAA career and was an NFL camp cut last year and then obviously Terry Wilson as the guy with actual CFL experience.. who by the way has played about as much as Powell has the last two seasons.

Realistically if Elgersma were to show up it would be Perkins or Wilson as QB2 and Elgersma as 3... If he did end up QB2 that would mean he was more or less worth the wait

4 hours ago, Booch said:

.but hung onto an NFL PR and actual active roster for 3 yrs after

Are you seeing snap counts differently than what I can find? NFL lists him as only having 3 games played in 2023. Pro football reference has him with 32 ST snaps in those 3 games but then practice roster / reserve list for 2024 and 2025.

Sounds like he was just someone they liked having on scout team and was a nice guy to be around

40 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

Siskey didn’t give us many hints as to who the starter will be. That said, based off of our conversations with Tyler and HC A.J. McCarron – we’d predict that Corral is leading the way, with Elgersma in a close second – and Michael Hiers right behind him.

Sounds like elgersma has had a pretty good camp down in the ufl as well

Elgersma barely being ahead of a QB who spent the better part of 2 years on the Riders practice squad doesn't inspire a tonne of confidence tbh

1 hour ago, bigg jay said:

FWIW:

Are we talking spring football or just the UFL, which is in it's third year?

Liam Dobson couldn't get work permit in 2021 and came north. Sage Doxtater played 5 games in the XFL in 2023. He was signed in 2024 when his team moved over to the UFL but didn't end up playing due to an injury so that one is... inconclusive.

Are Canadians not playing in the UFL because they can't get a work permit, or because it's a dead end?

1 hour ago, GCn20 said:

Do you think that Cody Fajardo behind Tre Ford was an equal situation to Maier behind Harris last year in terms of probability of seeing the field? Fact is that some situations are much better for a number 2 than others. That's just straight up and undeniable fact. There was a very high probability that Fajardo was going to take over for Ford last year. There was almost zero chance for some other backups around the league to see significant playing time except thru injury. Elgersma as an unproven pro QB has almost zero shot at playing time as Corral is a very experienced and successful QB in that league.

The Stallions just signed another QB so that means that one of Hiers and Elgersma will be the odd man out. Hiers just spent the better part of two years on the Riders practice squad but he has 4-down experience

3 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

For my own info, what have the Bombers done for youth tackle football in Manitoba? It would be interesting to know. Here in Calgary, you sure don't hear much from the Stamps when it comes to tackle football in the community at any level.

This is from last year but I imagine its more of the same for this year
https://3downnation.com/2025/04/04/winnipeg-blue-bombers-contributed-930000-to-amateur-football-in-2024/

I generally see those types of articles "Bombers donated $X worth of helmets". They also run the try football camps all the time... usually 4-5 sessions that are free of cost and draw around 100 kids.

I sign my kids up for so many Bomber activities I don't even have to spend any money at Save-On-Foods anymore, they just keep giving them gift cards that I use.

2 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

It's too bad that we're in a holding pattern with Taylor Elegersma that we've completly let the backup qb position become something of a wilderness similar to what happened to our DL. Powell would have been the perfect backup to Collaros. Experienced & still young enough to give us 7 or 8 years as a starter. However, we let him get away for some rookie with delusions of grandeur & a fantasy money tree in his living room.

What about Powell screams 7-8 year starter? He had a fairly unremarkable rookie season. Did well in the one game in 2024 before leaving the field in an ambulance due to a concussion and has thrown 12 passes since.

Football highlights are usually needlessly cruel

https://imgur.com/a/jefferson-long-td-vs-atl-EEKhxb8

Alford is not the guy you want on JJ 1:1, he obviously thought he was releasing him to a safety, realized there was no one behind him so he hauled back and instincts took over and he want to the corner instead of the middle of the field

6 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

After that disappointment & ever since I just yawn now when they bring in these young guys as 95% of them can't play in the CFL. We all know the Bombers record the past 30 seasons developing legit CFL starting qbs. Not very good.

Is there a team in the CFL that is known for developing quarterbacks? It seems like more often than not the recipe for success is to pluck a backup off another team and then ride them until the wheels come off. What are the home grown QB success stories this century? Ricky Ray, Bo, Lulay, Rourke, Darian Durant? Seems more like lucking into a guy than any protracted strategy.

4 hours ago, WinnipegGordo said:

I havent seen any Elgersma talk for awhile.... So, here you go.

There's an unconfirmed report he's at Birmingham's camp.

Seeing "Haters hate to hear this" all I could think about was this Hulk Hogan tweet

Goodnight HULKAMANIACS and jabronie marks without a life that don't know it a work when you work a work and work yourself into a shoot,marks

2 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

So tell me, why wouldn't Mauldin have fit in anywhere else? Was he a cancer in the dressing room? Was he uncoachable? Was he a selfish? A "Me First" player? From everything I have ever heard he was great team player. Had he wanted to leave Ottawa even 3 years ago, there would have been 8 other teams that would have tried to sign him.

Mauldin played for Hamilton in 2021 and had 5 sacks in 6 games in the COVID shortened season.

He signed with Ottawa and wasn't among the top 10 highest paid defensive ends.

He won MODP in 2022, and his contract was 200K in 2023 after he re-signed and he was the second highest paid defensive end. He was also 30 at this point. He did sign before the window opened (Jan 18th)... maybe Calgary would have signed him to replace Orimolade, maybe the Argos could have signed him instead of Orimolade.

But you can't get much higher paid than the second most salary at your position.

He had a down year in 2023 and his salary in 2024 reflected that, but he was still top 10 paid. He bounced backed in 2024 and was almost 200K again in 2025 and that didn't go super great for all involved.

If he wanted a better shot at winning a championship, it would been in the East, the Bombers didn't have room on those teams (as constructed) for another 30+ year old d-lineman making 200k, I don't think he would have pushed any of the West teams over the Bombers.

Maybe he could have taken a deep discount to get onto another team but that is not a thing that happens very much tbh.

The problem really was that he broke out at the time where he was on the wrong end of the aging curve... and really his production showed that and teams aren't dumb so good call.

You can point to Willie Jefferson as an argument against the DE aging curve... but he has a very specific skill that makes him a bit of a unicorn and the Bombers deploy him as such

Would he have been paid more elsewhere? Dude got his bag playing in the NFL, then two grey cup appearances with Hamilton, moved to Ottawa, Won MODP in 2022 and got paid, down season in 2023, bounced back in 2024 and then whatever happened last year.

There was really no one for him to sign and be guaranteed a grey cup... He was never going to fit in here and Argos and Montreal were the only other reasonable teams in the East and who knows had he fit there. He was one of the highest paid defensive ends year over year after his MODP campaign.

20 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

You don't have to compete with the NFL salary wise, but you can't pigeon hole a NAT draftee for 3 years of his career either. Guys will go to the UFL instead or take flyers on weak NFL interest. We've seen it, we are seeing it, it's a problem. It's not imaginary. The top of our draft classes are choosing to chase the NFL despite very weak interest in them. Elgersma is not the first high draft pick we've waited to go through NFL interest then the UFL before coming here.

Have their been any other NAT drafted players who have flirted with the UFL/XFL? AFAIK with Elgersma the only link is that they drafted him, I haven't seen any indication that that is where he is going to end up either.

42 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

This is what I'm talking about.... dude's trying to land in the NFL... he's deluded probably at this point but by god he's going to try. Doesn't mean he's shitting all over the cfl and christ chances are he never amounts to anything in the cfl either. So why waste all this energy on a guy like that

I get it's exciting because there hasn't been a lot of Canadian QBs in this era of the CFL, and then this decade we have Nathan Rourke, and then Tre Ford was looking good for a bit... and then we get Kurtis Rourke who had some Heisman heat, and the Elgersma who did well in CIS and had some scouts thinking he was something but people definitely need to settle down.

I think Kurtis Rourke almost has less of a chance to make in the NFL, being 25 years old and having torn each of his ACLs, but you don't hear Rider Fans wondering wtf he is doing up there.

6 hours ago, Booch said:

And Rourke was able to weasel out of the pathetic rookie deal setup too after his failed attempt...Elgersma's camp should be talking to them

That being said he also has proven absolutely nothing...at this point is all hype and assumptions and only way to get away from that is realistically get to Canada where he will be given every chance possible...get some film and show that yeah..he's legit

Rourke played 2 seasons on his ELC in the CFL and then had a full season worth of PR and Active Roster cheques so per section 9.03 of the CBA his contract was fulfilled.

I wonder if they might try to review section 9.03 of the CBA in the next round of negotiations.

Kurtis Rourke is in a similar situation, probably CFL bound eventually but because he was on the injured list all year that burns a year off his ELC.

Because Elgersma was chasing a PR spot it doesn't look like he is in the same boat, so if Rourke ended up on the CFL next year, he probably has only 1 year on his ELC, if Elgersma waits until next year he still has 3.

Apparently the Birmingham coach is saying that the plan is still to have Elgersma play for the Stallions, which is interesting because it sounded like the UFL wasn't on his radar

3 hours ago, wbbfan said:

speaking of politics, the nfl has won a grievance against the nflpa over pa grades. They aren’t going to be allowed to publish them any more, as people have been weaponizing the scores, while some teams (jets) have been slashing expenses like food to pocket more money.

They are looking to a 3rd party to grade teams, which I think is great. I’d love to see the pa grades continue here but add the 3rd party grading as well.

It's funny to be the NFL got so upset at the NFLPA for their member body grading the teams, but the NFL doesn't have any issue trotting out independent people grading players performance on a play by play basis (PFF) and having their broadcast partners blast it all over their coverage.

12 hours ago, GCn20 said:

Elgersma (if his agents had half a brain) should come here ASAP, train hard, work hard, and be ready if there is an injury to Collaros. Should he have the ability to dominate our game he has the same earning potential as Rourke at much shorter odds than the NFL. He can parlay his career into something that grosses him 7-8 million before he hangs them up but he's gonna have to take lumps for at least the first year of that. I can confidently, and with 100% certainty tell you that 7-8 million in the CFL will far outweigh any potential career earnings in the NFL he is dreaming about. We keep talking about the low salary he will make this year, while forgetting that is inevitable and shaving a potential 750k a year (if he were a quality CDN starter) off his career earnings and if he isn't a quality CDN starter in our league, then waiting for the NFL has no point either.

That is the case with most football players. Not many go out when they should. Most need to be told, and that's just the make up of a football player really.

I don't think its reasonable to expect anyone to be able to parlay a career in the CFL to 7 or 8 million dollars... once he is off his ELC he'd be 27... so it would take 10 years @ 700K AAV to get him to 7 million... and that is if one of a million different things that could go wrong to derail a career doesn't go wrong. To project someone who spent 4 years in CIS ball and had one half decent NFL preseason game to end up the highest paid CFL player ever post US-Expansion seems... pie in the sky at best.

4 hours ago, wbbfan said:

whole league sure needs it. But with the pay and the nfls pr size/pay we don’t stand much of a chance. It’s not that they cant find the kids who can play, we can’t get the ones who can. So we try to find the guys who can develop in the bargain bin. 

 We went from finding guys like ricky ray driving a fritos truck to shopping for never have been guys at dollar general. 

NIL definitely isn't helping things here.

The baseline for a power 4 QB has to be around 500K/yr for NIL at this point? Tough sell getting those guys to come up here for 2 years making peanuts just for a chance to be able to make almost as much as they made in college.

200k+ for a DB who's gonna be 33 at the start of the season seems crazy, even if he has the right passport

2 hours ago, GCn20 said:

Mills was a far more consistent threat on the ground last year. 

Is there a specific metric you are taking into account here?

Brady had more 20+ yard rushes on 49 less carries, so he's by far a bigger threat to to bust a big one than Mills.

Mills was busting a 10+ yard run every 5.5 carries or so, whereas Brady was about every 6.5 carries but even that isn't a huge difference.

Brady also had a bigger YPC than Mills.

Would have been neat to see what kind of stats Brady would have put up had he not missed effectively 4 games. Would have probably have had 2000 yards from scrimmage for sure.

49 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Not true. Our OL graded out very well in run blocking, it was pass pro they sucked. Look at the PFF numbers for run blocking for our OL. It sucks but BO just wasn't up to form for a lot of last year. I think part of that was the injury he sustained early in the season but he was definitely not the usual BO last year.

1 hour ago, HardCoreBlue said:

PFF scores are fun when you want to support your own narrative but IMO you have to take them with a grain of salt. According to them, Willie Jefferson played the best football game of probably anyone ever at any level in week 9... he graded a 99.3 overall

35 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

So $315,000 for Hatcher,  Rourke is what $600,000 + and Betts makes big $ too. BC is going to run out of money.

Elks spent like drunken sailors on defense last season and it didn't work out great for them.

Lions taking a similar approach on offense