If there is anything that deserves a thread of its own its this Tuesdays looming bidding wars.

Lets start with 3Down Nation's top 5 negotiations for our Blue:

http://3downnation.com/2017/02/12/top-five-free-agent-targets-bombers/

1. DL Jabar Westerman, B.C. Lions

2. LB Winston Venable, Montreal Alouettes

3. RB Kienan Lafrance, Ottawa Redblacks

4. DL Drake Nevis, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

5. DB Jovon Johnson, Montreal Alouettes

I like the idea of what a 2nd Westerman would do for our D_line for years to come. Getting Venerable could mean a road to the Grey Cup so I would break the bank with whatever we have left and spend it on those two.

So Carter/Roosevelt/Collins/Bagg/Edwards/Demski/Holley actually looked like a solid receiving corps. Why add Grant and Owens? Oh and who gets cut?

58 minutes ago, Pete Catan's Ghost said:

Riders were ready to cry "they're tampering with our neg. list guy" until they found out that it wasn't Darren Woodson who Calgary signed.

I hear Jones and co not only neglisted Darren Woodson, they neglisted Rod Woodson too.

3 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

So Carter/Roosevelt/Collins/Bagg/Edwards/Demski/Holley actually looked like a solid receiving corps. Why add Grant and Owens? Oh and who gets cut?

I see Grant in the same light as Stafford for us.  He may or may not make the team at all.  Owens will apparently be their returner.  Seems crowded but I actually don't mind Jones' approach here.  They are going to have a great receiving corps.

Why pay Lafrance 100K if he is never going to get any touches?

Chris Jones answering the fans.

"You can't handle The Plan!"

I feel kind of good about the LeFevour signing .... he can run the offense if we have a real offense and I think we do ... if he can be taught to look downfield during a scramble maybe he can become a legit CFL QBer ... his performance with the Argos last fall was somewhat encouraging ... Dom Davis is going to have to be good to get # 2 backup reps ... Dan is my preference over any Montreal castaway like Cato & company

Edited February 18, 20178 yr by BigBlue

Does anyone remember if Walters said they weren't done before or after the Lefevour/denmark signings? Just wondering if were still in play for anyone,  and if so,  any guesses?

10 minutes ago, Taynted_Fayth said:

Does anyone remember if Walters said they weren't done before or after the Lefevour/denmark signings? Just wondering if were still in play for anyone,  and if so,  any guesses?

Id be surprised at this point if we sign some one we project as a starter short of saving money some place. 

Sign Elsworth!!! ARRGGHHHH!!!!

On 2017-02-17 at 4:57 PM, Taynted_Fayth said:

riders sign Bakari Grant and Glenn Love.  

another laughable signing (Grant). I guess Jones is preparing to trade off a lot of that "awesome" rider fans have been getting chubs over all last year

But what team would trade for any of them when eventually Jones is going to have to cut a few and teams can pick them up for free. 

yes some of their actual talent is going to have to be PR'd as well and I see no G.M having any issues this yr of poaching Rider guys based on the b.s that Jones has pulled the last year and a half

On 2/17/2017 at 6:00 PM, BigBlue said:

I feel kind of good about the LeFevour signing .... he can run the offense if we have a real offense and I think we do ... if he can be taught to look downfield during a scramble maybe he can become a legit CFL QBer ... his performance with the Argos last fall was somewhat encouraging ... Dom Davis is going to have to be good to get # 2 backup reps ... Dan is my preference over any Montreal castaway like Cato & company

Agreed, if nothing else we have a backup that can at least manage a game if Nichols goes down. LeFevour will likely be good in short yardage, and the signing adds some stability to the most important position in the CFL. I think the current regime learned from their mistakes when they bet it all on Willy a few years ago - only to see the season slip away with his season ending injury.

That said, I don't know how much learning/developing he's going to be doing - he turns 30 next month. Even if he just meets expectations, I think that will be good enough as a backup role for Nichols. Besides, he's light years ahead of other quarterbacks we've had in prior years such as Brian Brohm , Alex Brink and T.J. Rubley.

On 2/17/2017 at 3:40 PM, Atomic said:

  Seems crowded but I actually don't mind Jones' approach here.

Me neither. Teams need to be able to start a lot of different import WR's over the course of a season  ... we used nine last year, the Riders used eight.  Might as well have as many veterans in camp as you can, especially when some of them are cheaper free agent acquisitions (I'm guessing Grant wasn't a super spendy signing, given that he took about a week to land in Regina)

Edited February 22, 20178 yr by johnzo

Is Neufeld still on our roster? Why hasn't he been cut yet?

45 minutes ago, Blueandgold said:

Is Neufeld still on our roster? Why hasn't he been cut yet?

It was Walters' first trade.  It's like keeping the first tooth you lose as a kid.  Purely nostalgia-related.

On 19/02/2017 at 5:36 PM, Bomber_fanaddict said:

But what team would trade for any of them when eventually Jones is going to have to cut a few and teams can pick them up for free. 

cut or PR then forsure. I can see his line of thinking, chances are they are going to be using a young QB, so it's a good idea to have vet Rec. But they won't be able to protect all of them.

5 hours ago, Atomic said:

It was Walters' first trade.  It's like keeping the first tooth you lose as a kid.  Purely nostalgia-related.

But nostalgia ain't what it used to be....

Still a long ways to go but if I put the 44-man roster today, it will look like this...

OFFENSE: 
Nichols, Davis, LeFevour
Harris, Flanders, Normand
Bryant
Bond
Goossen, Couture
Chungh
Hardrick
Adams
Dressler 
Stafford, Coates
Smith 
Feoli-Gudino, Richards 

DEFENSE: 
Westerman, Corney 
Nevis
Thomas, Butcher
Okpalaugo, Green 
Wild, Waggonner, Briggs, Renaud
Knox, Hurl, Gauthier, Rush
Leggett
Randle, Jones
Johnson, Fogg
Loffler
Heath
Frederick 

SPECIALISTS: 
Medlock
Remple
(Fogg)

 

National
DI

 

Very minimal turnover from last year. Not a lot holes as you would think but if we could get an upgrade here in there, this team looks good. Of course, I didn't put the new guys. 

 

Edited February 24, 20178 yr by M.O.A.B.

I would take Flanders out and put Will Smith in.

1 hour ago, Jpan85 said:

I would take Flanders out and put Will Smith in.

You need a backup RB. Currently, we dont have a Nat to play there. I would think Walters will pick a RB on the middle to late rounds on this years CFL draft.

To add, we have a ton of Nat LBs, we normally carry 5 last year and who knows Will Smith might be the starting MAC comes Week2.

Edited February 24, 20178 yr by M.O.A.B.

@M.O.A.B. You know that roster looks pretty good!  Add in the draft and some talented American rookies and we are ready to rock.

No sign of Denmark on that roster eh? 

9 hours ago, Noeller said:

No sign of Denmark on that roster eh? 

Still no respect....

9 hours ago, Noeller said:

No sign of Denmark on that roster eh? 

I figured it will be a battle between the three - Smith, Stafford & Denmark - for the #3 & #4 receiver spot. New receivers will figure on that battle as well. 

Ditto between the DI DE between - Cole, Green & Jeffcoat and new DE's being brought. 

Ditto MAC between - Knox, Temple & W.Smith. 

Edited February 24, 20178 yr by M.O.A.B.