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2024/2025 Blue Bombers Off-Season Thread

Quarterback

Jake Dolegala (A)
Chris Streveler (A)
Running back
Johnny Augustine (N)
Fullback
Bailey Feltmate (N)
Receiver
Kenny Lawler (A)
Dalton Schoen (A)
Lucky Whitehead (A)
Offensive linemen
Stanley Bryant (A)
Liam Dobson (N)
Eric Lofton (A)
Patrick Neufeld (N)
Defensive linemen
Miles Fox (A)
TyJuan Garbutt (A)
Celestin Haba (A)
Willie Jefferson (A)
Jake Thomas (N)

Linebacker

Adam Bighill (A)
Brian Cole (A)
Shayne Gauthier (N)
Tony Jones (A)
Kyrie Wilson (A)
Defensive back
Brandon Alexander (A)
Tyrell Ford (N)
Nick Hallett (N)
Noah Hallett (N)
Evan Holm (A)
Jamal Parker (A)
Specialists

LS Mike Benson (N)
K Sergio Castillo (A)


I underlined the guys I don't care if we bring back.

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    Really easy to always say that there's some mystical coach out there that would be a better fit.  We've been through generations as CFL fans watching teams including our own who keep believing that.

Featured Replies

38 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Wallace/Eli/American....

Honestly the DL was a problem last year so why we kvetching that garbutt and haba and fox are all gone? Woods and adams were the best of the bunch and last I looked they kept them... so scouts do your job and find more guys who can play. 

Ol was a problem last year too so why are we worrying that we lost Dobson?

I get the frustration, but a lot of those frustrations aren't related to free agency, they are related to the team having a different vision than some of us here.

well for one.....we have no proven depth now out side of WJ..Vaughters...are Woods and Adams gonna continue with development....and...are they gonna get the reps to facilitate it.??...they need to play to do this....not get sprinkled in here and there for probably 2 of the worst Canadian interior dlineman in the league...bar none....name 2 others in the league that get the reps they do that are worse?.....and Is Lawson gonna be back to form out of gate...or early into the season...or at all???....big question marks there

I like to go back to the comments that all the guys we let walk and got immediately signed in the league even before free agency started were no loss...insignificant....easily replaced....not good enough...well they were all starters or regular role players here last yr....doesn't say much about us then last yr in who we rostered now does it?...

1 minute ago, Bigblue204 said:

the only thing that really annoyed me this offseason is SSK getting Mcewen....theyve shored up their OL imo.

sadly...Godber who they dumped would be an upgrade over who we have currently probably already pencilled in as our starter

13 minutes ago, Booch said:

dont look at PFF...Anyone with any football back ground wont

 

Every team in the nfl/cfl gets the reports as part of their analysis. Its a tool like any other.  Each one will put their own analysis along side of it. To dismiss it as otherwise because it doesnt agree with your view is myopic.

38 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

OL is a major and ongoing problem.  Bryant could fall off a cliff anytime, struggled early last year before taking a bit of a break, Neufeld has been pretty bad most of the past 2 seasons.  Hope is they always can fire up in October.  At this point I'd be looking hard at upgrading all 5 spots and adding depth everyday if I were coaching/managing this team.

That would be a Sask. sized task to accomplish in a short period of time, which could land them in the gutter for 3-5 years until they recover, especially with a QB search on the near horizon.  Replacement of the O-line has to be calculated and gradual, Stanley done after this year out of principle, Neuf done after next year, Eli steps up this year and takes a spot or likely remains 6th man for the duration of his career.

The cupboard is now almost bare of upcoming Natl. O-linemen and if they get behind the 8 ball in drafting solid replacements they could end up in a scramble like the Riders have the past 4-5 years.  Grabbing every washed up Natl. that gets cut by another team or overpaying in FA to get a year or 2 of adequate performance from a vet. before moving on again.  It be a difficult path to tread.

35 minutes ago, Booch said:

I like to go back to the comments that all the guys we let walk and got immediately signed in the league even before free agency started were no loss...

But most of them were signed by one of the guys responsible for bringing them to winnipeg in the first place... 

Again most of the beefs here arent specific free agency beefs and more disagreements with the teams plans.

Edited by 17to85

20 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

the only thing that really annoyed me this offseason is SSK getting Mcewen....theyve shored up their OL imo.

Seems like Mace knows what he'd doing, starting to put together a number of solid positional groups.

1 minute ago, Fatty Liver said:

Seems like Mace knows what he'd doing, starting to put together a number of solid positional groups.

I agree Riders suck.

I think a lot of the problems with the OL last year come down to Brady again...(dead horse here I come!). The OL is a run first OL imo...at least that's what they do the best. I hope they get back to that bully ball mentality they pretended they'd have last season. I don't want Collaros to have to throw for 4000 yrds. I want to be hoping Brady is closing in on 1500 yrds running and 500 yrds rec. Wallace/Eli/Nuef will be absolutely fine if Dlines have to try to stop the run more often than not. Control the ball, run it till you make them stack the box then put it up for Schoen/Mitchell/White etc..not the other way around.

I don't think they were a terribly good OL for run blocking anyway. They just struggled all the way around and a big part of the problem with the OL is Collaros himself. He needs to be better at making decisions quickly and smartly and he was awful at it last season.

 

Here's my hot take of the offseason... the biggest concern with the roster is Collaros, but there's nothing to be done about that now due to his roster bonus. He turns back the clock a bit we do fine,  he continues to decline and it has potential to get messy.

5 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

I don't think they were a terribly good OL for run blocking anyway. They just struggled all the way around and a big part of the problem with the OL is Collaros himself. He needs to be better at making decisions quickly and smartly and he was awful at it last season.

 

Here's my hot take of the offseason... the biggest concern with the roster is Collaros, but there's nothing to be done about that now due to his roster bonus. He turns back the clock a bit we do fine,  he continues to decline and it has potential to get messy.

Not if CS has anything to say about that (fingers crossed).

20 minutes ago, HardCoreBlue said:

Not if CS has anything to say about that (fingers crossed).

Yeah I'm at the point where I figure Streveler is the savior.

2 hours ago, Bigblue204 said:

the only thing that really annoyed me this offseason is SSK getting Mcewen....theyve shored up their OL imo.

Eh improved at C gotten worse at T. And that's before mcewen has to gel with their current guys. 

2 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

Seems like Mace knows what he'd doing, starting to put together a number of solid positional groups.

The plan to stick with Harris is foolish. 

3 hours ago, Pete said:

Every team in the nfl/cfl gets the reports as part of their analysis. Its a tool like any other.  Each one will put their own analysis along side of it. To dismiss it as otherwise because it doesnt agree with your view is myopic.

not my view...teams may "get" it....they dont depend/rely/base anything on it....there are different grading methods used which carry actual weight and take actual metrics of what was going on..what was called..assignment issues/responsibilities....etc

 

3 hours ago, 17to85 said:

But most of them were signed by one of the guys responsible for bringing them to winnipeg in the first place... 

Again most of the beefs here arent specific free agency beefs and more disagreements with the teams plans.

and again....discounting their eye for talent then?,,,they were raved about when here as bird dogs....and big losses......maybe it more a fact they know skill, but had a HC who didnt see it himself?...hmmmmm

 

10 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

The plan to stick with Harris is foolish. 

kinda contradicts he knows what he doing part eh?...lol

4 minutes ago, Wanna-B-Fanboy said:

I really wish they went out and spent the money on high impact linemen on both sides of the ball... you dominate the trenches and good things happen.

Also- was really hoping we landed Wynton... 

True x10000000000

I have been a Bomber fan for some 50 years and cannot recall a more "meh" off-season. Yes, its not over yet and some of the previous optimism was sadly misplaced, but still.....meh. Logan is the only reason for optimism so far.

1 hour ago, Booch said:

and again....discounting their eye for talent then?,,,they were raved about when here as bird dogs....and big losses......maybe it more a fact they know skill, but had a HC who didnt see it himself?...hmmmmm

Well, the proof will be in the pudding.  6 months from now we'll know the answer to that, one way or the other.

6 hours ago, Pete said:

some can complain about how Walters has handled free agency this year but when you break down the signings

they are all at or below perceived market value. Are any an overpay?

VAUGHTERS    160
T .JONES          120
HAGGARTY       85
STERNS             85
MITCHELL        148
WHITE               90
LOGAN            108

HOLM              130

then you look at Lawler 275K, Ford 230K  and Dobson 200k  it would have been poor mgmt to match those or really any of the big names with the possible exception of Ceresna at 230

Do you actually think paying one player (Dobson) in free agency $200,000 was going to upset the salary cap apple cart? C'mon. And if it did, so what? This is pro football. The best get paid. The grizzled veterans know that.

Dobson's young. Has potential. Guys like Neufeld won't make it thru training camp without having to take significant time off. Dobson is a road grader. Never missed a down last season. He was an All Star whether half you guys believed it or not. Now, he's in Hamilton & will probably be an anchor on their OL for years to come.

We draft. We refuse to pay so we end up developing players for other teams.  We are not a destination point anymore. Players do their time here & leave. Or won't sign here. We're devloping a reputation for being cheap. 

Edited by SpeedFlex27

28 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Do you actually think paying one player (Dobson) in free agency $200,000 was going to upset the salary cap apple cart? C'mon. And if it did, so what? This is pro football. The best get paid. The grizzled veterans know that.

Dobson's young. Has potential. Guys like Neufeld won't make it thru training camp without having to take significant time off. Dobson is a road grader. Never missed a down last season. He was an All Star whether half you guys believed it or not. Now, he's in Hamilton & will probably be an anchor on their OL for years to come.

We draft. We refuse to pay so we end up developing players for other teams.  We are not a destination point anymore. Players do their time here & leave. Or won't sign here. We're devloping a reputation for being cheap. 

Why? Cuz didn’t overpay for a receiver db and oline who most ppl **** on last year. 

1 hour ago, Tracker said:

I have been a Bomber fan for some 50 years and cannot recall a more "meh" off-season. Yes, its not over yet and some of the previous optimism was sadly misplaced, but still.....meh. Logan is the only reason for optimism so far.

This is recency bias. We have had WAY worse FA periods and some of the pre-FA signings would have been raved about in past years. 

6 hours ago, Bigblue204 said:

the only thing that really annoyed me this offseason is SSK getting Mcewen....theyve shored up their OL imo.

I’d end your sentence at SSK and maybe add the seven other teams acronyms in order of annoyance.

44 minutes ago, Noeller said:

This is recency bias. We have had WAY worse FA periods and some of the pre-FA signings would have been raved about in past years. 

Kamau Incompleterson!!

3 hours ago, GCn20 said:

The plan to stick with Harris is foolish. 

How so?  They signed Maier and outside of that did they have a better option at QB?    Harris at this point is better then Zach and possibly less injury prone,  I believe our QB situation is much more risky then what they are doing.  

6 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

That would be a Sask. sized task to accomplish in a short period of time, which could land them in the gutter for 3-5 years until they recover, especially with a QB search on the near horizon.  Replacement of the O-line has to be calculated and gradual, Stanley done after this year out of principle, Neuf done after next year, Eli steps up this year and takes a spot or likely remains 6th man for the duration of his career.

The cupboard is now almost bare of upcoming Natl. O-linemen and if they get behind the 8 ball in drafting solid replacements they could end up in a scramble like the Riders have the past 4-5 years.  Grabbing every washed up Natl. that gets cut by another team or overpaying in FA to get a year or 2 of adequate performance from a vet. before moving on again.  It be a difficult path to tread.

So, the best way to upgrade the OL quickly is to let Kevin Dobsonr sign with Hamilton.

1 hour ago, Goalie said:

Why? Cuz didn’t overpay for a receiver db and oline who most ppl **** on last year. 

This overpay business. Like the posters here supporting Walters are their own expert GMs which is laughable. It's not an overpay if the market says that's what the player is worth. Two years ago, when Gino Lewis & lawler signed their big contracts, fans were screaming overpay & that the market would correct itself. Receiver pay came down a bit but now it's right back up past what it was before. You want an elite CFL receiver, better be prepared to lay out some dough. So much for overpay. In our case, the salary cap went up 7% & we decided to ignore it. The Bombers have millions in the bank, Yet they refuse to pay for every high impact free agent they lost. They never had any intention of signing Lawler, Ford or Dobson. We get what we pay for. 

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