Per 3downnation, these are our free agents ... basically everyone but Zach, Vaval, Peterson, Clercius, Randolph, Wallace, Pokey Wilson, MCI, Allen, T. Jones, and Leroux the longsnapper.  

Quarterback

Chris Streveler (A)

Running back

Brady Oliveira (N)

Receiver

Kody Case (A)
Nic Demski (N)
Dillon Mitchell (A)
Dalton Schoen (A)
Jerreth Sterns (A)
Keric Wheatfall (A)

OL

Stanley Bryant (A)
Tui Eli (N)
Chris Kolankowski (N)
Eric Lofton (A)
Patrick Neufeld (N)

Defensive line

Willie Jefferson (A)
Cameron Lawson (N)
Tanner Schmekel (N)
Jake Thomas (N)
James Vaughters (A)
Jamal Woods (A)

Linebacker

Tanner Cadwallader (N)
Shayne Gauthier (N)
Kyrie Wilson (A)

Defensive back

Terrell Bonds (A)
Michael Griffin II (A)
Nick Hallett (N)
Evan Holm (A)
Demerio Houston (A)
Redha Kramdi (N)
Enock Makonzo (N)
Deatrick Nichols (A)
Jamal Parker (A)

Specialist

Sergio Castillo (A)
Jamieson Sheahan (G)

Edited November 12, 2025Nov 12 by johnzo

15 hours ago, Noeller said:

As much as Ray is UNDERrated, I feel Calvillo and Allen are OVERrated due to their longevity and virtual inability to get injured.

Calvillo also played on some heavily loaded teams with great o-lines. Watching Ray play anywhere... he made magic out of chicken **** at times.

14 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Which is why I hated the hiring of Jake Thomas to be DL Coach. i envisioned that happening. It would be so easy for Osh to throw JT back in there to be a playing coach. We all know O'Shea would do it & Thomas would be happy to suit up.

I saw JT last weekend, he has dropped a few pounds. I wouldn't be too worried about that happening.

1 hour ago, Brandon said:

Calvillo also played on some heavily loaded teams with great o-lines. Watching Ray play anywhere... he made magic out of chicken **** at times.

Yeah that's the thing with this topic...how much weight do you put into the teams around the guy. BLM had some absolute monster WRs/Olines/RBs and defenses. Collaros as well, especially in 2021. Without that defense the team looks very different. Essentially all Great QBs were on great teams...how much of that greatness is on the QB as compared to the rest of the team around them?

Ricky Ray was on some very average teams, particularly in Edmonton, but he'd still put up the yardage

For his GC win in Toronto, the team around him wasn't all that good

33 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

Ricky Ray was on some very average teams, particularly in Edmonton, but he'd still put up the yardage

For his GC win in Toronto, the team around him wasn't all that good

Strength of the team is a tough one. Did Flutie ever start on a bad or average team? Do we downgrade Zach's renaissance because he was on a generational team? Does that, by extension, nearly wipe out Kharis' career? What about AC's loyalty to the Als or his willingness to remake himself late in his career?

Something similar can be said of all the top QBs. Some of those factors are bigger than others. Imo, the big ones are Danny Mac just slinging it on so many bad or mediocre teams (while piling up the picks), Allen padding numbers like emmit smith while only having a small number of good passing years, Harris/KG padding on good teams and not elevating teams, and just the vastly different era for guys before Brock/Moon/Clements. Even that era, up through Khari to the modern era, is a massive change.

Nothing is gained by reducing the greatness of any of those guys, though.

11 hours ago, Bigblue204 said:

I saw JT last weekend, he has dropped a few pounds. I wouldn't be too worried about that happening.

Yeah that's the thing with this topic...how much weight do you put into the teams around the guy. BLM had some absolute monster WRs/Olines/RBs and defenses. Collaros as well, especially in 2021. Without that defense the team looks very different. Essentially all Great QBs were on great teams...how much of that greatness is on the QB as compared to the rest of the team around them?

Great QBs on great teams don't screw things up. They play like game managers, make great plays themselves at times but let the talent around them win games. BLM may not have been as great if he had played for the Lions instead of the Stamps. Or with us from 2013-16. We were a wasteland at qb back then as I recall. Look what Collaros did in Saskatchewan. Virtually nothing. Then he comes to Winnipeg after another useless stint in Toronto as a washed up pivot & set the CFL on fire as a Blue Bomber in 2019 & 21. How good would Ken Ploen have done had he signed with the Alouettes instead of the Bombers. All the pieces have to fit in place even with the great ones to win.

BTW, I think Matt Nichols doesn't get the credit he deserves. He came here for a bag of footballs as Ed Hervey felt he was washed up. Nichols turned the fortunes of the Bombers around. I'd like to see the Bombers recognize his contributions to making this organization a winner.

On 2026-05-08 at 8:02 PM, SpeedFlex27 said:

Great QBs on great teams don't screw things up. They play like game managers, make great plays themselves at times but let the talent around them win games. BLM may not have been as great if he had played for the Lions instead of the Stamps. Or with us from 2013-16. We were a wasteland at qb back then as I recall. Look what Collaros did in Saskatchewan. Virtually nothing. Then he comes to Winnipeg after another useless stint in Toronto as a washed up pivot & set the CFL on fire as a Blue Bomber in 2019 & 21. How good would Ken Ploen have done had he signed with the Alouettes instead of the Bombers. All the pieces have to fit in place even with the great ones to win.

BTW, I think Matt Nichols doesn't get the credit he deserves. He came here for a bag of footballs as Ed Hervey felt he was washed up. Nichols turned the fortunes of the Bombers around. I'd like to see the Bombers recognize his contributions to making this organization a winner.

100 percent. Nichols saved Walters and O’sheas jobs, and without him we don’t build a team and culture good enough to win a grey cup. No way we land guys like Jefferson or Bighill without Nichols. Just to reminder people how dyer it was. We were 1-4, not a single winning season since 2011, only one winning season since 2007.. we win 10 straight games, and really the rest is history.

I dunno how you honour Nichols. Not sure he deserves the ring of honour honestly. He doesn’t as he was a game manager with most of his big yards coming in the final few moments.

He deserves recognition but how, I’m not sure.

On 2026-05-08 at 8:02 PM, SpeedFlex27 said:

Great QBs on great teams don't screw things up. They play like game managers, make great plays themselves at times but let the talent around them win games. BLM may not have been as great if he had played for the Lions instead of the Stamps. Or with us from 2013-16. We were a wasteland at qb back then as I recall. Look what Collaros did in Saskatchewan. Virtually nothing. Then he comes to Winnipeg after another useless stint in Toronto as a washed up pivot & set the CFL on fire as a Blue Bomber in 2019 & 21. How good would Ken Ploen have done had he signed with the Alouettes instead of the Bombers. All the pieces have to fit in place even with the great ones to win.

BTW, I think Matt Nichols doesn't get the credit he deserves. He came here for a bag of footballs as Ed Hervey felt he was washed up. Nichols turned the fortunes of the Bombers around. I'd like to see the Bombers recognize his contributions to making this organization a winner.

100% on Matty Nichols. He gave everything he had every day to our club and got injured doing it. He was not the reason we didn't get over the hump during his tenure. As much as we would all love to credit Zach for our first cup, I strongly believe that team was going to win with either Matty or Zach at the helm. We had all the right pieces.

1 hour ago, Goalie said:

I dunno how you honour Nichols. Not sure he deserves the ring of honour honestly. He doesn’t as he was a game manager with most of his big yards coming in the final few moments.

He deserves recognition but how, I’m not sure.

Not necessarily formal recognition, heck maybe even just a chance to step on the field as an honored guest and get the ovation from the crowd he deserves. He never got a chance to say goodbye and we at the very least owe him that.

1 hour ago, Goalie said:

I dunno how you honour Nichols. Not sure he deserves the ring of honour honestly. He doesn’t as he was a game manager with most of his big yards coming in the final few moments.

He deserves recognition but how, I’m not sure.

Bobblehead night!

11 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Bobblehead night!

Complete with Game Manager hat!

I'd put Matty Ice in the Bombers HOF but definitely not the Ring. He's one of the most underrated performers from this glory era.

40 minutes ago, Noeller said:

I'd put Matty Ice in the Bombers HOF but definitely not the Ring. He's one of the most underrated performers from this glory era.

I’m not exactly a nichols booster, but I think that’s reasonable. Def not roh guy, but bb hof qb? why not i can’t think of any one not in whose better (and retired)

34 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

I’m not exactly a nichols booster, but I think that’s reasonable. Def not roh guy, but bb hof qb? why not i can’t think of any one not in whose better (and retired)

AND in all honesty...he played well in playoffs and if not for a seive defence vs..was it BC??...He would have pulled off a playoff win...we lost but not from his play. I bet his playoff stats are much better than ZC's in his time here

33 minutes ago, Booch said:

AND in all honesty...he played well in playoffs and if not for a seive defence vs..was it BC??...He would have pulled off a playoff win...we lost but not from his play. I bet his playoff stats are much better than ZC's in his time here

Matty Ice had a couple great showings in the playoffs. Like you said, just wasn't a team that was ready to win yet.

2 hours ago, bigg jay said:

Complete with Game Manager hat!

Armchair QB certificate as a bonus?

51 minutes ago, Booch said:

AND in all honesty...he played well in playoffs and if not for a seive defence vs..was it BC??...He would have pulled off a playoff win...we lost but not from his play. I bet his playoff stats are much better than ZC's in his time here

I was at that game. Matty Ice was red-hot, we were up and down the field all game. Classic CFL playoff game except it ended sad for us.

2 hours ago, Noeller said:

I'd put Matty Ice in the Bombers HOF but definitely not the Ring. He's one of the most underrated performers from this glory era.

100% Matty deserves recognition and fan love but he's not an all-timer.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by johnzo

Also, all that game manager stuff that people hang on Nichols is unfair because his OC was always Lapo, and Lapo would turn Doug Flutie into a game manager if he got the chance.

33 minutes ago, HardCoreBlue said:

Armchair QB certificate as a bonus?

oh misinterpreted the joke. Whoops. :)

1 hour ago, Booch said:

AND in all honesty...he played well in playoffs and if not for a seive defence vs..was it BC??...He would have pulled off a playoff win...we lost but not from his play. I bet his playoff stats are much better than ZC's in his time here

BC and Edmonton....that Edmonton game in particular...I think he had over 400yrds in that one.

16 minutes ago, johnzo said:

Also, all that game manager stuff that people hang on Nichols is unfair because his OC was always Lapo, and Lapo would turn Doug Flutie into a game manager if he got the chance.

I think fans took that more seriously than he did. His wife came up with the idea of making hats that said Game Manager on them so he leaned into it.

14 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

I think fans took that more seriously than he did. His wife came up with the idea of making hats that said Game Manager on them so he leaned into it.

Nothing wrong with being a game manager at all. I wish ZC would lean into it at this stage of his career.

25 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

I think fans took that more seriously than he did. His wife came up with the idea of making hats that said Game Manager on them so he leaned into it.

Now there's a man with a sense of humour not taking himself too seriously.

Respect.

We should have a ring of honour just for that especially in this day in age of look at me, like my video, follow me, hit on my bio so I can make gobs of money on things I don't even necessarily believe in.