@garylawless: word on #cfl street is #riders OL Ben Heenan will not re-sign prior to free agency. Heenan is the prized UFA in CFL and wants to test market

Throw gobs of money at.both.. Force other GMs hand... If we are not successful then we get to throw money at the second tier guys that fall due to SMS inplications..

Frankly, if Walters doesnt land 3 oline options with 2 capable of starting this off-season, we will continue to have oline woes (now im not saying all via FA.. draft, trade, fa, etc)

If Best shook out, he'd be an upgrade.

Remember when lawless said this weeks ago and a bunch of you went on about how lawless was just making stuff up? Because he's fat I guess.

 

Lawless' point was more along the lines of saying Cheveldayoff should trade for Sidney Crosby, and if he doesn't have 87 in a Jets jersey at the start of next year we can judge him a failure for it.

 

If I'm Walters I make Heenan a 3 year offer worth $1 million. I'm serious.

This caught me off guard. But then I thought about it ... and I don't think you're too far off.

 

 

I don't think we'd have to go that high, but realistically he could ask for a quarter mil per season and get it from multiple teams, so yeah, $900,000 over that term might just be what it takes to make it happen.

 

If money is the only thing that matters to a player, Ottawa will have a tremendous advantage over the rest of the CFL.  Even if they don't come to their senses and get rid of Burris.

 

Riders are going to lose someone they don't want to lose, but I'd be absolutely shocked if it was Heenan.

You are correct. Potential riders to go if push comes to shove would include Picard, Fulton or maybe Best.  Bottom line is we have way too much cap space tied up in this group. At this point Labatte is the only untouchable on that line followed by Heenan.

 

I'll take Picard &/or Best. That's an upgrade.

 

 

If I'm Walters I make Heenan a 3 year offer worth $1 million. I'm serious.

This caught me off guard. But then I thought about it ... and I don't think you're too far off.

 

 

I don't think we'd have to go that high, but realistically he could ask for a quarter mil per season and get it from multiple teams, so yeah, $900,000 over that term might just be what it takes to make it happen.

 

If money is the only thing that matters to a player, Ottawa will have a tremendous advantage over the rest of the CFL.  Even if they don't come to their senses and get rid of Burris.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Ottawa is almost maxed out salary cap wise. I think Desjardins spends like a drunken sailor. 

 

 

Riders are going to lose someone they don't want to lose, but I'd be absolutely shocked if it was Heenan.

You are correct. Potential riders to go if push comes to shove would include Picard, Fulton or maybe Best.  Bottom line is we have way too much cap space tied up in this group. At this point Labatte is the only untouchable on that line followed by Heenan.

 

I'll take Picard &/or Best. That's an upgrade.

 

 

Think I'd rather have Best... he would be an upgrade at guard... I think Picard is only a centre... either Goossen is ready to start there next year or Morley continues to keep the spot warm for him... no need for Picard...

 

 

 

If I'm Walters I make Heenan a 3 year offer worth $1 million. I'm serious.

This caught me off guard. But then I thought about it ... and I don't think you're too far off.

 

 

I don't think we'd have to go that high, but realistically he could ask for a quarter mil per season and get it from multiple teams, so yeah, $900,000 over that term might just be what it takes to make it happen.

 

If money is the only thing that matters to a player, Ottawa will have a tremendous advantage over the rest of the CFL.  Even if they don't come to their senses and get rid of Burris.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Ottawa is almost maxed out salary cap wise. I think Desjardins spends like a drunken sailor. 

 

 

I suppose it's possible, but how many of those guys are worth keeping?  They could get rid of their entire receiving corps in the offseason and not see much of a regression.

 

They have a couple of NI Olinemen, the beginnings of a decent Dline, maybe two DBs and a safety worth keeping, Jon Williams would still be on a rookie contract if they chose not to re-up him for more money, DeMarco, a few other odds and sods.

 

They could pretty much light a match to their roster at this point; clearing the books for a spending spree might be the plan.  Cause he does try spend like a drunken sailor.

If Best shook out, he'd be an upgrade.

He's good a player but he seems to be hurt all the time.

 

If Best shook out, he'd be an upgrade.

He's good a player but he seems to be hurt all the time.

 

Best is likely the best guard in the cfl or certainly one of the best for sure. No fluke our 4 game losing streak last year was when he was hurt. This year also we have struggled without him in the lineup. Injuries are a potential issue. I hope he stays with us but something has to give. Someone good will be available somehow. We can't keep them all.

Picard is about done. I'll take a pass there...

Us signing Picard would be about three years too late.

Picard is about done. I'll take a pass there...

 

He might have another season or two of acceptable football left in him, but that isn't the direction this team should be heading in.

 

This thread went from daydreaming about guys so good we'll probably never see them in a Bomber jersey to last resort options for starters in a real big hurry.

From what I could see this season, Picard was no better than Morley and Morley was somewhat better,so, no reason for that change. Best might be worth pursuing if his injuries have not been of the same ilk as Swystun. We paid both Swystun and Pencer far too long for far too little except to fill the roster.

Why not offer Heenan big money,  worst case scenario it causes Saskatchewan to drop more money to keep him

Does anyone have a guess where we might be in the SMS?

Does anyone have a guess where we might be in the SMS?

I'll guess $200-300k under the cap.

We should have room especially as the new salary cap will be in play next season. Yeah, I'd throw the proverbial bank at the guy to sign him. And another FA OL as well. We are going nowhere with the players we have now on the line. 

We should have room especially as the new salary cap will be in play next season.

The SMS cap jumped this year to $5M. It goes up $50,000 next season.

The rigors of a 20 game season might have caught up to him this year but getting him and another genuine oline starter would be the medicine that would cure most critics. 

 

Now if the real Turner comes back next year and we find a good pass rusher that would go a long way to fix that line.

I don't think we are as far under the cap as most folks think we are.  We've had 5-10 players on the 1 game IR all year long as a taxi squad getting full pay.

I don't think we are as far under the cap as most folks think we are. We've had 5-10 players on the 1 game IR all year long as a taxi squad getting full pay.

and dumping Swiston was supposidly a cap move.

 

I don't think we are as far under the cap as most folks think we are. We've had 5-10 players on the 1 game IR all year long as a taxi squad getting full pay.

and dumping Swiston was supposidly a cap move.

 

That doesn't mean much though. Cap move could mean wanting even more room to go after FAs vs. needing to dump him to stay under the cap.

 

We should have room especially as the new salary cap will be in play next season.

The SMS cap jumped this year to $5M. It goes up $50,000 next season.

 

You sure? I thought it was fully official next season as all teams had their budgets set as the new collective agreement was ratified by both sides after the season started. 

 

 

I don't think we are as far under the cap as most folks think we are. We've had 5-10 players on the 1 game IR all year long as a taxi squad getting full pay.

and dumping Swiston was supposidly a cap move.

 

That doesn't mean much though. Cap move could mean wanting even more room to go after FAs vs. needing to dump him to stay under the cap.

 

Freeing up cap room in season isn't needed to go after FA's in the off season.  The SMS doesn't really exist in the off season so you can always cut players after you sign FA's if you need to.