We are about to enter into our annual free agent scramble. The teams will get their key people signed to two-year contracts. Some few sought after veterans will test free agency. Then there will be a few aging former stars going for their last big contract. Their ball clubs maybe breathing a sigh of relief at not having to pay up for these former gate attractions.

So is anything different this year, unique factors the change the way clubs are going to go about their talent search?  Or will free agency be business as usual?

Does anyone think Kyle Walters will pursue free agents any differently than he has in the past?

What exactly do you mean by this? The bombers and specifically since taking over, Walters has been very active signing free agents and I expect the same from them this off-season also. Harris,Carter,Dressler or Smith (whoever sask decides to let go off), Oline,Dline, I expect the bombers to be very active. Walters has proven that over his time here, the one thing he has done well really, among other things but mainly the one thing he's always done is go after free agents. 

How many different ways are there to go after free agents? I imagine a phone call to the player's agent is the most popular way. You figure some other way will work better. I'd like to hear about it. 

3 minutes ago, Goalie said:

What exactly do you mean by this? The bombers and specifically since taking over, Walters has been very active signing free agents and I expect the same from them this off-season also. Harris,Carter,Dressler or Smith (whoever sask decides to let go off), Oline,Dline, I expect the bombers to be very active. Walters has proven that over his time here, the one thing he has done well really, among other things but mainly the one thing he's always done is go after free agents. 

I mean will Walters get even more aggressive this year or perhaps the opposite, be a little more passive or careful?

Picard was supposed to be big but was instead a bust. Stanley Bryant seemed a solid signing but I feel a little underwhelmed by it. Moore at wide receiver hasn't lived up to hopes. Hurl was one of our big Canadian signings and we all know how that went when it came time to make an immediate impact.

So what has Walters learned?

Last year Ottawa was all over the free agent market; this year perhaps not so much. How is Jones in Regina going to affect the free agent equation? What other factors around the league are going to affect supply and demand for teams like Montréal and Vancouver?

 

 

 

 

11 minutes ago, Fan Boy said:

How many different ways are there to go after free agents? I imagine a phone call to the player's agent is the most popular way. You figure some other way will work better. I'd like to hear about it. 

Maybe Standing outside said free agent's home with megaphone in hand... 

Stripper-gram?

Novelty fortune cookie?

 

I dunno, just floating some ideas here.

 

 

Edit: I like quoting your posts- give a whole new (and natural) dynamic to our forum names.

Edited January 14, 201610 yr by wanna-b-fanboy
sillyness

I don't expect much will be left in the cookie jar once Free Agency opens, just the broken bits and a bunch of crumbs.

Like most teams, i'm sure they have a list of guys that interests them, just off the top of my head, let's say Andrew Harris is one of them, I just think he's gonna sign here, perhaps a little inside info on that one, who knows but... They want him, he wants to be here. They will sign him.

Other areas, Dline, Think they have made that quite clear that they are looking to upgrade the Dline, There are a couple guys still out there, Laurent,Capicotti etc... They will rank them 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. etc and go after the guys they want

 

Oline, same thing. Receiver, same thing.

 

That's how they will do it. Make a list of guys they want and then go after them and offer them money to come here. Really that simple. Don't think theres any magic formula or any other way of doing things, You make a list of the players you want and then you go out and make them offers. That simple. 

It's been widely reported that Kyle Walters said they'll be extremely aggressive in FA this year.....

55 minutes ago, BigBlue said:

How is Jones in Regina going to affect the free agent equation?

I expect Jones to be very active because getting rid of those 19+ players leaves him a lot of cap space to work with.

Just now, Noeller said:

It's been widely reported that Kyle Walters said they'll be extremely aggressive in FA this year.....

He kinda has to be as his scouting department hasn't been able to supply enough CFL quality players.

I think a strippergram is always the right way to open a dialog

We had the least amount of players to re-up and we should have some extra dough to play with...Even after the release of 19 players (more than we had to start with) riders still have a bunch of guys to re-sign and some hefty vet. contracts...I see some nice talent being dropped in riderville and I see a lot of gms. smelling blood in the water... That's just one club and it's going to get very interesting as the days dwindle down to fa.

Edited January 14, 201610 yr by Stickem
missed word

Walters has always played the FA game, i don't seem him changing now

Yup, Walters will be active. After the first week most of the top FA 's will have signed...

No doubt Walters will be aggressive. He has to, his job is on the line this season. How active we will be will be determined by player's willingness to sign here.

1 hour ago, Fred C Dobbs said:

I expect Jones to be very active because getting rid of those 19+ players leaves him a lot of cap space to work with.

19 mediocre players won't add up to a tonne of savings.  

I just hope come the deadline, if there isnt anything left worth getting, were not just bringing in FA;'s for the sake of it and give the appearance were not sitting by being idle.  

Edited January 14, 201610 yr by Taynted_Fayth

5 hours ago, BigBlue said:

I mean will Walters get even more aggressive this year or perhaps the opposite, be a little more passive or careful?

Picard was supposed to be big but was instead a bust. Stanley Bryant seemed a solid signing but I feel a little underwhelmed by it. Moore at wide receiver hasn't lived up to hopes. Hurl was one of our big Canadian signings and we all know how that went when it came time to make an immediate impact.

So what has Walters learned?

Last year Ottawa was all over the free agent market; this year perhaps not so much. How is Jones in Regina going to affect the free agent equation? What other factors around the league are going to affect supply and demand for teams like Montréal and Vancouver?

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I don't think he'd be less aggressive. If the team doesn't win, he's probably  finished as GM here. So, I'd say he'll be all in. But we know the RedBlacks will be aggressive as will the Riders so we'll see how successful Walters will be in about a month signing free agents. Specifically who they go after.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 15, 201610 yr by iso_55

We need to seriously retool 25% of the roster, I don't know how but Walters needs to find a way.

More important than free agency... we desperately need to see that this management team can bring in real talent from outside the cfl... otherwise this may be their last year... and I won't be disappointed

Tickles my heart-bone that the Riders are purging and BC just hired Marcel.