Bomber Free Agents

[blue_gold_84]

Lawler - Mitchell
Ford - Parker

These aren't 1:1 replacements. And even you know that.

[Pete]

Lawler - Mitchell
Ford - Parker
Dobson - Wallace/Randolph

We re-signed most of our other FA's and have added Vaughters and a few other pieces (Jones, Cobb, Payton) that won't hurt at all...

Not sure the source of your pessimism, we've lost more and bigger assets in the past, and have 5 straight GC appearances to show for it.

every year we have regressed, as is to be expected as grey cup winning teams tend to get raided, but at some point we need to become more aggressive
as for your comparisons 
Mitchell covers off wilson maybe
and we havent even addressed what we are doing at safety. We still need help on oline as well

[theaardvark]

These aren't 1:1 replacements. And even you know that.

Who said they were 1:1 replacements.  They are replacements.  That's who will line up in their positions.  The OP was saying "there is no mention of their replacements".  Yes there was.

Some replacements will be less talented, and some will be more talented. 

Are you concerned that we lost Haba/Garbutt and only replaced them with Vaughters? 

Or that we will lose Lucky and only replace him with Logan?

[theaardvark]

every year we have regressed, as is to be expected as grey cup winning teams tend to get raided, but at some point we need to become more aggressive
as for your comparisons 
Mitchell covers off wilson maybe
and we havent even addressed what we are doing at safety. We still need help on oline as well

Someone mentioned that there are 6 potential safetys on the current roster.  Not sure that many, but there are options.

Why do we need help on the oline?  We lost one OG.  We have 2 Nats on the roster that can fill that spot (Eli/Wallace) and one Int (Randolph).  One will with the spot, and we will still have the full oline, plus 1 Nat and 1 Int backup.  Plus we have draft picks coming back, and may draft more.  Dobson was a luxury we didn't need to overpay.

The WFC with the Mafia in charge has always drafted and recruited well, so much so that, as you say, we get raided.  "Being raided" proves we can produce talent, and there is no reason to believe that will stop. or even slow.

I believe that Walters has done a great job of getting better at some spots while not losing too much at others, and has $SMS left to pick up some extra pieces.

[blueandgoldguy]

Very disappointed that the club choose not to re-sign both Lawler and Dobson who was coming into his own as the 2024 season progressed...yet the Walters (with likely a big nudge from O'Shea) saw fit to spend money on bring back an aging and mostly useless Jake Thomas who I think we can all agree is the worst interior starting lineman in the CFL.

[blue_gold_84]

Who said they were 1:1 replacements.  They are replacements. That's who will line up in their positions.  The OP was saying "there is no mention of their replacements".  Yes there was.

You ignored @Pete mentioning the all-star part. So, I guess we interpreted what he said differently.

In any case, losing Lawler and Ford will likely be felt; you can replace the player but not the talent/pedigree/productivity.

FWIW, I'm crustier about Ford than I am about Lawler. The latter showed his hand again, so bye.

[Waffler]

I believe that Walters has done a great job of getting better at some spots while not losing too much at others, and has $SMS left to pick up some extra pieces.

Agree. Nice if we have some cap room for NFL cuts around Labor Day. Some good players come back most years. Sankey 2 years ago, Rourke last year. Bighill we got as an NFL cut in late May.

[theaardvark]

Very disappointed that the club choose not to re-sign both Lawler and Couture who was coming into his own as the 2024 season progressed...yet the Walters (with likely a big nudge from O'Shea) saw fit to spend money on bring back an aging and mostly useless Jake Thomas who I think we can all agree is the worst interior starting lineman in the CFL.

I am going to heartily disagree with you on Jake's viability.  He takes up double teams, he gets pressure, he makes plays and he has been the heart and soul of the D along with Biggie and Willie.  He gives 110% every play he is called upon, and has no quit in him.  As to "spending money" on him, we're not breaking the bank by any means on him.  He is a valuable rotational piece, with the right passport.

I assume by Couture, you mean Dobson.  I think Wallace has a higher ceiling, and we will quickly forget Dobson.  And the $SMS not spent on Lawler and Dobson will make a difference throughout the roster.

Agree. Nice if we have some cap room for NFL cuts around Labor Day. Some good players come back most years. Sankey 2 years ago, Rourke last year. Bighill we got as an NFL cut in late May.

[Ridermania]

Feltmate just retired to pursue another career.

[blueandgoldguy]

You ignored @Pete mentioning the all-star part. So, I guess we interpreted what he said differently.

In any case, losing Lawler and Ford will likely be felt; you can replace the player but not the talent/pedigree/productivity.

FWIW, I'm crustier about Ford than I am about Lawler. The latter showed his hand again, so bye.

Losing Ford is a tough loss given his passport, but I'm very confident the replacement (an American) will fair quite well there. Plus, Ford is being massively overpaid at 230,000.  I can't blame Walters for not matching that offer.

Our secondary is shaping up to be quite good once again...could see it being the best in the league again, depending on who they put at safety and how said person will perform there (please don't bring back Alexander!)  Perhaps Kelly will be decent and we compensate for the ratio loss of Ford with him, although not the same talent level.  One strength of this regime is consistently finding talent in the secondary.

The problem with the current regime over the past 3 or so years is finding and signing impact talent in the trenches, particularly the d-line which was the worst in the league last year.  Heck the front 7 was arguably the worst in the league last year so credit to Younger for wringing all that he did from the defense with his play-calling.  The two under-the-radar Linemen and Linebacker signings were a nice start, but the Bombers needed to find an impact interior d-lineman to increase pressure on opposing teams quarterbacks.  It sure doesn't look like they will do that through free agency so we have to hope the new scouts find a gem or two from down south.

[blueandgoldguy]

Agree. Nice if we have some cap room for NFL cuts around Labor Day. Some good players come back most years. Sankey 2 years ago, Rourke last year. Bighill we got as an NFL cut in late May.

Mid-season signings from the NFL are a rarity nowadays and have been for several years.  This isn't the 90s, or even the 00s anymore.

[blueandgoldguy]

I am going to heartily disagree with you on Jake's viability.  He takes up double teams, he gets pressure, he makes plays and he has been the heart and soul of the D along with Biggie and Willie.  He gives 110% every play he is called upon, and has no quit in him.  As to "spending money" on him, we're not breaking the bank by any means on him.  He is a valuable rotational piece, with the right passport.

I assume by Couture, you mean Dobson.  I think Wallace has a higher ceiling, and we will quickly forget Dobson.  And the $SMS not spent on Lawler and Dobson will make a difference throughout the roster.

lol, what are you talking about.  Thomas does not get pressure.  He gets washed out of the play constantly.  The only reason he gets rare sacks is that the quarterback runs right in to him thanks to pressure from other players, not because he outmuscles and outmanuveours the opposing O-lineman...same thing with running backs.

Who cares if he gives 110%, he is years past his best-before date and is mostly awful.  He also took 70-80% of the snaps last year when he should be taking 20-30%, who knows why given we had more than the required amount of Canadians out there starting.

Losing Dobson really hurts as he started to develop into a competent starting guard for the team as the season played out.  I think Wallace will be good, but the concern is how long will that take?  The growing pains will certainly be there and if they last all season, that will spell trouble for an increasingly immobile Zach Collaros.  Maybe they bring back Couture to provide some Canadian depth and stability on the O-line.  The fact is, they have bled talent on the O-line for years and the O-line went from elite in 2021 to no more than average last year.  It's possible the O-line will be worse next year.

[Blueforlife]

Very disappointed that the club choose not to re-sign both Lawler and Dobson who was coming into his own as the 2024 season progressed...yet the Walters (with likely a big nudge from O'Shea) saw fit to spend money on bring back an aging and mostly useless Jake Thomas who I think we can all agree is the worst interior starting lineman in the CFL.

Have some respect for Jake.  Better yet go to camp and give us a report in the spring.  Go on a hard workout day when it's hot and Jake is grumpy from a hard days work.  Tell him he is mostly useless and the worst starting interior DL in the league.  Report back if head is still attached.  Got a lot of guts posting that trash behind the keyboard.

Jake has been good for us for a long time.  The hate for him over the years is over the top by some.

lol, what are you talking about.  Thomas does not get pressure.  He gets washed out of the play constantly.  The only reason he gets rare sacks is that the quarterback runs right in to him thanks to pressure from other players, not because he outmuscles and outmanuveours the opposing O-lineman...same thing with running backs.

Who cares if he gives 110%, he is years past his best-before date and is mostly awful.  He also took 70-80% of the snaps last year when he should be taking 20-30%, who knows why given we had more than the required amount of Canadians out there starting.

Losing Dobson really hurts as he started to develop into a competent starting guard for the team as the season played out.  I think Wallace will be good, but the concern is how long will that take?  The growing pains will certainly be there and if they last all season, that will spell trouble for an increasingly immobile Zach Collaros.  Maybe they bring back Couture to provide some Canadian depth and stability on the O-line.  The fact is, they have bled talent on the O-line for years and the O-line went from elite in 2021 to no more than average last year.  It's possible the O-line will be worse next year.

Jake gets pressures, get doubled teamed at times, is good against the run and gets some sacks and has a few fumble recoveries and strips.  You are overstating the negative on him.  Jake is at the tail end of his career is a good depth signing and can start as needed.  He is a good part of our rotation and has the right passport.  A good value, they can't all be superstars.  Glue guy.  He is not mostly awful, if he was he wouldn't have played so much last year nor would we have signed him.  He is a average to good Cdn imo.

Jake has earned his respect, you are entitled to your opinion on him but no need to get nasty.

[TBURGESS]

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Acquired: LB Jonathan Jones (A), REC Dillon Mitchell (A), DL James Vaughters (A)

Agreed to terms: REC Gavin Cobb (N), DB Josh Hagerty (N)

Released or agreed to terms elsewhere: OL Liam Dobson (N), DB Tyrell Ford (N), DL TyJuan Garbutt (A), Celestin Haba (A), REC Kenny Lawler (A), REC Drew Wolitarsky (N)

The Blue Bombers got a headstart on free agency by scooping up three players who had been released elsewhere — Jones, Mitchell, and Vaughters, all of whom could be starters come Week 1. Cobb and Hagerty are nice Canadian depth pieces, though it's hard to overlook how much talent has left Bomberland. Lawler is arguably the league's best receiver, while Ford and Dobson are high-level Canadian starters.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Bombers sign former Elk Natl. DB Josh Hagerty, decent size 6'3" 200 lbs. could be a candidate for Safety or just another ST head-banger.