Trade deadline

[Blue In BC]

Pass, not an improvement over what we have imo.  If we had a couple injuries yes.

The continued hate on Thomas by some is getting nauseating and props to those that provide a more balanced view
Facts are presented above agree allYup, make some great points

All 4 of you should get together for a beer.

[Blue In BC]

He blocked the punter in vavols last punt return TD. I was in disbelief and almost fell over but yes JT did indeed make a block on the return!!

I just re-watched the return about 10 times on the PVR. It's very difficult to identify numbers but maybe some one can show a slo mo slide capture of that block. Vaval went around the last man standing and that would normally be the punter?

Those at the stadium might provide better insight but I can't honestly say he was on the field?

On TV I can see: Hallett, Peterson, Ball, Chris-Ike, Cadwallader, Woods, Gauthier, Shay, Person and Vaval.

[theaardvark]

With the grey cup in Winnipeg this year our GM did very very little to improve this team to improve over last year. He did almost nothing in FA, most guys he signed and brought in were on the PR or IR. Come trade dead line again today "NOTHING".

 We have a real good starter QB when healthy, our #2 can't even throw 100 yards in a full game and our #3 well nobody knows and probably will we will never see on the field.

We have an Oline that kills QBs, and a Dline that allows QBs all day to look around.

So Mr Walters have you given up on our team, or is this your final year of your contract and you are moving on.

Short of magic, how do you propose Walters do things different?

We do not have the benefit of prescience, no one can tell how a player will perform in any year.  Or which ones will get injured.  Or which will overperform expectations.

You have to be hopeful that signed players perform at or above expectations, no one gets injured and you do find some gems in recruiting.

Our top tackler (2nd in the league) was "picked off the scrap heap" from Edmonton by Walters.  Nice move?

FA signings from other teams this year:
Gowanlock
Makonzo
Patterson
Sterns
Peyton
Cobb
Haggerty
Vaughters

Larger group than normal, two big names (Sterns, Vaughters... both working out nice), the rest depth to come in and challenge for spots, some still hanging around but can't displace retained players or recruits.

Mitchell pre FA cut by Edm signed, working out now.  Same with D. Lawson

Retained FA
Benson
Bryant
Gauthier
Holm
Jefferson
Jones, Tony
Lofton
Neufeld
Parker
Schoen
Streveler
Thomas
Wilson, K

We lost more FA's this year than normal, but the prices they got were not matchable in most cases.  And most aren't earning their pay, if they are still on AR's.  Mostly wise choices by Walters.  Lawler possibly being the exception.

Draft picks:

Shay
Smith
(Elgersma)
Vibert
Corcoran
Novak
Ball
Laing

All but Elgersma (NFL) and Laing are on the roster, 6 of 8 picks on the roster is pretty good scouting.

New Recruits:
Vaval
Allen
Woodbey

Rest of roster are players we've drafted or recruited in the past and are developing or have become valued starters.

Not sure where Walters has "given up" on the team, looks like a lot of hard work there. 

You can't have the best team in the league at every position every year.  The important thing is to address shortcomings and give the coaches quality options to develop and integrate.

Walters seems to be doing a good job at that, and hanging a 40-3 loss on the Eastern Div favourites is a team rounding into shape at the right time.  Even the favourite to win the GC right now... which I can't understand, but will take it.

https://www.cfl.ca/2025/09/29/kpmg-playoff-probability-which-team-is-the-grey-cup-favourite/

[Pigskin]

Short of magic, how do you propose Walters do things different?

We do not have the benefit of prescience, no one can tell how a player will perform in any year.  Or which ones will get injured.  Or which will overperform expectations.

You have to be hopeful that signed players perform at or above expectations, no one gets injured and you do find some gems in recruiting.

Our top tackler (2nd in the league) was "picked off the scrap heap" from Edmonton by Walters.  Nice move?

FA signings from other teams this year:
Gowanlock
Makonzo
Patterson
Sterns
Peyton
Cobb
Haggerty
Vaughters

Larger group than normal, two big names (Sterns, Vaughters... both working out nice), the rest depth to come in and challenge for spots, some still hanging around but can't displace retained players or recruits.

Mitchell pre FA cut by Edm signed, working out now.  Same with D. Lawson

Retained FA
Benson
Bryant
Gauthier
Holm
Jefferson
Jones, Tony
Lofton
Neufeld
Parker
Schoen
Streveler
Thomas
Wilson, K

We lost more FA's this year than normal, but the prices they got were not matchable in most cases.  And most aren't earning their pay, if they are still on AR's.  Mostly wise choices by Walters.  Lawler possibly being the exception.

Draft picks:

Shay
Smith
(Elgersma)
Vibert
Corcoran
Novak
Ball
Laing

All but Elgersma (NFL) and Laing are on the roster, 6 of 8 picks on the roster is pretty good scouting.

New Recruits:
Vaval
Allen
Woodbey

Rest of roster are players we've drafted or recruited in the past and are developing or have become valued starters.

Not sure where Walters has "given up" on the team, looks like a lot of hard work there. 

You can't have the best team in the league at every position every year.  The important thing is to address shortcomings and give the coaches quality options to develop and integrate.

Walters seems to be doing a good job at that, and hanging a 40-3 loss on the Eastern Div favourites is a team rounding into shape at the right time.  Even the favourite to win the GC right now... which I can't understand, but will take it.

https://www.cfl.ca/2025/09/29/kpmg-playoff-probability-which-team-is-the-grey-cup-favourite/

Patterson was not an FA signing we trade Samson for him. We also didn't sign our last draft pick Uwubanmwen.

[theaardvark]

Patterson was not an FA signing we trade Samson for him. We also didn't sign our last draft pick Uwubanmwen.

Patterson was a FA signing, Peterson came via trade. 

https://www.cfl.ca/2025/02/12/bombers-sign-quarterback-shea-patterson-to-one-year-deal/

Iwinosa Uwubanmwen is back at U of Alberta.

[BBRT]

Short of magic, how do you propose Walters do things different?

We do not have the benefit of prescience, no one can tell how a player will perform in any year.  Or which ones will get injured.  Or which will overperform expectations.

You have to be hopeful that signed players perform at or above expectations, no one gets injured and you do find some gems in recruiting.

Our top tackler (2nd in the league) was "picked off the scrap heap" from Edmonton by Walters.  Nice move?

FA signings from other teams this year:
Gowanlock
Makonzo
Patterson
Sterns
Peyton
Cobb
Haggerty
Vaughters

Larger group than normal, two big names (Sterns, Vaughters... both working out nice), the rest depth to come in and challenge for spots, some still hanging around but can't displace retained players or recruits.

Mitchell pre FA cut by Edm signed, working out now.  Same with D. Lawson

Retained FA
Benson
Bryant
Gauthier
Holm
Jefferson
Jones, Tony
Lofton
Neufeld
Parker
Schoen
Streveler
Thomas
Wilson, K

We lost more FA's this year than normal, but the prices they got were not matchable in most cases.  And most aren't earning their pay, if they are still on AR's.  Mostly wise choices by Walters.  Lawler possibly being the exception.

Draft picks:

Shay
Smith
(Elgersma)
Vibert
Corcoran
Novak
Ball
Laing

All but Elgersma (NFL) and Laing are on the roster, 6 of 8 picks on the roster is pretty good scouting.

New Recruits:
Vaval
Allen
Woodbey

Rest of roster are players we've drafted or recruited in the past and are developing or have become valued starters.

Not sure where Walters has "given up" on the team, looks like a lot of hard work there. 

You can't have the best team in the league at every position every year.  The important thing is to address shortcomings and give the coaches quality options to develop and integrate.

Walters seems to be doing a good job at that, and hanging a 40-3 loss on the Eastern Div favourites is a team rounding into shape at the right time.  Even the favourite to win the GC right now... which I can't understand, but will take it.

https://www.cfl.ca/2025/09/29/kpmg-playoff-probability-which-team-is-the-grey-cup-favourite/

I am going to have to disagree with your view point based on the above. I am a strong believer in trend analysis in terms of determining what has happened in the past and then extrapolate that data in what may happen in the future (sorry it is what I did for a living before I finally retired). Based on Walters work in 2025 which IMHO was substandard I am not comfortable with thinking 2026 will look much different. Just too much talent escaped in 2025, regardless of reason and too little talent coming in to replace what has left.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Overall I'm pleased with the transitions the Bombers made this season, they've implemented many new pieces that should pay off over the next 2-3 years as they replace older veterans.

New, improved or elevated to bigger roles,

O-line
Wallace, Vanterpool, Randolph

Secondary
Allen, Lawson, Vaval, Houston

Recievers and RB's
Wheatfall, Sterns, Peterson

Linebackers
Woodbey, Ayers, Griffin

D-Line
Vaughters, Person, Schmekel

Special Teams
Ball, Novak, Smith, Shay

Probably an average amount of turnover for a season, some accomplished through FA some through the draft.

[Blue In BC]

Overall I'm pleased with the transitions the Bombers made this season, they've implemented many new pieces that should pay off over the next 2-3 years as they replace older veterans.

New, improved or elevated to bigger roles,

O-line
Wallace, Vanterpool, Randolph

Secondary
Allen, Lawson, Vaval, Houston

Recievers and RB's
Wheatfall, Sterns, Peterson

Linebackers
Woodbey, Ayers, Griffin

D-Line
Vaughters, Persons, Schmekel

Special Teams
Ball, Novak, Smith, Shay

Probably an average amount of turnover for a season, some accomplished through FA some through the draft.

It's a nice list but most of them are potential free agents. We've been good at retention but aside from the draft choices, only Vaval, Woodbey and Persons are under contract in 2026.

[theaardvark]

Turnover happens on every team, we've been spoiled in the past in retaining almost all our team year to year.

Yes, we leaked talent this year, but moreso bodies.  Only a few of the losses have met with success, most would be considered overpays if they are still rostered.

The players we got out bid on, well, the $SMS exists for a reason, and that bites us in the butt sometimes.

Players Goveia brought with him were guys we basically had replacements for, they were more expensive spare parts, really.

Love Wolitarsky, but I like Clercius more, price and upside wise.

Dobson, Lawler, sure, love to still have them.  But Wallace is going to be a gooder and Wilson might outshine Lawler sooner than later.

Ford, of course we'd have loved to keep him.  But not as the highest paid DB in the league, especially with his performance so far this year.  Dodged a bullet there.

Haba, Cole II, Fox, Garbutt, Augustine... all easily replaced.

So yeah, compared to 2024 where we lost only Hardrick and Houston of note, and 2023 where the only FAs we lost were Couture, Ellingson and Sayles, it feels like we lost a lot.  But really, did we?

I think Walters is still doing a great job on managing the roster, we will have to see how well the scouts can fill the pipeline ongoing.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

It's a nice list but most of them are potential free agents. We've been good at retention but aside from the draft choices, only Vaval, Woodbey and Persons are under contract in 2026.

Don't see any of those players being in high demand across the league so shouldn't be hard to retain with a few appropriate bumps.  Wallace may be the exception as he needs to be re-upped before FA in order to tie down the future of the O-line for multiple years. Walters can't let another Natl. O-lineman slip away for higher salary elsewhere, he must pay Wallace what the market dictates, the cupboard is almost bare.

[Blueforlife]

All 4 of you should get together for a beer.

Love it, maybe we will next game, I only drink the non alcoholic stuff lol

It's a nice list but most of them are potential free agents. We've been good at retention but aside from the draft choices, only Vaval, Woodbey and Persons are under contract in 2026.

Sign em all, we did a good job this year in bringing in new talent.  Maybe we're panicking when we had our slide but we are decent this year and setup for the next few.

I am going to have to disagree with your view point based on the above. I am a strong believer in trend analysis in terms of determining what has happened in the past and then extrapolate that data in what may happen in the future (sorry it is what I did for a living before I finally retired). Based on Walters work in 2025 which IMHO was substandard I am not comfortable with thinking 2026 will look much different. Just too much talent escaped in 2025, regardless of reason and too little talent coming in to replace what has left.

Disagree with you, I'm with Ards, we did a decent job this year and didn't just think of one year, we are setup well for the future imo.