Streveler signed to one year deal - updated topic

ModAdmin · February 09, 2024, 06:45:52 AM

It's really encouraging to hear players like Streveler, Oliveira and Schoen talk about the special culture on the Bombers and the enjoyment they have playing in Winnipeg.

theaardvark · February 09, 2024, 03:12:12 PM

Quote from: TecnoGenius on February 09, 2024, 05:18:12 AMHad time to watch the Feb 1 Strevie interview... wow. What a guy. How can you not like this guy? Seriously. He loves football. He loves WPG. Taking a fraction of NFL money to keep playing pro up here.

Seriously, who else says all the right things like this? And 100% genuine. Compare to Henoc's return-from-the-NFL, or anyone else's for that matter. Especially a guy "making it" in the NFL for 5 years? When do they even ever return?

No wonder fans league-wide like Strevie.

Taking a fraction of the NFL money knowing he's the backup and won't see the turf except for SY and packages. THAT is the kicker.

In the NFL, he was Strevelski, no one even knew his name, and you can bet the fans knew little or nothing about him, and the team mates might feel his presence, but not like here.

This is going to be fun for him, back to the playing of the game, being a leader and a go to guy, not the guy sitting in the corner just in case 3 bad things happen and he's needed until they can bring someone else in.

Pete · February 09, 2024, 06:44:33 PM

Quote from: ModAdmin on February 09, 2024, 06:45:52 AMIt's really encouraging to hear players like Streveler, Oliveira and Schoen talk about the special culture on the Bombers and the enjoyment they have playing in Winnipeg.

its unfortunate that we havent been able to utilize this to draw free agents to Winnipeg. In the past 3 years the only ones we've signed that i can think of are Castillo, and Lawler (who'd already been here)
Every year we've been so invested in our own players that no money is left. This year its coming back to bite us when likely we should have moved on from a few vets previously. Im actually glad in some ways that we are doing this now. We need to find some young talent now that we can sign for two years so we have space for 2025 to make needed additions.

Jesse · February 09, 2024, 06:46:59 PM

Quote from: Pete on February 09, 2024, 06:44:33 PMits unfortunate that we havent been able to utilize this to draw free agents to Winnipeg. In the past 3 years the only ones we've signed that i can think of are Castillo, and Lawler (who'd already been here)
Every year we've been so invested in our own players that no money is left. This year its coming back to bite us when likely we should have moved on from a few vets previously. Im actually glad in some ways that we are doing this now. We need to find some young talent now that we can sign for two years so we have space for 2025 to make needed additions.

That's by design, of course.

TecnoGenius · February 09, 2024, 09:11:22 PM

Quote from: Pete on February 09, 2024, 06:44:33 PMits unfortunate that we havent been able to utilize this to draw free agents to Winnipeg. In the past 3 years the only ones we've signed that i can think of are Castillo, and Lawler (who'd already been here)

In the "competitive era" (2018+) we did use it to draw in a few guys, I think. It certainly couldn't have hurt when we signed Taylor, Maston, Darby, Gaitor, A.Bowman, Ellingson.

I see what you're saying, but I think the lack of FA splash is more a function of really liking the pieces we have (and being good at retaining them) and lack of money because we're paying the existing pieces so much.

I think we can do without the later-career big-name big-$$ big-splash signings (Bowman, Ellingson), but I would like to see more of the quietly-steal-underrated-players-away stuff, like Taylor, Maston. Those guys were key to winning that first cup. I think that's the way to "win FA": unloved or forgotten mid-career gems for cheap. (CGY is very good at this.)

theaardvark · February 09, 2024, 09:43:27 PM

You can't "splash" in free agency when your current roster is as close to the cap as ours is. Every year we have a few more players needing "elite" money. Brady and Dalton pushed that past the limit this year. Kolankowsky probably got a good raise. We couldn't afford to sign Houston, Walker or Yoshi, so we definitely can't sign any elite players to elite contracts either.

Toronto is getting killed in free agency, we've done pretty well in holding onto our players. Making a "splash" sometimes just means holding onto your best players, and we've done that.

Plus, we added Streveler...

TecnoGenius · February 09, 2024, 10:03:58 PM

Quote from: theaardvark on February 09, 2024, 09:43:27 PMToronto is getting killed in free agency, we've done pretty well in holding onto our players. Making a "splash" sometimes just means holding onto your best players, and we've done that.

And MTL will get killed in FA in 2025 when all their spectacular 2023 rookies need to get paid. Too bad we won't have the money for Ento...