Dalton Shoen

[bunker]

I am happy with our LBs.  Continue to develop and should work out fine.  Kramdi is good, Jones is good.  Just need a 3rd piece that is good (develop and be patient would be my method).  I know Kenny is well paid, stating the obvious there.  He is worth every penny.  I would pass on high paid talent at LB.  Maybe Biggie is back, maybe not, either way he has created a legacy at his position just like Harris did.Wilson has some value, Wheatfall not yet imo
I would keep both if we can! That's our future, sign em before they are too $

My understanding is that both Wilson and Wheatfall are under contract for 2025, since they are on their ELCs, which are a 1+1. (Second year can include an up to 10% raise).

[theaardvark]

All CFL players, regardless contract status, have NFL windows.  So, as much as we'd love to have Wilson, Wheatfall, etc back next year on ELC's, there are no guarantees.  I'm not saying they will get looks down south, but you never know.

[Blue In BC]

All CFL players, regardless contract status, have NFL windows.  So, as much as we'd love to have Wilson, Wheatfall, etc back next year on ELC's, there are no guarantees.  I'm not saying they will get looks down south, but you never know.

Very unlikely. Mack barely got a decent look going to the NFL in his option window.

[bwiser]

It seems like players that take a shot at making the NFL from the CFL are not given a fair chance to make the team. It seems like NFL GMs will take a player the GM drafted over any player from the CFL whether they are better or not.

[Jesse]

It seems like players that take a shot at making the NFL from the CFL are not given a fair chance to make the team. It seems like NFL GMs will take a player the GM drafted over any player from the CFL whether they are better or not.

I tend to think we overvalue the players we are familiar with (ie. the guys from the CFL), while GMs while overvalue the guys they're familiar with (the guys they drafted).

Not to mention that players don't come from the CFL. GMs already saw and scouted these guys while they were in college. They've drafted years of players in the years since they were passed over the first time. The guys they drafted are younger and are going to develop in the NFL, not developed playing a different game.

There are reasons CFL players have a tough time transitioning to the NFL. It's not all bias.

[Cool Spot]

For those who want to keep both Schoen and Lawler, and make up the savings elsewhere, where else will those savings be made up? Certainly not QB nor RB. IIRC, the Bombers have spent 2/3 of their salaries on offense.

I don't think we would want to cheap out on key positions on defense; and probably the place I'd be looking to firm up is the offensive line (it doesn't matter how good your QB or RB or receivers are if the OL is weak).

What do others think? If we retain both Lawler and Schoen, what other positions would Winnipeg save at?

[Pete]

the biggest opportunity would be to sign Lawler and Schoen at reduced salaries.
Bighill might be another opportunity depending on his rehab. Thomas is a possibility as well.
On the flip side we have Holm, Ford, and Dobson to sign.
On the oline Neufeld and Bryant may be getting close but I hope they remain for another year.

[BLUEBOMBER]

Schoen is good but the Bombers have been able to find hungry receivers that are willing to put in the effort and work to succeed. If Wolitarsky does retire and Schoen is willing to sign for the same price then I can see him returning. I believe Lawler is kind of overpriced for what he does as well. I see Wilson as a keeper for sure. Clercius and Wheatfall look great too. It's a luxury the Bombers have on receiving corp now. The thing that worries me the most though is at the QB position.

[TecnoGenius]

Randolph will take Loften's spot. That extra money will go to Dobson, who will get a raise.

But we're not paying Lofton much to begin with, and he's been playing very, very well.  Plus, he seems to be the new Yoshi: he's always hopping around happy and energetic and is the first hoggie down the field to congratulate a TD or big-play player.  He gets really fired up.  It's easy to want to keep a guy like that on your team.

Not sure what it is about the RT position, but maybe it breeds this style of character?  (or is it the other way around??)

Randolph hasn't proven he can do OT well.  He was serviceable, but not what I'd call "good".  Maybe he can dev into one, but he's not that now.  I'm not sure what the plan is, but he makes a great OG if injury or roster issue dictates.  As long as we dress too many NATs, he's always an option there.

[TecnoGenius]

I'm sure Lawler will make big catches in almost every game he plays but I don't think he'll ever put together a better game than he did this weekend, that was his masterpiece.

On rewatch, I would agree it might be his best to date.  At least 3-4 silly sick catches that would have been whiffed by most any other player (including Schoen!! jus' sayin').

Kenny was feeling it that night.  He was reminding me of Cahoon and SJ... and those guys would do it week after week.  Kenny may have finally broken through and gotten into beast mode.

I have no reason to think he can't top it one day.  Hopefully in this year's playoff run...

[TecnoGenius]

All CFL players, regardless contract status, have NFL windows.  So, as much as we'd love to have Wilson, Wheatfall, etc back next year on ELC's, there are no guarantees.  I'm not saying they will get looks down south, but you never know.

Ya, Pokey & Wheatfall are a kind of a dime a dozen down there.  Players who showed faaaar more that them have only gotten short tours in the NFL.

Not saying the pair can't keep making highlight reel plays and getting better and more consistent.  And if/when they do, maybe THEN they go down south.  That is at least 1-2 more seasons away.  In the meantime, let's feast on the ELC!  We'll out-MTL MTL!

[TecnoGenius]

On rewatch, I would agree it might be his best to date.  At least 3-4 silly sick catches that would have been whiffed by most any other player (including Schoen!! jus' sayin').

I finished my 2nd rewatch: change that to 5-6 silly sick catches.  Yes, that was the Kenny Game, that's for sure!

I bet he gets 3 of these on the top-50 catches of the year show at season end.  That may be some kind of record.

[Jesse]

For those who want to keep both Schoen and Lawler, and make up the savings elsewhere, where else will those savings be made up? Certainly not QB nor RB. IIRC, the Bombers have spent 2/3 of their salaries on offense.

I don't think we would want to cheap out on key positions on defense; and probably the place I'd be looking to firm up is the offensive line (it doesn't matter how good your QB or RB or receivers are if the OL is weak).

What do others think? If we retain both Lawler and Schoen, what other positions would Winnipeg save at?

We already have them signed for this year; it's not like we're adding expensive free agents to our roster. And if we do re-sign them, it would have to be at a reduced cost - because they did not earn it the first time around.

Bighill isn't the highest paid LB in the league anymore, but if he's back next year, it'll be very little against the cap as he'll be on the IR for a while (if not the whole year).

But we are going to have to let some players walk. Usually it's a DT and a couple of CBs, which we don't seem to overpay. Our expected DT Fox was injured, so he never earned a pay day. And we have rookies to replace him anyway. Holm may be gone. And Ford would probably be moving on if he was an import, but I hope we make a move to keep him around.

So who knows, maybe one of Schoen or Lawler do walk to make room for Wilson/Wheatfall and to re-sign Ford.

[TecnoGenius]

Isn't Biggie guaranteed $$ in 2025?  Outright cutting him could have repercussions.  I wonder if he gets a decent roster bonus in Jan, too.  I'd look for ways to minimize any possible SMS hit when he's on 6GIR... he can get the same OOP $$ in the end, we just need to make sure it's fully shielded, as a) he'll probably start the season on the IR, and b) he'll probably be back on it at some point too.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Isn't Biggie guaranteed $$ in 2025?  Outright cutting him could have repercussions.  I wonder if he gets a decent roster bonus in Jan, too.  I'd look for ways to minimize any possible SMS hit when he's on 6GIR... he can get the same OOP $$ in the end, we just need to make sure it's fully shielded, as a) he'll probably start the season on the IR, and b) he'll probably be back on it at some point too.

Bighill is currently on the final year of 2-year deal which he signed in late November 2022. He is set to become a free agent.