Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Saskatchewan, August 31, 2025

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

What the heck, something is wrong at multiple levels.

No Houston, No Woods, No Makonzo

So Cobb was added due to Kramdi being moved to 1 game IR. Woodbey added due to Adams being moved to PR.

Woodbey? Are we serious that we needed another LB?  J. Jones also moved to PR but I'm not sure if that happened this week and not last week? Will he get any reps on defence? I'd take that Griffin moves to SAM, so perhaps Woodbey takes on his previous role.

Choices aside, I don't get why a player like Makonzo practices at " full " and is not considered to be added especially when Kramdi is moved to IR. Because he was extended to a 2nd sting on 6 game IR, I thought he was eligible to come off and NOT have any of his SMs charged? Perhaps I'm incorrect. Regardless, is he ever going to play?

Previously I questioned why some injured players go on 1 game IR when it's clear they can't practice. Now that same question falls to Parker who will miss his 4th game and cannot practice. Makes zero sense when he needed crutches after his injury. Wasn't that enough info to 6 game IR him immediately?

Both Adams and Woods have been demoted to PR in recent weeks. Doesn't that suggest it's time to bring in a new candidate for the PR and cut one or the other?

WOW. That's all else I can say.

Wow is right, this is a time I'd like to hear the club explain some of these moves instead of fans left to speculate with little knowledge or reasoning.  Both Adams and Woods demoted to the PR?  Obviously they've fallen short of expectations but that's not something easily picked up from watching them play.  Schmeck has essentially usurped both of them, maybe it comes down to effort or attitude?

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Wow is right, this is a time I'd like to hear the club explain some of these moves instead of fans left to speculate with little knowledge or reasoning.  Both Adams and Woods demoted to the PR?  Obviously they've fallen short of expectations but that's not something easily picked up from watching them play.  Schmeck has essentially usurped both of them, maybe it comes down to effort or attitude?

It might have less to do with Adams and more to do with Kramdi being hurt and potentially running a 3-4 at the Harris short passing game?

That would make some sense.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

It might have less to do with Adams and more to do with Kramdi being hurt and potentially running a 3-4 at the Harris short passing game?

That would make some sense.

Ratio???  Maybe, that's the downside of not having an excess of Natl's that can start, when injury hits everything gets squeezed. Would have been a good time to try Bailey in place of Person, that would have opened the door for another import elsewhere at the cost of a Natl.

Funny they're not using the 1-game IR to park non-injured players as much as they were earlier, Vanterpool is the only one living rent free on there now. Makonzo is still listed on the 6-game IR.

[Blue In BC]

Ratio???  Maybe, that's the downside of not having an excess of Natl's that can start, when injury hits everything gets squeezed. Would have been a good time to try Bailey in place of Person, that would have opened the door for another import elsewhere at the cost of a Natl.

Funny they're not using the 1-game IR to park non-injured players as much as they were earlier, Vanterpool is the only one living rent free on there now. Makonzo is still listed on the 6-game IR.

What other import? We just added Woodbey which already seemed like the surprise of the week.Woods, Adams and J.Jones all demoted to PR. None of Moore, Echols or Houston are ready it seems.

Bailey could have been added as a direct replacement for Weitz.

Regardless of the outcome this week I'd expect to see a couple of new faces added to the PR this week now that NFL teams have filled their PR spots. There has to be some talent available to replace those found wanting.

[Blue In BC]

It might have less to do with Adams and more to do with Kramdi being hurt and potentially running a 3-4 at the Harris short passing game?

That would make some sense.

We seem to have been already doing that a lot. I want to see how Woodbey fits in if he's used at all. He's not even shown ahead of Weitz on the depth chart at WIL. I know the depth chart is next to useless. Losing Kramdi means we lose what Griffin did in his previous role. I'm afraid we'll see Kelly or Ball see more defensive reps before Woodbey.

This weekend we may see Wilson and Elgersma make their decisions about the NFL or a return to the CFL. At the moment it seems they are leaning towards staying in the hunt for an NFL PR.

[gobombersgo]

[gobombersgo]

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

We seem to have been already doing that a lot. I want to see how Woodbey fits in if he's used at all. He's not even shown ahead of Weitz on the depth chart at WIL. I know the depth chart is next to useless. Losing Kramdi means we lose what Griffin did in his previous role. I'm afraid we'll see Kelly or Ball see more defensive reps before Woodbey.

Don't know if we'll see Woodbey, but if they play 3-4 a lot we might as the extra LB.  I could be wrong but I believe the only position Griffin ever plays is SAM, he comes on whenever Kramdi drops back to Safety.   Without Kramdi worried about mixups happening in the coverage, I think we'll see a fair amount of Kelly coming on as the 2nd Safety maybe he can take on that job.

[gobombersgo]

Dalton Schoen officially returns for Winnipeg Blue Bombers for Labour Day Classic
By John Hodge -August 30, 2025

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will have Dalton Schoen back in the lineup on Sunday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Labour Day Classic.

The 28-year-old caught 17 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown over the team's first four regular-season games but suffered a knee injury against the Calgary Stampeders in Week 5 that forced him to miss six straight matchups.

The six-foot-one, 205-pound target missed most of last season due to a torn ACL, playing only three regular-season games and recording 14 catches for 159 yards. Schoen has played only seven of a possible 28 regular-season outings since the start of last year.

The native of Overland Park, Kan. was named All-CFL in his first two CFL seasons and was named the league's Most Outstanding Rookie in 2022. He made a combined 141 receptions over those two years for 2,663 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Schoen will start at field-side slotback beside Nic Demski, who was limited in practice this week due to a head injury. Jerreth Sterns, who started the first 10 games of the season in Schoen's new spot, has been moved to the one-game injured list with a shoulder injury. University of Manitoba product Gavin Cobb, who has dressed for only one game so far this year, has been promoted from the practice roster to be Demski's backup.

The Blue Bombers have also made two changes to their starting lineup on defence as defensive tackle Devin Adams has been demoted to the practice roster, giving Cameron Lawson the start. The 26-year-old native of Caledon, Ont. will start alongside veteran Jake Thomas, giving Winnipeg's defensive line an all-Canadian interior.

Redha Kramdi, who has started all 10 games for Winnipeg this season at safety or strong-side linebacker, has been moved to the one-game injured list due to an ankle injury. The Université de Montréal product has been a mainstay in the team's starting lineup since 2023 and has made 117 defensive tackles, 18 special teams tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble since being taken in the second round of the 2021 CFL Draft.

Rookie linebacker Jaiden Woodbey will make his regular-season debut after being promoted to the active roster. The six-foot-one, 234-pound native of Fontana, Calif. was a standout with the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League last year and is listed as Winnipeg's fourth-string weak-side linebacker. Woodbey was twice named All-ACC honourable mention during his collegiate career at Boston College.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-4) will visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-2) at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday, August 31 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Blue Bombers are coming off back-to-back wins against Ottawa and Montreal, while the Roughriders had their four-game winning streak snapped by the Stampeders.

The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 27 degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and 620 CKRM in Regina.

https://3downnation.com/2025/08/30/dalton-schoen-officially-returns-for-winnipeg-blue-bombers-in-labour-day-classic/

[gobombersgo]

Returner Mario Alford back for Saskatchewan Roughriders in Labour Day Classic
By 3Down Staff -August 30, 2025

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be getting a big boost to their return game ahead of the Labour Day Classic.

Veteran returner Mario Alford will make his return to the lineup after missing the last five games with a hip injury. The 34-year-old overcame questions about his job security in training camp to produce a hot start to the season, averaging 12.1 yards per punt return and 30.9 yards per kickoff, while taking one to the house in Week 3.

Also back for the special teams unit is leading tackler Nick Wiebe, who sat out last week with a knee injury. Defensive back Antoine Brooks Jr. will sit out as a healthy scratch, while rookie returner Drae McCray has been placed on the one-game injured list due to a head injury.

Defensively, the team will be without starting safety Nelson Lokombo this week due to an ankle injury, with backup Jaxon Ford stepping into the role. Boundary cornerback Marcus Sayles is back in theory, though he remains a game-time decision for the second week with a hip injury.

Canadian receiver Ajou Ajou will make his season debut after being cut by the Indianapolis Colts earlier this week, though he remains listed as a backup to Tommy Nield. Mitch Picton will be a healthy scratch as a result.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-2) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-4) at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday, August 31 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Blue Bombers are coming off back-to-back wins against Ottawa and Montreal, while the Roughriders had their four-game winning streak snapped by the Stampeders.

The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 29 degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and 620 CKRM in Regina.

https://3downnation.com/2025/08/30/returner-mario-alford-back-for-saskatchewan-roughriders-in-labour-day-classic/

[Pete]

Prediction - first play of the game they fake to Oullette, throw the deep pass to whoever Lawson is covering destroying his confidence so they can pick on him the entire game

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Prediction - first play of the game they fake to Oullette, throw the deep pass to whoever Lawson is covering destroying his confidence so they can pick on him the entire game

Solution: play one, park Lawson on a short zone and run a two deep shell.

[peg_city]

Prediction - first play of the game they fake to Oullette, throw the deep pass to whoever Lawson is covering destroying his confidence so they can pick on him the entire game

Yeah, this sounds about right.

[VictorRomano]

They're getting ready....

[Jesse]

Why would we add Woodbey (whoever that is) over Houston?

Do we really need a 10th LB before we need a single back-up in the secondary?