1st & 10 | The Blue Bombers Pending Free Agent List

[Tecno]

One certainty, the bombers unlikely to pursue a DB or LB in FA, they prefer to recruit them or pick them out of the discard bin.

Darn right.  And we also almost always find a very good (starting caliber within 2 seasons) DB via USA scouting.  That's at least one part of our scouting game that is working really well.

LBs seem easy to draft and to steal from other teams.  They seem plentiful -- except maybe top MLBs.

[Tecno]

I don't know that is true for Bonds regarding him going onto 6 game IR. He's a potential free agent and they would have to re-sign him before adding him onto IR.

All true, but like you said, off-SMS so really the $$ doesn't matter at all.  He was probably close to ELC anyhow, and no one will steal him in his current state.  There's precedent for re-signing a guy like this.

[Tecno]

Bonds took a step back this year as teams picked on him
He was average at best and with Youngers defence ie a heavy focus on coverage vs pressure thats not good enough.

I don't know.  I stand by my assessment that he was improving at a good pace, week to week and YoY.  Bridges & Lawrence were weaker, and Bridges was axed and Lawrence was off the AR by year end.  Bridges was the one they really picked on.

The did test Bonds a fair bit too but I think he started to dissuade them from thinking that's he was a freebie.

Bonds knows the system well, been here 2 whole seasons, started a ton of games, and at 29 should have some tread left.  If we scout a new D.Alford then ya, Bonds is likely the guy on the bubble, but if we don't, we need the starter-capable guys -- even if they are going to sit on 6GIR a while.

Also depends on whether Lawrence is back.

[Blue In BC]

All true, but like you said, off-SMS so really the $$ doesn't matter at all.  He was probably close to ELC anyhow, and no one will steal him in his current state.  There's precedent for re-signing a guy like this.

Yes they have done that in the past. It's a question of math per se. If all the others return then they already potentially have an extra DB for the 1 game IR or PR. They'll want to have an import or 2 DB on the PR, so that works against him.

If he's actually going to be ready for TC then he'd be in competition against Lawson ( as an example ) or any injury in TC. That raises his value.

As I suggested, I'm not expecting him back but things could change if we lose one of our starters.

We have 5 DB's that were added from either the PR late in the season or post season. Many will be looked at during tryout camps etc. By the time TC comes around we usually have about 8 rookies trying to find a spot on one of the rosters.

Even if we retain most of our starters, we need to get younger, faster and cheaper as part of a succession plan.  That means new depth on the PR for the most part.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I don't know.  I stand by my assessment that he was improving at a good pace, week to week and YoY.  Bridges & Lawrence were weaker, and Bridges was axed and Lawrence was off the AR by year end.  Bridges was the one they really picked on.

The did test Bonds a fair bit too but I think he started to dissuade them from thinking that's he was a freebie.

Bonds knows the system well, been here 2 whole seasons, started a ton of games, and at 29 should have some tread left.  If we scout a new D.Alford then ya, Bonds is likely the guy on the bubble, but if we don't, we need the starter-capable guys -- even if they are going to sit on 6GIR a while.

Also depends on whether Lawrence is back.

You mean Dexter Lawson?  They moved on from Desmond Lawrence a few years ago.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Boy, I could have sworn Holm/Nichols were locked up thru '26 -- on a 2 year.  Or maybe that was already from FA24 and the 2 years is up?

Everyone who's not a "superstar" should be locked onto a 2 year.  It makes no sense to piddle with these 1 years for middling players (no, I'm not saying Holm/Nichols are "middling"!).

I think Walters has to set the DB ceiling at $150k, if any other team wants to offer Kramdi, Holm or Nichols more than that he should let them walk if they desire to do so.  He has to keep a fresh rotation in the secondary going to keep down salaries, a DB that establishes himself in the same position for 2 full seasons is going to ask for a substantial bump in salary above his ELC.  Parker has been injury prone and Houston just returned so they won't qualify and I don't think anyone else is close to establishing themselves as fixtures in the secondary.

[theaardvark]

I think Walters has to set the DB ceiling at $150k, if any other team wants to offer Kramdi, Holm or Nichols more than that he should let them walk if they desire to do so.  He has to keep a fresh rotation in the secondary going to keep down salaries, a DB that establishes himself in the same position for 2 full seasons is going to ask for a substantial bump in salary above his ELC.  Parker has been injury prone and Houston just returned so they won't qualify and I don't think anyone else is close to establishing themselves as fixtures in the secondary.

$150k is a lot for a DB, granted.  But for top players at any position, you may need to pay more.  And for fan favourites, there's marketting money.

Plus, Kramdi gets the passport bump too.

I'm not saying any deserve the $230k contract Ford got in Edm, but I have no issue with exceeding $150k if the market so demands.  Plus, we usually have a rookie DB in the mix, so there's that cost savings.