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

[Jesse]

I've made my position clear. We make him an offer and if he chooses to test free agency we withdraw the offer. One of several things happens:

1. He gets better offers elsewhere and will be leaving regardless.
2. He gets lower offers and the ball is now in the Bombers court. He gets a new offer higher than his low offers but not as high as his previous offer.
3. Bombers spend money elsewhere.

Yeah yeah I get we'll hear he's not feeling like he's being treated well. I call BS on that concept. It's business and part of this business is allowing players to test free agency.

There is a limit for every player.

I'll be happy if he returns but if he's playing both sides to get more, then he's on his own.  Another team might offer him $300K, IDK.

Let's say we offer him $250K ( a $25K increase over 2025 ) and his highest offer elsewhere is $200K. Why should we be stuck held to the original offer?  Based on last year there are no other RB's that are going to get more than $250K. If another team chooses to offer him $275-$300K, then I believe he's over paid.

Noting that the Riders won the Grey Cup with a RB earning $80K. Obviously it's not all on that decision but SMS is spent across the roster. Paying him more doesn't make us better than 2025.

It's fine that that's your position. I understand that. There's certainly a part of me that thinks it would be better team building paying some random American 80K as opposed to Brady 300k+.

But it's just not what the Bombers did last time, so I don't expect them to change the strategy around Brady this time.

Last time around, we waited for Brady to go to free agency. He received his contract offers. And under a smaller salary cap, he received offers of 275+ from both BC and Hamilton. We were able to get close enough to make him stay.

If we're thinking about what's going to happen, not what we think should happen, I'd expect Brady to receive his offers in the tampering period. I'd expect him to get several higher than you expect offers because it's free agency and the cap has increased and I'd expect it to continue to increase, and Walters and co. will negotiate from that point to see if there's an acceptable middle ground.

[Blue In BC]

It's fine that that's your position. I understand that. There's certainly a part of me that thinks it would be better team building paying some random American 80K as opposed to Brady 300k+.

But it's just not what the Bombers did last time, so I don't expect them to change the strategy around Brady this time.

Last time around, we waited for Brady to go to free agency. He received his contract offers. And under a smaller salary cap, he received offers of 275+ from both BC and Hamilton. We were able to get close enough to make him stay.

If we're thinking about what's going to happen, not what we think should happen, I'd expect Brady to receive his offers in the tampering period. I'd expect him to get several higher than you expect offers because it's free agency and the cap has increased and I'd expect it to continue to increase, and Walters and co. will negotiate from that point to see if there's an acceptable middle ground.

That's entirely possible but you've pointed out what we did and I pointed out what we did, didn't work. Sask, BC, Calgary and Hamilton all finished with better records than the Bombers. For that matter what we did from 2022 - 2025 didn't work by in large to achieve a Grey Cup win. Nice to finish 1st and get there but the goal is winning.

What other teams did last year may or may not have the same criteria. Every team has 25-45 potential free agents. Many will want more $$$ and the new SMS won't cover all that ground.

Free agency will be interesting once again. I'm just saying we can't just pay the existing roster more money because the SMS went up.

[dd]

I've made my position clear. We make him an offer and if he chooses to test free agency we withdraw the offer. One of several things happens:

1. He gets better offers elsewhere and will be leaving regardless.
2. He gets lower offers and the ball is now in the Bombers court. He gets a new offer higher than his low offers but not as high as his previous offer.
3. Bombers spend money elsewhere.

Yeah yeah I get we'll hear he's not feeling like he's being treated well. I call BS on that concept. It's business and part of this business is allowing players to test free agency.

There is a limit for every player.

I'll be happy if he returns but if he's playing both sides to get more, then he's on his own.  Another team might offer him $300K, IDK.

Let's say we offer him $250K ( a $25K increase over 2025 ) and his highest offer elsewhere is $200K. Why should we be stuck held to the original offer?  Based on last year there are no other RB's that are going to get more than $250K. If another team chooses to offer him $275-$300K, then I believe he's over paid.

Noting that the Riders won the Grey Cup with a RB earning $80K. Obviously it's not all on that decision but SMS is spent across the roster. Paying him more doesn't make us better than 2025.

Given the market value for RB's, at $225k he is over paid, $300 is ridiculous, especially given his ball security issues this year, and if another team wants to give him that, then have at er. As I recall, Matthew Peterson did quite well last year when BO was out, life will go on without him.

[Blue In BC]

Given the market value for RB's, at $225k he is over paid, $300 is ridiculous, especially given his ball security issues this year, and if another team wants to give him that, then have at er. As I recall, Matthew Peterson did quite well last year when BO was out, life will go on without him.

I'm not sure how many fumbles he had or lost and wouldn't consider that a significant issue. Maybe someone can come up with some comparisons? Brady fights for more yardage and that creates an opportunity for defenders to strip the ball.

Brady did receive $50K Marketing Money so it lowered the SMS hit. Regardless that takes away the cash for a different player potentially. His total was actually $240K and not the $225 I mentioned earlier.

Just a guess but I think the Redblacks might make the best offer to make a big PR move so to speak.

[Pete]

I'm not sure how many fumbles he had or lost and wouldn't consider that a significant issue. Maybe someone can come up with some comparisons? Brady fights for more yardage and that creates an opportunity for defenders to strip the ball.

Brady did receive $50K Marketing Money so it lowered the SMS hit. Regardless that takes away the cash for a different player potentially. His total was actually $240K and not the $225 I mentioned earlier.

Just a guess but I think the Redblacks might make the best offer to make a big PR move so to speak.

didn't Brady state one of his primary motivations is to go to a winning team? But he wouldn't be the first to take the money instead (then saying this team has a lot of potential)

[Jesse]

didn't Brady state one of his primary motivations is to go to a winning team? But he wouldn't be the first to take the money instead (then saying this team has a lot of potential)

Really only eliminates Ottawa. Basically everyone's a winning team in the CFL.

[RebusRankin]

The club could save money but not bringing back Wilson (we have younger, cheaper options in Ayers and Shay), Jake (not an effective player anymore), Jefferson (going to be 35, declining, overpaid at his current price), Logan, Mitchell, possibly one of Nichols, Kramdi, Holm (lots of money for one position group).

[dd]

didn't Brady state one of his primary motivations is to go to a winning team? But he wouldn't be the first to take the money instead (then saying this team has a lot of potential)

But who's this mysterious winning team he's going to go to--BC-can't afford him, Calgary-doesn't run the ball enough to warrant big $$ RB, Sask is set, Montreal is set, Hamilton is pass oriented/non interested in dumping huge cash into a RB.

Brady's best situation is right in front of him, and given the season he and the team had, he should be lucky to get what he was getting in 2025, let alone a raise.

[Blue In BC]

The club could save money but not bringing back Wilson (we have younger, cheaper options in Ayers and Shay), Jake (not an effective player anymore), Jefferson (going to be 35, declining, overpaid at his current price), Logan, Mitchell, possibly one of Nichols, Kramdi, Holm (lots of money for one position group).

We have several options to reduce our current SMS while getting younger at the same time. With so many potential free agents it's interesting to contemplate what we might be doing. Once we start re-signing some players a clearer picture will begin to emerge.

As usual they're going to be some players we want to re-sign that we'll lose elsewhere.

[Pete]

But who's this mysterious winning team he's going to go to--BC-can't afford him, Calgary-doesn't run the ball enough to warrant big $$ RB, Sask is set, Montreal is set, Hamilton is pass oriented/non interested in dumping huge cash into a RB.

Brady's best situation is right in front of him, and given the season he and the team had, he should be lucky to get what he was getting in 2025, let alone a raise.

Hamilton would be an option, they bid big for him last time, and could free up cap space by not resigning Edwards. Brady would feel right at home with the hamilton bombers/err tigercats.

[bunker]

The club could save money but not bringing back Wilson (we have younger, cheaper options in Ayers and Shay), Jake (not an effective player anymore), Jefferson (going to be 35, declining, overpaid at his current price), Logan, Mitchell, possibly one of Nichols, Kramdi, Holm (lots of money for one position group).

I would like to hang on to Holm, Nichols and Kramdi. They are 3 of the most talented and experienced players on a defense that actually performed pretty well if you can get over the frustration of applying no pressure on the QB. They also play positions (HB and SAM) that are not that easy to fill with young inexperienced players. If some rookie lights it up in camp, they could always rethink things, but I would be trying to sign them. The others, I agree with.

[bunker]

Hamilton would be an option, they bid big for him last time, and could free up cap space by not resigning Edwards. Brady would feel right at home with the hamilton bombers/err tigercats.

Who's Edwards?

[ModAdmin]

The fact the Bombers are slower than normal signing their own free agents suggests to me they might hit the free agency market hard this off season.

[Blue In BC]

The fact the Bombers are slower than normal signing their own free agents suggests to me they might hit the free agency market hard this off season.

That would seem like a dangerous approach IMO. Free agency hits like a hurricane. You won't know who you want will accept offers and current players could be lost.

There will be a significant list of players we want to retain. That's guesswork on our part since some decisions will be made on SMS aspects. Offers may have been made and counter offers are being considered by both sides.

I'd expect some re-signings to start showing up as early as this week. Only about 10 of 250 potential free agents have been re-signed so far.

Hopefully we focus on the Canadians in the early going.

[RebusRankin]

I would like to hang on to Holm, Nichols and Kramdi. They are 3 of the most talented and experienced players on a defense that actually performed pretty well if you can get over the frustration of applying no pressure on the QB. They also play positions (HB and SAM) that are not that easy to fill with young inexperienced players. If some rookie lights it up in camp, they could always rethink things, but I would be trying to sign them. The others, I agree with.

I have no issues with those 3 DBs just pointing out its expensive to pay those 3 140,000-150,000 each, so one may go to save $