Blue Bombers Transactions - August 6, 2025
WINNIPEG, MB., August 6, 2025 – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers today announce the following transactions:
Released from practice roster:
American defensive back Marquise Bridges
Good riddance... :-*
Quote from: BLUEBOMBER on August 06, 2025, 08:21:08 PMGood riddance... :-*
He was around long enough and did enough for this club not be treated like a cast away. A regrettable year but he was part of a very good defense last year and I wish him well. I understand the move but I also believe he desires thanks and respect for his time as a Bomber.
This move tells me we have other pieces that are healthy and / or new players that could step up. I am cautiously optimistic. Telling once we see the roster this week, who starts and rotates.
I think the back end of one defense will take time to figure out and will be much better if Parker can return 100% sooner than later.
Quote from: BLUEBOMBER on August 06, 2025, 08:21:08 PMGood riddance... :-*
Far too harsh a comment. Bridges played to the best of his ability. He was a star player at NSDU and had a couple of NFL looks prior to being signed by the Bombers two years ago. Lighten up a bit.
Guess he didn't figure it out in the end
Its a strange time to release a DB when you have lost Parker for awhile
Unfortunate but it's the nature of the business. There was going to be some movement within our rosters this week. It's possible he asked for his release, due to lost income. IDK that is the case but we're moving on.
Good luck to the kid. Pro sport is a tough occupation.
We may be looking to bring in a new face on the PR as we shuffle the deck.
Quote from: bwiser on August 06, 2025, 09:52:43 PMIts a strange time to release a DB when you have lost Parker for awhile
I guess between Vaval & Lawson and whatever NFL cut they'll eventually add, they think they're good.
Quote from: peg_city on August 06, 2025, 10:21:54 PMI guess between Vaval & Lawson and whatever NFL cut they'll eventually add, they think they're good.
I don't know what they plan to do but I mentioned Dozier as a decent stop gap player. The catch is he might not accept a PR spot although his alternatives are low.
Expectations are that Parker will end up on the 6 game IR, so we should be adding someone. Finding one with CFL experience can't hurt.
Vaval didn't do that well when he had to fill in but he's an in game solution at the moment.
Quote from: Blue In BC on August 06, 2025, 10:16:37 PMUnfortunate but it's the nature of the business. There was going to be some movement within our rosters this week. It's possible he asked for his release, due to lost income. IDK that is the case but we're moving on.
Good luck to the kid. Pro sport is a tough occupation.
We may be looking to bring in a new face on the PR as we shuffle the deck.
I bet he wasn't happy to take a PR spot
Its a good move albeit a bit late, a lot of us had already stated that Bridges just wasnt good enough eeks ago. Wonder what happened to Tay Gowan he looked good in camp.
Quote from: peg_city on August 06, 2025, 10:21:54 PMI guess between Vaval & Lawson and whatever NFL cut they'll eventually add, they think they're good.
Kelly has come on the AR now, too.
Quote from: Pete on August 06, 2025, 11:56:05 PMIts a good move albeit a bit late, a lot of us had already stated that Bridges just wasnt good enough eeks ago. Wonder what happened to Tay Gowan he looked good in camp.
yeah, i'd love to see him back but have a feeling that's not gonna happen.
MOS 2-3 weeks ago: "It's not as simple as just replacing a guy"
MOS today: replaces guy
It's very hard for a starter to be released by WFC mid-season. Something usually has to go horribly wrong. Like you don't FIFO, or you have a conniption, or your suckage is ultra level.
I think most of us had id'd Bridges as the weak link "Roc of 2025" by game 3 or 4.
Interesting though, remember his "origin story" here? He was a friend of Bonds, who recommended him. Guess you can't always rely on the vouch.
I thank him for his efforts in any case, and am happy WFC is moving forward. We simply cannot give Os the "free bingo spot" to throw to all game.
Quote from: TecnoGenius on August 07, 2025, 06:52:37 AMMOS 2-3 weeks ago: "It's not as simple as just replacing a guy"
MOS today: replaces guy
This. Really baffled by this move but it is what it is.
Quote from: TecnoGenius on August 07, 2025, 06:52:37 AMMOS 2-3 weeks ago: "It's not as simple as just replacing a guy"
MOS today: replaces guy
Possible it was a Younger move. Also it was a replacement with a player they know and had here already. That part is classic MOS. Probably Lawson would have been on the PR the whole time if they had the room.
Younger on Lawson:
"It was one of the tough cuts in training camp," said defensive
co-ordinator Jordan Younger. "At the time, we were set with the
people we had, but he made, obviously, a lasting impression. He was
able to play at multiple positions, so he fits that mould of the type
of player we like: easy to get along, does the work, self-motivated,
has the skill athletically and, now, there was just a need."
MOS:
"We're fortunate," head coach Mike O'Shea said about Lawson
still being available.
"He's in good shape. He had good eyes and made a nice breakup ball
(Monday), and he had another one (Tuesday), and he lays off because
it's going to be a hell of a collision if he tries to pick it. But I
thought he had a hell of a break (on Tuesday), and probably could have
got one, which would have been nice."
quotes from Free Press
I thought that Bridges played well in his first 2 games. Maybe the tape got out and he got picked on after that? It's funny how quiet Holm and Nichols have been these past few games! The Argos almost exclusively attacked our corners. Bonds has struggled too.
We've had such great luck with finding and developing our defensive backfield over the last 5-6 years that I think I've taken for granted how valuable some of those guys are like Ford, Alford, Houston, ADS, Rose (when he was good)...
Quote from: blue_gold_84 on August 07, 2025, 01:46:42 PMThis. Really baffled by this move but it is what it is.
Baffled seems like an overreaction. MOS stood by his player and gave him every opportunity to keep his spot but the same mistakes kept occurring.
Quote from: Jesse on August 07, 2025, 03:14:31 PMBaffled seems like an overreaction. MOS stood by his player and gave him every opportunity to keep his spot but the same mistakes kept occurring.
Confused, perplexed...?
I saw a secondary make repeated errors the last handful of games. Not sure Bridges' were any more glaring but it looks like he became the fall guy.
It's a reminder that while having faith in players and sticking with them as they learn is a good long term strategy, but it's not universal and to some degree there's a sunk cost fallacy that may lead you to believe "he's almost there" when in fact he's not.
Put another way, development time doesn't guarantee anything. If it did, player recruitment would be easy.
Quote from: blue_gold_84 on August 07, 2025, 04:00:08 PMConfused, perplexed...?
I saw a secondary make repeated errors the last handful of games. Not sure Bridges' were any more glaring but it looks like he became the fall guy.
I take as a real life example that they do go over film and determine where the problem lies.
When we're all calling for change and none happens, it's likely a variety of things contributing. When someone is the "fall guy", they are probably repeatedly making the same mistakes and not improving.
We likely dumped Bridges as Lawson was on speed dial and available, don't get better by deletion but you do if you got a warm body ready
I am getting more confident the more I read about this! :)
Quote from: TecnoGenius on August 07, 2025, 06:56:13 AMIt's very hard for a starter to be released by WFC mid-season. Something usually has to go horribly wrong. Like you don't FIFO, or you have a conniption, or your suckage is ultra level.
I think most of us had id'd Bridges as the weak link "Roc of 2025" by game 3 or 4.
Interesting though, remember his "origin story" here? He was a friend of Bonds, who recommended him. Guess you can't always rely on the vouch.
I thank him for his efforts in any case, and am happy WFC is moving forward. We simply cannot give Os the "free bingo spot" to throw to all game.
Disagree that we were comparing him to Roc, that's a stretch. Roc was a train wreck. Bridges showed promise and had some good games. Last year and early this year (in limited flashes). He fell of a cliff and there was no going back. Roc started on the bottom of the cliff imo.
Quote from: Jesse on August 07, 2025, 05:04:23 PMI take as a real life example that they do go over film and determine where the problem lies.
When we're all calling for change and none happens, it's likely a variety of things contributing. When someone is the "fall guy", they are probably repeatedly making the same mistakes and not improving.
Watching some of the recent podcast interviews that Ed Tait is producing, it's easy to conclude some of these players from the US are likely terrible students with borderline learning disabilities.
Bridges was given every opportunity with the BB. If he doesn't appreciate them and doesn't learn from his mistakes and keeps making the same mistakes, then it's time to let him go. If his ego was too big for the PR, then he can take it elsewhere. Any football club needs to use it's best players available and Bridges just wasn't one of them.