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#1

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Bombers sign QB Payton Tho...

Last post by Blue In BC - Today at 07:01:50 PM

They must have seen something in somebody new to cut Parker loose,

Newcomer Micahel Dixon has great DB size at 6'-2" 210 lbs as does Alljah McGhee 6'-2" 195 lbs.  They also had late season looks at Ridge Texada and Major Williams another taller than average prospect at 6"-1" 190 lbs.

Sure all of those may be true. Injury history and SMS expectations may have come into play. Even age and bigger size may have been factors.  I'm neither surprised or disappointed. It's the business nature of the sport.

That said, on my list I have 13 players which I don't think are part of 2026 that could / should be released early. However there is a domino effect where one decision impacts another. Let's use Streveler as the example. He's not under contract, coming off a season ending injury. Probably not going to play again IMO. Is it better to at leave give him the same chance as Parker of just left him become a free agent?

The same question applies to the other veterans on my list. There is no reason to list them but as potential free agents, injury history, SMS hit and succession plans are in play.

A few vets have already been released early. Sankey who nearly immediately signed in Vancouver. Woods released but not yet signed elsewhere. 

Every off season I keep tabs to see how accurate my guesstimates were about those I didn't expect to return for various reasons.

#2

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Bombers sign QB Payton Tho...

Last post by Blue In BC - Today at 06:59:49 PM

Cutting Parker now is good PR.

If he's not in the mix for next year, this gives him a chance to catch on elsewhere, and it was probably granted at his request.

Bad PR is holding on to his rights until camp, run him through camp and then cut him before he gets a paycheck.

Yes and no. I've often suggested that players not in the mix for the following season should be released earlier. In that we agree.

OTOH, cutting a veteran is never easy or always popular. He may have asked to be released early if he was advised that no contract would be offered.

#3

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: CFL (Non-Bombers) off-seas...

Last post by Blue In BC - Today at 06:58:08 PM

With the ratio ensuring that the set number of Nat's and Americans is a given, should there be caps within the caps?  Should the $SMS be broken into 2 caps? One for Nats and one for Americans?

If they did it that way, teams would still pay a disproportionate amount to Nats, but that would be capped.  Bring down the top end of Nat salaries a bit...

Interesting but I'd think the CFLPA would not be in favour of that. Some Canadians are better than some imports and limiting a contract amount based on nationality would be unfair.

That argument was raised about lower Global salaries last year in discussions.

This really falls on team management / owners that will look to " buy " a top talent with contracts in excess of logic.

In the past before SMS we had rich teams paying some players $1M usd because they had no limits.

#4

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: CFL (Non-Bombers) off-seas...

Last post by Blue In BC - Today at 06:54:00 PM

If the alternative is your best players leaving, then it does make your roster better than that alternative.

The SMS cap has no bearing really. If the cap had not gone up, how much do top salaries go up? If the cap had gone up double what it did then do those top players get even more?

If Rourke was a potential free agent does his SMS hit go up to $800K because of the SMS number and the competition to acquire him?

IMO the increase neither keeps a player from leaving or helps keep him. It's just the free market with a given SMS.

#5

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: CFL (Non-Bombers) off-seas...

Last post by theaardvark - Today at 06:18:15 PM

With the ratio ensuring that the set number of Nat's and Americans is a given, should there be caps within the caps?  Should the $SMS be broken into 2 caps? One for Nats and one for Americans?

If they did it that way, teams would still pay a disproportionate amount to Nats, but that would be capped.  Bring down the top end of Nat salaries a bit...

#6

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Bombers sign QB Payton Tho...

Last post by theaardvark - Today at 06:15:43 PM

Veteran cut down dates applies. So if a player takes 9 games to be healthy and ready to play then yes there is a cost.  Schoen for example.  Business is business.

You think cutting Parker created good PR? He's more proven than Bonds and was not currently injured.

Cutting Parker now is good PR.

If he's not in the mix for next year, this gives him a chance to catch on elsewhere, and it was probably granted at his request.

Bad PR is holding on to his rights until camp, run him through camp and then cut him before he gets a paycheck.

#7

Offside Forum / Re: Winnipeg Jets Discussion -...

Last post by blue_gold_84 - Today at 06:11:39 PM

D Morrissey is a GTD for tonight's game vs. the Oilers.

projected lines/pairings vs. EDM
Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
Perfetti-Namestnikov-Iafallo
Barron-Lowry-Pearson
Niederreiter-Toews-Nyquist

??-DeMelo
Samberg-Pionk
Stanley-Schenn
Fleury

Hellebuyck

The line blender isn't working, but Arniel keeps using it.

#8

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Bombers sign QB Payton Tho...

Last post by Throw Long Bannatyne - Today at 05:46:38 PM

Veteran cut down dates applies. So if a player takes 9 games to be healthy and ready to play then yes there is a cost.  Schoen for example.  Business is business.

You think cutting Parker created good PR? He's more proven than Bonds and was not currently injured.

They must have seen something in somebody new to cut Parker loose,

Newcomer Micahel Dixon has great DB size at 6'-2" 210 lbs as does Alljah McGhee 6'-2" 195 lbs.  They also had late season looks at Ridge Texada and Major Williams another taller than average prospect at 6"-1" 190 lbs.

[just giving a lot more to a select few doesn't improve the roster.]

#9

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: CFL (Non-Bombers) off-seas...

Last post by Jesse - Today at 05:44:20 PM

Probably. The larger question is how much 2025 SMS was left and used by each team and what happens with new SMS in 2026.

I'm all for players getting more but as I've said, just giving a lot more to a select few doesn't improve the roster.

It does seem that some teams had some 2025 SMS left so there should still be some big spending to come in free agency.

If the alternative is your best players leaving, then it does make your roster better than that alternative.

#10

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: 1st & 10 | The Complete Bl...

Last post by Throw Long Bannatyne - Today at 05:36:14 PM

I'm not sure anyone said QB coaching is unimportant.  The problem is it's a completely hidden world to us.  The QB coach doesn't get pressers.  We don't get to see or hear what they do.  We have no idea if a QB is good (or improves) because of a particular QB coach, or in spite of them.

Half the time fans have no idea who their team's QB coach even is.

I'm sure it matters, but it's not a very splashy or coveted job in the CFL.

With Tommy Condell in house and Hogan returning Jackson may not be renewed, along with Dan Bolduc and Darrell Patterson they likely become the coaching salary cuts.  While Billy Jean continues to dance on the floor in the round as the receiver's coach...or maybe not....hee-hee-hee, hoo.