Off Season Player Signings - Teams Other than the Bombers

[the paw]

Drawing a blank, Ted Laurent, Cleyon Laing are too expensive and too old, other than that a bunch of Natl. no-names playing DT.  I don't know what they ever planned on using Tobi Antigha for but maybe he fits back in somewhere and is worth re-signing.

I agree Laing and Laurent are too pricey.  I could see Junior Turner or Makana Henry splitting reps with Fatboi and bringing back Antigha as a DI.  This is assuming that Connor Griffith's can't be talked into resuming his career.

[Blue In BC]

Sure the Bombers should look into signing him, but I highly doubt he would come here. Calling him the backup or starter is very relevant considering Boateng most likely would want Canadian starter money, and has earned as much. Paying the #3 DE on the team, whether it be Boateng or Jeffcoat, a high salary is not realistic and probably not the best allocation of cap space when considering Stove is a FA along with most of the secondary and receiver room (not to mention Collaros)

How is that different than signing Kongbo in 2021 or expecting to be able to re-sign him if he returns to the CFL? Whether he'd come here or not is a different question. He'll end up somewhere in the CFL. The other free agents we have will still exist and we need another Canadian on defence just like in 2019 and 2021.

You think that another Canadian DL as good will come for less? If Griffith comes out of retirement and is more than capable on an ELC I'll be happy. It's a long shot he returns left alone a possible elite player in season 1.

[kkc60]

How is that different than signing Kongbo in 2021 or expecting to be able to re-sign him if he returns to the CFL? Whether he'd come here or not is a different question. He'll end up somewhere in the CFL. The other free agents we have will still exist and we need another Canadian on defence just like in 2019 and 2021.

You think that another Canadian DL as good will come for less? If Griffith comes out of retirement and is more than capable on an ELC I'll be happy. It's a long shot he returns left alone a possible elite player in season 1.

Do I really need to explain how signing a known starting Canadian DE with 25 sacks in 4 seasons is different than we re-signed Kongbo when he came back from the NFL after he played 12 games with us the year prior?

I agree we need a Canadian Dlineman. I think Boateng is very unrealistic

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Do I really need to explain how signing a known starting Canadian DE with 25 sacks in 4 seasons is different than we re-signed Kongbo when he came back from the NFL after he played 12 games with us the year prior?

I agree we need a Canadian Dlineman. I think Boateng is very unrealistic

What I would like to know is the reason Jones is dumping Boateng, he must have a great replacement lined up or wants to go with an all Import D-line.

[kkc60]

What I would like to know is the reason Jones is dumping Boateng, he must have a great replacement lined up or wants to go with an all Import D-line.

He hasnt been cut yet, but in John Hodge's insider talk article yesterday, apparently Jones wants IMP DEs. Boateng and Betts are both on expiring deals I believe. Not sure who he has lined up and honestly not sure why he wouldn't keep at least one Canadian DE

[Pigskin]

He hasnt been cut yet, but in John Hodge's insider talk article yesterday, apparently Jones wants IMP DEs. Boateng and Betts are both on expiring deals I believe. Not sure who he has lined up and honestly not sure why he wouldn't keep at least one Canadian DE

Boateng and Betts are both FA's.

[Blue In BC]

Do I really need to explain how signing a known starting Canadian DE with 25 sacks in 4 seasons is different than we re-signed Kongbo when he came back from the NFL after he played 12 games with us the year prior?

I agree we need a Canadian Dlineman. I think Boateng is very unrealistic

Apparently you need to have our need on the ratio explained and what it would have cost to re-sign Kongbo if he didn't get an NFL offer.
 
How much did we play Geoff Gray to sit as the non active OL most of the season? While that was probably less than Boateng got but a team has to have depth and Canadian depth in particular. Rostering DI's like Antigua and Brown means not paying ELC's to those players as well. We paid Castillo $7K+ per game to add him. Essentially you have to pay what you have to pay across the roster.

In the past naming the 24 starters was easier. In today's era there is so much situational rotation that we have 1a, 1b and 1c rotation. On our DL, Hansen was our 1c DE. OTOH, if we didn't have him we may have rostered a veteran import like Roh in 2019 for example.

The ratio need to pay up for Canadians is always there and that includes for depth.

Alternately M. Betts would be another player to consider. A little less than Boateng but a quality player.

[kkc60]

Apparently you need to have our need on the ratio explained and what it would have cost to re-sign Kongbo if he didn't get an NFL offer.
 
How much did we play Geoff Gray to sit as the non active OL most of the season? While that was probably less than Boateng got but a team has to have depth and Canadian depth in particular. Rostering DI's like Antigua and Brown means not paying ELC's to those players as well. We paid Castillo $7K+ per game to add him. Essentially you have to pay what you have to pay across the roster.

In the past naming the 24 starters was easier. In today's era there is so much situational rotation that we have 1a, 1b and 1c rotation. On our DL, Hansen was our 1c DE. OTOH, if we didn't have him we may have rostered a veteran import like Roh in 2019 for example.

The ratio need to pay up for Canadians is always there and that includes for depth.

Alternately M. Betts would be another player to consider. A little less than Boateng but a quality player.

Do you really think Kongbo would cost as much as Boateng? Boateng had a down year this year and still finished with as many sacks as Kongbo has in his entire CFL career. Kongbo is potential, Boateng is a known starter. If Boateng signs here, great. I hope he does, but he is going to command Canadian starters money and I'm not too sure that it would make sense or be possible for us to sign him, plus I'd be surprised if he would want to essentially be a backup who subs in at this point in his career.

Where did I say teams don't need to have depth? Again, if we could get Boateng, great. But I doubt it's a realistic signing for us to make, especially with all the holes still on the roster. Yes, depth is needed but so are starters at other positions currently. As ideal as it would be to just sign all the starting quality Canadians in FA and classify them as "depth", it's just not realistic.

Not sure how expensive Brown and Anthiga were considering Brown was cut by the Elks and was in and out of the lineup and Anthiga spent half the season on the PR.

Essentially, sure if Boateng takes a somewhat large pay cut and a diminished role then sure I guess I can see it. But I'm not sure a ratio breaking 26 year old defensive end who made 200k on his last deal and has averaged over 6 sacks per season will

[Blue In BC]

Do you really think Kongbo would cost as much as Boateng? Boateng had a down year this year and still finished with as many sacks as Kongbo has in his entire CFL career. Kongbo is potential, Boateng is a known starter. If Boateng signs here, great. I hope he does, but he is going to command Canadian starters money and I'm not too sure that it would make sense or be possible for us to sign him, plus I'd be surprised if he would want to essentially be a backup who subs in at this point in his career.

Where did I say teams don't need to have depth? Again, if we could get Boateng, great. But I doubt it's a realistic signing for us to make, especially with all the holes still on the roster. Yes, depth is needed but so are starters at other positions currently. As ideal as it would be to just sign all the starting quality Canadians in FA and classify them as "depth", it's just not realistic.

Not sure how expensive Brown and Anthiga were considering Brown was cut by the Elks and was in and out of the lineup and Anthiga spent half the season on the PR.

Essentially, sure if Boateng takes a somewhat large pay cut and a diminished role then sure I guess I can see it. But I'm not sure a ratio breaking 26 year old defensive end who made 200k on his last deal and has averaged over 6 sacks per season will

I'm saying the spread between what Boateng and Kongbo might get is not as big as you make out. Obviously Boateng is not going to get what he was getting if the Elks are considering import DE's and the possibility of releasing Boateng. You might say the Elks had to overpay based on where they were with ratio and starting Canadians. That's the nature of finding the best options in your starting 7.

OTOH, Kongbo has an NFL futures contract. When he comes back to the CFL he's not going to be cheap. Even if that is this LD, he's going to be $100K+. If we didn't have our Jackson and Jeffcoat he would probably be a starter in Winnipeg ( assuming no NFL deal ).

Realistically Kongbo missed half of the 2019 season before he was healthy. So he's really only played 26 regular season games.

Brown and Antigua were just examples of more expensive veteran DI's even though they didn't spend entire seasons on the active roster. Ratio along with Kongbo and Hansen allowed us to not need to DI an import DI that could fill in / rotate at DE. We were able to use an ELC DT as a DI instead.

In 2019 we had to DI an import DE as a DI in Roh for example.

Anyway. Some CFL team will find a roster spot for Boateng. There aren't going to be a huge number of quality Canadian's that can be added to fill out our need to replace Kongbo. Betts is the only other name that has come up so far. He may or may not even make it to free agency.

[theaardvark]

Kongbo is getting NFL looks... for a reason.  Kongbo's numbers were in spite of playing behind Jefferson/Jeffcoat.  Boateng got way more snaps. 

Yes, Kongbo > Boateng IMHO.  But both are quality players. 

Jones ran Dressler and Chick out of SSK when he swooped in, and Boateng is learning what the Jones method is now...

[kkc60]

Kongbo is getting NFL looks... for a reason.  Kongbo's numbers were in spite of playing behind Jefferson/Jeffcoat.  Boateng got way more snaps. 

Yes, Kongbo > Boateng IMHO.  But both are quality players. 

Jones ran Dressler and Chick out of SSK when he swooped in, and Boateng is learning what the Jones method is now...

I'm interested, why Kongbo> Boateng?

[kkc60]

I'm saying the spread between what Boateng and Kongbo might get is not as big as you make out. Obviously Boateng is not going to get what he was getting if the Elks are considering import DE's and the possibility of releasing Boateng. You might say the Elks had to overpay based on where they were with ratio and starting Canadians. That's the nature of finding the best options in your starting 7.

OTOH, Kongbo has an NFL futures contract. When he comes back to the CFL he's not going to be cheap. Even if that is this LD, he's going to be $100K+. If we didn't have our Jackson and Jeffcoat he would probably be a starter in Winnipeg ( assuming no NFL deal ).

Realistically Kongbo missed half of the 2019 season before he was healthy. So he's really only played 26 regular season games.

Brown and Antigua were just examples of more expensive veteran DI's even though they didn't spend entire seasons on the active roster. Ratio along with Kongbo and Hansen allowed us to not need to DI an import DI that could fill in / rotate at DE. We were able to use an ELC DT as a DI instead.

In 2019 we had to DI an import DE as a DI in Roh for example.

Anyway. Some CFL team will find a roster spot for Boateng. There aren't going to be a huge number of quality Canadian's that can be added to fill out our need to replace Kongbo. Betts is the only other name that has come up so far. He may or may not even make it to free agency.

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. It's tough to know because Kongbo played less snaps and games than Boateng. Experience is valuable.

I can see Kongbo being around 100k, but that's just my guess. If he hit CFL FA with no NFL contract, I'm sure a team would pay him more.

I doubt Anthiga or Brown were expensive. I'd say Brown was veterans minimum and Anthiga not too far off it either. Good chance we will need to run with an DI at DE this season again. Canadian defensive ends are not easy to find, especially ones of Boateng or Kongbo's quality

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Boateng and Betts are both FA's.

Right, so nobody is getting cut, this is just more John Hodge speculation, Jones probably hasn't said anything regarding Boateng, Hodge doesn't know any more than anyone else and now people are squabbling over nothing! 

[Pigskin]

Maybe Boateng has some interest from the NFL, and just wanted an early release.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Maybe Boateng has some interest from the NFL, and just wanted an early release.

Boateng looks short for a DE, I think they're fibbing when they list him at 6'-2", he would probably play LB in the NFL.