Blue Bombers Sign Tui Eli

[ModAdmin]

Blue Bombers sign offensive lineman Tui Eli 

WINNIPEG, MB., January 18, 2023 - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers today announce the return of Canadian offensive lineman Asotui (Tui) Eli, who has signed a three-year deal with the club.

Eli (6-4, 326, University of Hawaii; born: January 31, 1996, in Richmond, B.C.) returns to the Blue Bombers after not playing during the 2022 Canadian Football League season.

Eli was selected by the Blue Bombers in the fourth round, 34th overall, in the 2019 CFL Draft and appeared in five games in his first season. Following the cancellation of the 2020 CFL campaign due to the global pandemic, Eli returned in 2021 to play a key role as a rotational component along the club?s veteran offensive line, while suiting up for all 14 regular season games - including four starts - plus the Western Final.

Eli, who was born in Richmond and is of Samoan heritage, appeared in 36 college games over three years with the Rainbow Warriors and was twice named to the preseason Rimington Award watch list as the top centre in NCAA football.

He missed the 2018 season with a knee injury, but had his interest in the game revived through a family connection with Blue Bombers Assistant Danny McManus.

[blue_or_die]

Wow, didn?t expect to ever have him back! Blast from the past.

He was quite the prospect when we drafted him and this is great for depth.

Or does this indicate we can?t keep Couture?

[Pigskin]

Wow, 3 years deal. Like it. Love Eli and he plays a little nasty.  Does this mean talks are not going well with Couture.

[GOLDMEMBER]

Good stuff!

[Pete]

Looks like a good signing, I believe he can also play back up center which were gonna need if Couture isnt resigned which appears likely

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Couture probably out of the picture but Eli is a great option especially now that the mandates are over. Also would represent a pretty decent savings I would think over what Couture is going to get in free agency.

[blue_or_die]

I?m expecting a hot take post from Tecno at 3 am in this thread

[Sir Blue and Gold]

I?m expecting a hot take post from Tecno at 3 am in this thread

"I've rewatched every snap from 2021 and I think I saw O'Shea slip Eli a note at 11:54 of the 3rd quarter of game 18. I missed it the first three times but when you slow it down you can make our a few letters: 'S__ _o_ in 2___'. I think this note says see you in 2023 and what planning that was by the organization. You can see another person almost off camera smiling while looking in the general direction. He's going to be good!"

[M.O.A.B.]

This is very good surprised signing. Either Eli or Kolankowski can handle C. Couture will like heading to free agency (and possibly end up in BC)

[Jesse]

"I've rewatched every snap from 2021 and I think I saw O'Shea slip Eli a note at 11:54 of the 3rd quarter of game 18. I missed it the first three times but when you slow it down you can make our a few letters: 'S__ _o_ in 2___'. I think this note says see you in 2023 and what planning that was by the organization. You can see another person almost off camera smiling while looking in the general direction. He's going to be good!"

[the paw]

Wow, didn?t expect to ever have him back! Blast from the past.

He was quite the prospect when we drafted him and this is great for depth.

Or does this indicate we can?t keep Couture?

I think that is exactly what it means.  

[blue_or_die]

"I've rewatched every snap from 2021 and I think I saw O'Shea slip Eli a note at 11:54 of the 3rd quarter of game 18. I missed it the first three times but when you slow it down you can make our a few letters: 'S__ _o_ in 2___'. I think this note says see you in 2023 and what planning that was by the organization. You can see another person almost off camera smiling while looking in the general direction. He's going to be good!"

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Wow, I'm totally stunned, never expected to see him on a football field ever again.  I guess it was his vaccinated status that forced him to leave the team prior to the 21 G.C. and kept him off the field all last season, glad that's all in the past!

[Lincoln Locomotive]

he's big and nasty and we have him for 3 years....good signing

[theaardvark]

Well, doesn't Mr. Walters come up with some surprises...

Good signing.  Oline is deep and talented...

[Go Big Blue]

Tui is going to make Samoan Vaifala & Palusami (Pineapple Juice & Baked Coconut) out of the opposition defence. Welcome back in 2023.

[TecnoGenius]

I?m expecting a hot take post from Tecno at 3 am in this thread

Haha, you guys crack me up!     Sorry, I'm 1 hour late.  Hope you didn't wake up for nothing!

Color me shocked: I did not see this coming!  We mostly thought he was done with football for good, eh?

Yes, Eli was quickly becoming my fave when the vax rules ruined his post-season.  He looked good every time he was in, usually as a 6th OL / TE.  He played every snap with gusto and aplomb even though 90% of the time he didn't have anything to do.  Bet he's that way at practice, too.  You know that type of ethic is what endears a guy to MOS.

I think he did get a couple of starts at guard(?) and IIRC performed surprisingly well for a rookie.  I thought he was growing into our solid next 6th dressed, and grooming as a future starter.  He certainly was helping to ease the pain of the loss of the "2 Sp's" and retirement of Goose, and later loss of Desjar to NFL.

After I learned of FIFO (shouldn't it be FIOFO?? FIFO means something else to us computer nerds) a few months back, I started guessing Eli didn't FI so had to FO.  But it may have just been the logistics and/or hard CFL rules vis a vis vax-free.  I'm pretty sure KW wouldn't bring back a guy ON A 3 YEAR(!!!) if the locker room wanted him to FO.  (A few forum posters did want him to FO, so those who shall remain nameless might have some crow to eat if Eli excels...)

So, yes, we should all rejoice, as whether he gets to be the dressed 6th in 2023, or is already being slotted in at C or G, he will come in very handy and is much needed even if Couture isn't gone.

If Couture is gone: I thought Ko-man was superb at C, and would hesitate to move him to G.  So LG might hinge on a TC battle between Gray/Eli.  I expect Dobson to remain the development guy, though he was looking good too.  If Ko-man get hurt, it's nice to have another potential snapper.

No thread about Eli is complete without giving yet another shout out to his TE (eligible) snaps where, upon having no one to block, he always runs downfield and turns to put his hands up asking for the ball.  He played it so convincingly, I always got a chuckle.  LBs always had to give him a second of their attention and the obligatory "huh wat?".  I swear I would have given my left ear to see Zach throw to him just once!!  5Y pass and the big guy could probably get another 4 YAC.  Eli was always wide open.  I'll always wonder if that was lined up as a trick play in the '21 post-season.  Maybe we'll find out in '23 -- though Buck isn't nearly as cheeky as Lapo.  I wonder if Eli has good hands....

Enjoy the hot take.

[pjrocksmb]

He will likely need a half season to get to the level he was at when he left.

Solid signing.

I bet the price was right.

[Blue In BC]

This is a very good signing and I'd think at a decent SMS hit. OTOH it would seem that Couture will be lost in free agency.

EDIT: It's not likely but we might still sign Couture and trade one of the other Canadian OL.

[blue_gold_84]

...the vax rules ruined his post-season.

LOL

That's not what happened. Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes happened.

Anyway, nice to have him back on a long-term deal. This is good news for the depth on the O-line.

[Pigskin]

I hope we can also sign ND10 to a 3 year deal.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

This is a very good signing and I'd think at a decent SMS hit. OTOH it would seem that Couture will be lost in free agency.

EDIT: It's not likely but we might still sign Couture and trade one of the other Canadian OL.

I'd hate to see Eli displace Dobson from the role he played last season as he's well on his way to becoming a starting OG, and they almost lost him to the USFL prior to last season, so he might be difficult to retain once his contract expires. If I had to guess I would say Kona becomes the odd man out as Eli or Neuf. takes over at C, this would make for a very aggressive O-line. 

[blue_or_die]

Haha, you guys crack me up!     Sorry, I'm 1 hour late.  Hope you didn't wake up for nothing!

Color me shocked: I did not see this coming!  We mostly thought he was done with football for good, eh?

Yes, Eli was quickly becoming my fave when the vax rules ruined his post-season.  He looked good every time he was in, usually as a 6th OL / TE.  He played every snap with gusto and aplomb even though 90% of the time he didn't have anything to do.  Bet he's that way at practice, too.  You know that type of ethic is what endears a guy to MOS.

I think he did get a couple of starts at guard(?) and IIRC performed surprisingly well for a rookie.  I thought he was growing into our solid next 6th dressed, and grooming as a future starter.  He certainly was helping to ease the pain of the loss of the "2 Sp's" and retirement of Goose, and later loss of Desjar to NFL.

After I learned of FIFO (shouldn't it be FIOFO?? FIFO means something else to us computer nerds) a few months back, I started guessing Eli didn't FI so had to FO.  But it may have just been the logistics and/or hard CFL rules vis a vis vax-free.  I'm pretty sure KW wouldn't bring back a guy ON A 3 YEAR(!!!) if the locker room wanted him to FO.  (A few forum posters did want him to FO, so those who shall remain nameless might have some crow to eat if Eli excels...)

So, yes, we should all rejoice, as whether he gets to be the dressed 6th in 2023, or is already being slotted in at C or G, he will come in very handy and is much needed even if Couture isn't gone.

If Couture is gone: I thought Ko-man was superb at C, and would hesitate to move him to G.  So LG might hinge on a TC battle between Gray/Eli.  I expect Dobson to remain the development guy, though he was looking good too.  If Ko-man get hurt, it's nice to have another potential snapper.

No thread about Eli is complete without giving yet another shout out to his TE (eligible) snaps where, upon having no one to block, he always runs downfield and turns to put his hands up asking for the ball.  He played it so convincingly, I always got a chuckle.  LBs always had to give him a second of their attention and the obligatory "huh wat?".  I swear I would have given my left ear to see Zach throw to him just once!!  5Y pass and the big guy could probably get another 4 YAC.  Eli was always wide open.  I'll always wonder if that was lined up as a trick play in the '21 post-season.  Maybe we'll find out in '23 -- though Buck isn't nearly as cheeky as Lapo.  I wonder if Eli has good hands....

Enjoy the hot take.

Boring! That was only 15% of controversy of what I expect from you.

Bust out that tin foil hat, my man!

[bwiser]

I don't know why you would want this selfish jerk back on the Bombers. I hope he gets cut.

[Pigskin]

I'd hate to see Eli displace Dobson from the role he played last season as he's well on his way to becoming a starting OG, and they almost lost him to the USFL prior to last season, so he might be difficult to retain once his contract expires. If I had to guess I would say Kona becomes the odd man out as Eli or Neuf. takes over at C, this would make for a very aggressive O-line. 

OLs get hurt all the time. Can never have to many good Canadian OLs. Good move by Mr. Walters considering Couture hasn't signed yet. We know Eli can play a couple of different positions on the OL, and he is a road grader.

[blue_gold_84]

I don't know why you would want this selfish jerk back on the Bombers. I hope he gets cut.

It's possible he could've learned from what happened and is a better person now. The Bombers seem to think so based on the contract he was given.

Time will tell but I wouldn't hope for him getting cut just yet. He's a good player and perhaps he's more selfless now than before.

[blue_or_die]

As much as I don't get the anti vax stance, if I truly had strong beliefs in anything that I was being asked to compromise, I wouldn't either. As much of a brotherhood as football is, etc., at the end of the day it's a sport and it's a job and I would put myself first. It doesn't matter if those beliefs are misplaced or not, it's clearly a part of who he is so I don't fault him. It doesn't sound like it was poisoning the clubhouse which would have been my only concern. He didn't sound like an outrageous idiot; rather a, "sorry, but this is just me and I have to put that first" kinda guy.

I'm just happy this is in the past and we can move on with him back with the club. It's the draft pick that keeps on giving!

[TecnoGenius]

He will likely need a half season to get to the level he was at when he left.

That's the key question.  No live snaps since Nov 2021.  That's like 18 months of no real football.  But since we snapped him up and gave him 3 years you have to believe he was keeping up with his training and practice.

From my inside knowledge of hoggies, the biggest thing they slack on in the off-season is staying bulked up in a calorie sense.  But that's ok, they can bulk up before TC.

[TecnoGenius]

I don't know why you would want this selfish jerk back on the Bombers. I hope he gets cut.

I was wondering if those-who-shall-remain-nameless would out themselves... that didn't take long.

Read my long post?  Clearly the locker room will happily accept the guy.  Therefore the guys are either (now) ok with his decision, or they might even respect him more for staying true to himself.  I have no idea, but it's clear they are not saying what you just said (would fail the FI test).  Neither is RH, neither is MOS, neither is KW...

Someone needs to stop watching CBC and CNN all day.  You going to boo Eli when they announce the starting O in June??  For 3 years?

[blue_gold_84]

Someone needs to stop watching CBC and CNN all day.

ThE eViL mAiNsTrEaM mEdiA!

Solid clown comment.

[LXTSN]

ThE eViL mAiNsTrEaM mEdiA!

Solid clown comment.

Can we be done with this already?
So tired of people overreacting to this stuff. We are talking about FOOTBALL here. No need to bring up personal politcal or medical views! As far as I know, nobody here is a doctor so let's leave this with the experts to debate.

Eli was a freak athlete for us and improved greatly over the year! I really like the comment made about him as a potential TE in our offence. I could see him as a Trent Williams type of guy to pull on outside runs and get downfield quickly.

Pumped to have him back!

[Pigskin]

Can we be done with this already?
So tired of people overreacting to this stuff. We are talking about FOOTBALL here. No need to bring up personal politcal or medical views! As far as I know, nobody here is a doctor so let's leave this with the experts to debate.

Eli was a freak athlete for us and improved greatly over the year! I really like the comment made about him as a potential TE in our offence. I could see him as a Trent Williams type of guy to pull on outside runs and get downfield quickly.

Pumped to have him back!

I also think he is going to be big part of this team going forward. He has had a nice rest and now feels ready to play some football again.

[LXTSN]

I also think he is going to be big part of this team going forward. He has had a nice rest and now feels ready to play some football again.

For sure! We have a good variety of younger and older Canadian OL which is nice to see.
When I was looking at the roster I didn't realize that Couture and Gray were the same age.
I'd way rather re-sign Couture and lose Gray... can we trade Gray instead?

[blueandgoldguy]

If he lives up to his potential this will be a huge signing.  He has CFL all-star potential.  Here's hoping we have the best o-line once again in 2023!

[Pete]

It  will be interesting as to what kind of shape he is in come trainng camp with a year away from football

[Pigskin]

It  will be interesting as to what kind of shape he is in come trainng camp with a year away from football

I think he will come in rested and in excellent condition. He knows our O and most of the players he will be playing with, so this will be an advantage for him and the team.

[theaardvark]

3 year deal is interesting, I guess Walters wanted him to commit to football again... seems to have had an on again, off again relationship with "handegg" (the British name for American Football).

Yes, he had issues due to family health, and then the whole vaccine situation, and he was an NFL prospect at one time.  If he can harness and focus the ability that got him on NFL radar, he's going to be an asset.  I still love having Paddy Neufeld as OL6, just for experience and to reduce wear and tear on him.  Eli at starting OG sounds good...

[bwiser]

I was wondering if those-who-shall-remain-nameless would out themselves... that didn't take long.

Read my long post?  Clearly the locker room will happily accept the guy.  Therefore the guys are either (now) ok with his decision, or they might even respect him more for staying true to himself.  I have no idea, but it's clear they are not saying what you just said (would fail the FI test).  Neither is RH, neither is MOS, neither is KW...

Someone needs to stop watching CBC and CNN all day.  You going to boo Eli when they announce the starting O in June??  For 3 years?

I won't boo him but I would prefer a more team oriented player than a me first player. Its hard to win with players who make questionable decisions.

[Blue In BC]

I won't boo him but I would prefer a more team oriented player than a me first player. Its hard to win with players who make questionable decisions.

Just because some don't agree with his decision doesn't mean he's either a me 1st person or made a questionable decision. In theory he could have played in 2022 and didn't. There may have been more to do with his decision that we understand.

Everything suggests he was a good team oriented player. I'm pro-vax but have some family members that are anti-vax.