Blue Bombers sign kicker Sergio Castillo

[Sir Blue and Gold]

IIRC Castillo was @ $140K and Leggs @ $80K. We're not spending $220K on kickers. Most likely outcome is Castillo with one of the newly signed kickers as backup.

The minimum CFL salary is $70,000 this year so I don't believe $10,000 is going to be a factor in determining a punter.

[Blue In BC]

IIRC Castillo was @ $140K and Leggs @ $80K. We're not spending $220K on kickers. Most likely outcome is Castillo with one of the newly signed kickers as backup.

Leigghio is making CFL minimum on his ELC. Replacing him with a rookie on an ELC would be exactly the same money. Now if you are suggesting that Castillo is the ONLY kicker that would reduce the money spent on kickers. However, replacing a kicker on an ELC with a rookie Canadian DB, LB or DE on an ELC is the also the same money.

So yes, the probability is that we go with 2 kickers. Not sure what Castillo is going to earn as a Bomber but that amount is whatever his contract states.

Not hard to evaluate the ratio and SMS considerations and what it means.

EDIT: I thought the CFL min was $74K but it does appear $70K is correct.  The " current roster " page shows him at $74,500. If correct it's a nominal difference at best.

Current roster once we sign our draft choices is about 105?  Should know soon whether any rookies decide to " retire " and not report. Also if veteran decides to retire, this is the time frame. I'm not expecting that but with the main TC coming up quickly, we'll see this around the league.

Roster has to be down to 85 not including Canadian draft or territorial choices for the main TC. Therefore we're probably going to see 6 - 10 releases after rookie camp give or take. Any new import signings will add to that total.

[Pete]

Castillo's basic salary for EDM was 123 it moved upward if he was doing both punting and kicking. I would think we offered 120 all in.
If we went higher then it may be that it an insurance policy against none of the other kickers impressing during preseason

[theaardvark]

IIRC Castillo was @ $140K and Leggs @ $80K. We're not spending $220K on kickers. Most likely outcome is Castillo with one of the newly signed kickers as backup.

Leggs is barely making min, you aren't saving much replacing him with an unproven P.  And you lose a proven K.  Again, see Paredes.

We don't know what Castillo is getting paid.  I can't see it being more than what the EE were paying, Bombers would have made a trade to save SMS$.  So it is the same, or less.  Why did he sign so quick?  I can't see everyone in the league being so set at K to not even kick the tires and say "Hey, wait for our offer".  Unless they already passed during the trade process.

Castillo/Leggs gives up some $SMS and a DI spot over using Leggs + NATorGLB P, but it gives more depth and mentorship (which Castillo seems very interested in on Twitter)

Again, not sure why he snubbed Walters last year and then signs here so fast after getting released...

How long to we have Sergio?  It will be more this time than 3 or 4 games of his last stints with WFC.  But is it one year?  Two?   Leggs is 6 years younger.  If he proves equal

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

IIRC Castillo was @ $140K and Leggs @ $80K. We're not spending $220K on kickers. Most likely outcome is Castillo with one of the newly signed kickers as backup.

Castillo just got cut by the Elks so his salary has probably been downgraded a fair bit.  I was wondering why Jones made this move, but I see they currently have 5 kickers on their roster and another on their suspended list.

[kkc60]

I'm really not sure about this... after he left, it didn't feel like there was a lot of love for the team/fans.  Not sure how true that was, just saying its the way I felt...

That?s the feeling of a good player leaving the team you cheer for. It?s a business

[theaardvark]

That?s the feeling of a good player leaving the team you cheer for. It?s a business

It was more than that.  He was leaving our team, sure, after winning a GC.  And went to Jones' dumpster fire.  Jones is a convincing recruiter, it has been shown, but how he convinced Castillo that he was going to field a GC contender, I have no idea. 

There was just something weird about him not signing here before FA, and then it seemed very happy to sign in EDM. 

[DM83]

Yeah....could it be called .....money?

Money talks.  and hey, he knew if it didn't work out he would find a home back here.

Leggio's a nice guy.  He just  has a fault with his mechanics resulting in a lack of accuracy, me thinks.

[kkc60]

It was more than that.  He was leaving our team, sure, after winning a GC.  And went to Jones' dumpster fire.  Jones is a convincing recruiter, it has been shown, but how he convinced Castillo that he was going to field a GC contender, I have no idea. 

There was just something weird about him not signing here before FA, and then it seemed very happy to sign in EDM. 

because money? i?m really not sure what you expected from him. to take less money? to give a tearful speech when the EE played in Winnipeg?

[TBURGESS]

I doubt Castillo took a huge drop in salary. He'd have waited more than 20 minutes to sign with us if we made a low offer. He's going to be paid like the top kicker he is.

Last year we spent $80Kish on our kickers. If we carry two on our game day roster, then we're more than doubling our spend on kickers this year. We'll also be using up a DI spot. 

[M.O.A.B.]

I doubt Castillo took a huge drop in salary. He'd have waited more than 20 minutes to sign with us if we made a low offer. He's going to be paid like the top kicker he is.

Last year we spent $80Kish on our kickers. If we carry two on our game day roster, then we're more than doubling our spend on kickers this year. We'll also be using up a DI spot. 

If Castillo and Leggs comes out the best duo in camp and comes terrific the whole season, I don't mind going over the cap again. Bombers are in the win-now and the management is showing they're all-in.

If any of Castillo and Leggs gets beaten by any of their respective competition in TC, then they get released or least PR'ed (if they're willing)

[Waffler]

"Edmonton released him in a contract dispute."  Also it is a one year deal. Add in that Sergio never wanted to leave in the first place makes me think he is not making as much as people are projecting here.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

"Edmonton released him in a contract dispute."  Also it is a one year deal. Add in that Sergio never wanted to leave in the first place makes me think he is not making as much as people are projecting here.

It could well be that Walters let him walk after 2021 without an offer thinking Leggs could handle both roles and knowing he'd save enough on the cap to pay for an additional salary or two.  Didn't work out as well as he'd hoped, so he's probably happy to welcome Sergio back.  I'm pretty comfortable going with the kicking duo they had in 2021 as they can back each other up, but we'll see where this goes.

[TecnoGenius]

Again, not sure why he snubbed Walters last year and then signs here so fast after getting released...

It could well be that Walters let him walk after 2021 without an offer thinking Leggs could handle both roles and knowing he'd save enough on the cap to pay for an additional salary or two.  Didn't work out as well as he'd hoped, so he's probably happy to welcome Sergio back.

TLB 100% nails it.  I don't think we made an offer to Castillo when he last left.  Or if we did, we low-balled it.  Precisely for the reason TLB says.  We had all our hope and faith in Leggs.  I don't see it as a snub, it's more a Nevis or Stove situation: we liked our backup plan and we knew we couldn't afford it.

If Castillo and Leggs comes out the best duo in camp and comes terrific the whole season, I don't mind going over the cap again. Bombers are in the win-now and the management is showing they're all-in.

I do.  I don't want to be the only, or one of only 3 teams, going over cap.  It's a bad look.  And having that bad look for $60k more cap is not worth it.  Now, if every team was doing it, then sure.  But that's currently not the case.

[TecnoGenius]

I doubt Castillo took a huge drop in salary. He'd have waited more than 20 minutes to sign with us if we made a low offer. He's going to be paid like the top kicker he is.

But he's not a top kicker.  I think it was StatsJunkie that posted and showed his 2022 season stats weren't really better than Leggs.  So I hope we got Castillo for a "good price" ($100k? Maybe incentive-heavy?) and I hope we let Leggs know he's the solid backup and/or future-dev kicker.

There is a chance Castillo poops the field and we A.Bowman him by labor day.  No sense wasting a DI if we don't get better performance.  And heaven help Castillo if he missed more than one PAT...

The thing I really like most about Castillo as a good fit for us is he seems way cooler under pressure, and thus may be worth keeping even if he only has "Leggs stats" because he'll be more "money" in the playoffs.  That's my theory.