Bombers Off Season

[squonk]

Coaching changes @ Defense and ST...

https://www.bluebombers.com/2024/01/08/blue-bombers-announce-coaching-staff-changes/?fbclid=IwAR3XbwMuBhNDQDuIpI8dlTnR30D8gIx5aBysPu9hJNjJsxw9_Pd2gOH3YQs

[Jesse]

A few things in this article straight from Walters:

- Both Brady and Schoen are attempting to find NFL spots
- They have been not interested in talking about a CFL contract while they do so
- Neither has had a work out yet
- Walters, at some point, will have to move on to other FAs (this seems like a little negotiating through the media to me)
- Dru Brown is expected to go to FA
- Stanley Bryant wants to return!


https://winnipegsun.com/sports/football/cfl/winnipeg-bluebombers/blue-bombers-in-holding-pattern-as-they-wait-on-contract-talks-with-oliveira-schoen

[ModAdmin]

"We do have some young guys in the building that we believe are ready to step up." - Ed Tait

They'll need a calculator, a chainsaw, and a hammer, too, because the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have some serious salary cap maneuvering to do while rebuilding its roster in advance of the Canadian Football League's free agent market opening next month.

Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters spoke with media via conference call during league meetings in Nashville on Tuesday and, just as he did in his season-ending session last November, outlined the significant challenges facing the organization over the next few weeks.

The club still has 28 pending free agents https://www.cfl.ca/fa24/#BOMBERS following the retirement of Mike Miller on Monday and his promotion to special-teams coordinator, and just 35 days to get that heavy lifting done.

"It's as much about getting younger contractually as much as age-wise," said Walters Tuesday when asked about the converging ideals of roster stability vs. the salary cap. "The younger contracts, the rookie contracts, are obviously much more cap friendly and the more veteran team you have the perception of just getting younger for being younger is important more publicly. But internally, we need younger contracts.

"With a veteran group we've done a pretty good job of minimizing the turnover of the last few years. I anticipate there will be more turnover this year than we've seen in years past."

Walters admitted the re-signings have moved at a slower pace this offseason and pointed to the number of big-ticket stars - among them Brady Oliveira, Dalton Schoen, Stanley Bryant, Jermarcus Hardrick, and Jackson Jeffcoat - still unsigned as key to how the rest of this unfolds.

"Until you can get those guys locked up, it's very difficult, the trickle-down effect of how much money is left after what you can do with the high-point guys," he said. "So, it is a little bit slower this year, for sure. Brady and Dalton are still looking at NFL opportunities and aren't really interested in committing a dollar value until they exhaust all NFL opportunities at the moment.

"Once those higher ones get settled, whether they come back, don't come back, lock into a dollar value, then I think the rest should move along fairly quickly."

As of Tuesday, Oliveira and Schoen have yet to have any NFL workouts scheduled, with defensive backs Demerio Houston (Los Angeles Chargers) and Evan Holm (Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos) the only two Blue Bombers to have look-sees from down south.

Asked if there was a scenario where both Oliveira and Schoen could be back this season, Walters was remaining positive amid the uncertainty.

"Sure, it's just how the math all works out. Any scenario you can make work, it's just how do all the other pieces fit in?" he said. "Honestly, I'm not even sure what the final dollar value would be for those guys. Ideally, yes, it would be great to have those two guys back, but at this point I can't even guess what the probability would be.?

Other highlights from the Walters session with the media...

THE O-LINE QUESTION

- Four starters on the O-line from last year remain unsigned in Bryant, Hardrick, Chris Kolankowski and Geoff Gray. Walters when asked if having Liam Dobson and Tui Eli under contract - both Canadians makes signing Kolankowski and Gray 'less of a priority':

"I wouldn't say less of a priority but when you enter an off-season, part of the process at all positions is looking at your roster and if all of the players at a certain position can't come back, how are we situated moving forward? With our Canadian depth on the offensive line, we've picked up some solid depth. We've got guys that the coaches like and we believe can start. We are comfortable with our depth at the offensive line, if everybody can't come back. We do have some young guys in the building that we believe are ready to step up.

Further to the O-line discussion, Walters was asked about the difficulty in getting all five starters from last year back under contract.

"We'll see. With the two American offensive tackles (Bryant and Hardrick), the offensive tackle price-points are going to be high. I've referenced Brady and Dalton, but Jermarcus and Stan are kind of, from a pay-wise standpoint, just a bit below, but still on the upper end of things. It will be a challenge to bring back all seven of our offensive linemen who dressed for games last year, I believe."

THE VALUE OF BAILEY AND WOLITARSKY

- Veteran receivers Rasheed Bailey and Drew Wolitarsky don't put up some of the big numbers of their compadres in the receiving corps, but their value as leaders and players that do some of the heavy lifting among that group has long been highlighted in Bomberland. Still, until some of the big-ticket names get sorted out...

"The recurring theme here will be the same as I've been saying - we like Drew, Rasheed for the points that you referenced; that they're leaders, they're tough, they bring a lot of the stuff behind the scenes that maybe not statistically are as flashy as Kenny and Nic and Dalton, but they're just as valuable in other ways. We'll try to figure out a way to bring them back as well, but the dominos got to start to get rolling here."

ON SERGIO AND JACKSON...

- So many key cogs still unsigned, but two that were specifically asked about on Tuesday were kicker Sergio Castillo and defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat.

Walters on Castillo:

"Sergio had a great year, and we'd love to have him back as well. He was very accurate. As I mentioned earlier, there's so many pieces that need to fall into place at the high-end price points and then everything else will sort itself out. We're in a bit of a waiting pattern at the moment, but we've got plenty of time. It is a little bit slower than normal years, but it's only Jan. 9 today and we've got plenty of time to get this sorted out over the next month. 

And on Jeffcoat:

"We'd love him back. He's a good football player. It's just there?s a lot of those high-end price guys we need to get sorted out. It's getting to the point now where is this going to get done or is it not? Because if it's not, we really need to pivot and allocate funds elsewhere. So, we'll be getting to that point in the next few weeks where if there's nothing done with the high, high-end guys you don't want to be left out in the cold, for lack of a back of a better term, of putting all your eggs in a certain basket and it doesn't come through. You'd be left at a bad spot."

THE DRU BROWN WATCH

- The Edmonton Elks signed McLeod Bethel-Thompson this week, Dane Evans recently retired from the B.C. Lions while both Trevor Harris and Bo Levi Mitchell recently had their contracts restructured to remain in Saskatchewan and Hamilton, respectively. That's significant in a nine-time league, but even with that it sounds like the Blue Bombers don't expect to have their No. 2 man behind Zach Collaros back.

"Honestly, I don't think so," Walters said. "I believe Dru and his agent want to go to an organization where it's less about who's going to pay him the most money, I think it's more about where can he go and have the best opportunity to compete with the incumbent quarterback or the other guys under contract to play. My gut tells me even if the Winnipeg football club could afford to match a contract they would think long and hard about the opportunity of where to go."

TYRELL FORD UPDATE

- The Canadian cornerback - who spent 2022 with the Blue Bombers after being drafted by the team in the second round that year - attended training camp with the Green Bay Packers last year. His name came up again on Tuesday.

"He had his workout, had his chance with the Packers and had that little taste of it down there," Walters said. "It's funny, I was just speaking with his agent. They're right in that last bit of 'Are we going to get another NFL opportunity?' He's under contract with us, and they're going to decide I guess if he wants to come back to the CFL or how long they can keep kicking the tires on the NFL."

https://www.bluebombers.com/2024/01/09/once-those-higher-ones-get-settled-whether-they-come-back-dont-come-back-lock-into-a-dollar-value-then-i-think-the-rest-should-move-along-fairly-quickly/

[Jesse]

I love when Walters does these pressers. So much information.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I love when Walters does these pressers. So much information.

Know of any live links?

[Sir Blue and Gold]

With the news of Mike Miller and Jordan Younger I wonder if the Bombers take the same approach to players too. We have some young offensive lineman ready to take a step forward. We could probably stand to get a bit younger elsewhere too. Given that the Grey Cup is in Winnipeg in 2025 you probably could come to the conclusion that the team takes this off-season to make some of those changes and fine tune from there.

[GOLDMEMBER]

I agree with most Kyle Walters is awesome with providing information and insight. Does not look good for Dru Brown.

If we lose Holm Ford would be an ideal replacement

[Sir Blue and Gold]

I don't think we'll lose Holm. Just a guess though. If we do, we have Jamal Parker who was the plan heading into last year at that half back spot anyway. If we get Ford back the obvious spot would be field corner.

[Pete]

We need to get bigger at the corners, we have the smallest secondary in the cfl. If we keep holm, then we would still likely replace rose/parker and Houston
If we lose Holm, Parker may replace him, but we'd likely need 2 corners

[Blue In BC]

I don't think we'll lose Holm. Just a guess though. If we do, we have Jamal Parker who was the plan heading into last year at that half back spot anyway. If we get Ford back the obvious spot would be field corner.

Even if we get Ford back it's debatable whether he'd be ready to be a starter. Hard to say whether Holm will be back but I'm hoping he returns as well.

I get what Walter's says about the delay surrounding Oliveria and Schoen and how it impacts other decisions. We can't wait forever but would think discussions are being held with the other potential free agents.

IMO it would be beneficial if Collaros agrees to re-negotiate his current contract.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Even if we get Ford back it's debatable whether he'd be ready to be a starter. Hard to say whether Holm will be back but I'm hoping he returns as well.

I get what Walter's says about the delay surrounding Oliveria and Schoen and how it impacts other decisions. We can't wait forever but would think discussions are being held with the other potential free agents.

IMO it would be beneficial if Collaros agrees to re-negotiate his current contract.

Don't see it, Zach didn't have a down season nor was he injured for a significant portion of the season, these are the main reasons a discount is requested.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

We need to get bigger at the corners, we have the smallest secondary in the cfl. If we keep holm, then we would still likely replace rose/parker and Houston
If we lose Holm, Parker may replace him, but we'd likely need 2 corners

Most unlikely statement, all 3 of those players can still do the job and will be better than anyone that challenges them in TC.  The Bombers have great secondary depth, not at all worried about replacing the one or two who may sign elsewhere.

[Jesse]

Know of any live links?

Haven't seen any video. Just the Tait and Wyman articles.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Brady Oliveira
4h
Hmmm so where will I end up!?
Quote
CFL
@CFL
Jan 8
MOC. Rushing King.

Free Agent!?

Sky is the limit for bradyoliveira in 2024, but where?


https://twitter.com/CFL/status/1744428835343376727

He's becoming Brady the obnoxious.

[blue_gold_84]

Obnoxious? Puh-lease.

He believes in himself and is arguably the top FA going into 2024. Nothing about obnoxious about it.