Our Free Agent's Signings Are in Limbo Until Brady & Dalton Make Their Moves

[TBURGESS]

No one's talking about that lmao

That's exactly what you're talking about. Dude wants to be paid and deserves to be paid.

[blue_or_die]

That's exactly what you're talking about. Dude wants to be paid and deserves to be paid.

Nope. Dude wants to be paid and deserves be paid and maybe expressed it publicly in a not so great way.

[GOLDMEMBER]

Nope. Dude wants to be paid and deserves be paid and maybe expressed it publicly in a not so great way.

^ this

His public moves have not need so well thought out. He could of just zipped it but nope.

[TecnoGenius]

Oliveria needs to make his money right now. This contract. He's never going to have more leverage. He'll be 27 in August. He's coming off a career year. He's a running back. He's paid his dues. Whether or not he gets paid here or not is a bigger question. But he deserves it somewhere and he's going to get it. Good for him, wherever it is.

Why don't we just pay him what we were paying AH33 in 2021?

a) That would seem fair as they are basically the same puzzle piece.
b) That would seem affordable as we afforded it then.

So then the question isn't money, it's waiting for him to have the NFL laugh him out of the USA.  When does that usually happen by?  I really don't think any CFL team will pay him more than AH33-2021 money.  Why would they?  The IMP RB teams like their IMP RBs.  Many teams don't even care about the run (BC...).  The only other team that likes to be built around a star NAT RB is CGY, and I don't really see those tightwads paying more than we can.

So let's just assume BO20 will be back in B&G if he fails in the NFL.  Slot JA27 in as #1 RB in the meantime.  Set aside AH money ($220k?) for BO when he comes back.  McCrae can be RB #2 in the meantime, and the ratio can work because with Kramdi we've been starting 8 for no reason.

Or... if BO20 doesn't even want to give us some whisper assurances, let's make a play for Antwi, as someone else said a while back.  He's FA and may be much better than he's looked if he was playing behind our OL as the #1 RB in a run-first O.  Maybe we don't even need Brady.  You snooze you lose.

[theaardvark]

Why don't we just pay him what we were paying AH33 in 2021?

a) That would seem fair as they are basically the same puzzle piece.
b) That would seem affordable as we afforded it then.

So then the question isn't money, it's waiting for him to have the NFL laugh him out of the USA.  When does that usually happen by?  I really don't think any CFL team will pay him more than AH33-2021 money.  Why would they?  The IMP RB teams like their IMP RBs.  Many teams don't even care about the run (BC...).  The only other team that likes to be built around a star NAT RB is CGY, and I don't really see those tightwads paying more than we can.

So let's just assume BO20 will be back in B&G if he fails in the NFL.  Slot JA27 in as #1 RB in the meantime.  Set aside AH money ($220k?) for BO when he comes back.  McCrae can be RB #2 in the meantime, and the ratio can work because with Kramdi we've been starting 8 for no reason.

Or... if BO20 doesn't even want to give us some whisper assurances, let's make a play for Antwi, as someone else said a while back.  He's FA and may be much better than he's looked if he was playing behind our OL as the #1 RB in a run-first O.  Maybe we don't even need Brady.  You snooze you lose.

Its not a case of what is reasonable, its a case of what is available.  Until FA, he has no idea what other GM's will pay.  Might it be more than what Harris got in 2021?  Might it be less?  Will someone make an offer that is high so that Walters will be forced to match, and not have $SMS for Shoen?

Too many variables. 

[TecnoGenius]

Its not a case of what is reasonable, its a case of what is available.  Until FA, he has no idea what other GM's will pay.  Might it be more than what Harris got in 2021?  Might it be less?  Will someone make an offer that is high so that Walters will be forced to match, and not have $SMS for Shoen?

Too many variables. 

I think it's far simpler.  KW has a number in his mind, say $220, if we think BO20 is worth what AH33 was.  Maybe, just maybe, if there's high CFL demand for BO (doubt it), he could justify bumping to $240.  BO20 would have to take a small hometown discount.  If he doesn't out of loyalty / playoff money, then bye bye.

The thing that finally did AH33 in here was he lost the respect of the The Can Mafia.  BO20 is cool here as long as he doesn't do the same.

I really think the stumbling block is (only) the NFL time-wasting... because we can't do anything until that's sorted out.  But we can't wait that long to finalize the key piece of our roster.  Kind of like when we were waiting on Henoc and Kongbo... eventually time runs out and you have to make a decision without them.

For instance, how can we make a play on Antwi if we don't know where we stand with Brady?  No one would pick Antwi over Brady... but we may reach a point where we have to.

I don't understand why Brady can't be taking offers from all CFL teams right at this moment, sort out who he'd play for if he fails in the NFL, and make a verbal agreement.  He could say to KW "if I fail in the NFL then I will sign with WPG for $220".  Then we just wait it out.  We can roll for the first 6 games with Johnny and McCrae.

[dd]

I think Walters has a number in mind for BO and will wait for the drama to play out, in the meantime, he'll sign Schoen and move to JA at runningback, who with his superior athletic ability, could have a whale of a season, and when BO is done chasing cars in the NFL, the interest and $$ or both may not be there. I don't blame him for trying, as now is the time, but really, he hasn't got a snowballs chance in hell of making it there so why rock the boat??

[TecnoGenius]

Also, our FA situation isn't as dire as this topic makes it sound... a quick glance at https://www.cfl.ca/fa24 shows that we're doing as well as any other team to date, and better than many others.

However, from memory, we aren't moving as fast as we have in prior years.  KW is usually the king of getting all his ducks in a row, pronto.  And based on experience, he tends to not hold up the whole operation for any player; at least not for too long.

Maybe putting this chatter out there is a bit of a hidden-in-plain-sight signal to Brady (and Dalton)...

P.S. As for Dalton.... Brady is the big name I'd expect to go the extra mile to retain...  Dalton is really "just another" IMP WR, and there's more where that came from.  IOW, Dalton = gravy.

[Pete]

I think Walters has a number in mind for BO and will wait for the drama to play out, in the meantime, he'll sign Schoen and move to JA at runningback, who with his superior athletic ability, could have a whale of a season, and when BO is done chasing cars in the NFL, the interest and $$ or both may not be there. I don't blame him for trying, as now is the time, but really, he hasn't got a snowballs chance in hell of making it there so why rock the boat??

the top paid rb in the league ly was stanback at 170.k 2nd was at 160 3rd was at 145k
Were likely looking at 180k for Olivera (which is a 66k increase)

[Jesse]

Also, our FA situation isn't as dire as this topic makes it sound... a quick glance at https://www.cfl.ca/fa24 shows that we're doing as well as any other team to date, and better than many others.

However, from memory, we aren't moving as fast as we have in prior years.  KW is usually the king of getting all his ducks in a row, pronto.  And based on experience, he tends to not hold up the whole operation for any player; at least not for too long.

Maybe putting this chatter out there is a bit of a hidden-in-plain-sight signal to Brady (and Dalton)...

P.S. As for Dalton.... Brady is the big name I'd expect to go the extra mile to retain...  Dalton is really "just another" IMP WR, and there's more where that came from.  IOW, Dalton = gravy.

It feels like you haven't been following along with this, Techno.

Harris made 165k(ish) when he was here. That is the highest rate for a CFL running-back. Stanback made the same this year, as Pete points out above me.

If we could sign Brady for that, we wouldn't be talking about this, Walters would be running towards him right now with a contract ready. Brady has made comments that he wants to "reset the RB market". Likely meaning that he wants a contract comparable to the new Receiver salaries that are 300k+.

As for Brady's tweet. It absolutely rubbed me the wrong way. As blue_or_die pointed out, it gives the impression that money is his only motivating factor and he's not taking anything else into consideration. He easily could have phrased his response better.

[Lincoln Locomotive]

It feels like you haven't been following along with this, Techno.

Harris made 165k(ish) when he was here. That is the highest rate for a CFL running-back. Stanback made the same this year, as Pete points out above me.

If we could sign Brady for that, we wouldn't be talking about this, Walters would be running towards him right now with a contract ready. Brady has made comments that he wants to "reset the RB market". Likely meaning that he wants a contract comparable to the new Receiver salaries that are 300k+.

As for Brady's tweet. It absolutely rubbed me the wrong way. As blue_or_die pointed out, it gives the impression that money is his only motivating factor and he's not taking anything else into consideration. He easily could have phrased his response better.

Precisely and hence my disappointment with Brady's modus operandi.....I don't see it happening.    I could see him possibly approaching the 200K mark.....but I believe 300K just isn't in the cards.    I hope Brady finds his way and I hope we can sign him for a what he'feels is fair compensation for his abilities.

[Ridermania]

I think Brady will get a new 3 year contract in the $200, $225 and $250 range.

And I believe it will be with the Bombers.

[Blue In BC]

I think Brady will get a new 3 year contract in the $200, $225 and $250 range.

And I believe it will be with the Bombers.

IMO that's too much. I'd think $180K as the top end in 2024. Even that may be more than we can afford depending on what our other players are looking for this season. What a player gets is not as simple as getting what they are worth but how the SMS is spent across the roster.

That said other teams have been known to out pay other teams to land a Canadian star player or even an import starter.

[theaardvark]

Ratio breaking RB will get more than Stanback, especially after he won MOC. 

I can't see him making $240, or even $220, RB just doesn't pay that high, too many available, and too likely to get injured, too fast a dropoff when they're done.

If he refuses $190 here, and takes $220 somewhere else, especially a non-contender, he's going to actually lose money and will not likely have anywhere near the career he'd have here, with this OC and this Oline.  But he'd have the appearance of another $30 in his pocket.

I don't know how much negotiating Walters does after his initial offer, and until the tampering week, BO20 can't field offers, so any discussion/speculation is just that.  If he wants to wait until then to make a decision, he might find his decision here made for him already, like he did to Andrew.  I'm not suggesting Augustine takes the #1 RB spot, but there's nothing stopping the WFC from going American at RB, in fact, it is probaby the cheaper and safer thing to do.  Love Brady, and want him to retire a Bomber, but we have Nat depth that allows Walters the flexibility to make that change.

If it means signing Dru or Shoen, I'm OK with business being business...

[Blue In BC]

Ratio breaking RB will get more than Stanback, especially after he won MOC. 

I can't see him making $240, or even $220, RB just doesn't pay that high, too many available, and too likely to get injured, too fast a dropoff when they're done.

If he refuses $190 here, and takes $220 somewhere else, especially a non-contender, he's going to actually lose money and will not likely have anywhere near the career he'd have here, with this OC and this Oline.  But he'd have the appearance of another $30 in his pocket.

I don't know how much negotiating Walters does after his initial offer, and until the tampering week, BO20 can't field offers, so any discussion/speculation is just that.  If he wants to wait until then to make a decision, he might find his decision here made for him already, like he did to Andrew.  I'm not suggesting Augustine takes the #1 RB spot, but there's nothing stopping the WFC from going American at RB, in fact, it is probaby the cheaper and safer thing to do.  Love Brady, and want him to retire a Bomber, but we have Nat depth that allows Walters the flexibility to make that change.

If it means signing Dru or Shoen, I'm OK with business being business...

The bigger question is how long or how seriously does Oliveria try to land an NFL offer of some sort. If he waits too long the money might need to be spent elsewhere. Walters has already mentioned the " delay " in re-signing others tied to Oliveria and Schoen.

What that timeline is, is not clear to us fans. Just a guess but by the end of next week?

The conversations the team has with the players might dictate when to move forward.

For example: If one or both players suggest they won't sign a deal in the CFL until June while exploring NFL options, then we need to move forward. Essentially the teams needs to understand their position taken.

If OTOH, they want to see what other offers are available in the open window the CBA allows other teams to make offers, that's something different.

That said, I don't think we can hold off that long and leave 25 other potential free agents hanging in the wind.