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

[Pigskin]

Gray has filled in for Bryant multiple games and never given up a sack in those games. It's an option they could consider.

Didn't Gray play OT for the Bison's.

[dd]

Didn't Gray play OT for the Bison's.

I think so. And Gray is a big dude, so for CIS standards, he'd dominate, same can be said for Landon Rice, another U of M O lineman, both were tackles for the Bison. But in the CFL, not a chance either dominates, but both are doing decent at tackle, not outstanding, but decent. Not a chance they move Gray to OT over Hardrick or Bryant, he'd get eaten alive

[TecnoGenius]

Gray has filled in for Bryant multiple games and never given up a sack in those games. It's an option they could consider.

In 2023 I think the only OT moves were Neufeld filling in for Yoshi when injured?  Going from memory.  I don't recall Gray doing any left OT... though there could have been a couple of snaps here and there.  I don't he ever started at LT.

Neufeld actually did a pretty good job, and I remember being surprised we put him at OT instead of Gray.  No one has ever really pegged Neufeld for a OT.  But I think we were all relieve when Yoshi came back.

[TecnoGenius]

I think so. And Gray is a big dude, so for CIS standards, he'd dominate, same can be said for Landon Rice, another U of M O lineman, both were tackles for the Bison. But in the CFL, not a chance either dominates, but both are doing decent at tackle, not outstanding, but decent. Not a chance they move Gray to OT over Hardrick or Bryant, he'd get eaten alive

MTL was starting 4 NAT OL for most of the season (and last?)... Rice as the 4th at RT.  I noted it at the time, especially since I'm a friend of a friend of (MB boy) Rice.  But if you look at when MTL went 3 NAT OL around 2/3rds through the season, putting our ex-Bomber McGloster at RT and benching Rice, that's precisely when MTL went from .500 to their 8 game win streak... Coincidence?

4 NAT OL is a very, very hard thing to pull off in the CFL whilst being a top team.  How many great teams can you think of that won it all with 4?  The last time WPG did it was when Walby was around.

As for Rice, I think the experiment of him at OT is done.  He'll be a backup to OT, maybe play some OG, and otherwise be a 6th OL like Dobson/Eli.  He may be close to hanging up the cleats (inside info here).  He's had a very good run for a MB boy and now has his name on the cup forever.  (Though he did blow the 2nd shot at the TD in our GC goal line stand.)

[ModAdmin]

Milt Stegall
@MiltStegallTSN
Is @dschoen5 #DaltonSchoen on his way to the @REDBLACKS?? @CFLonTSN @cfl
#PaperPlates

[TecnoGenius]

Milt Stegall
@MiltStegallTSN
Is @dschoen5 #DaltonSchoen on his way to the @REDBLACKS?? @CFLonTSN @cfl
#PaperPlates

That would mean OTT is opening up the Coffers.  $230?  Surely they can't go higher.  Then again, they have like no high-paid players, so maybe they can pull a C.Jones and overpay for a WR.  I think this would be a very smart move by OTT.

If Schoen does have to go somewhere else, I'd be happy it's OTT, as there he can't do any damage to us.  They'll still be an iffy team, even with Dru.  We'll only face them twice: both in the first few weeks when OTT will be all discombobulated with massive player turnover and zero continuity.  The chance of us facing them in the GC will basically be zero.  After losing it up in OTT for 1-2 seasons, we can pull a Kenny and woo him back   

[GOLDMEMBER]

Losing Schoen after discovering him and giving him a crack would be a massive disappointment to me. This would a rather large loss.
A real bummer if he leaves.

[Jesse]

Losing Schoen after discovering him and giving him a crack would be a massive disappointment to me. This would a rather large loss.
A real bummer if he leaves.

Super bummer.

[Pete]

That would mean OTT is opening up the Coffers.  $230?  Surely they can't go higher.  Then again, they have like no high-paid players, so maybe they can pull a C.Jones and overpay for a WR.  I think this would be a very smart move by OTT.

If Schoen does have to go somewhere else, I'd be happy it's OTT, as there he can't do any damage to us.  They'll still be an iffy team, even with Dru.  We'll only face them twice: both in the first few weeks when OTT will be all discombobulated with massive player turnover and zero continuity.  The chance of us facing them in the GC will basically be zero.  After losing it up in OTT for 1-2 seasons, we can pull a Kenny and woo him back   

Cant see this with them signing Rhymes and ackie, unless they release Desjarlais and his 250k salary

[Blue In BC]

I had mentioned previously that today would be somewhat of a tipping point in beginning of re-signing our free agents. Obviously just an opinion on my part as time to move forward.

The team must have some perception of whether we have any chance of signing Oliveria or Schoen. Neither seem to be getting any NFL looks but both might want to test free agency. Regardless, the Bombers have probably made offers to both and now it's in their hands.

[theaardvark]

Losing Schoen after discovering him and giving him a crack would be a massive disappointment to me. This would a rather large loss.
A real bummer if he leaves.

Bummer today?  Yes.

We've had 2 exceptional years of his play for peanuts.  We've been able to afford to sign guys like Lawler because Schoen was on an ELC.  And were we not is such a place where we already have so many players that we developed and have to pay market price for now, we wouldn't have choices to make like this.

I'd love for Schoen to be a bomber for life.  He's that kind of player.  And he makes other players better around him, including Collaros.  His scramble rules routes are second to none, which we really need for Zach to be effective. 

We lose FA's every year, to other teams who overpay them, or even to the NFL.  And we replace them almost all the time with guys almost as good for a fraction the cost. 

Chungh, Couture, Lucky, Sayles, Stove to BC alone... all guys we drafted/developed and lost to a higher bidder.  And replaced them.

I have faith in our scouts.  We don't know if the next Dru Brown or Dalton Schoen is already on our roster, but we will find out soon enough.  Its a business, and you are going to lose FA's when you are one of the top teams in the league. 

That's how you become a top team in the league, with success out of your draft picks and recruits while you have them on ELC's.  If every player on your roster was paid market price, you'd have a mediocre team.  An "average" team.  Its when your team outplays your payroll that you have an advantage.

[TecnoGenius]

That's how you become a top team in the league, with success out of your draft picks and recruits while you have them on ELC's.  If every player on your roster was paid market price, you'd have a mediocre team.  An "average" team.  Its when your team outplays your payroll that you have an advantage.

See Mack/Snead/Speiker/Ento/Dubois/Stubblefield/Philpot for proof of that.  Pretty sure they were all on ELC / 1st-2-years contract in 2023.  No wonder MTL could afford Sankey / Lemon.

Either MTL scouts are the best in the CFL by a country mile, or they hit the luck jackpot of the century with that squad.  Our scouts need to pick up the pace.

I won't deny it, I'm happy to see Mack leave south so we don't have to face him in any other GCs.  The NFL sure botched things when they let him get away.

[ModAdmin]

Might Ricky Walker be one of the next to re-sign with the Bombers?

[TecnoGenius]

Might Ricky Walker be one of the next to re-sign with the Bombers?

I'd call him a key piece, at a position we've often had trouble with retention.  Seems to fit in really well, has a great attitude, is improving all the time, and has a nice sack celebration.  No one is in the hopper, and some other FA will probably cost more.  Get 'er done!

[Jesse]

Might Ricky Walker be one of the next to re-sign with the Bombers?

We don't usually re-sign our DTs. It's usually been a position we replace on the cheap.