Blue Bombers add to roster - February 2, 2024

[ModAdmin]

Blue Bombers add to roster - February 2, 2024

WINNIPEG, MB., February 2, 2024 - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers today announce the club has signed five American players – defensive backs Marquise Bridges and Travon Fuller, linebacker Michael Ayers, receiver Keytaon Thompson and offensive lineman Micah Vanterpool.

Bridges (5-11, 190; North Dakota State; born: January 1, 1997, in Minneapolis, MN) joins the Blue Bombers after spending the last two seasons in the Indoor Football League, winning championships with the Bay Area Panthers (2023) and Northern Arizona Wranglers (2022). He also won four national championships during his college days with FCS powerhouse NDSU. A two-time MVFC all-star at NDSU, Bridges was part of Bison teams that went 70-5 during his collegiate career. He had NFL looks from the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers before turning to the IFL.

Fuller (6-1, 180; Tulsa; born: June 16, 1998, in Athens, TX) comes to Winnipeg after playing in five games last year with the D.C. Defenders of the XFL, where he registered seven tackles. Fuller began his college days at Texas A&M before spending the 2021 season at Tulsa as a graduate transfer. In his final college season, he finished with 42 tackles, three interceptions and nine pass breakups for the Golden Hurricane and then signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2022.

Ayers (6-2, 220: Ashland University; born: December 31, 1998, in Columbus, OH) signed last spring with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. A star at Division II Ashland, he was the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and was named to the AFCA All-America first team after finishing the season with 48 solo tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception, eight pass breakups, 11 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

Thompson (6-4, 217; Virginia/Mississippi State; born: October 23, 1998, in New Orleans, LA) first turned pro as an undrafted signing of the Detroit Lions in May of last year and then signed with the Orlando Guardians of the XFL on October 30th. The Guardians folded when the XFL and USFL merged to create the UFL. In Thompson's last year collegiately with the Cavaliers he started 10 games and led the team with 78 receptions for 990 yards and two touchdowns. Named the top high school player in Louisiana in 2016, he played quarterback at Mississippi State from 2017-19 before transferring to Virginia.

Vanterpool (6-6, 315; Hawaii; born: January 19, 1999, in Phoenix, AZ) was signed last August by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent and then released before the season. He first turned pro as a member of the New Jersey Generals of the USFL in 2023. Vanterpool played five years at Hawaii, taking snaps at both tackle and guard spots. In his fifth season, he started 13 games at right guard and was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team after not allowing a sack or registering a penalty.

[Lincoln Locomotive]

Good to see some size amongst these hopefuls....we typically have had a lot of DBs that were under 6 feet.

[Pete]

Thompson looks very intriguing, if we don't sign Bailey he could be a good replacement, decent speed 4.66 forty, size and athleticism.

[Blueforlife]

As per usual the petegree is strong on paper.  Looks like a good group.

[TecnoGenius]

So is Holm gone to the NFL or what?

I think we really need to focus on DBs this TC.  We need to find the next Holm / Alford.

We need 3 or so superstar ones on tap, 1 good one, plus a very capable PR backup (ignoring FS).  The 2021 GC lineup is peak DB corps for us in recent years.  It would be nice to get back to that.  MTL seriously out-DBed us in the GC.

[Jesse]

So is Holm gone to the NFL or what?

I think we really need to focus on DBs this TC.  We need to find the next Holm / Alford.

We need 3 or so superstar ones on tap, 1 good one, plus a very capable PR backup (ignoring FS).  The 2021 GC lineup is peak DB corps for us in recent years.  It would be nice to get back to that.  MTL seriously out-DBed us in the GC.

Looks like we only have Nichols and Parker signed from last year (from the group of starters). Younger is going to have his work cut out for him this year.

[Pete]

Haven't heard anything about Holm
,has there been anything to suggest hes even close to being added to nfl roster?

[TecnoGenius]

Wouldn't this be Holm's 3rd season, and thus require a big $$ bump off the ELC?  How come he's not on the FA list?

I think we also re-sign Houston.  He and Nichols are now the vet core of the corps.  We dev'd him from a can't-tackle nobody into an INT machine.

DBs are so cheap (relatively) that the FA movement is not high: a tiny bump is all you need to match other team offers.  I really don't want to start week 1 with more than 1 rookie DB.  Parker is good enough, Nichols is locked in, BA who knows but FS is less important.  Rose we'll probably let walk unless we lose both Holm and Houston.  Rose is the new Randle (at the end).  I don't know why DBs are so great and then fall off a cliff so young.  It's sad.

[Jesse]

Wouldn't this be Holm's 3rd season, and thus require a big $$ bump off the ELC?  How come he's not on the FA list?

I think we also re-sign Houston.  He and Nichols are now the vet core of the corps.  We dev'd him from a can't-tackle nobody into an INT machine.

DBs are so cheap (relatively) that the FA movement is not high: a tiny bump is all you need to match other team offers.  I really don't want to start week 1 with more than 1 rookie DB.  Parker is good enough, Nichols is locked in, BA who knows but FS is less important.  Rose we'll probably let walk unless we lose both Holm and Houston.  Rose is the new Randle (at the end).  I don't know why DBs are so great and then fall off a cliff so young.  It's sad.

I can't explain this. Every source says he's under contract.

Unless he ended his first season on the PR and then signed a 2-year deal.

[theaardvark]

Or, he might have signed a 3 year deals to start...

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Or, he might have signed a 3 year deals to start...

That would be great, convinced we'll see him back before too long.