Bomber Free Agents

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Free agency is rapidly approaching. Only a few might test free agency. Others are just coming off of ELC's so what is the delay in re-signing Fox, Haba and Garbutt for example? Are one or more of that group not part of the plans in 2025?

I was expecting at least a couple more of our potential free agents to be re-signed this week. All I hear is crickets!!!

Walters may be trying to hold the line on offering large salary bumps to some of these 3rd year players, pushing them to test FA to see if they can get offers more to their liking.  Bit of a risky strategy for Bombers as they could lose a few players they've invested a lot of time in to offers of marginal difference. When a player goes elsewhere a full explanation of their reasoning is never provided, they're just gone.

[Blue In BC]

Walters may be trying to hold the line on offering large salary bumps to some of these 3rd year players, pushing them to test FA to see if they can get offers more to their liking.  Bit of a risky strategy for Bombers as they could lose a few players they've invested a lot of time in to offers of marginal difference. When a player goes elsewhere a full explanation of their reasoning is never provided, they're just gone.

Could be. Even 3rd year players may have exaggerated views of their value. OTOH, Dobson, Lawler, Schoen, Fox, Garbutt, Haba and a couple of others important pieces of the team. We've already lost O. Wilson and we don't want to lose a large number of players at one time.

That said we've remained somewhat status quo bringing back K. WIlson, Gauthier, Parker and Thomas. That may not have been a bad thing but there are players in the succession plan for some older vets.

A few others like Augustine, Cole, Feltmate, Lofton and Alexander can play a role but are in TBD territory.

Those I don't expect back: Streveler, Benson, Whitehead, Bighill, Taylor and Noah Hallett

[theaardvark]

Any player we lose to another team means a player they had becomes available... so, sure, letting them hit FA is a risk, and I am sure in the tampering period we will lose some, but I will not be surprised if we get some back there.

Last year, we lost Hardrick, which gave us Lofton.  Change happens

[dd]

MOS seems like a guy who does not like to backtrack once he's given a player a commitment, he usually moves forward with Plan B. I think Pokey, Ayers and Ford have to be careful coming back from the NFL too late, O'Shea may give their jobs away to other players and they might have a hard time getting them back.

I think you're right on this. MOS is loyal to a fault with his players, and he will be reluctant to pull a player off the field once he's played 10 or so games and is committed to the BB in favour of someone coming back from a failed NFL attempt. As good as Ford is, if we have a DB doing a decent job at his spot, I'll be surprised if MOS even cares if Ford comes back.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Ahhh, I thought Michael Ayers signed with an NFL team before Christmas, but it looks like he only received a workout offer. So likely he'll be back on time for TC.

[Pigskin]

Not much happening in Bomber land lately. Need a signing. Lawler, Schoen, Dobson .....

[Blue In BC]

Not much happening in Bomber land lately. Need a signing. Lawler, Schoen, Dobson .....

What was Schoen's injury and will he even be ready for TC? If that part of the holdup?  I see several teams have been locking up their top and expensive potential free agent receivers. Elks and Lions still haven't re-signed their receivers.

Free agency tampering might re-set perceived values for a bunch of these players. Downward IMO.

[Pigskin]

What was Schoen's injury and will he even be ready for TC? If that part of the holdup?  I see several teams have been locking up their top and expensive potential free agent receivers. Elks and Lions still haven't re-signed their receivers.

Free agency tampering might re-set perceived values for a bunch of these players. Downward IMO.

I am sure Buck would like either Schoen or Lawler.

[theaardvark]

I am sure Buck would like either Schoen or Lawler.

Buck inherited a plethora of Rec depth, with much $SMS committed.  I can't see them adding a Rec without cutting a few loose...

[blue_gold_84]

I am sure Buck would like either Schoen or Lawler.

But at what cost?

[Blue In BC]

But at what cost?

Lions have good receivers if they can re-sign them. I don't see them in the market of needing to look elsewhere to pay significant money to a receiver other then their own.

[blue_gold_84]

Lions have good receivers if they can re-sign them. I don't see them in the market of needing to look elsewhere to pay significant money to a receiver other then their own.

My thoughts exactly. They have a very good receiving corps as is. Targeting Schoen or Lawler doesn't make sense, IMO.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Lions have good receivers if they can re-sign them. I don't see them in the market of needing to look elsewhere to pay significant money to a receiver other then their own.

Rigmaiden said in a recent interview they are looking to cut their receiver budget and would even be interested in trading away a few high salaries.  Their upper mark was around $225k, common sense eventually drags receivers back down below $200k again.  Nobody paying Gino Lewis $300k.

[theaardvark]

Only McInnis (their best WR) is a potential free agent, the rest are on the books, with roster bonuses coming.  When they get released, the market for Lawler and Schoen may wobble.  Might be in their best interest to get signed now..

BC has a lot of FA's, 8 DL's, they've extended 3...

McMaster    

BC LIONS
PLAYER    A/N/G    POS    COLLEGE    STATUS
ANTWI Jeshrun    N    RB    Calgary    
ARCHIBALD Joshua    N    DL    McGill    
BANKS Joshua    A    DL    Wake Forest    
CHERRY Nathan    N    DL    Saskatchewan    
CHUNGH Sukh    N    OL    Calgary    
COUTURE Michael    N    OL    Simon Fraser    
EDWARDS-COOPER Jalon    A    DB    Texas A&M Commerce    
EVANS Ciante    A    DB    Nebraska    
FLINTOFT Stefan    A    P    UCLA    
GREENE Adrian    N    DB    Saint Mary's    
KNEVEL David    N    OL    Nebraska    
LEE T.J.    A    DB    Eastern Washington    
MACKIE David    N    RB    Western University    
MCINNIS Justin    N    WR    Arkansas State    
MOORE Marcus    A    DL    Utah State    
PEIRSON Andrew    N    OL    Gannon    
PERKINS Kent    A    OL    Texas    
ROBERTSON Pete    A    DL    Texas Tech    
RUGAMBA Emmanuel    A    LB    Miami of Ohio    
SCHLEUGER Chris    A    OL    Alabama Birmingham    

[Blue In BC]

Only McInnis (their best WR) is a potential free agent, the rest are on the books, with roster bonuses coming.  When they get released, the market for Lawler and Schoen may wobble.  Might be in their best interest to get signed now..

BC has a lot of FA's, 8 DL's, they've extended 3...

McMaster    

BC LIONS
PLAYER    A/N/G    POS    COLLEGE    STATUS
ANTWI Jeshrun    N    RB    Calgary    
ARCHIBALD Joshua    N    DL    McGill    
BANKS Joshua    A    DL    Wake Forest    
CHERRY Nathan    N    DL    Saskatchewan    
CHUNGH Sukh    N    OL    Calgary    
COUTURE Michael    N    OL    Simon Fraser    
EDWARDS-COOPER Jalon    A    DB    Texas A&M Commerce    
EVANS Ciante    A    DB    Nebraska    
FLINTOFT Stefan    A    P    UCLA    
GREENE Adrian    N    DB    Saint Mary's    
KNEVEL David    N    OL    Nebraska    
LEE T.J.    A    DB    Eastern Washington    
MACKIE David    N    RB    Western University    
MCINNIS Justin    N    WR    Arkansas State    
MOORE Marcus    A    DL    Utah State    
PEIRSON Andrew    N    OL    Gannon    
PERKINS Kent    A    OL    Texas    
ROBERTSON Pete    A    DL    Texas Tech    
RUGAMBA Emmanuel    A    LB    Miami of Ohio    
SCHLEUGER Chris    A    OL    Alabama Birmingham    

Getting McInnis a new deal is going to require the other receivers to re-negotiate if they want to stay in Vancouver.

Lions also added an expensive OL acquired in trade. General belief they had to trim their SMS before all of this coming out of 2024.

Then there is their actual list of potential free agents.

It's possible that Lawler and / or Schoen move to another team but Vancouver wouldn't appear to be position to make that happen at the moment.