State of the roster

[Blue In BC]

Already signed with Ottawa, I believe.

I see that was commented on Good Morning Big Blue as well. Oh well.

[dd]

Why would they release a "rookie sensation" on an ELC?

Especially in SMS strapped BC. There's more to this than meets the eye, as there was no downside for them to keep a good performing player at the minimum contract

[TecnoGenius]

Receivers? - Schoenberg had one good year, then has basically either been overweight from his NFL  sojourn, and then last  years injury.  All other guys brought in are middle of the road.

Schoen had 2 great years, basically leading the league.  '24 was his only injury year.

We're betting he'll be solid for years to come, whereas Kenny is always iffy year to year.  Schoen could be the long-term franchise guy.  If he stays healthy it could be a good bet.

Kenny was often hit & miss and may be on his career downtrend.  He's missed so many games, and even when on field he hasn't been putting up big numbers (1, maybe 2, (very) good games in '24).  Didn't help us at all in the GC, and that's basically why we paid him huge $$ to return.  NAT Brissett did more than him.

Kenny will often make the circus play that makes everyone gasp and applaud, but he also whiffs on a ton, and is not terribly reliable from an availability standpoint.  His rate of mental errors is increasing, too.

I still would have signed Kenny for big $$, but it's not a sure thing anymore.  Lewis is probably a more dependable signing (sigh) on the high end.  Schoen's workhorse style could work out better for us if it was a "can only choose one" scenario.

[theaardvark]

No way! Kenny was awesome!  Hence the big contract, amd being overpaid. That was great his agent got him that contract from Edmonton. Also the contract from the bombers, and then Hamilton.

Kenny got PAID in Edm, came home to Winnipeg for considerably less saying what a mistake it was signing for just for the money, and then got PAID by Ham, saying he's going (I'm paraphrasing here) "to bring them the cup, because he can mentally make that happen".  A team that hasn't won the cup this century, has the longest drought, and missed the playoffs last year.

Yeah...

[Jesse]

Kenny got PAID in Edm, came home to Winnipeg for considerably less saying what a mistake it was signing for just for the money, and then got PAID by Ham, saying he's going (I'm paraphrasing here) "to bring them the cup, because he can mentally make that happen".  A team that hasn't won the cup this century, has the longest drought, and missed the playoffs last year.

Yeah...

What do you consider considerably less? We paid him 275. And now got paid the same by Hamilton.

[dd]

What do you consider considerably less? We paid him 275. And now got paid the same by Hamilton.

He got $285k from us last year, and signed with Hamilton for $277.2 hard money and a chance to make $303, so he has a chance to make marginally more money. That said, he ain't winning them no cup,  I doubt they make the playoffs

[Stats Junkie]

This article from Ed Tait looks like it belongs in this thread.

1st & 10: Who's in/who's out and what it all means

https://www.bluebombers.com/2025/03/07/1st-10-whos-in-whos-out-and-what-it-all-means/

[TecnoGenius]

Why do you guys feel we over paid him? He broke his arm trying to gain extra yards.  I thought our players all played to the best of their abilities.

Kenny is a slight guy.  Like Nick Moore.  And Nick was hurt all the time later in his career.

Kenny should be taking a page out of Willie's book: avoid the obvious risky things.  Play to be available.

Kenny said in an interview he'd do the exact same thing again (bull into a DB and break his arm for 2 more yards).  To me that's not the mindset you want your highest-paid REC to exhibit.  Ya, we want them to play tough, but then the team is screwed and the W column suffers when they are out.

Our record wasn't great when Kenny was out, and even the W's were won with substandard O performance.

Kenny was overpaid based on what he gave us in '24 (maybe 2 great games).  A better GC performance would have helped, but it was not to be.  However, I would have kept him on as he's a fan fave and still draws the most D attention.  I wouldn't have paid him what he got, but I would have come close enough to have him stay (with the "hometown" discount).

[theaardvark]

I bet the new GM guaranteed him his. Hamilton fee.  Winnipeg probably worded it with a "games played" stipulation.

I literally have no idea what this post means.  I assume it has to do with Lawler.  Are you saying he chose Hamilton because they guaranteed his contract, but Winnipeg included a "games played" clause?  Becasue that makes no sense, as any significant games lost would be recouped from $SMS.

Not sure why I try to decipher DM83 posts, makes me go through Aspirin faster...

[theaardvark]

Sorry Ards, I'll go back into my room. It just meant because he and Woli know each other, Woli was given a nice player friendly contract.

Goviea and Woli know each other?  Sure. Goveia knows what Woli is worth to him as a solid Nat rec.

But I'm confused about "Winnipeg probably worded it with a "games played" stipulation.". 

Are you saying the contract in Winnipeg had performance bonuses in it?  You know that he was under contract for 2025 with Winnipeg, for $112k for the year, with a pending $10k roster bonus due shortly after he was cut, right?  His Winnipeg deal was set, and WFC cancelled it, making him a FA ahead of the start of the FA season.

[J5V]

What I'd really like to see this year is a dynamic replacement for Janarion Grant.

[dd]

What I'd really like to see this year is a dynamic replacement for Janarion Grant.

Peyton Logan's a decent returner, he s no JG, but decent.

[TecnoGenius]

What I'd really like to see this year is a dynamic replacement for Janarion Grant.

Doesn't exist unless you get the magic horseshoe scouting find, like we did in '19.

Letting Grant walk may have been the biggest blunder of Mafia's tenure.  I know no one likes it, but when you get a flakeball player like this assign them a nanny to chase them down and get their name on ink.  Pinball did, and he now has cups galore.

[blue_gold_84]

Letting Grant walk may have been the biggest blunder of Mafia's tenure.

Agreed. I can't think of a worse decision.

[blue_or_die]

Yeah, I don't think anyone understands the Grant situation still to this day.

It wasn't like a Lawler situation of needing to pay him a quarter of the cap to stay. But I digress..