2025 Free Agency (Blue Bomber Signings/News)

[Waffler]

I am agreeing with Bob Irving.

https://x.com/BobIrvingCJOB/status/1889507826608812516

Ford, 300. Lawler, 280ish. Dobson, 200+

Just not sustainable. Let the other teams over pay.

[Pete]

Upgrade at returner

Upgrade at DE

Free Safety, we have a lot of options, I am confident one will be an upgrade.

OLine - Wallace will be a massive addition, and there will be competition, and Eli is a great 6th man / competition for C.

Walters kept our vital parts, and filled holes well.  Losses were replaced.

as i said Logan and Vaughters were the exception, the rest are filling in holes rather than upgrades. Can you realistically say that having one less olineman let alone a starting one is not detrimental?  Did we look at upgrading the center position as this year there were 3 top ones available (Mcewan, Couture and Beard)

For Alexander hopefully we can bring in a rookie db to help and be an upgrade.
 Were hoping that parker will return to form after a year away, if not that makes the task more diffcult.

[Jesse]

lol! Nope those guys are super.  Evidently the Bombers did not think so.
Dime a dozen, I have said.  Evidently it's a rule not to re-sign top DBs.
Arguably, the. DBs we  don't re-sign don't. Do as good elsewhere.
Same as LBs. All those crazy guys who fly around, and can shut down any offense are amazing to watch.

Bombers are OK......just need a coordinator who wants to play aggressively, not giving a nervous guy like Arbuckle time to throw. ......bringing up bad memories.

I don't see the Bombers competing defensively.  And then with an unproven O line at left guard, and a never were players at receiver, could be a good time for Zac to retire.  Anybody think we make the grey cup?

What makes you think we can't compete defensively? That's our strength.

I'm worried about Zach getting his mojo back.

[theaardvark]

We need quality beef, not just bulk. Eli saw the field last season during injuries, don't recall Wallace other than as #6 OL in our heavy package.....So we lost Dobson to FA, and Big Stan is another year older, as is Neufeld, both had injuries last year, as did KO, and likely will again this year. Zack was under pressure all season and never looked comfortable back there, we need to address that. I'd like to see us sign 1 proven vet OL, call him Suk Chungh, and replace what we lost in Dobson and then some.

You know that BC has decided Chungh is not worth signing, right?  With the highest paid QB in the league to protect.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

You know that BC has decided Chungh is not worth signing, right?  With the highest paid QB in the league to protect.

Doesn't mean he's no longer good, could be they went with a younger and cheaper option, IDK.

[dd]

You know that BC has decided Chungh is not worth signing, right?  With the highest paid QB in the league to protect.

I don't think he s not worth signing I don't think they can afford to sign him with the big name commitments they made in Rourke and betts come to mind. Ya he's older but would you kick Stanley Bryant to the curb because of his birth certificate?? Don't think so. Of the 5 O linemen, you need 3 to anchor it the others can be rookies or average. Right now we have 2 proven vets and the rest young or below average talent.that ain't gonna cut it

[DM83]

This bugs me, and obviously, others.  No left guard. "Promote from within" sure if they have guys who have earned it.

Or they go American. Possibly a Canadian at safety, to make the import ratio?  But they need to replace a Canadian where Ford played, a traditionally Import at corner. So how does that affect the ratio?

One post earlier said. The strength of the Bombers is their defense. A cliche also said, to be good you need strength up the middle.  Hmmmm, Lb candidates the Jones boys played OK, safety? no one we know of at safety.  At nose guard, Fatboi?.  I don't think that is strength up the middle.

Why did Claybrooks,or I mean... Younger (those of the-crooked head variety, or it hat Jethro  Bodine look, not bring a linebacker or two, and pressure the formerly skittish Arbuckle?

Man, if that is our defence, we are going to get smoked.

[ModAdmin]

This bugs me, and obviously, others.  No left guard. "Promote from within" sure if they have guys who have earned it.

Or they go American. Possibly a Canadian at safety, to make the import ratio?  But they need to replace a Canadian where Ford played, a traditionally Import at corner. So how does that affect the ratio?

One post earlier said. The strength of the Bombers is their defense. A cliche also said, to be good you need strength up the middle.  Hmmmm, Lb candidates the Jones boys played OK, safety? no one we know of at safety.  At nose guard, Fatboi?.  I don't think that is strength up the middle.

Why did Claybrooks,or I mean... Younger (those of the-crooked head variety, or it hat Jethro  Bodine look, not bring a linebacker or two, and pressure the formerly skittish Arbuckle?

Man, if that is our defence, we are going to get smoked.

You're way too early with this post.  We will still be signing players - off season signings, mini camps, draft, for example.  Wait for training camp and pre-season before the major downer syndrome.  Lots to do yet.

[TecnoGenius]

Ford, 300. Lawler, 280ish. Dobson, 200+

Just not sustainable. Let the other teams over pay.

Ford 300 is completely insane.  That's making more than some 1b QBs.  DB is like the cheapest position in the CFL, with copious players arriving from the south every season.  Let EDM lose with both Fords there.

Dobson 200 is normal $ for what's perceived as a top NAT OG.  I would argue since Desjar walked for 225, it's a little high (Dobson is no Desjar), but it has CFL precedence.

Aggressive how? Who would you have liked to see targeted yesterday?

Kenny at 280: I would have matched that with the bonus $400k kitty.  We could have easily offered Kenny 250-260 and he would have stayed for that.  Maybe the parties felt the bridge was burnt... or maybe the milk was soured and there was a "face" issue.  Meh, I would have sucked it up an begged him to come back for $255.

At least Kenny went to HAM where he won't give us any grief.  No way HAM beats out both MTL and TOR to win the E.  I bet HAM stays in the basement.  Kenny comes back in 2 years with tailed tucked (again)?

[TecnoGenius]

Anybody think we make the grey cup?

I do!  And I'll put money on it, too.

[TecnoGenius]

A guy like Landon Rice, (37) at the right $$ might be a nice insurance policy us.

I have the inside scoop Rice still wants to play.

And he's the new "GC Luck Charm"... he won the cup 2 years ago with MTL then last year with TOR.  If you're superstitious, you sign Rice so we win this year!

Rice can play, and be pretty good, at OG and OT.  Very handy in a backup.  He's also experienced as the 6th/jumbo.

However, I wouldn't start him at LG right off the bat, and that's what we most need right now.  And our existing 6th/jumbos are pretty good.  So if we need a flexible backup, Rice is good (he's basically Neufeld Lite).  But we still should make a splash FA for a top OG, or just dress an IMP.

[TecnoGenius]

With an expiring QB and no obvious replacement in sight, it might appear to those "losers" that the Bombers are approaching the end of their reign and are a vulnerable team clinging to the coattails of past magic.  It's difficult to get to the top of the mountain, but it's more difficult to remain there.

Funny you should say that.  I was just watching the "TSN 2023 Season Preview" on the PVR (trying to clear out old, unneeded shows), and they were wondering the exact same thing (a whole segment devoted to it)!  In May 2023.  Since that show we've made 2 more GCs.

Ya, so I'm no longer worried about the being the "aged out" "vulnerable" team.  They've cried wolf for so many years, I no longer listen.

[blue_gold_84]

Kenny comes back in 2 years with tailed tucked (again)?

I hope not. He chose to burn that bridge twice now. Not FIFO material.

[Jesse]

Walters is supposed to do a press conference today. Intrigued to hear his take on things

[theaardvark]

Ford 300 is completely insane.  That's making more than some 1b QBs.  DB is like the cheapest position in the CFL, with copious players arriving from the south every season.  Let EDM lose with both Fords there.

Dobson 200 is normal $ for what's perceived as a top NAT OG.  I would argue since Desjar walked for 225, it's a little high (Dobson is no Desjar), but it has CFL precedence.

Kenny at 280: I would have matched that with the bonus $400k kitty.  We could have easily offered Kenny 250-260 and he would have stayed for that.  Maybe the parties felt the bridge was burnt... or maybe the milk was soured and there was a "face" issue.  Meh, I would have sucked it up an begged him to come back for $255.

At least Kenny went to HAM where he won't give us any grief.  No way HAM beats out both MTL and TOR to win the E.  I bet HAM stays in the basement.  Kenny comes back in 2 years with tailed tucked (again)?

Sounds like he thinks that he was the reason WFC won in 2019, and he thinks he's the savior that is going to break Hamilton's 25 year drought.  Can't dispute, he has an ego...  he gets to go play with "walking HOF" Bo Levi... but yeah, its not about the money.