2025 Free Agency (Blue Bomber Signings/News)

[Horseman]

So, there has been no further additions of players, does this mean we are done with any of the remaining FA?

[Blue In BC]

Your missing a few.  Cobb, Stern, Logan, Gowanlock, Jones #2, Patterson.   

Not all of them will make the AR ( Patterson, Dolegala and Streveler ). Jones # 2 and Gowanlock might be the same cost as Cole and Feltmate?

Lawler, Woli and Whitehead gone. Schoen took a cut. I can't see that Mitchell, Stern, Cobb, Stern and Logan added up to that same total.

[Blue In BC]

So, there has been no further additions of players, does this mean we are done with any of the remaining FA?

We just signed Makonzo. He has some upside if he's fully recovered.  I think he played some at SAM and some at safety didn't he? Either way, decent depth at worst.

It doesn't look like he played in 2024 and I think his 2023 injury was an achilles?

[Blue In BC]

Walters confirms he's spending to the original cap of $5.6 million and is operating as normally planned, he has not touched the extra $400k.

That's what I said. What combination of additions add up to the losses on the roster?

[dd]

From my simple perspective, we lost Lawler and replaced him with Mitchell and Stern, we lost Dobson and replaced him with nobody, we lost Ford and replaced him with nobody, so we lost 3 Allstars, and replaced them with 1 ok receiver, 1 5th or 6th read reciever, and nobody for our OL and nobody at corner...we're in the red on this one. We need a proven Cdn OL to replace Dobson, call him Chungh, and somebody to replace Ford at corner, call him Roberson, then I would feel better where we're at in terms of roster changes. We don't need just replacements, we need guys who can dominate like the guys who left.

I don't see why we aren't spending some of the $400k in extra SMS to get some allstars back to replace the allstars we lost. Staying the course and hoping the 'next man up' can perform at an Allstar level isn't very realistic or smart.

[Blueforlife]

Patience we ain't done yet.  Deep breath, everything will be ok.

[Pete]

From my simple perspective, we lost Lawler and replaced him with Mitchell and Stern, we lost Dobson and replaced him with nobody, we lost Ford and replaced him with nobody, so we lost 3 Allstars, and replaced them with 1 ok receiver, 1 5th or 6th read reciever, and nobody for our OL and nobody at corner...we're in the red on this one. We need a proven Cdn OL to replace Dobson, call him Chungh, and somebody to replace Ford at corner, call him Roberson, then I would feel better where we're at in terms of roster changes. We don't need just replacements, we need guys who can dominate like the guys who left.

I don't see why we aren't spending some of the $400k in extra SMS to get some allstars back to replace the allstars we lost. Staying the course and hoping the 'next man up' can perform at an Allstar level isn't very realistic or smart.

to be fair Lawler is being replaced by Schoen Walters said as much
Vanderpool is at least as good as Dobson
I agree we haven't replaced ford
We took a big hit on canadian talent. I agree that Walters should spend at least half of the 400k, even if it doesn't come to fruition as part of salary cap this is a year we could go over and fans would be happy with it.

[Blue In BC]

to be fair Lawler is being replaced by Schoen Walters said as much
Vanderpool is at least as good as Dobson
I agree we haven't replaced ford
We took a big hit on canadian talent. I agree that Walters should spend at least half of the 400k, even if it doesn't come to fruition as part of salary cap this is a year we could go over and fans would be happy with it.

The choices and where to spend it happened during the tampering period for the most part. Slimmer pickings now.

I don't think the fans would be happy to go over the cap by several hundred thousand just because the Grey Cup is in Winnipeg.

IMO it's an unwise and unfounded argument. Every team is trying to get to and win the Grey Cup. Winning at home is a possible bonus but in the grand scheme of things not any sort of focus.

[Jesse]

I think for the most part, we've replaced high end talent with more depth.

Dobson and Ford weren't making big money for us, so not replacing with high end FAs doesn't save us money.

Lawler saves us a chunk, but we brought in several CFL vets that will be coming in making more than the minimum.

As to the $400k. We haven't heard of any previously agreed to deals falling apart, so it seems like all the other GMs are doing the same thing Walters is: seeing if it's going to be distributed among all players or added to TC payments, etc.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I think for the most part, we've replaced high end talent with more depth.

Dobson and Ford weren't making big money for us, so not replacing with high end FAs doesn't save us money.

Lawler saves us a chunk, but we brought in several CFL vets that will be coming in making more than the minimum.

As to the $400k. We haven't heard of any previously agreed to deals falling apart, so it seems like all the other GMs are doing the same thing Walters is: seeing if it's going to be distributed among all players or added to TC payments, etc.

One of the reasons Walters can't pay Dobson $200k is that's more than Stanley makes and way more than Neufeld has ever been paid.  Is Dobson a better OG than Neufeld, I think not, Neufeld sometimes struggles with injury but when healthy he does his job very well.

[Horseman]

Our replacement for Dobson is already on our team...Gabe Wallace, the guy is a beast, he made some impressive blocks last year from what I recall, pancaked and bulldozed some opponents. Not worried about losing Dobson.

[Pigskin]

to be fair Lawler is being replaced by Schoen Walters said as much
Vanderpool is at least as good as Dobson
I agree we haven't replaced ford
We took a big hit on canadian talent. I agree that Walters should spend at least half of the 400k, even if it doesn't come to fruition as part of salary cap this is a year we could go over and fans would be happy with it.

I think Randolph would step into a starting role before Vanterpool.

[TecnoGenius]

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.

And his heel in '24 GC is part of the reason we lost.  What did he do in that game again??

Lawler's clearly lost his mind. Good riddance.

Meh.  He's talking up his game and his new team.  It's all part of the show.  It helps to believe in what you're doing.

[TecnoGenius]

Walters confirms he's spending to the original cap of $5.6 million and is operating as normally planned, he has not touched the extra $400k.

Well that's just insane.  No sense saving it so we can do year-end early signings for '26.  Fans care about the home GC.  WM cares about the home GC.  Players care about the home GC.

We should be spending to the cap and a little beyond (no penalty worth caring about up to $100k overspend!).

The only thing I can think of is we are leaving plenty of room for mid-season NFL cuts, like Pokey.  And maybe some other-team mercenary NFL rejects (like Henoc was).  And vet-cutdown-day CFL rejects too.

This could be the year we are the ones making significant Sep/Oct/Nov player moves to beef up for a GC run (see SSK 2013).

That's my dream, anyhow.

[TecnoGenius]

Our replacement for Dobson is already on our team...Gabe Wallace, the guy is a beast, he made some impressive blocks last year from what I recall, pancaked and bulldozed some opponents. Not worried about losing Dobson.

As 6th/7th.  Not starting OG.  I see nothing to indicate Wallace is ready to start, or even will ever be.  That said, you often can't tell until you throw them in the fire.  So we may start him week 1 just to see, and then revert to Randolph by week 6 if it's not working out.