Winnipeg @ Calgary Pre-game.

[theaardvark]

Saw we just released Haggarty, our track record with free agents is not good
Mitchell has not played a game
Jones from Argos same
Makonzo hurt
White released
Haggarty released
Vaughtners and Sterns only ones still here

Releasing fringe FA signings is not an issue.  If they were paid large signing bonuses, sure.  But they weren't.

What it does say is that of the three ways of building a roster for the season (retention, recruitment and FA), our first two were very effective.

Sterns, Vaughters, and possibly Mitchell were solid FA pickups in spots where we knew we were going to need solid players.  So, I'd like to say, our FA game was strong as well.

Cutting depth FA signings is not an $SMS or scouting fail any more than cutting rookie recruits. 

[Blueforlife]

Releasing fringe FA signings is not an issue.  If they were paid large signing bonuses, sure.  But they weren't.

What it does say is that of the three ways of building a roster for the season (retention, recruitment and FA), our first two were very effective.

Sterns, Vaughters, and possibly Mitchell were solid FA pickups in spots where we knew we were going to need solid players.  So, I'd like to say, our FA game was strong as well.

Cutting depth FA signings is not an $SMS or scouting fail any more than cutting rookie recruits. 

Agree we did a great job
Sorry Pete not seeing eye to eye on this one

[Blue In BC]

Releasing fringe FA signings is not an issue.  If they were paid large signing bonuses, sure.  But they weren't.

What it does say is that of the three ways of building a roster for the season (retention, recruitment and FA), our first two were very effective.

Sterns, Vaughters, and possibly Mitchell were solid FA pickups in spots where we knew we were going to need solid players.  So, I'd like to say, our FA game was strong as well.

Cutting depth FA signings is not an $SMS or scouting fail any more than cutting rookie recruits. 

Both J. Jones and Mitchell were expensive free agent additions. So they do fall in SMS issues if they don't play.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Saw we just released Haggarty, our track record with free agents is not good
Mitchell has not played a game
Jones from Argos same
Makonzo hurt
White released
Haggarty released
Vaughtners and Sterns only ones still here

Most would have been welcome additions last season but this year competition is stronger, if they can provide healthy bodies going into the playoffs, the investment will have paid off.

[Tecno]

Vaughtners and Sterns only ones still here

Vaughters alone made FA a success.  Our DL is legit again.

[Tecno]

Both J. Jones and Mitchell were expensive free agent additions. So they do fall in SMS issues if they don't play.

Mitchell is this year's splash(ish) FA REC bust.  We seem to do that every 1-2 seasons.  However, he's still on the roster, and can still play a role if we have an injury.

Jones may have merely been insurance against Kyrie getting hurt early, or T.Jones not being the real deal.  Neither has happened yet, so it makes sense J.Jones languishes.  But it's very good to have depth!

P.S. Kyrie is proving he's basically still '21 Kyrie.  Awesome.

[theaardvark]

Both J. Jones and Mitchell were expensive free agent additions. So they do fall in SMS issues if they don't play.

Mitchell bonus is sunk money, game cheques are minimal.

Not sure what J. Jones signed for, or why he's on the one game other than there is a traffic jam at LB on the team.  Maybe Pinball wants him back with McInnis out?

[Blueforlife]

Mitchell is this year's splash(ish) FA REC bust.  We seem to do that every 1-2 seasons.  However, he's still on the roster, and can still play a role if we have an injury.

Jones may have merely been insurance against Kyrie getting hurt early, or T.Jones not being the real deal.  Neither has happened yet, so it makes sense J.Jones languishes.  But it's very good to have depth!

P.S. Kyrie is proving he's basically still '21 Kyrie.  Awesome.

Again on Wilson, some were critical of him (slowing down) and others had worries about getting injured again (knock on wood).  He has been outstanding, a top player when he is on.

Having depth and LB and receiver will pay off if we get injuried, if not worth, the coin SMS as insurance imo.

[Blue In BC]

Mitchell bonus is sunk money, game cheques are minimal.

Not sure what J. Jones signed for, or why he's on the one game other than there is a traffic jam at LB on the team.  Maybe Pinball wants him back with McInnis out?

Sunk money or not, it was a failure in free agency unless he eventually plays and contributes. IIRC his contract was $165K which was the most we spent on any free agent outside of our own.

A game check @ $4K still adds up.

[theaardvark]

Sunk money or not, it was a failure in free agency unless he eventually plays and contributes. IIRC his contract was $165K which was the most we spent on any free agent outside of our own.

A game check @ $4K still adds up.

The biggest key is that any FA that we signed that doesn't make the roster means our scouts/retention did their jobs well.  The beauty of FA signing is they cost only $SMS, you don't expend any other capital on them. 

Mitchell is costing us less per game than Woli is in Ham... a little more up front, sure.  Every team makes a few misses.

If Mitchell doesn't crack the lineup and produce, I'll give it a fail, for sure.  Likewise Jones.

[Jesse]

Releasing fringe FA signings is not an issue.  If they were paid large signing bonuses, sure.  But they weren't.

The biggest key is that any FA that we signed that doesn't make the roster means our scouts/retention did their jobs well.  The beauty of FA signing is they cost only $SMS, you don't expend any other capital on them. 

Mitchell is costing us less per game than Woli is in Ham... a little more up front, sure.  Every team makes a few misses.

If Mitchell doesn't crack the lineup and produce, I'll give it a fail, for sure.  Likewise Jones.

You make conflicting points here. First you say it's not a fail because be didn't pay them signing bonuses, then you say it's not a fail because it's only $SMS.

I personally don't think it's a fail because we are ensuring we have depth to protect us against what happened to us last year. But I'm not shifting the goal posts when someone proves my statement/belief wrong. 

[Blue In BC]

The biggest key is that any FA that we signed that doesn't make the roster means our scouts/retention did their jobs well.  The beauty of FA signing is they cost only $SMS, you don't expend any other capital on them. 

Mitchell is costing us less per game than Woli is in Ham... a little more up front, sure.  Every team makes a few misses.

If Mitchell doesn't crack the lineup and produce, I'll give it a fail, for sure.  Likewise Jones.

Not so. Mitchell's weekly contact after his bonus is still more than Woli. So it's costing the Bombers more every game than Woli in Hamilton.

We already had Wheatfall under contract. We signed Mitchell, Cobb, White and Sterns that latter two for less than Mitchell. Not one player found by recruitment survived TC.

Between Mitchell and J. Jones nearly $300K in total SMS spend. How was that doing their jobs well? We had rookies that might have been better talent but we kept free agents partially because of PR and veteran experience.

We've cut Hagerty, White and Gowanlock signed in free agency. Not very expensive players but not successes either.

[kkc60]

Free agency was very obviously trying to avoid the issue we had last year (and arguably the year before): no depth. While I think the amount of misses in free agency is disappointing, the team is still 3-0 and if any of Jones or Wilson get hurt, we have a guy. Ditto at receiver. Maybe our pro scouting could be better but the depth we have could be our saving grace later in the year.

[Blue In BC]

Free agency was very obviously trying to avoid the issue we had last year (and arguably the year before): no depth. While I think the amount of misses in free agency is disappointing, the team is still 3-0 and if any of Jones or Wilson get hurt, we have a guy. Ditto at receiver. Maybe our pro scouting could be better but the depth we have could be our saving grace later in the year.

Yes we've improved our depth. That said, we knew we were losing two Canadian starters. That was the biggest area of concern IMO. At the very least I would have re-signed Woli. Drafting Corcoran and signing Cobb as a free agent are TBD decisions. We knew what we had with Woli and he wouldn't have been expensive.

A couple of rookies on our PR may turn out to be good players but that's also a TBD situation.

[Waffler]

Yes we've improved our depth. That said, we knew we were losing two Canadian starters. That was the biggest area of concern IMO. At the very least I would have re-signed Woli. Drafting Corcoran and signing Cobb as a free agent are TBD decisions. We knew what we had with Woli and he wouldn't have been expensive.

A couple of rookies on our PR may turn out to be good players but that's also a TBD situation.

Woli was already signed for one more year. We did screw him out of a bonus by cutting him when we did though. It was the same day as  Bighill and the feeling then was that we were going younger and healthier. So far, so good.