1st & 10 | The Blue Bombers Pending Free Agent List

[Pigskin]

https://3downnation.com/2026/02/01/former-all-cfl-cornerback-demerio-houston-agrees-to-terms-with-b-c-lions/

Like to see what Ottawa offer him.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Like to see what Ottawa offer him.

Seems like Houston was just a rental to get them through a rough patch, much like Alden Darby who they brought back twice and let go twice.  Younger knew Houston well from his first go round in Wpg. and let him leave twice.

[Blue In BC]

Seems like Houston was just a rental to get them through a rough patch, much like Alden Darby who they brought back twice and let go twice.  Younger knew Houston well from his first go round in Wpg. and let him leave twice.

He left for a boatload of money in free agency the 1st time. We weren't going to match that offer.

[GOLDMEMBER]

Seems like Houston was just a rental to get them through a rough patch, much like Alden Darby who they brought back twice and let go twice.  Younger knew Houston well from his first go round in Wpg. and let him leave twice.

Not a huge loss in my preview. He was inconsistent.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

He left for a boatload of money in free agency the 1st time. We weren't going to match that offer.

From what I recall Houston wasn't mourned when he left, his risk taking led to a lot interceptions but also caused needless explosion plays when he misjudged his timing.

[markf]

From what I recall Houston wasn't mourned when he left, his risk taking led to a lot interceptions but also caused needless explosion plays when he misjudged his timing.

Wasn't it Houston that Montreal scored the game winning td on in the Grey Cup?

Just checked.... Yes it was. Philpott.


How the heck did we lose that game.

[Tecno]

Wasn't it Houston that Montreal scored the game winning td on in the Grey Cup?

Indeed.  Rewatch and you'll see he almost knocked it down, missing by about a finger length.  He had the correct coverage and decent positioning.  Not much else he could have done other than completely ignore the outside route option and run the inside route for him.

How the heck did we lose that game.

MTL beating us that GC was like SSK beating BC in the '25 WDF.  Just let them make too many plays in the final drive and give up the TD.  If Willie hadn't slipped, or someone else had contain on 2nd & 17... or Parker isn't completely confused on 3rd & 3...

PTSD man.

[Tecno]

What he is suggesting breaks the rules, can't put an uninjured player on the 6 game to coach or to hide.

I never said to do that.  I said take a guy starting the season injured, legit injured, like Schoen, and put him on 6GIR as long as it takes.  At the very end when you're in the "is he ready?" territory, that's when you can start toying with the "rules" a bit.

Because when is a knee injury "ready"?  You could easily argue Schoen wasn't ready when he played last season.  We could have easily 6G'd him until the playoffs, or beyond.  See: TOR's Kelly.

If he's somehow helping out in the film room or with the clipboard during all this, great.  See: Biggie.

Doing all of this is fully within the letter of the rules, as well as the spirit.

As for money (BinBC): stop thinking real money.  Who cares, it means nothing.  GM's are only thinking in terms of SMS.  And you can structure these things to have near-zero hit to SMS.

[Blue In BC]

I never said to do that.  I said take a guy starting the season injured, legit injured, like Schoen, and put him on 6GIR as long as it takes.  At the very end when you're in the "is he ready?" territory, that's when you can start toying with the "rules" a bit.

Because when is a knee injury "ready"?  You could easily argue Schoen wasn't ready when he played last season.  We could have easily 6G'd him until the playoffs, or beyond.  See: TOR's Kelly.

If he's somehow helping out in the film room or with the clipboard during all this, great.  See: Biggie.

Doing all of this is fully within the letter of the rules, as well as the spirit.

As for money (BinBC): stop thinking real money.  Who cares, it means nothing.  GM's are only thinking in terms of SMS.  And you can structure these things to have near-zero hit to SMS.

You're still dreaming with that concept. The hit to the SMS is never going to be zero.

Example: He's healthy to come off the 6 game IR but we don't have a current need. Team is playing well and has no injury situation to deal with at that time. He declines being extended on the 6 game IR ( which is mandatory ). At that point he would have to be released but he is past the veteran deadline and 1/2 of his salary would be payable. It would be hard to believe he'd take an ELC deal even with the expectation of sitting on the 6 game IR  ( not real money in your words ). However that's when rules for SMS cut in along with veteran cut down as well.

Obviously it's a timing issue. He could spend the entire season on the IR and never be ready or he could ready after 6 weeks. If you don't have a need on the AR then he's bumped to the 1 game IR and SMS again becomes an SMS cost.

Team is also still paying any housing and marketing money regardless of whether he plays or not.

[Tecno]

Example: He's healthy to come off the 6 game IR but we don't have a current need. Team is playing well and has no injury situation to deal with at that time. He declines being extended on the 6 game IR ( which is mandatory ).

There's your flaw in reasoning.  Why would he decline extension on 6G if we don't need him at that exact moment or he's only 90%?  Keep in mind on the 6G the money going into his pocket is the full amount he signed for!  What does he care if he gets the big bucks for sitting in the tub vs playing?

In fact... wouldn't a lot of players prefer the tub?  More time earning money for nothing (except rehab).  More time to get your very iffy knee more fully healed (always a good thing for knee injuries).  And even if Schoen "wants to play" (to prove himself or whatever), it's not like he's going to have any other options in FA.

Again, $0 SMS hit the whole time on 6G, and when you finally need him, voila there's a 100% healthy well-rested guy coming in relief of the beat up WRs after labor day.  By then he's worth every dime of SMS just for those games.  And if his knee blows up again, back to the 6G and no SMS hit again (ya, only until week 15).

If you have unlimited real money, like we do, why not?  Better than waiting until he's healthy mid-year and some other team snaps him up and he turns out to have 3 straight record-setting all-star years, doh!

Not saying we do that, but it is possible.  CGY kind of did it with Biggie, who spent at least until labor day on the 6G, costing CGY nothing.

[Blue In BC]

There's your flaw in reasoning.  Why would he decline extension on 6G if we don't need him at that exact moment or he's only 90%?  Keep in mind on the 6G the money going into his pocket is the full amount he signed for!  What does he care if he gets the big bucks for sitting in the tub vs playing?

In fact... wouldn't a lot of players prefer the tub?  More time earning money for nothing (except rehab).  More time to get your very iffy knee more fully healed (always a good thing for knee injuries).  And even if Schoen "wants to play" (to prove himself or whatever), it's not like he's going to have any other options in FA.

Again, $0 SMS hit the whole time on 6G, and when you finally need him, voila there's a 100% healthy well-rested guy coming in relief of the beat up WRs after labor day.  By then he's worth every dime of SMS just for those games.  And if his knee blows up again, back to the 6G and no SMS hit again (ya, only until week 15).

If you have unlimited real money, like we do, why not?  Better than waiting until he's healthy mid-year and some other team snaps him up and he turns out to have 3 straight record-setting all-star years, doh!

Not saying we do that, but it is possible.  CGY kind of did it with Biggie, who spent at least until labor day on the 6G, costing CGY nothing.

A player wants to play and he can't do either on the 6 game IR. You might take into the reality that we didn't sign Schoen and neither did any other team that could have used your plan.

You say he didn't have any other options in free agency. I don't see how every other couldn't have made the same choice for any player coming off a season ending injury if they wanted to use your plan.

If your logic was so practical why didn't we do it? The simple reason is that we can wait until he is healthy and passes a physical to consider bringing him back.

[Blue In BC]

Currently there are about 90 potential free agents on the list. 10 are Bombers. Slim pickings at best

1. 18 receivers
2. 17 OL
3. 13 DB
4. 14 LB
5. 11 QB or RB

If there is some interest in players on the list it probably would be either DB or receiver.

No team in the league is showing big interest in those left. It may change but it's down to crickets now.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Currently there are about 90 potential free agents on the list. 10 are Bombers. Slim pickings at best

1. 18 receivers
2. 17 OL
3. 13 DB
4. 14 LB
5. 11 QB or RB

If there is some interest in players on the list it probably would be either DB or receiver.

No team in the league is showing big interest in those left. It may change but it's down to crickets now.

The official 1st day of FA is next Wednesday, I expect a Walters press conference shortly afterward to announce he's out of money.

[Tecno]

A player wants to play and he can't do either on the 6 game IR. You might take into the reality that we didn't sign Schoen and neither did any other team that could have used your plan.

Fair points.  But the above doesn't prove anything.  Schoen's agent could be asking for $250k right now, or some other silly number.  We don't know what's being bandied about behind the scenes.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Schoen & Strev's asks (of any team) were much too high for their risk profile.  If you thought you were going to rehab to 110% and be a superstar (again?) then why would you agree to lowball offers?  Couch sitters who can be 100% healthy mid/late season can often score good deals too.

As an example, let's say we have already offered Schoen $110k thinking that fits the risk profile.  Why would he sign for that if he thinks that Healthy Schoen is worth $200k?

So Mafia could already be thinking what I am proposing and making offers behind the scenes.  We simply don't know unless/until Schoen signs somewhere.

No matter what happens, if Schoen can rehab to 100% by October, there's a better than 50/50 chance we'll be eager to sign him to replace whatever dire injury-du-jour we have by then.  But by that time his ask will be a pro-rated $225k and a next-year-too deal.

[Blue In BC]

Fair points.  But the above doesn't prove anything.  Schoen's agent could be asking for $250k right now, or some other silly number.  We don't know what's being bandied about behind the scenes.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Schoen & Strev's asks (of any team) were much too high for their risk profile.  If you thought you were going to rehab to 110% and be a superstar (again?) then why would you agree to lowball offers?  Couch sitters who can be 100% healthy mid/late season can often score good deals too.

As an example, let's say we have already offered Schoen $110k thinking that fits the risk profile.  Why would he sign for that if he thinks that Healthy Schoen is worth $200k?

So Mafia could already be thinking what I am proposing and making offers behind the scenes.  We simply don't know unless/until Schoen signs somewhere.

No matter what happens, if Schoen can rehab to 100% by October, there's a better than 50/50 chance we'll be eager to sign him to replace whatever dire injury-du-jour we have by then.  But by that time his ask will be a pro-rated $225k and a next-year-too deal.

There was some sort of response from management about Schoen saying he's not being considered to re-sign.

I'm not expecting any team to re-sign him before TC and probably not until mid season give or take. I'd have no problem with a $225K pro-rated deal with no large signing bonus on a 2 year deal if medically cleared.