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

[Pigskin]

The interior of the D-line needs more beef; it's been too small recently. If the Bombers could find another Nevis and/or Richardson type, that would improve things, IMO.

We had Fox on our PR for 2 years. Goes to Hamilton and records 26 DTs. I think Woods might be a keeper. 4 games 10 DTs. But, we might actually have to give him a bump in salary. 

[Jesse]

We had Fox on our PR for 2 years. Goes to Hamilton and records 26 DTs. I think Woods might be a keeper. 4 games 10 DTs. But, we might actually have to give him a bump in salary. 

Is 26 tackles (with no sacks/FF or any other stats) on the league's worst rushing defence good?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

The point of our defensive strategy for the last several seasons is to rush only 3 guys, and have 9 guys covering 5 recievers and an RB.  We're not trying to get a massive number of sacks and pressures buy throwing 5/6/7 rushers.....instead, we sit back and make plays on the pass, with a few LB's hanging around the box to stop the short pass/scrambling QB, and blanket coverage on everyone deep.

The issue, I would argue, isn't the players, nor the coaching - it's the defensive scheme as a whole, from the top down.  Osh and Jordan need to answer for that.  We've just been able to be pretty good at that a few years ago when we had a lot of dominant players on D.  Now that we're about even with other teams in terms of skill, that scheme doesn't seem to be working as well.

The defensive scheme is on Jordan Younger, Osh admitted he did not pay enough attention to what his coords were doing this season and plans to rectify that.  3 man fronts work against mediocre QB' but not effectively against the best, Younger needs to stop trying to be clever in those situations and use what actually works. Wouldn't be so sad if Younger moved on and Richie Hall climbed back into the saddle again, the old man may not be flashy but he's rockin' 4 GC rings.

[Pigskin]

Is 26 tackles (with no sacks/FF or any other stats) on the league's worst rushing defence good?

I am not sure Hamilton had the worst run D. I was pretty sure BC was the worst at 139 per game. Could be wrong. But, the point was Fox had 26 DTs. Woods, Adams, JT, 28 DTs, 2 QS. Fox might have been a better choice then Woods, or Adams last season. It probably came down to a few dollars. The Bombers might want to try and keep Woods instead of the revolving door at DT. We develop these player and then just let them go. 

[Tecno]

Holm is the only keeper. All others are replaceable. Most have potential to qualify as potential red blacks.

Ouch... that's low!

[Tecno]

The issue, I would argue, isn't the players, nor the coaching - it's the defensive scheme as a whole, from the top down.

Ya, except our D was top 1 or top 3 in many D categories, even in a year when our O was never on the field and our D stats should have been crap.

As such I think we'll stick with the max-coverage scheme and try to just tweak it a bit to solve the problems when facing a QB like Alexander who can dime RECs 80Y down the field, and when facing an all-short/run-muchly SSK O.

I think a single Stove-level DT FA pickup might solve the former.  The latter will be a harder nut to crack -- though Hall solved it in '21-'23.

They'll probably ride this scheme until (if!) it completely implodes.  Let's hope Younger is a bigger genius than the league OCs are.

[Tecno]

The defensive scheme is on Jordan Younger, Osh admitted he did not pay enough attention to what his coords were doing this season and plans to rectify that.

I'd bet $1M he was 99% referring to Hogan.  It was always mentioned around critical questions about the O, never the D.  The weak O was the elephant in the room in '25.

[Tecno]

Wouldn't be so sad if Younger moved on and Richie Hall climbed back into the saddle again, the old man may not be flashy but he's rockin' 4 GC rings.

I love Hall.  But he's too old and frail and has trouble just walking around the field fast.  They need Younger because he's... younger.  Hall can still be the mastermind behind the curtain (and I believe he still is to a large degree).

And it just dawned on me that Younger may now be the one being groomed to be the next HC (now that Buck left).  MOS won't do it forever -- he's getting old and may want to retire: whether after this 3, or 6.  We all know WFC likes the "in house promotion" paradigm.  For one thing it allows them to underpay the "first time <whatever>" guys for a few seasons.

[Jesse]

I am not sure Hamilton had the worst run D. I was pretty sure BC was the worst at 139 per game. Could be wrong. But, the point was Fox had 26 DTs. Woods, Adams, JT, 28 DTs, 2 QS. Fox might have been a better choice then Woods, or Adams last season. It probably came down to a few dollars. The Bombers might want to try and keep Woods instead of the revolving door at DT. We develop these player and then just let them go. 

And if Woods player every game and we play with a 4 DL set most of the time, he'd have more tackles too. He wouldn't necessarily have played better...just more.

Tackles are a poor indicator of success is what I'm saying.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

And if Woods player every game and we play with a 4 DL set most of the time, he'd have more tackles too. He wouldn't necessarily have played better...just more.

Tackles are a poor indicator of success is what I'm saying.

One difference is 3 years ago they were dressing 8 O-linemen and having success like many other teams, the last 2 seasons they're trying to do it with 6, which equates to less reps. for multiple players.

People complaining Fox was allowed to leave but the issue goes deeper, with Habba, Garbutt and now Devin Adams deemed disposable.  They all seemed fairly qualified to do the job but are falling short in a key category that hasn't been identified, could it be poor attitude or work ethic?  I imagine Younger is the person making these critical decisions, not MOS.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

CFL award-winner Trey Vaval to work out for New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns: sources

I think there's a good chance they lose Vaval for a couple of years, of all the positions the returner has the cleanest shot of convincing NFL management he's worth a contract with his individual performance on the field alone, a good return average cuts through all the politics and favouritism that dogs every other position.

https://3downnation.com/2025/12/02/cfl-award-winner-trey-vaval-to-work-out-for-new-orleans-saints-cleveland-browns-sources/

[Blue In BC]

CFL award-winner Trey Vaval to work out for New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns: sources

I think there's a good chance they lose Vaval for a couple of years, of all the positions the returner has the cleanest shot of convincing NFL management he's worth a contract with his individual performance on the field alone, a good return average cuts through all the politics and favouritism that dogs every other position.

https://3downnation.com/2025/12/02/cfl-award-winner-trey-vaval-to-work-out-for-new-orleans-saints-cleveland-browns-sources/

Unfortunate for the Bombers but I hope he succeeds in his NFL dream. We can't blame him for that hope. Big payday and playing in his home country.

[dd]

Unfortunate for the Bombers but I hope he succeeds in his NFL dream. We can't blame him for that hope. Big payday and playing in his home country.

I can see him realistically making it, he's a very good return guy no doubt about it.

[Jesse]

One difference is 3 years ago they were dressing 8 O-linemen and having success like many other teams, the last 2 seasons they're trying to do it with 6, which equates to less reps. for multiple players.

People complaining Fox was allowed to leave but the issue goes deeper, with Habba, Garbutt and now Devin Adams deemed disposable.  They all seemed fairly qualified to do the job but are falling short in a key category that hasn't been identified, could it be poor attitude or work ethic?  I imagine Younger is the person making these critical decisions, not MOS.

None of the players who have left have found any success anywhere else, so I guess we could could discuss scouting as a major problem.

So I wouldn't call letting any of them go a critical decision, but Younger doesn't have any roster control and no single person is making these discussions. Coaches will talk about needs and Walters tries to make the pieces fit together financially.

[Pete]

None of the players who have left have found any success anywhere else, so I guess we could could discuss scouting as a major problem.

So I wouldn't call letting any of them go a critical decision, but Younger doesn't have any roster control and no single person is making these discussions. Coaches will talk about needs and Walters tries to make the pieces fit together financially.

true enough, since when we had Jefferson and Sayles we've not been able to replace impact players and our dline has gotten progressively worse and one of the main reasons that sask has supplanted us in the west. They added Carney, Rose, and Ray thru free agency and have one of the best dlines in the league now.
  Walters mentioned that in a league with mostly one year contracts it's easier to retool, but unless you actually sign a quality player it doesn't matter. At some point we have to realize that even if it's an overpay to make a difference you have to go after some of the big fish