Free Agent Acquisition

[Jesse]

an issue is that we've been picking in the bottom 5 each year and any oline that can make a difference hasn't been available. We did well getting Wallace in the bottom of the 2nd round, and even Vibert. Not sure if we can name a olineman that we had a chance to draft that is starting in the cfl.
With the nfl taking many of the top choices the pickens are slim

Chris Fortin started for Calgary this year. We picked Shay instead.

[Tecno]

Chris Fortin started for Calgary this year. We picked Shay instead.

Fortin was available when we picked Shay?  Ouch...

Let's hope Shay is a year 2 starter at least at Kramdi level then.  A NAT WILL or MLB would sure bust the ratio.

[VictorRomano]

Fortin was available when we picked Shay?  Ouch...

Let's hope Shay is a year 2 starter at least at Kramdi level then.  A NAT WILL or MLB would sure bust the ratio.

I don't think Connor Shay is beating out Tony Jones any time soon, and we just signed Jones to a 2 year deal....

[Blue In BC]

Fortin was available when we picked Shay?  Ouch...

Let's hope Shay is a year 2 starter at least at Kramdi level then.  A NAT WILL or MLB would sure bust the ratio.

He could change the need for a DI back up or he might be in the mix at WIL. If neither is true than we drafted poorly by not choosing Fortin.

So far he's had 10 ST's and no DT's.  Fortin has been a starter in year 1.

[Tecno]

I don't think Connor Shay is beating out Tony Jones any time soon, and we just signed Jones to a 2 year deal....

I agree.  However, Shay may turn out to be the smarter one, and that can be important for the MLB, and I think T.Jones would be just as effective at WILL.  I have no idea how this will shake out, but to stop our history of draft busts we better turn Shay into something besides the next Gauthier.

[Tecno]

So far he's had 10 ST's and no DT's.  Fortin has been a starter in year 1.

Shay barely saw any action on the D, so take that stat with a grain of salt.

[Pigskin]

I expected a little more out of Shay this season. But, I was very happy with Smith. Smith might end up starting before Shay.

[Blue In BC]

Shay barely saw any action on the D, so take that stat with a grain of salt.

That's the catch. We don't know what the plan is or what his talent level will be. Just saying as far as 2025 we added an ST player while Fortin started on the OL as a 1st year draft choice.

I'm another who was disappointed Shay didn't get more opportunities on defence.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I don't think Connor Shay is beating out Tony Jones any time soon, and we just signed Jones to a 2 year deal....

Jones just signed a 2 year deal prior to last season, so he's only got 1 year left. If it makes good ratio sense to replace him with Shay they probably will, whether he's as good as Jones or not.  That's how Sam Hurl became the Bombers starting MLB twice.

[Blue In BC]

Jones just signed a 2 year deal prior to last season, so he's only got 1 year left. If it makes good ratio sense to replace him with Shay they probably will, whether he's as good as Jones or not.  That's how Sam Hurl became the Bombers starting MLB twice.

At the moment we don't need ratio help but that could change during free agency or a choice to move to 3 import OL.

I don't see this happening to start the season. We need to see Shay get some reps on defence before we make any judgement.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

At the moment we don't need ratio help but that could change during free agency or a choice to move to 3 import OL.

I don't see this happening to start the season. We need to see Shay get some reps on defence before we make any judgement.

What's a rookie contract duration, 2 years plus an option?  They either use Shay this year or lose him next year, first year he should have gotten some looks.  Perhaps the Bombers have gotten inefficient or lazy with their integration of their draft picks.  With Ty Ford they only got one game plus one season out of an outstanding ratio unicorn, did they fail to recognize his talent early enough or were they so ingrained in their player hierarchy O'Shea didn't want to push him forward and ruffle feathers among the vets?

[ModAdmin]

What's a rookie contract duration, 2 years plus an option?  They either use Shay this year or lose him next year, first year he should have gotten some looks.  Perhaps the Bombers have gotten inefficient or lazy with their integration of their draft picks.  With Ty Ford they only got one game plus one season out of an outstanding ratio unicorn, did they fail to recognize his talent early enough or were they so ingrained in their player hierarchy O'Shea didn't want to push him forward and ruffle feathers among the vets?

I'm certain O'Shea knew what the Bombers had in Ford.  He wanted to play with his brother and that, most likely, was the driving factor to sign with Edmonton.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I'm certain O'Shea knew what the Bombers had in Ford.  He wanted to play with his brother and that, most likely, was the driving factor to sign with Edmonton.

You miss the point, in the time Ford was in Wpg. he only started in 19 out of 36 games so they did not reap max value from his services or his ratio flex. Perhaps that effected his decision to leave. Maybe they're making the same mistake with other rookies like Shay, by holding him out entirely for his first year making him wait his turn?  Other teams seem much quicker to embrace their high draft picks, Bombers stick them in the back of the bus and tell them to be patient.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

GM Danny Maciocia noncommittal about Marc-Antoine Dequoy's future with Montreal Alouettes.

"Listen, there is enough money left for at most a few players. There will certainly be choices to make," Maciocia said. "You talk to me about Marc-Antoine, other people talk to me about (Darnell) Sankey, and others talk about (Geoffrey) Cantin-Arku."

https://3downnation.com/2025/12/15/gm-danny-maciocia-noncommittal-about-marc-antoine-dequoys-future-with-montreal-alouettes/


Surprise, Dequoy could ignite a massive bidding war.

[ModAdmin]

You miss the point, in the time Ford was in Wpg. he only started in 19 out of 36 games so they did not reap max value from his services or his ratio flex. Perhaps that effected his decision to leave. Maybe they're making the same mistake with other rookies like Shay, by holding him out entirely for his first year making him wait his turn?  Other teams seem much quicker to embrace their high draft picks, Bombers stick them in the back of the bus and tell them to be patient.

Whether Ford played 19 games out of 36 or 36 out of 36, he left when he was a starter and staple on the D and my belief is that the primary reason he left was to play with his brother.