2026 Main Training Camp - News & Views

[Waffler]

Everybody loves Wilson now that he's gone? Pave paradise and put up a parking lot. My view was that he was just as inconsistent now as he was was in 2024. I saw no progress.  He had a good exhibition season and played himself on to the roster. He never delivered on the promise of that though.

My ranking based on the camp sessions I saw: Zach, Elgersma, Perkins, Wilson, Thorne. Maybe Condell got their noses out of joint with some tough love. He doesn't seem shy to say what he's thinking on the field.

[tlf]

Everybody loves Wilson now that he's gone? Pave paradise and put up a parking lot. My view was that he was just as inconsistent now as he was was in 2024. I saw no progress.  He had a good exhibition season and played himself on to the roster. He never delivered on the promise of that though.

My ranking based on the camp sessions I saw: Zach, Elgersma, Perkins, Wilson, Thorne. Maybe Condell got their noses out of joint with some tough love. He doesn't seem shy to say what he's thinking on the field.

I personally don't think he got enough reps to show us much.  When he went in he was cold and prob not much practice time either.  I would have given him some reps over Strev last year, but I'm not a coach..just a fan that wanted to see him play and throw a ball over a  running qb. Movin on..

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I personally don't think he got enough reps to show us much.  When he went in he was cold and prob not much practice time either.  I would have given him some reps over Strev last year, but I'm not a coach..just a fan that wanted to see him play and throw a ball over a  running qb. Movin on..

You're not wrong, he saw Strev. handed the backup job before TC last season and he sees the same thing happening with Elgersma this season, stalling his progression. What he maybe fails to realize is the marketability an extremely popular player has on a fanbase and the impact a decent CDN QB could have on the team's future plans. Unfortunately he ran into a couple of hurdles he could not clear.

[Tecno]

Except they didnt cut him. They lost him in FA to his home town team. Odd argument to make that the rider fans didnt like him...i guess thats something?
I bet he was 100k over...I mean if we're just making stuff why not right?

Uh, I read the Rider forum religiously whenever we play them.  Every time Demski rips them a new one (which is basically every match) there's like 5 guys there that have to chime in with "Demski never did X when he was with us", "Demski was never Y when he was with us".

Not a single guy ever chimes in with "you're wrong, Demski was da bomb in green".  Ever.

[Tecno]

Except they didnt cut him. They lost him in FA

A non-re-up of a NAT is the same as a "cut" in my books.  They decided to let him walk, that's undisputed.  They could have kept him if they wanted to.

I think they decided on LaFrance instead that year?   

[Tecno]

I was always hopeful that Wilson would be a Dru Brown, but he never grabbed the brass ring.

Wilson's chance was in the '24 GC.  If his 2 shots to the EZ were a bit zippier and get the TD, he likely stays in, and maybe they hang on to win the cup.  He also had a chance (lots of space) to run on one play and chose not to.

It could have perfectly mirrored the Kelly story a year earlier.  Kelly comes in with few live reps, just like Wilson, and takes the bull by the horns.  He's made starter a month later in the off-season.  Instead Wilson looked insouciant and bored, and thus here we are.

Many players never even get such a shot.  I feel no sadness for Wilson.  He's another Dom Davis situation: a waste of several years of our time.  I really hope Perkins isn't the next one!

[Tecno]

I haven't watched Busby closely but he seems to be highly regarded by Riderfans and they kept him while letting Nield walk, so that says something. 

They let Nield walk because Nield is a top-5 NAT REC and his stock his rising rapidly due to his recent game-changing play.  IOW: he's too darn expensive.  They blew their wad on KSB and K.Johnson and Emilus.  As such their other NAT WRs must be heap cheap.  I'm actually shocked they kept the 3 expensive guys they did -- their system doesn't need it.

Busby is earning diddly squat.  I'm not even convinced he makes the AR in week 1, nor whether he'll be there in '27.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Wilson's chance was in the '24 GC.  If his 2 shots to the EZ were a bit zippier and get the TD, he likely stays in, and maybe they hang on to win the cup.  He also had a chance (lots of space) to run on one play and chose not to.

It could have perfectly mirrored the Kelly story a year earlier.  Kelly comes in with few live reps, just like Wilson, and takes the bull by the horns.  He's made starter a month later in the off-season.  Instead Wilson looked insouciant and bored, and thus here we are.

Many players never even get such a shot.  I feel no sadness for Wilson.  He's another Dom Davis situation: a waste of several years of our time.  I really hope Perkins isn't the next one!

You can't really compare Chad Kelly to Terry Wilson, Kelly grew up in the spotlight and has performed well wherever he's gone, winning 4 national Punt, Pass, and Kick championships as a youth.  The spot light doesn't bother him, he was raised to be an apex predator and that's what he became. If it wasn't for the personal atrocities committed he'd likely be earning tens of millions in the NFL right now.

[bunker]

You can't really compare Chad Kelly to Terry Wilson, Kelly grew up in the spotlight and has performed well wherever he's gone, winning 4 national Punt, Pass, and Kick championships as a youth.  The spot light doesn't bother him, he was raised to be an apex predator and that's what he became. If it wasn't for the personal atrocities committed he'd likely be earning tens of millions in the NFL right now.

Kelly is less insouciant as well 
Techno, you win for the most erudite post of the day.

[tlf]

Kelly is less insouciant as well 
Techno, you win for the most erudite post of the day.

Kelly is definitely less or more of something.. that's for sure.

[Blue In BC]

Battle and Javier released today. I wonder what the issue was with Battle retiring then un-retiring then released. Could be on going injury but he seemed to be far down the depth chart as a result.

Why do some get " retired " rather than released out right ( Womack, Fletcher and Young )?

Javier was once named as a newbie to watch but Texada and Burrell were ahead of him in TC.

Teams don't have to cut players this week but I've always been in favour of trimming a few in order to increase reps for others.

Do we still need 12 LB's, 14 OL and 10 Canadian receivers on the roster until this weekend?

Put another way, why did we release 2 DB's today when that group was a little thinner than other groups?

Also, brought back Womack, Young and Fletcher. Is this a reflection of not being happy with current choices at those positions? Paper shuffle?

I'd cut another 6 - 8 before the next practice.

[ModAdmin]

Blue Bombers Transactions - May 25, 2026

WINNIPEG, MB., May 25, 2026 – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers today announce the following transactions.

Released from roster:
American defensive back Shyheim Battle
American defensive back Robert Javier

[Pigskin]

A non-re-up of a NAT is the same as a "cut" in my books.  They decided to let him walk, that's undisputed.  They could have kept him if they wanted to.

I think they decided on LaFrance instead that year?   

No, actually Nic had decided he was coming home. There was nothing the Riders could have done. It wasn't money, it was a Manitoba boy wanting to be in Winnipeg and playing for the Bombers.

[Jesse]

No, actually Nic had decided he was coming home. There was nothing the Riders could have done. It wasn't money, it was a Manitoba boy wanting to be in Winnipeg and playing for the Bombers.

It was absolutely the money. It was Wade deciding we needed to bring the Manitoba boy home and paying him wht it took to make it happen.

[Pigskin]

It was absolutely the money. It was Wade deciding we needed to bring the Manitoba boy home and paying him wht it took to make it happen.

It wasn't the money, Nic has told me many times he was coming back to Winnipeg as soon as he was a FA. The money was the bonus. It's the same as BO20, he was never leaving Winnipeg in the off season.