DB Controversy?

[Blue In BC]

I wouldn't be surprised if Vaval asked for $150k on his next contract, if only for his return work, being a returner is now a full time and dangerous job worthy enough of investing in. Agree, he looks like he could establish himself as a DB as well but he's more valuable to the team as a returner.  Perhaps he'll dictate his own position when his ELC expires, but for now I expect he'll continue as an emergency back up.  Shuffling the secondary too much comes with the risk of increasing confusion and mixups, so they'll want to keep that to a minimum if they decide to go with Texada instead.

Vaval will get more money that's for sure. I'm more concerned about whether he gets any NFL interest. We'll make him a fair off but I'm not sure how much that will be.

I don't agree that he might not be more valuable as a top level CB than as a returner or that he can't do both.

[Jesse]

I wouldn't be surprised if Vaval asked for $150k on his next contract, if only for his return work, being a returner is now a full time and dangerous job worthy enough of investing in. Agree, he looks like he could establish himself as a DB as well but he's more valuable to the team as a returner.  Perhaps he'll dictate his own position when his ELC expires, but for now I expect he'll continue as an emergency back up.  Shuffling the secondary too much comes with the risk of increasing confusion and mixups, so they'll want to keep that to a minimum if they decide to go with Texada instead.

Ya'll need to wrap your heads around the salary cap these days. $150k is nothing.

[Jesse]

Kevin Fogg for awhile.

I actually forgot about my 2nd favourite player of all time: Jovon Johnson. 2011 MODP while being our punt returner and taking missed FG.

[Blueforlife]

Vaval is a top returner and I would prefer to sprinkle him on D.  I would pay him more than $150 if he wanted it.  Worth locking him down.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Vaval will get more money that's for sure. I'm more concerned about whether he gets any NFL interest. We'll make him a fair off but I'm not sure how much that will be.

I don't agree that he might not be more valuable as a top level CB than as a returner or that he can't do both.

Vaval had workouts with 6 NFL teams last off-season and is currently signed with the Bombers through 2027, maybe at his original ELC rate which would be blatantly unfair considering the awards he won last season. I'm sure just as many NFL teams will come calling again after this season, if I was him I'd pull a Pokey and renegotiate my contract at the end of his second year, if he truly has no intention of taking another shot at the NFL.   

[Tecno]

It seems like the top guys are the ones who are pressed into double duty, actually. Teams don't want to waste their top talent.

Chad Owens and Chris Williams come to mind.

Ya but Owens was getting hurt a lot. And that's going back a ways. Williams is more recent. He'd be a better example, but didn't he get hurt then leave for NFL?

The key to these guys being great is don't get injured.

Ya, fogg too. But he was never a top 3. And he got hurt a lot too!

[Tecno]

Vaval is a top returner and I would prefer to sprinkle him on D.  I would pay him more than $150 if he wanted it.  Worth locking him down.

Well, it was never that we didn't want to pay grant, it's that we couldn't find him and didn't want to play chase and babysitter like pinball did.

Since vaval isn't a flake, I have no doubt we'll re sign him and pay him a fair rate. And I'm not concerned about vaval leaving for a few bucks more.

[bomberjunkie]

In terms of playing Vaval in the D and returning, I'd take a guess there's a strategy where he takes less 2nd and long reps than the typical CB so that he can catch his breath.

[bomberjunkie]

The battle isn't between Nichols and Vaval. It is between Nichols and Williams.

[Blue In BC]

Ottawa uses Pimpleton as a returner and receiver consistently. That's another current example.

[Jesse]

Ottawa uses Pimpleton as a returner and receiver consistently. That's another current example.

Not that we want to follow Ottawas example.

But I think the takeaway that there's aren't any hard and fast rules, it just depends on the player. We tried to make Grant a part of the offence - he certainly wanted to be more than "just" a returner - but he wasn't very effective.

Vaval seems to be a promising corner and we need help in our secondary. I think that's the answer.

[Tecno]

In terms of playing Vaval in the D and returning, I'd take a guess there's a strategy where he takes less 2nd and long reps than the typical CB so that he can catch his breath.

And I think we might have done that a bit? However, from an injury standpoint I'd rather he play passing downs, not first downs. First downs is where smaller DBs get blown up by big rbs or ol. That's where they get injured.

As for staying fresh... Hard to do unless you can predict when the opponents drive is about to stall and take him out that one 3 down sequence.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Well, it was never that we didn't want to pay grant, it's that we couldn't find him and didn't want to play chase and babysitter like pinball did.

Since vaval isn't a flake, I have no doubt we'll re sign him and pay him a fair rate. And I'm not concerned about vaval leaving for a few bucks more.

Special Teamers are like being members of the Orc Army in the CFL, they do dirty things and don't get paid all that well. Currently Sergio is the highest paid kicker at $140k and Pimpleton is the highest paid returner at $135k, Grant find himself at #5 at $120k, imagine what the Bombers were offering him 3 years ago?  Vaval came in at $95k which put him at #8, 2 spots behind Peyton Logan who is now unemployed.

That's why I believe Vaval is set to become the highest paid ST'er in the league, as a young game changing offensive weapon that provides great field position, he's well worth a large investment North of $150k.  If he has a smart agent he'll push him forward as a DB to extend his career but it would take longer to ascend that ladder as $150k bypasses many of the current  players on defence that have been toiling for years, Tony Jones for example. I believe this is also the first year Holm, Nichols and Kramdi passed the $150k barrier.

[dd]

$95k for Vaval is a crime, we'd better extend him asap and compensate accordingly or we're going to have another Janarian Grant walking away from us bitter he got ripped off and rightfully so. He is MASSIVELY important to our offense in that he gives them good field position pretty much every punt. You can't nickel-dime this guy, and to think we are paying both Holm and Vaval combined less than Brady, freaks me out. I'd be pissed if I was those guys as there is massive inequity going on.