2024/2025 Blue Bombers Off-Season Thread

[wbbfan]

9 hours ago, Sard said:

True enough, but hindsight tells us that now.  To say that 90K would have made it a worthwhile gamble, if he had been injured again, the same bellyaching would be happening regarding other aging vets that need to be let go so that their replacement can be found.  Are there others who should have been let go at the same time, sure, but that's easier to say now than it was 10-12 months ago.

Probably, but the mafia seem to have no issues ignoring the out side complaints. 
 I think you still bring in a big crop of kids to push and compete with grant. I mean he didn’t make much more than vet min. The rookie min is 70k, iirc the vet min is 85k. And the average starter salary is well over 100. So we might’ve saved 15k for half the year then between 5k and none on lucky the other half. 
 It’s understandable to go young and for a healthy guy, but financially that’s a bad gamble. At that point I think we should’ve gone after atleast a decent league vet. 
 

A guy like leake would be good this year. 26, good size, very good returner, very good rb and pass catcher. He could do a lot of the sweep stuff we used to do with Demski. 

[GCn20]

Janarion was moving on. We needed cap room to keep Lawler/Schoen in the fold.  The choice to bring back Schoen was the right one even though it didn't work out.

[Booch]

11 hours ago, wbbfan said:

You’re right in that it was an understandable decision in terms of health. I think at 90k though, it would’ve been a fine gamble to take. 
 The real problem is we dumped some young guys, ran through some guys who couldn’t do the job then settled on lucky who was all the down side of grant with none of the upside for probably the same money. 

why didnt they do the same then with Biggie..BA,...Wilson...3 higher priced guys who also missed significant time too...and were also in decline...Grant wasnt

10 hours ago, Sard said:

True enough, but hindsight tells us that now.  To say that 90K would have made it a worthwhile gamble, if he had been injured again, the same bellyaching would be happening regarding other aging vets that need to be let go so that their replacement can be found.  Are there others who should have been let go at the same time, sure, but that's easier to say now than it was 10-12 months ago.

see Biggie...BA...Wilson.....same situ....but they in the "club"

9 hours ago, sweep the leg said:

Imo all three guys we used were fairly interchangeable, but I think Kase looked the most natural doing it. It never felt like he was going to break a big one, but I was also never scared he’d cough it up. 

Smith looked head and shoulders above them all....plus he would have been a nice piece to the offence

Case showed nothing really...just another small framed receiver we didnt need....didnt hit any hole or seam hard....was run of mill

[Booch]

53 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Janarion was moving on. We needed cap room to keep Lawler/Schoen in the fold.  The choice to bring back Schoen was the right one even though it didn't work out.

hence....pooching Thomas and his Canadian vet salary would have been the prudent move, as going into camp we already had Schmeck and I sure they new they were taking a DT in drat on rookie deals...as well as Lawson....and a Canadian DT was not a ratio need....and really....is he the future here and a giy you would look to 2025 run as being key?....definitely not.....

[wbbfan]

1 hour ago, GCn20 said:

Janarion was moving on. We needed cap room to keep Lawler/Schoen in the fold.  The choice to bring back Schoen was the right one even though it didn't work out.

That’s opposite of every thing that’s come out from then till now with respect to him wanting to move on. 
 And again, we saved maybe 15% of a rookie base contract in moving on from grant. That money had zero impact on the cap hit from any of the big guys we resigned. Augustine made a good chunk more than grant last year. Feltmate at worst made almost what grant did. 
 

34 minutes ago, Booch said:

why didnt they do the same then with Biggie..BA,...Wilson...3 higher priced guys who also missed significant time too...and were also in decline...Grant wasnt

see Biggie...BA...Wilson.....same situ....but they in the "club"

Smith looked head and shoulders above them all....plus he would have been a nice piece to the offence

Case showed nothing really...just another small framed receiver we didnt need....didnt hit any hole or seam hard....was run of mill

they hard balled grant twice before in free agency. Which they haven’t really done with any one else. I suspect he just wasn’t a mafia guy. His disappearing act in the off season and unlicensed agent may have put Walters off. 
 The selection process to join the old boys club with mos is an odd one. I don’t think any one else will ever understand it, unless you come with service history. 

[sweep the leg]

44 minutes ago, Booch said:

 

Smith looked head and shoulders above them all....plus he would have been a nice piece to the offence

Case showed nothing really...just another small framed receiver we didnt need....didnt hit any hole or seam hard....was run of mill

All three were run of the mill. If I had to bring one back it would be Smith, but I’m hoping they find somebody better.

[sweep the leg]

2 hours ago, wbbfan said:

A guy like leake would be good this year. 26, good size, very good returner, very good rb and pass catcher. He could do a lot of the sweep stuff we used to do with Demski. 

He would be, but I wonder what kind of offers he gets. I feel like some teams will see him as a starter and pay him accordingly. 

[wbbfan]

28 minutes ago, sweep the leg said:

He would be, but I wonder what kind of offers he gets. I feel like some teams will see him as a starter and pay him accordingly. 

Very well could be.  In this case, I wouldn’t mind paying him 125k or a bit more if we actually use him as a change of pace back, rotational wr/package guy, obviously depth at rb and wr and of course kr. 

[Booch]

Leake here at a 125k price would be invaluable...fills multiple roles (Returner...rb....slot receiver) is just hitting his prime and prob still has upside over what he has already shown....One DA spot on roster filling multiple positions allowing you to get best bag for buck and in effect deepens the rest of roster with ability for more versatility and  much more positional coverage if rostered correctly

[wbbfan]

5 minutes ago, Booch said:

Leake here at a 125k price would be invaluable...fills multiple roles (Returner...rb....slot receiver) is just hitting his prime and prob still has upside over what he has already shown....One DA spot on roster filling multiple positions allowing you to get best bag for buck and in effect deepens the rest of roster with ability for more versatility and  much more positional coverage if rostered correctly

Yup. Also insulates us moving on from JA for mci. So it doesn’t even end up being that expensive. 

[rebusrankin]

Leake as our returner/wr/rb would be a great add.

[Goalie]

Put me on the Leake train. Versatility is important. However, even though I just bought a ticket I feel this train ain’t ever leaving the station. Not happening. Hope. But the magic 8 ball says… ask me again later. WTF. 

[bigg jay]

https://www.bluebombers.com/2024/11/21/blue-bombers-re-sign-kicker-sergio-castillo

1 year deal for Sergio.

[Goalie]

5 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

https://www.bluebombers.com/2024/11/21/blue-bombers-re-sign-kicker-sergio-castillo

1 year deal for Sergio.

That’s fine. Obviously didn’t break the bank here. Please no Jake tho. 

[Booch]

3 minutes ago, Goalie said:

That’s fine. Obviously didn’t break the bank here. Please no Jake tho. 

give him all 3 jobs....he can punt more than adequately....Use that Global spot on Punter guy with a defensive piece

[rebusrankin]

I like Sergio but hope we didn't break the bank. Under 80% for a kicker is not acceptable in 2024.

[Booch]

2 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

I like Sergio but hope we didn't break the bank. Under 80% for a kicker is not acceptable in 2024.

i wish we would have used that DA spot elsewhere....if we can let him punt then possibly we can use the Global sot on a guy who can be used in defensive rotation,

[Arnold_Palmer]

2 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

I like Sergio but hope we didn't break the bank. Under 80% for a kicker is not acceptable in 2024.

I’ll give him a little grace. 11, 50 yard field goals, 2 from 60 plus, he had a bad night with the chipped footballs and was pretty much our only source of points when we offense was struggling in the first half of the season. 

[Booch]

Just now, Arnold_Palmer said:

I’ll give him a little grace. 11, 50 yard field goals, 2 from 60 plus, he had a bad night with the chipped footballs and was pretty much our only source of points when we offense was struggling in the first half of the season. 

his avg miss too was from distance as well wasnt it?

[Doublezero]

14 hours ago, Sard said:

I've seen a number of people comment about how letting Janarion Grant go was a huge mistake.  It's easy to say that in hindsight now, but with the injuries he had suffered and basically being out for half of the season last year (and possibly the year before as well), the team made the decision that it was time to move on from him, just like they did with Jackson Jeffcoat.  At the time that the decision was made, it made sense to go that way, so griping about it now is just sour grapes.  The fact that they weren't able to find a decent replacement is a totally different issue.

Grant is the best kick returner in the CFL, bar none, and current Special Teams MOP. You have to remember how he injured his ankle in 2023. It was on a stupid play call by Buck Pierce where Grant was inserted into the offence to run a dive play up the gut into close-chaotic heavy traffic. You don't do that with your key return man. Chances of getting him nicked are high. Look at the way Grant was used by Dinwiddie in Argos offence - sparingly, but more often and creatively than Buck did - and certainly never on a play designed more for a Brady Oliveira body-type than Janarion.

[wbbfan]

31 minutes ago, Goalie said:

Put me on the Leake train. Versatility is important. However, even though I just bought a ticket I feel this train ain’t ever leaving the station. Not happening. Hope. But the magic 8 ball says… ask me again later. WTF. 

I honestly don’t know what to expect from us in free agency. I also think buck leaving would create opportunity to see more moves like this as the new oc will have some input. 

 

9 minutes ago, Booch said:

i wish we would have used that DA spot elsewhere....if we can let him punt then possibly we can use the Global sot on a guy who can be used in defensive rotation,

Yeah that’d be ideal. But maybe we can bring in a Canadian to train up under Sergio. I really wish we’d have him punt, he’s a better punter than the aussy. 

[17to85]

50 minutes ago, Booch said:

give him all 3 jobs....he can punt more than adequately....Use that Global spot on Punter guy with a defensive piece

Sergio is a way better punter than the dipshit they used the last couple years. I just want a guy that can at some point boom one and flip the field when needed.

[GCn20]

3 hours ago, Booch said:

hence....pooching Thomas and his Canadian vet salary would have been the prudent move, as going into camp we already had Schmeck and I sure they new they were taking a DT in drat on rookie deals...as well as Lawson....and a Canadian DT was not a ratio need....and really....is he the future here and a giy you would look to 2025 run as being key?....definitely not.....

We could pick a half dozen guys that would have made more sense to move on from to keep Janarion in retrospect. However, at the time the decision was made I can understand it. I don't agree with it...but I get it. He was coming off back to back years of serious injuries, and had been non-commital about returning. Only so long you can wait for a guy to answer his phone in a year where dollars were super tight. There has been no bigger fan boy of Janarion on this forum than me, and at the time I wasn't all that surprised or upset that we didn't re-sign him. I thought it was a mistake, but I also truth be told did not see him returning to his old self either.

Edited 5 hours ago by GCn20

[Mark H.]

I think some of you are underrating Castillo's contributions. I don't think they finish first without him.

[HardCoreBlue]

2 hours ago, 17to85 said:

Sergio is a way better punter than the dipshit they used the last couple years. I just want a guy that can at some point boom one and flip the field when needed.

Your last sentence imo is a reasonable expectation especially with all the tools available to athletes these days.

Edited 3 hours ago by HardCoreBlue