2024/2025 Blue Bombers Off-Season Thread

[Tracker]

7 hours ago, rebusrankin said:

What does that look like, 15-20 reps? For that I'd argue you're better off using Schemekel, Sampson or a new draftee.

Per season, yes.

[ShyGuy]

9 hours ago, Goalie said:

Here’s the difference with bighill and Thomas. Bighill has been injured 2 years in a row, Thomas has not been hurt in 7 seasons. Theres the difference.  Do I think Thomas should be back? No I don’t. But the one thing he is, is healthy. Bighill is not. I’m assuming also but wouldn’t shock me if Thomas took a pay cut and Bighill was unwilling to do that. Based on the quotes I’d sounds like Bighill is unwilling to accept reality. 2 years in a row he got hurt. 

The best ability is availability

[Bigblue204]

Bighill signing here after coming back from the NFL was nothing short of HUGE! He's been nothing but an amazing leader on and off the field. His involvement in amateur football makes waves with kids everytime he's around. I can't thank that guy enough for his play. And his influence off the field will be felt for a long long time. Whether he realizes it or not.

"That's Adam Bighill" heard weekly at U of W by children being introduced to the sport. The guy is a legend.

[wbbfan]

35 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

Bighill signing here after coming back from the NFL was nothing short of HUGE! He's been nothing but an amazing leader on and off the field. His involvement in amateur football makes waves with kids everytime he's around. I can't thank that guy enough for his play. And his influence off the field will be felt for a long long time. Whether he realizes it or not.

"That's Adam Bighill" heard weekly at U of W by children being introduced to the sport. The guy is a legend.

Qft. Tremendous ambassador for the team, league and sport. Getting him was huge for us. Last hole  on the D filled by the best guy possible. 

[ddanger]

13 hours ago, Bigblue204 said:

Bighill signing here after coming back from the NFL was nothing short of HUGE! He's been nothing but an amazing leader on and off the field. His involvement in amateur football makes waves with kids everytime he's around. I can't thank that guy enough for his play. And his influence off the field will be felt for a long long time. Whether he realizes it or not.

"That's Adam Bighill" heard weekly at U of W by children being introduced to the sport. The guy is a legend.

Totally agree with this. Yes it's a loss to the team, but time marches on and it's caught up with him. CFL HOF is awaiting his arrival, and I hope it's in blue & gold. 

[rebusrankin]

Bighill was a great player for us. 

[HardCoreBlue]

On 2025-01-25 at 8:58 AM, Mike said:

I don’t love JT as a front line contributor but I think people dismissing him as reliable depth are off the mark. It needs to be that role for him, though.

If that's what highly skilled football people with minimal bias say then so be it I'm off the mark truly but to my untrained technical football eye, even when he's fresh off a rotation, it still feels we are playing with 11 players on the field, getting washed out consistently, no push with the odd tackle/pressure made but no consistency of play we expect with his reps. I think that's a reasonable request.

It feels like playing sports where you had to hide that one player in the starting roster with the goal of minimal negative impact. E.g., like shoving the worst player to right field in baseball but the good teams would still take advantage of it.

 

[MOBomberFan]

Someone on Reddit claiming Woli has been released by the Bombers, nothing on transactions page Google Twitter so on, but supposedly he talked about it in his Insta... I don't insta... anyone verify this or squash this please? He extended thru 2025 last off-season but spent a lot of time tubbing it

[MOBomberFan]

I want to know... if Clercius can play guitar...

 

Happy Trails Woogie

[bigg jay]

The club has confirmed the news. Some quotes from Walters in this article.

https://3downnation.com/2025/01/27/winnipeg-blue-bombers-release-veteran-receiver-drew-wolitarsky/

 

[Goalie]

5 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

The club has confirmed the news. Some quotes from Walters in this article.

https://3downnation.com/2025/01/27/winnipeg-blue-bombers-release-veteran-receiver-drew-wolitarsky/

 

Guess that bonus money cuz 110 per ain’t much. Best of luck. Prob means the end of Streveler also. 

Edited 11 hours ago by Goalie

[voodoochylde]

That's a damn shame as I loved Wolitarsky as a player and always felt he was misused in our offense over the year.  

Thank you for your years in Blue and Gold!

[Booch]

man....all i gotta say...Jake...vs Woli...who would you rather have?...and prob similar price points......we better have some insane Free Agency agenda as to me this off-season so far hasnt been overly positive with players...coaching...management

[MOBomberFan]

12 minutes ago, Booch said:

man....all i gotta say...Jake...vs Woli...who would you rather have?...and prob similar price points......we better have some insane Free Agency agenda as to me this off-season so far hasnt been overly positive with players...coaching...management

At receiver? Probably Woli. Jake is a little slow and I'm not sure what his hands are like, but he is at least a BIG target

 

Clercius brings a lot to the table in Wolis place. Question is does Clercius stay with the B&G if he proves himself better, and who is backing him up? FA and draft will be especially interesting this year

[rebusrankin]

I am shocked Woli is no longer in Blue and Gold.

I echo @Booch comment about keeping Woli over Jake. Seriously does Jake have pictures of Walters and a goat or something?

[MOBomberFan]

I'm curious where he lands. Surely he gets picked up by another team, he's only 29 and no slouch

[Mike]

I’m not sure if there’s a specific approach this off-season or what, I would think maybe there’s a clear process here moving on from players who we can’t trust to be in the lineup more often than they’re not but then we went ahead and signed Kyrie who is basically the poster child for absenteeism. 

[wpgallday1960]

11 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

I am shocked Woli is no longer in Blue and Gold.

I echo @Booch comment about keeping Woli over Jake. Seriously does Jake have pictures of Walters and a goat or something?

I had a bad feeling this might happen to Woli.  Clercius did well enough in subbing for him while injured to get that NAT WR position I guess.  Just guts me that Woli won’t be around.  One of my favourite BBs.

[Booch]

7 minutes ago, MOBomberFan said:

At receiver? Probably Woli. Jake is a little slow and I'm not sure what his hands are like, but he is at least a BIG target

 

Clercius brings a lot to the table in Wolis place. Question is does Clercius stay with the B&G if he proves himself better, and who is backing him up? FA and draft will be especially interesting this year

I meant for usefulness and ability on the roster...I have a lot of high expectations for Clercius...will be a gooder and the more reps the better he will be....but considering we do not need a Canadian DT for ratio....already had 3 signed.....and what Woli and that position brings to offence....makes zero sense...who is behind Clercius for depth??

Either a raw rookie....a free agent signing costing the same...or more....but who is behind Thomas...3 guys younger,...better....2 are cheaper...and all 3 have experience tho Samson's is minimal but still...knows the system

7 minutes ago, Mike said:

I’m not sure if there’s a specific approach this off-season or what, I would think maybe there’s a clear process here moving on from players who we can’t trust to be in the lineup more often than they’re not but then we went ahead and signed Kyrie who is basically the poster child for absenteeism. 

yeah...seems like no real rhyme or reason...Unless we get blown away with drunken sailor spending in free agency...which I highly doubt

13 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

I am shocked Woli is no longer in Blue and Gold.

I echo @Booch comment about keeping Woli over Jake. Seriously does Jake have pictures of Walters and a goat or something?

who knows....but we could have left him to dangle in the wind in FA agency and signed him after if we felt the need...and prob for less.....as I sure the door wouldn't have been beaten doen to scoop him up ...wasnt last time we decided to not sign him...then did after thefact anyway

[Noeller]

Dom Wooganowski.... Not getting to play in the home GC. That's definitely a surprise. I remember a quote from him saying that if he's not playing in Winnipeg, he doesn't want to play at all. We'll see if that holds true. Also agree that no Woogie likely means no Strev. 

[Super Duper Negatron]

Releasing Woli, who we missed dearly when he was out, freaking sucks. 

[Bigblue204]

I remember hearing he was considering retirement after the last GC win. So maybe he just hangs em up.

I can kind of see the reasoning behind this. But it also must mean they're targeting a cnd on Offense via FA right? 

[JuranBoldenRules]

Not a fan of this move.  A lot like the Janarion Grant issue last off-season.

If you're all in to win in 2025 you can pay a guy like Wolitarsky that salary no problem.

One of the biggest issues with the offense IMO without Wolitarsky and Schoen was that it lacked big and reliable targets.  Collaros had to be damn near perfect to put the ball right on guys because we had a bunch of 6' under guys running around with Lawler or a guy like Wheatfall who had no clue what do to unless he was running right down the rail in man coverage.  The reliability piece, the understanding what the defense is giving and where to be.  How to get 2 yards after the catch instead of trying to race 3 guys to the sideline and losing 2 yards in the process, how to keep the sticks moving.

Another piece to this is that it basically locks in that we have to start 3 Canadian OL.  And at the moment we have two Canadian OL who have even been average CFL starters.  If you're all in to win this year, you've kneecapped yourself.

[Goalie]

Surely there’s a method to all the madness. Just gotta trust the process. 

[HardCoreBlue]

28 minutes ago, Mike said:

I’m not sure if there’s a specific approach this off-season or what, I would think maybe there’s a clear process here moving on from players who we can’t trust to be in the lineup more often than they’re not but then we went ahead and signed Kyrie who is basically the poster child for absenteeism. 

Fair and also need to move on from players (e.g., JT) who we can't trust to be consistent with their play on the field.