2024/2025 Blue Bombers Off-Season Thread

[SpeedFlex27]

Just now, JuranBoldenRules said:

The Canadian OL who were up for grabs...yes.

Again, every free agent hasn't any idea where they're going until they get an offer they accept. You're putting the cart before the horse.

[JuranBoldenRules]

1 minute ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Again, every free agent hasn't any idea where they're going until they get an offer they accept. You're putting the cart before the horse.

I don't know what your point is.

Basically every starting quality Canadian OL in this league is retained unless they are trying to play in a certain market.  There was not a single impactful Canadian OL available in free agency this year.

[Booch]

21 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

I don't know what your point is.

Basically every starting quality Canadian OL in this league is retained unless they are trying to play in a certain market.  There was not a single impactful Canadian OL available in free agency this year.

There were several tho who were better than kolo...

[17to85]

8 minutes ago, Booch said:

There were several tho who were better than kolo...

Low bar

[Goalie]

150k for McKewan probably means Sask was his only offer. 
 

160 for Campbell to me seems like a serious overpay. 
 

last game the riders played they got smoked by the bombers in the western final. Perhaps a little less praising the riders. To me praising the riders makes you a rider prider and that’s the worst insult on the planet. 
 

that’s great that 3dwn and others are jacking off the off season champs, that means they gonna suck cuz whoever 3dwn verbally jerks off never wins. Call it the tsn maple leaf effect. The riders are the leafs of the CFL, media loves them but they don’t win. Riders have 3 cups on their history and 10000 ppl per game dressing as green seats. I don’t get the love affair there. They aren’t good. They don’t win and in their history don’t win. Like the leafs last winning a cup in the original 6 era, don’t get the hype but please hype away cuz hype always means they gonna suck and the riders will suck again. 

Edited Saturday at 09:55 PM by Goalie

[Colin Unger]

Did something happen with McEwen.  Calgary didn't even offer him close to 150k?  He was a perennial all-star until recently and is only 31. 

[Mike]

30 minutes ago, Colin Unger said:

Did something happen with McEwen.  Calgary didn't even offer him close to 150k?  He was a perennial all-star until recently and is only 31. 

He’s not exactly playing at an elite level anymore 

[Booch]

4 hours ago, 17to85 said:

Low bar

Still better...which makes us better

[wbbfan]

4 hours ago, Booch said:

There were several tho who were better than kolo...

Im pretty sure kolo is a top 25 centre in the league. Might not be top 20 though. 

[Mark H.]

13 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

Im pretty sure kolo is a top 25 centre in the league. Might not be top 20 though. 

It's about bloody time the guy gets some credit.

[Pete]

2 hours ago, Colin Unger said:

Did something happen with McEwen.  Calgary didn't even offer him close to 150k?  He was a perennial all-star until recently and is only 31. 

Dickenson is making a lot of strange choices especially regarding his vets, it feels like he really wants to change up the core of a dressingroom thats had its issues.

Rose, Vaughters, Awe, and now McEwen. Add that to how hard it is for them to attract agents given their nonplayoff chances, and the reputation the team now has for poor facilities, treatment, and poor attendance and its not pretty. 

[SpeedFlex27]

12 hours ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

I don't know what your point is.

Basically every starting quality Canadian OL in this league is retained unless they are trying to play in a certain market.  There was not a single impactful Canadian OL available in free agency this year.

Again, I don't know your point, either. Players go where the money is. All positions. Players do leave teams they like to play for & would stay but another team offered more. So they left. 

[Mike]

6 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Again, I don't know your point, either. Players go where the money is. All positions. Players do leave teams they like to play for & would stay but another team offered more. So they left. 

His point is that free agency, in most cases, isn’t an open market. Most of these “free agents” already had pre-determined destinations and in the case of Canadian OL, most teams won’t let theirs go unless they are being told they’re hitting the market for a purpose.

[Goalie]

2 hours ago, Mike said:

His point is that free agency, in most cases, isn’t an open market. Most of these “free agents” already had pre-determined destinations and in the case of Canadian OL, most teams won’t let theirs go unless they are being told they’re hitting the market for a purpose.

Most appear to “go home “ if they make it to market. And in that case, I guess Winnipeg and Manitoba needs to produce more OL. Not lots of homegrown Manitoba hogs in the league. There’s a couple but not many really. Zach Williams in Calgary is one but he signed an extension there. He’d have replaced Dobson nicely but didn’t make it to free agency. 

Edited 8 hours ago by Goalie

[M.O.A.B.]

17 hours ago, Booch said:

Still better...which makes us better

For starting Kolo, how much of it is O'Shea and how much of it is Costelo (he's the OL cioach after all) ? 

[M.O.A.B.]

OL Dakoda Shepley is a free-agent isn't he? Or did he retire already? 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by M.O.A.B.

[Booch]

15 minutes ago, M.O.A.B. said:

For starting Kolo, how much of it is O'Shea and how much of it is Costelo (he's the OL cioach after all) ? 

Hc decides roster...and who plays and who coaches get as clay to mould

[Noeller]

1 hour ago, M.O.A.B. said:

For starting Kolo, how much of it is O'Shea and how much of it is Costelo (he's the OL cioach after all) ? 

Some can't make up their mind who's to blame and when (except MOS to blame for everything bad). But Costello gets credit for being the best OL coach in the league.

From everything that's revealed publicly, we can determine that most decisions are made as a group. MOS, Walters and Miller oversee things as a group. The offense is worked on as a group with the QB Room all having input (based on what we've seen/heard publicly).

So I'm inclined to believe that the OL decisions are decided as a group as well. And if Costello is really believed to be the best OL coach in the league, I have a hard time believing MOS, the former LB and STer, is making unilateral overarching decisions regarding the OL. 

[SpeedFlex27]

8 hours ago, Mike said:

His point is that free agency, in most cases, isn’t an open market. Most of these “free agents” already had pre-determined destinations and in the case of Canadian OL, most teams won’t let theirs go unless they are being told they’re hitting the market for a purpose.

Just trying to draw out talking points with Goalie my point is, maybe there are pending free agents who have decided that when their contract is up that they want to leave. That happens with all teams.

However, not everyone wants to leave. They want to see what Walters & Osh think their financial worth is before they make a decision to stay or go. At the same time, not all free agents can "go home" in a small 9 team league due to roster restrictions & who is already playing their position on their Destination Team of choice. If an all star is already there under contract or the contract being offered elsewhere isn't up to the player's expectations then it's on to Plan B to go play somewhere else or stay here. 

Other than Ontario, where three CFL teams are, where players can still sign close to home on another team, they don't always have the choice to just leave to go play at home. But they will leave, if they feel that they aren't appreciated. You have to wonder why players are leaving the Bombers when the team in Winnipeg is obviously Number One, Even ahead of the NHL Jets,. A city where players are recognized, respected & loved by the fans & media. As well as playing in a sold out 33,000 seat crazy loud stadium.

For the CFL, it doesn't get any better than that. So, where's the disconnect? Why are players leaving when they already have it as good as it's gonna get for a CFL team? You'd think that most would want to stay. When Saskatchewan can retain it's players & attract free agents from elsewhere then why can't we? Why would any player want to go from playing in a place like Winnipeg to some place in the wilderness called Calgary? A city that could care less about the CFL & playing in front of 15,000 people at the mausoleum called McMahon Stadium..

The concerning part for me is that despite all the Bombers have to offer free agents from other teams. they aren't flocking here to sign, either. We aren't a Destination Team anymore. What's changed? 

Edited 1 hour ago by SpeedFlex27

[SpeedFlex27]

47 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Some can't make up their mind who's to blame and when (except MOS to blame for everything bad). But Costello gets credit for being the best OL coach in the league.

From everything that's revealed publicly, we can determine that most decisions are made as a group. MOS, Walters and Miller oversee things as a group. The offense is worked on as a group with the QB Room all having input (based on what we've seen/heard publicly).

So I'm inclined to believe that the OL decisions are decided as a group as well. And if Costello is really believed to be the best OL coach in the league, I have a hard time believing MOS, the former LB and STer, is making unilateral overarching decisions regarding the OL. 

I believe you are right about that. Evaluations are done as a group. However, Head Coaches have final say on personnel. It's not a democracy. 

[wbbfan]

2 hours ago, M.O.A.B. said:

For starting Kolo, how much of it is O'Shea and how much of it is Costelo (he's the OL cioach after all) ? 

Costello has seen a massive revolving door of Canadians to work with. I don’t think he gets much say. 
 

37 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

I believe you are right about that. Evaluations are done as a group. However, Head Coaches have final say on personnel. It's not a democracy. 

it’s an interesting point to consider. Imo, clearly Walters has stepped in at times. Jackson not coming back, and biggie as well. If it was up to mos I think both would still be here and penciled on the ar. 
 

I think the default is mos having final say over who plays and walters on who comes/goes. I’m sure every one has some manner of input, but I think that’s how it boils down. 

[Pete]

53 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

 

The concerning part for me is that despite all the Bombers have to offer free agents from other teams. they aren't flocking here to sign, either. We aren't a Destination Team anymore. What's changed? 

the main thing that's changed is that with success players want to be rewarded (rightly so), and in order to retain core pieces that means that there is less available to attract free agents. While if it's a difference of 20k, culture , fans etc may be a deciding factor we haven't been able to come close to offering the "name" free agents what other teams do.  With the relatively short careers players have to chase the $.

  Whether that's on Walters , or a lack of opportunity or on having so much tied into Collaros and Olivera I don't know. Ly we had to move a lot of depth to keep Schoen , Lawler and and Olivera. This year again in order to sign players that we think will help us along with retaining Holm we've again let go more depth such as Woli. Alexander etc.

[bigg jay]

2 hours ago, M.O.A.B. said:

OL Dakoda Shepley is a free-agent isn't he? Or did he retire already? 

 

Just finished the last season on the Cowboys PR so not retired.

[M.O.A.B.]

5 hours ago, Booch said:

Hc decides roster...and who plays and who coaches get as clay to mould

I really had a hard time believing that 

[Tracker]

2 hours ago, bigg jay said:

Just finished the last season on the Cowboys PR so not retired.

He would be a nice pickup if he becomes available.