2024/2025 Blue Bombers Off-Season Thread

[wbbfan]

1 hour ago, Goalie said:

Would the bombers be dumb enough to go in to free agency without naming their coaching staff yet? Does that matter to a player. Could that be a hold up here with some of the o players like a Kenny lawler. Or is that just all cash. 

Not just that. But not having any one in Teds Ast Gm spot. I really hope not, but I kind of worry we will. It's a big off season litmus test imo. How well and prudently we will the OC and front office spot. The rest of the coaching staff could be rounded out later. And the front office spot doesn't need to be an ast gm, but we need some one in that role. FA and the majority of rookie signings is a ton of work for the front office. We need all hands on deck. 

 

3 minutes ago, Booch said:

Jim Jauch, Eric Deslauriers and Brock Sunderland will be added to scouting staff...3 to replace 1 guy seems a bit odd but can never have enough scouts

https://3downnation.com/2025/01/10/hamilton-tiger-cats-add-three-to-front-office-staff/

We just lost Cyril Penn to hamilton. Ted scooped him to be the new director of player personnel. That hurts. He has huge upside. 

[Arnold_Palmer]

29 minutes ago, Booch said:

Jim Jauch, Eric Deslauriers and Brock Sunderland will be added to scouting staff...3 to replace 1 guy seems a bit odd but can never have enough scouts

Awesome! I like this move a lot. 

[Doublezero]

Just noticed: 

Jake Dolegala 

Height:	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:	242 lb (110 kg)

Willie Jefferson

Height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 cm)
Weight	: 245 lb (111 kg)

Bookends!

[wbbfan]

Jauch is a massive score. Very happy with that pick up. Deslauriers is a sneaky good pick up. Im expecting he will lead the canadian scouting. Sunderland is a kind of polarizing guy, thats a big surprise to me. Edit, All 3 get the title of Senior Director of Player Personnel. 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by wbbfan

[GCn20]

17 hours ago, Booch said:

Nope...early cut if he even makes main camp...he's a nickle a dozen in the meat grinder

Schoen has the testing numbers...but in the NFL he had 2 strikes originally...walk on...Un drafted...then added his 3rd strike being a CFL invite..just way nfl works

 

Yup...they will likely draft 2 guys better...plus any free agent pickup...I bet he doesn't last in main camp long if he even makes it to camp

Wilson, may reward us with loyalty for releasing him early.

[GCn20]

8 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

Jauch is a massive score. Very happy with that pick up. Deslauriers is a sneaky good pick up. Im expecting he will lead the canadian scouting. Sunderland is a kind of polarizing guy, thats a big surprise to me. Edit, All 3 get the title of Senior Director of Player Personnel. 

 

I am assuming Penn is not the last casualty here. We have hired 3 to replace 2. Not something regularly done in the Operations Cap era. I sure hope we aren't losing McManus as well.

[Mike]

I really wanted Deslauriers to join our staff 

11 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Wilson, may reward us with loyalty for releasing him early.

We didn’t release him early

[wbbfan]

3 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

I am assuming Penn is not the last casualty here. We have hired 3 to replace 2. Not something regularly done in the Operations Cap era. I sure hope we aren't losing McManus as well.

I could see that being the case for sure. The only way I could see us going 3 for 2 is if all 3 of these guys are cheap, since it is likely ted was expensive and penn middle up for sure. I really can't imagine it being Cameron, or Gulakow on the way out. With hamilton shoring up their front office, I tend to think Mac won't be out bound. An odd and un predictable off season that is for sure. 

[bigg jay]

6 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

I am assuming Penn is not the last casualty here. We have hired 3 to replace 2. Not something regularly done in the Operations Cap era. I sure hope we aren't losing McManus as well.

The Bombers article specifically mentions that the new guys will be working with McManus so it looks like he's staying put.

[wbbfan]

1 minute ago, Mike said:

I really wanted Deslauriers to join our staff 

We didn’t release him early

Love that pick up. He had his hand in soo many different areas of the Als football ops pie over the years. I'm pretty surprised he is parting ways after having been there as a player and front office type since 07. 

[rebusrankin]

Deslauriers is a really strong Canadian scout correct? What is Jauch's background?

[Booch]

1 hour ago, wbbfan said:

Not just that. But not having any one in Teds Ast Gm spot. I really hope not, but I kind of worry we will. It's a big off season litmus test imo. How well and prudently we will the OC and front office spot. The rest of the coaching staff could be rounded out later. And the front office spot doesn't need to be an ast gm, but we need some one in that role. FA and the majority of rookie signings is a ton of work for the front office. We need all hands on deck. 

 

https://3downnation.com/2025/01/10/hamilton-tiger-cats-add-three-to-front-office-staff/

We just lost Cyril Penn to hamilton. Ted scooped him to be the new director of player personnel. That hurts. He has huge upside. 

ahhh.....did not know that...was an up and comer

 

25 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

Jauch is a massive score. Very happy with that pick up. Deslauriers is a sneaky good pick up. Im expecting he will lead the canadian scouting. Sunderland is a kind of polarizing guy, thats a big surprise to me. Edit, All 3 get the title of Senior Director of Player Personnel. 

 

Yeah Jauch is a good score and the other guys have league familiarity and connections...which wont hurt

22 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Wilson, may reward us with loyalty for releasing him early.

we released him early..as in a yr early......we did him a solid and if he fails he still belongs to us....so win win.....

[bigg jay]

7 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Deslauriers is a really strong Canadian scout correct? What is Jauch's background?

Jauch joins the Blue Bombers after spending the last three years with the B.C. Lions as their Director of U.S. Scouting. Jauch is the son of former Blue Bombers player and head coach Ray Jauch (1978-82 as head coach) and played five years in the CFL with Calgary (1989), Edmonton (1990-91) and Hamilton (1992-93) where he also played with his brother Joey.

 After his playing days Jauch became a college scout with the San Diego Chargers in 1994, joining the Cleveland Browns in 2006, where he was then promoted to Associate Director of College and Pro Scouting, a position he held until 2010. Jauch returned to the Chargers and worked with them from 2010-14 before joining the New York Jets as a National Scout until 2018. He then returned to Canada to become the Director of Pro Scouting with the Toronto Argonauts before heading to B.C.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2025/01/10/blue-bombers-add-trio-to-scouting-staff/

[Booch]

10 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

The Bombers article specifically mentions that the new guys will be working with McManus so it looks like he's staying put.

yeah will be a 4 man crew as opposed to 3....I didnt realize Penn was gone so thought we were rolling with 5

That being said I would have preferred an O.C announcement....as it will have some bearings on potential player signings....re-ups and new

1 minute ago, bigg jay said:

Jauch joins the Blue Bombers after spending the last three years with the B.C. Lions as their Director of U.S. Scouting. Jauch is the son of former Blue Bombers player and head coach Ray Jauch (1978-82 as head coach) and played five years in the CFL with Calgary (1989), Edmonton (1990-91) and Hamilton (1992-93) where he also played with his brother Joey.

 After his playing days Jauch became a college scout with the San Diego Chargers in 1994, joining the Cleveland Browns in 2006, where he was then promoted to Associate Director of College and Pro Scouting, a position he held until 2010. Jauch returned to the Chargers and worked with them from 2010-14 before joining the New York Jets as a National Scout until 2018. He then returned to Canada to become the Director of Pro Scouting with the Toronto Argonauts before heading to B.C.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2025/01/10/blue-bombers-add-trio-to-scouting-staff/

yeah...he is very well connected and will benefit us big time

[wbbfan]

7 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Deslauriers is a really strong Canadian scout correct? What is Jauch's background?

Correct. He's done a bit of every thing else with them as well. 

"Jauch joins the Blue Bombers after spending the last three years with the B.C. Lions as their Director of U.S. Scouting. Jauch is the son of former Blue Bombers player and head coach Ray Jauch (1978-82 as head coach) and played five years in the CFL with Calgary (1989), Edmonton (1990-91) and Hamilton (1992-93) where he also played with his brother Joey.

 After his playing days Jauch became a college scout with the San Diego Chargers in 1994, joining the Cleveland Browns in 2006, where he was then promoted to Associate Director of College and Pro Scouting, a position he held until 2010. Jauch returned to the Chargers and worked with them from 2010-14 before joining the New York Jets as a National Scout until 2018. He then returned to Canada to become the Director of Pro Scouting with the Toronto Argonauts before heading to B.C."

2 minutes ago, Booch said:

ahhh.....did not know that...was an up and comer

 

Yeah Jauch is a good score and the other guys have league familiarity and connections...which wont hurt

we released him early..as in a yr early......we did him a solid and if he fails he still belongs to us....so win win.....

Yep. In the end they did an excellent job for having to end up filling the boots of both Ted and Cyril. And I'm very happy for both ted and cyril getting great steps up in their career. Cyril is going to be a GM in a couple years if he wants it. 

All guys with high level experience as well. Gives us great flexibility moving forward. 

[bigg jay]

1 minute ago, Booch said:

yeah will be a 4 man crew as opposed to 3....I didnt realize Penn was gone so thought we were rolling with 5

That being said I would have preferred an O.C announcement....as it will have some bearings on potential player signings....re-ups and new

Yeah OC is what I'm most interested to hear about but I'm also happy about the new scouting group.

We know the old crew could find DB's but were less successful in other areas so I wonder if we'll have more luck in those areas (DL & LB for me) with a new set of eyes?

[wbbfan]

1 minute ago, Booch said:

yeah will be a 4 man crew as opposed to 3....I didnt realize Penn was gone so thought we were rolling with 5

That being said I would have preferred an O.C announcement....as it will have some bearings on potential player signings....re-ups and new

yeah...he is very well connected and will benefit us big time

Oc is for sure a big deal for us. We have to get that person in place before the legal tampering period imo. Really, asap would be great. Who ever it is they are going to be installing a whole new offence (albeit with some hold overs from previous years.) and they will need to put in a lot of work with zach, and marty. 

Just now, bigg jay said:

Yeah OC is what I'm most interested to hear about but I'm also happy about the new scouting group.

We know the old crew could find DB's but were less successful in other areas so I wonder if we'll have more luck in those areas (DL & LB for me) with a new set of eyes?

For my money, Sunderland is among the best guys in the league at scouting front 6 players. 

[Mike]

1 hour ago, Booch said:

we released him early..as in a yr early......we did him a solid and if he fails he still belongs to us....so win win.....

Just to reiterate this, since I’ve seen it mentioned a couple times in this thread.

the Bombers didn’t do Wilson a solid at all, they don’t have a choice. I don’t know why teams typically word it as a release, it’s a player opt-out that the teams have no ability to deny as long as it’s within the time the option window is open (January 6 to mid-February)

Wilson opted out of his contract and signed an acknowledgment that if he returns to the CFL, it’s under the terms of the previous contract he opted out of. 

 

[Mark H.]

2 hours ago, bigg jay said:

We know the old crew could find DB's but were less successful in other areas so I wonder if we'll have more luck in those areas (DL & LB for me) with a new set of eyes?

They also need to start finding some better American OTs.  They seem to grow on trees for the Argos.