2024/2025 Blue Bombers Off-Season Thread

[Goalie]

Lions forced to play that way due to injuries. This was not their plan originally to be fair. Their DC will be a head next year tho. Probably with the NY Jets. 

Edited Monday at 01:46 AM by Goalie

[wbbfan]

7 hours ago, Noeller said:

I think too many people are expecting us to go back to the old 4-3 system with two insane bookended DEs. I don't know a lot about this stuff but it seems to me that with the 3-4 that Younger seems to prefer, it'll be the same as it was last year, not because of lack of talent but just scheme. We're not gonna see the heavy pressure we used to have under Hall... Or that's what I seem to understand if it anyhow. 

 

Also, this seems like more than I was expecting....

 

 

Yep, we are staying a 30 base. 
 

 

[SpeedFlex27]

10 hours ago, 17to85 said:

And yet our D was ******* good all season long... there's more than one way to build a good defense. Quite frankly the problems or this team is that for allllllll the money they spend on O it was **** for most of the season. Point fingers there not the D because the D was the only reason last years team did anything.

Our D was not good. Our secondary bailed us out time & time again. 

[17to85]

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Our D was not good. Our secondary bailed us out time & time again. 

Is the secondary not part of the D? 

[Colin Unger]

I think SpeedFlex27 is struggling with philosophical differences rather than results. Its very easy to use data to show that all things considered the Bombers defense was good if not elite. However, almost none of us like the idea of them being successful with such a soft strategy. In the past the strategy of laying back with a bunch of defensive backs in coverage while providing mediocre to poor QB pressure never really ended well of us. But its hard to argue with the results we had last year with it.

[GCn20]

2 minutes ago, Colin Unger said:

I think SpeedFlex27 is struggling with philosophical differences rather than results. Its very easy to use data to show that all things considered the Bombers defense was good if not elite. However, almost none of us like the idea of them being successful with such a soft strategy. In the past the strategy of laying back with a bunch of defensive backs in coverage while providing mediocre to poor QB pressure never really ended well of us. But its hard to argue with the results we had last year with it.

Our defence was excellent last year. I do have a problem with this strategy against shaky QBs tho. Would have liked if we used it less in the GC.

[Colin Unger]

Imagine how much better this strategy would work if we had elite linebackers and defensive lineman?  I don't expect Tyrell Ford to be back next year and that's certainly going to hurt the strategy we have been using. We need ballhawks out there for this strategy to work but i see a team desperate for a ratio breaker to be able to significantly outbudget the bombers on Ford.  Since we only use him as a surplus National rather than as a ratio breaker we can't pay him like a ratio breaker.   Would like to see us go over the cap and sign a few guys like this to lucrative one year deals but I don't feel like that is in the cards the way Nuefeld is talking about players leaving for greener pastures. 

[Colin Unger]

https://www.bluebombers.com/2025/01/13/blue-bombers-sign-receiver-dillon-mitchell/
 

 

nothing about this surprises me. Can compete at receiver and kick returner. 

[GCn20]

4 minutes ago, Colin Unger said:

https://www.bluebombers.com/2025/01/13/blue-bombers-sign-receiver-dillon-mitchell/
 

 

nothing about this surprises me. Can compete at receiver and kick returner. 

Great replacement for Wilson. Well done Kyle.

[BBlink]

8 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Great replacement for Wilson. Well done Kyle.

Salary wise it's going to be a bigger spend but I think Mitchell is a bit more dynamic. Underrated kick returner IMO. Really like this.

[rebusrankin]

I like his talent. I would love to see what his salary is.

[Fatty Liver]

13 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Great replacement for Wilson. Well done Kyle.

I suspect he replaces Schoen or Lawler, high quality receiver at a cheaper price.  Wilson is still on his ELC, they'll want to retain him for the length of that first contract. 

[Colin Unger]

I sure hope this is just a replacement for Wilson/Whitehead and not a replacement for Scheon or Lawler.  I’m viewing this more as a placeholder with the hope that someone else beats him out in time. 

[Jets]

I'd move on from Lawler if we could only pick one of him or Schoen. 
 

Rather have the consistent 12 yard guy than the one 50 yard bomb spectacular catch every half. 

[Fatty Liver]

11 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

I like his talent. I would love to see what his salary is.

In 2023 Mitchell was the #17 highest paid receiver at $150k, he did not make the list in 2024 but fair to assume he earned the same pay.

https://3downnation.com/2023/04/19/the-cfls-20-highest-paid-receivers-for-the-2023-season/

Edited Monday at 07:37 PM by Fatty Liver

[17to85]

1 minute ago, Jets said:

I'd move on from Lawler if we could only pick one of him or Schoen

In a heart beat. Lawler has not been the same guy that set the bar a few years ago. 

[Colin Unger]

Right but after getting cut and moving to a quality team it’s hard to imagine the salary is equivalent. 

[Noeller]

Mentioned in my hockey pool group chat....

Is this Mitchell signing an indication that maybe Jarious Jackson is the new OC?

[Bigblue204]

2 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Mentioned in my hockey pool group chat....

Is this Mitchell signing an indication that maybe Jarious Jackson is the new OC?

Hope so

[GCn20]

13 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

I suspect he replaces Schoen or Lawler, high quality receiver at a cheaper price.  Wilson is still on his ELC, they'll want to retain him for the length of that first contract. 

Wilson is gone to the NFL.

[blue85gold]

1 minute ago, Noeller said:

Mentioned in my hockey pool group chat....

Is this Mitchell signing an indication that maybe Jarious Jackson is the new OC?

Could be. 

Also could be Brock Sunderland likes him and pushed to add him. He would have been the GM that brought Mitchell into the league.

[Fatty Liver]

2 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Mentioned in my hockey pool group chat....

Is this Mitchell signing an indication that maybe Jarious Jackson is the new OC?

Nope, O'Shea still hemming and hawing his days away, can't make up his mind.  

Mike O’Shea mum on timeline for Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ offensive coordinator hire

“I like where we’re at (in the process),” O’Shea told reporters via videoconference on Monday. “(I’m) working on it, had some good conversations with guys, and just making sure I work through that process to discover what I need to discover and do it right.”

“I don’t know that you rush this process. I think you work on it, you put your time in, and you come up with good answers and the right answers.” 

https://3downnation.com/2025/01/13/mike-oshea-mum-on-timeline-for-winnipeg-blue-bombers-offensive-coordinator-hire/

3 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Wilson is gone to the NFL.

He'll be back.

[Arnold_Palmer]

I wonder if this means they’re moving on from Lawler or Schoen or even both. I hope not but they might want to allocate some of that receiver money this year else where..

[wbbfan]

58 minutes ago, Colin Unger said:

https://www.bluebombers.com/2025/01/13/blue-bombers-sign-receiver-dillon-mitchell/
 

 

nothing about this surprises me. Can compete at receiver and kick returner. 

I’m surprised. When’s the last time we made a fa add like this or one before free agency? I don’t think we’d be after fa WRs, aside from bringing back lawler we haven’t done it in a while. 
 

54 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Great replacement for Wilson. Well done Kyle.

Love love love this move. Fill the need for a dynamic kr and a great wr to replace Wilson. Pure upgrade imo. 
 I would love to see lawler and schoen back as well. But if this ends up being a replacement for one that is understandable. 

21 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

Nope, O'Shea still hemming and hawing his days away, can't make up his mind.  

Mike O’Shea mum on timeline for Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ offensive coordinator hire

“I like where we’re at (in the process),” O’Shea told reporters via videoconference on Monday. “(I’m) working on it, had some good conversations with guys, and just making sure I work through that process to discover what I need to discover and do it right.”

“I don’t know that you rush this process. I think you work on it, you put your time in, and you come up with good answers and the right answers.” 

https://3downnation.com/2025/01/13/mike-oshea-mum-on-timeline-for-winnipeg-blue-bombers-offensive-coordinator-hire/

He'll be back.

Honestly I do agree. Finding the right guy to fit our vets and staff is big. As long as it’s done before the tampering period. 

[GCn20]

4 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

I’m surprised. When’s the last time we made a fa add like this or one before free agency? I don’t think we’d be after fa WRs, aside from bringing back lawler we haven’t done it in a while. 
 

Love love love this move. Fill the need for a dynamic kr and a great wr to replace Wilson. Pure upgrade imo. 
 I would love to see lawler and schoen back as well. But if this ends up being a replacement for one that is understandable. 

I can see both Lawler and Schoen being much cheaper this year than last so I am hopeful both return. One is coming off a signficant injury and is unlikely to be ready the first month of the season, and the other had decreased production and a 2nd consecutive year of significant time loss. I can't see how either would be making what they made before. However, the market will dictate I suppose.

25 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

Nope, O'Shea still hemming and hawing his days away, can't make up his mind.  

Mike O’Shea mum on timeline for Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ offensive coordinator hire

“I like where we’re at (in the process),” O’Shea told reporters via videoconference on Monday. “(I’m) working on it, had some good conversations with guys, and just making sure I work through that process to discover what I need to discover and do it right.”

“I don’t know that you rush this process. I think you work on it, you put your time in, and you come up with good answers and the right answers.” 

https://3downnation.com/2025/01/13/mike-oshea-mum-on-timeline-for-winnipeg-blue-bombers-offensive-coordinator-hire/

He'll be back.

Not before Labor Day. Will be a welcome addition back tho.

Edited Monday at 08:10 PM by GCn20