Darren Cameron's Blog

[gbill2004]

Very interesting read:

Free Agency Frenzy

By Darren Cameron, Director of Communications & Media Relations

Free agency is usually a crazy day in the CFL. Over the past few seasons, it was relatively quiet around our office. Last season, GM Kyle Walters and his team went in with a plan, and though it didn’t pan out entirely as planned, we were able to land coveted receiver Nick Moore.

Back in December, I told you about days of meetings with the entire football operations department, including Assistant General Managers, Ted Goveia and Danny McManus, and National Scout Drew Morris. Along with Kyle and our Head Coach, Mike O’Shea, they listed a number of free agents that were high on the priority list. Around eight names were highlighted at the time. Knowing that many things change; some get re-signed, some try the NFL route, and some choose to go elsewhere, we headed into the morning of February 11 with a list of six or seven players that were still available. A lot of preparation, crunching numbers, film study, and roster evaluation had gone into preparing for that day, and when the clock struck 11 a.m., there sat Kyle in his office chair, leaning back, holding his IPhone a few inches from his face. The hunt was officially on. The plan was to have Ted and Danny also work with agents, while Kyle facilitated and watched the ongoing movement, while also speaking with agents regularly.

Not much conversation took place as things rolled along early on, and there was little action in the first stages. But it picked up. Quickly.

Early in the afternoon, Kyle calmly pointed out to Mike and I, who were both set up in Kyle’s office in the bowels of Investors Group Field, “We are good on Darvin Adams.” Adams had a great career with Auburn, winning a BCS National Championship with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, and has spent time with the Argos since. He is a player the team has had its eye on for a long time now. Here a few clips of Darvin (

), and this one, as part of an SEC Championship Game record 237 yards (

).

From there, things snowballed. Like one of those days you picture everything going the way you had envisioned, without many hiccups, one by one we were able to pick off the guys we had targeted.

It was made very public that heading into free agency we had planned to target offensive linemen. With the signings of Dominic Picard a few weeks prior, we knew that the opportunity to acquire a left tackle – Stanley Bryant or SirVincent Rogers – was both available and necessary. We were aggressive in pursuit of both, and knowing how unpredictable free agency can be, we were prepared for any possible scenario.

We first saw the report of SirVincent going to Ottawa through a Twitter post. When I relayed the information, the room went silent. Kyle looked at me, then looked over at Mike, and without hesitation picked up his phone. He didn’t say who he was calling/emailing/texting, but before he could get through the numbers, his office phone rang. Ted Goveia was on the line, “Guys, I’m calling with a left tackle,” he said in a steady but urgent voice that only Ted can do. “We are agreeable on the numbers for Stanley Bryant”? Ted was on the speaker, and Kyle said, “so this is done?”

It was.

The back to back CFL All-Star tackle was headed our way, making us four-for-four in free agent targeting. Coach O’Shea, with his feet up on a table, smiled, “good day so far, boys.” It was shortly after this that President and CEO Wade Miller came through Kyle’s door. He had been out doing speaking engagements as part of the Blue Bomber Winter Caravan (http://www.bluebombers.com/rural-winter-community-caravan), and had dropped in to see how everything was going. Things had slowed down at this point, and as we sat in Kyle’s office talking over the day’s events, Coach O’Shea looked over at Wade and thanked him for allowing the team to go out and acquire who they felt were important to succeed.

As usual, Wade brushed it aside, suggesting this is just the way it should be. But Wade really does do whatever it takes for the organization to be put in the best position possible. Whether it’s spending the money to acquire talent on the field or on the coaching staff, to chartering aircrafts and ensuring the proper accommodations are provided for the players’ comfort, he gets it. Plain and simple.

Now the focus, from a roster standpoint, shifts to the CFL Draft in May, while also continuing to add pieces through our U.S. free agent camps. With the trade of Cory Watson last month, we now hold three picks in the first 20. I have heard Kyle speak highly of this year’s draft multiple times, at one point calling it ‘the best in a long time.” As policy would have it, I can’t share his specific thoughts on players or who we are looking at just yet, but it’s safe to say we will be a better football team in the long-term after this year’s draft. I’ll touch more on that as the date approaches, and hopefully will be able to provide a bit more detail for you.

With the announcement of Greg Knox as our Linebackers Coach, our 2015 coaching staff is now finalized. With the offensive staff remaining intact – much to the approval of quarterback Drew Willy – and a new defensive staff, there is much excitement about the depth of CFL experience on this staff. In total, the 2015 Blue Bombers coaching staff has won 14 Grey Cup titles, and played a combined 57 years of Canadian football.

As our quarterback Drew Willy said the other day, “June can’t come fast enough.”

If you have any blog ideas, feel free to contact me on Twitter @darren_cameron.

Until next time.

Darren

[GCn20]

Good read!

[James]

Very good read

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

Good read, thanks for that

[17to85]

Bombers PR guy writes about the teams free agency day... 

 

"Yeah our super awesome GM and coach had this plan and they NAILED IT! Then the teams super awesome president walked in and we all slapped each other on the back!"

 

I appreciate the look, but it really is a fluff piece. 

[IC Khari]

Were there any starting calibre vet LB that FA might not have addressed?

[Noeller]

Bombers PR guy writes about the teams free agency day...

"Yeah our super awesome GM and coach had this plan and they NAILED IT! Then the teams super awesome president walked in and we all slapped each other on the back!"

I appreciate the look, but it really is a fluff piece.

This, exactly. I get why he has to put so much homer spin on it, but it makes for a boring read. The essence of drama is conflict. Don't gloss over the SVR To OTT thing...tell me why it sucked and how you fixed it with Plan B. But again, I get why you can't do that either...

[B-F-F-C]

Wow...who pissed in your cornflakes today? We as fans don't always get these behind the scene looks. Was if fluff? Maybe but again it provides me assurance that this team is in good hands. To that, I'm extremely grateful.

[blitzmore]

only two negatrons so far in this thread

[17to85]

Maybe but again it provides me assurance that this team is in good hands

 

How do you figure? Because the PR team says everything is great? Yes they had a good day in free agency, but we don't need fluff pieces to know that. 

[Noeller]

I would just rather you tell me how it actually is, rather than spoon feeding the koolaid. We're not Rider Fans....

[iso_55]

Bombers PR guy writes about the teams free agency day... 

 

"Yeah our super awesome GM and coach had this plan and they NAILED IT! Then the teams super awesome president walked in and we all slapped each other on the back!"

 

I appreciate the look, but it really is a fluff piece. 

I agree 110% with what you say 17. However, I truly appreciate the work the guys put in. Walters has done more for the Bombers in 18 months than Joe Mack did in nearly 3 years plus he seems to get how a championship team is built. Pieces are found through recruiting, drafting & free agent signings. However, that one sentence describing Miller... Guess I'm the Third Negatron. Like Noeller says  just give us the pbp without the other stuff. 

[Fatty Liver]

Seems Cameron missed the part about how Miller kicked in the door than broke a chair over Walters head....too much drama???

[gbill2004]

Seems Cameron missed the part about how Miller kicked in the door than broke a chair over Walters head....too much drama???

Also heard that O'Shea and Walters had a drinking game on free agency day where they each had a shot of tequila every time Wade farted. By noon Walters was unconscious from the toxic mixture of 23 tequila shots and fart fumes, so that's why Ted Goveia signed Bryant instead of Walters. Cameron subtly left that part out of his blog, but if you read between the lines, it's there.

[blitzmore]

I didn't realize things are THAT bad in Alberta, that you have to live every day without having to pick apart even the good stuff!

[Mr Dee]

We've heard pretty well everything that has been said in this blog but it's good to hear that Wade Miller 'gets it' and is willing to spend money to make the org. more professional and is not just a cog in the wheel of the Bomber good ole boys.

 

But this talk of fluff is kind of ridiculous.

This is a good news story that has merit and should be presented to the fans any way it can get out there.

 

I wouldn't expect O'Shea or Walters to pump their own tires, so it should fall to their PR. guy and what the hell is wrong with that?

We should be so lucky that we're fully involved in Free Agency when it was necessary, and that they succeeded in the getting the players they targeted.

 

Good grief, I can remember Free Agency coming and going with nary a word of Bomber involvement and Bomber news was such that a PR guy wasn't even necessary.

 

If this is considered fluff, then give me more because that means we're actually doing something and things are progressing out there.

Much better than it the dark days when we didn't even know what the H the GM was doing.

 

 

[17to85]

 

Bombers PR guy writes about the teams free agency day... 

 

"Yeah our super awesome GM and coach had this plan and they NAILED IT! Then the teams super awesome president walked in and we all slapped each other on the back!"

 

I appreciate the look, but it really is a fluff piece. 

I agree 110% with what you say 17. However, I truly appreciate the work the guys put in. Walters has done more for the Bombers in 18 months than Joe Mack did in nearly 3 years plus he seems to get how a championship team is built. Pieces are found through recruiting, drafting & free agent signings. However, that one sentence describing Miller... Guess I'm the Third Negatron. Like Noeller says  just give us the pbp without the other stuff. 

 

Now your bias is shining through. Lots of the players on this team were brought in by Joe Mack. This regime has a lot of ground to make up to even come close to the level of recruiting Mack did. You hate Mack though so I just expect you to downplay the things he did do welll. 

[iso_55]

Seems Cameron missed the part about how Miller kicked in the door than broke a chair over Walters head....too much drama???

And Walters shook his head & said... "Thanks Wade! I needed that.!!" From which the exulted & oh so wise, kind & wonderful Wade Miller exited the room. "My work is done here," he said. 

[iso_55]

 

 

Bombers PR guy writes about the teams free agency day... 

 

"Yeah our super awesome GM and coach had this plan and they NAILED IT! Then the teams super awesome president walked in and we all slapped each other on the back!"

 

I appreciate the look, but it really is a fluff piece. 

I agree 110% with what you say 17. However, I truly appreciate the work the guys put in. Walters has done more for the Bombers in 18 months than Joe Mack did in nearly 3 years plus he seems to get how a championship team is built. Pieces are found through recruiting, drafting & free agent signings. However, that one sentence describing Miller... Guess I'm the Third Negatron. Like Noeller says  just give us the pbp without the other stuff. 

 

Now your bias is shining through. Lots of the players on this team were brought in by Joe Mack. This regime has a lot of ground to make up to even come close to the level of recruiting Mack did. You hate Mack though so I just expect you to downplay the things he did do welll. 

 

Yeah, I won't argue that. I did hate him. I'm not the only one. There was even a Fire Joe Mack twitter account. 

[sweep the leg]

 

 

However, I truly appreciate the work the guys put in. Walters has done more for the Bombers in 18 months than Joe Mack did in nearly 3 years plus he seems to get how a championship team is built. Pieces are found through recruiting, drafting & free agent signings.

 

 

Now your bias is shining through. Lots of the players on this team were brought in by Joe Mack. This regime has a lot of ground to make up to even come close to the level of recruiting Mack did. You hate Mack though so I just expect you to downplay the things he did do welll. 

.

I don't see in his post where he said Mack didn't recruit some good players.

 

"Lots" is a subjective word. I count 12 guys on the roster that predate Walters taking over.

[iso_55]

 

 

 

However, I truly appreciate the work the guys put in. Walters has done more for the Bombers in 18 months than Joe Mack did in nearly 3 years plus he seems to get how a championship team is built. Pieces are found through recruiting, drafting & free agent signings.

 

 

Now your bias is shining through. Lots of the players on this team were brought in by Joe Mack. This regime has a lot of ground to make up to even come close to the level of recruiting Mack did. You hate Mack though so I just expect you to downplay the things he did do welll. 

.

I don't see in his post where he said Mack didn't recruit some good players.

 

"Lots" is a subjective word. I count 12 guys on the roster that predate Walters taking over.

 

My beef with Mack was his disdain in not wanting to sign players in free agency or to hold onto our own. And of course the horrible qb'ng situation. He was probably right to draft Andy Mulamba as he was a very good player. Almost every GM has drafted a player who decided to give the NFL a whirl. Sure he brought in players. It was the failure of free agency & the LaPolice firing that turned me off him.

[IC Khari]

[DR. CFL]

That's why they call it PR sports fans what the f did you expect? It was well written and gave people some behind the scene insight.

Good job Darren.

[Doublezero]

It's a tease. Lifting the skirt to show a bit of ankle. 

[17to85]

 

 

 

 

However, I truly appreciate the work the guys put in. Walters has done more for the Bombers in 18 months than Joe Mack did in nearly 3 years plus he seems to get how a championship team is built. Pieces are found through recruiting, drafting & free agent signings.

 

 

Now your bias is shining through. Lots of the players on this team were brought in by Joe Mack. This regime has a lot of ground to make up to even come close to the level of recruiting Mack did. You hate Mack though so I just expect you to downplay the things he did do welll. 

.

I don't see in his post where he said Mack didn't recruit some good players.

 

"Lots" is a subjective word. I count 12 guys on the roster that predate Walters taking over.

 

My beef with Mack was his disdain in not wanting to sign players in free agency or to hold onto our own. And of course the horrible qb'ng situation. He was probably right to draft Andy Mulamba as he was a very good player. Almost every GM has drafted a player who decided to give the NFL a whirl. Sure he brought in players. It was the failure of free agency & the LaPolice firing that turned me off him.

 

That Mulumba draft all the top guys gave the NFL a try basically and Mulumba was one of the ones they didn't think had much of a chance to stick, but he did. Worthwhile gamble IMO. 

 

Really Macks biggest failing was hiring 2 duds at head coach.