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 10 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 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JGs2ywhzzI), and this one, as part of an SEC Championship Game record 237 yards (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RSuZw19shM).
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 signing 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
