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News February 10, 2023

First & 10: Free Agency Preview

@EdTaitWFC

The real pen-to-paper moment will come next Tuesday, when Kenny Lawler scribbles his signature on a new contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after agreeing in principle to a deal earlier this week.

Officially, then, that’s when the hallelujahs can begin in Bomberland, followed by the WTF curses being spit out across the Canadian Football League. Make no mistake here, folks, the Blue Bombers landing the ace receiver is the equivalent of a CFL free agency mic drop.

Oh sure, other teams have already made bold moves or are rumoured to be on the verge of them. That’s what the CFL free agency delivers every February: a chance to reload, restock or rebuild. Yet when a team that was a handful of plays away from a three-peat last November casts a line in the water and lands a fish this big, well, it is a massive statement.

Look, the Blue Bombers had already spent most of the offseason – actually, dating back to last October when two-time Most Outstanding Player Zach Collaros signed a three-year extension – locking up as many pending free agents as possible, the clear intention being to essentially run it back with the same group that posted a franchise-record 15 wins last year.

That long list includes, among others, stars like Willie Jefferson, Adam Bighill, Stanley Bryant, Pat Neufeld, Jackson Jeffcoat and, earlier this week, Nic Demski. It includes mainstay starters like Jake Thomas, Jermarcus Hardrick and Winston Rose, and in the last week or so, Janarion Grant and Alden Darby, Jr. Also back on board are critical contributors like Kyrie Wilson, Shayne Gauthier, Mike Miller, Mike Benson and Desmond Lawrence.

So, yeah, the football operations department has been hard at it for months.

Free agency can be a revealing process in many ways. Teams can be desperate in their approach – this franchise was certainly there eight-nine years ago – and they can be aggressive in filling holes with the known commodities available on the market. Others sit on their thumbs for a spell, and then do some bargain-bin shopping when the big dollars have been spent.

And these Blue Bombers – a team which has made three straight Grey Cup appearances and has two championships, which is 26-6 over the last two years and has won more games than any other CFL squad since 2018 – have just completed a bold, swing-for-the-fences move with Lawler that screams out one thing: The organization is all-in – again – at chasing another championship.

And it brings us back to a statement head coach Mike O’Shea said in December that says everything about the collective mindset on Chancellor Matheson Road: “I don’t think we’re done yet,” he said. “I think that the group that we have here – now there’s always additions and subtractions every single year, it’s pro sport – but the group we’ve assembled, the group that’s all thinking the same way, believe that we’ve got a lot of legs left in this.”

More on the impact of the Lawler signing and other notes in our latest edition of 1st & 10…

1. Many across the CFL have wondered how the Blue Bombers can fit Lawler’s meaty salary into their cap, but with both Rasheed Bailey and Greg Ellingson likely heading to market, the dollars are available with a receiving corps that would feature Lawler, Demski and Drew Wolitarsky along with Dalton Schoen – should he not sign with an NFL team by Tuesday – and, perhaps, Carlton Agudosi.

There will likely be other changes, too, with centre Michael Couture hitting the market as well as defensive tackle Casey Sayles who, as Justin Dunk reported, appears to be heading to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

2. The Lawler signing means the Blue Bombers will probably be quiet for the rest of free agency, but could be tempted to look at adding depth if something can fit under the cap. Here’s a look at the current roster situation, knowing that a number of American free agents will be signed, and the roster further bolstered by the CFL Draft and Global Draft:

DEFENCE

Defensive line

Under contract: DE Willie Jefferson, DE Jackson Jeffcoat, DT Jake Thomas*, DT Cam Lawson*, DT Ricky Walker, DE DeJuan Cooper, DE Thiadric Hansen (Global), DT Cole Adamson* (2022 CFL Draft pick)

Pending Blue Bomber free agents: DT Casey Sayles, DE Keion Adams

Linebackers

Under contract: Adam Bighill, Kyrie Wilson, Malik Clements, Brian Cole, Shayne Gauthier*, Tanner Cadwallader*

Pending Blue Bomber free agents: Jesse Briggs*, Les Maruo (G)

Secondary

Under contract: DB Deatrick Nichols, CB Winston Rose, S Brandon Alexander, DB/CB Desmond Lawrence, DB/CB Demerio Houston, Dime Alden Darby, Jr., DB Evan Holm, DB/CB Jamal Parker, S Nick Hallett*, S Noah Hallett *, DB Redha Kramdi*, DB Souleymane Karamoko (G), DB Cedrick Lavigne*, DB Deuce Wallace, DB Karon Delince, Jacob Janke*

Note: CB Tyrell Ford* has signed with the Green Bay Packers but remains under contract to the Blue Bombers should he be released

Pending Blue Bomber free agents: DB Nick Taylor, DB Mercy Maston

OFFENCE

Quarterbacks

Under contract: Zach Collaros, Dru Brown

Pending Blue Bomber free agent: Dakota Prukop

Receivers

Under contract: Nic Demski*, Drew Wolitarsky*, Dalton Schoen, Brendan O’Leary-Orange*, Janarion Grant, Carlton Agudosi, Tavaris Harrison, Jaivon Heiligh (late practice roster addition last year), Timothy Knuettel (Global, late practice roster addition last year).

‘New’ faces: Kenny Lawler (agreed in principle)

Pending Blue Bombers free agents: SB Rasheed Bailey, SB Greg Ellingson

Running backs/Fullbacks

Under contract: RB Brady Oliveira*, RB/SB Greg McCrae, RB Johnny Augustine*, FB Mike Miller*, FB Konner Burtenshaw*

Pending Blue Bomber free agents: none

Offensive line

Under contract: LT Stanley Bryant, RG Pat Neufeld*, RT Jermarcus Hardrick, G Geoff Gray*, G Chris Kolankowski*, G Liam Dobson*, OT Drew Richmond, Tui Eli* (returns after not playing in 2022), Tomoya Machino (G)

Pending Blue Bomber free agents: C Michael Couture*

SPECIALISTS

Under contract: P/PK Marc Liegghio*, LS Mike Benson*, KR Janarion Grant

Pending Blue Bomber free agents: none

3. One of the narratives occasionally stoked up since last fall, and especially after the one-point loss in the Grey Cup, is how the Blue Bombers have an aging roster staring at a championship window open for only so long. It’s valid, but some context is also needed here. Consider the list of projected Blue Bombers starters who are currently 30 and over:

LB Adam Bighill (34)
LT Stanley Bryant (36)
RT Jermarcus Hardrick (32)
G Pat Neufeld (34)
C Chris Kolankowski (31)
QB Zach Collaros (34)
Dime Alden Darby, Jr. (30)
DE Jackson Jeffcoat (32)
DE Willie Jefferson (32)
DT Jake Thomas (32)
LB Kyrie Wilson (30)

Of that list: Collaros, Bryant and Neufeld were CFL All-Stars, and they were joined by Jefferson and Bighill on the West Division All-Star squad. And, just FYI, Hardrick was voted an all-star by his peers to the CFLPA All-Star team.

All of this is to point out that’s a ton of talent seemingly still at or near its prime.

4. So, while we’re doing this, here are the Blue Bombers projected starters currently under 30 years of age:

WR Carlton Agudosi (29)
S Brandon Alexander (29)
SB Nic Demski (29)
G Geoff Gray (28)
DB Demerio Houston (26)
DB Desmond Lawrence (28)
DB Deatrick Nichols (28)
RB Brady Oliveira (25)
CB Winston Rose (29)
WR Dalton Schoen (26)
WR Drew Wolitarsky (27)
WR Kenny Lawler (28)
DT Ricky Walker (26)

Obviously, there’s a ton of highway yet to travel before the regular season opens, but that’s more than half the starting lineup currently aged 30 and under.

5. One more on this, just because CFL free agency places a premium on Canadian talent, experienced talent and quarterbacks… Here’s a look at the ages for the projected starting QBs around the league:

Winnipeg: Zach Collaros – 34
B.C.: Vernon Adams, Jr. – 30
Edmonton: Taylor Cornelius – 27
Calgary: Jake Maier – 25
Saskatchewan: Trevor Harris (reportedly agreed in principle with the Riders) – 36
Toronto: McLeod Bethel-Thompson (pending free agent) – 34
Ottawa: Jeremiah Masoli – 34
Hamilton: Bo Levi Mitchell – 32
Montreal: TBD

Other starters from last season:

Cody Fajardo, Saskatchewan, (pending free agent) – 30
Dane Evans, Hamilton – 29

6. By the way, to keep up with all the changes in CFL free agency – both the departures and the re-signings – this is a good tracker.

7. Congrats to all the invitees to the CFL’s National and Invitational Combines. The list to the Invitational, FYI, includes six members of the Manitoba Bisons in DBs Markos Bockru and Andrew Ricard, QB Des Catellier, DL Tristan Francis, Collin Kornelson and Tyrece Viner-Cox. Also earning a shot is Michael O’Shea of the Okanagan Sun. The full lists can be found here.

8. FYI:

Brady Oliveira cranking out a 440-pound essentric squat:

Willie Jefferson throwing it down:

Adam Bighill doing what Biggie does:

Condolences to the family of former Blue Bombers TE Roger Locke, who played for the club from 1963-64. His obituary can be found here.

And good to see CFL on TSN’s Dustin Nielson is bringing his kid up right:

9. We interrupt this Blue Bombers/CFL offering with a couple of Joe Montana nuggets. Why, you ask? Even though yours truly is a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan, Montana remains my favourite player.

Earlier this week he spoke with Rich Eisen, with the revelation that former Argos co-owner, Hollywood star and SCTV icon John Candy tried to lure him to come play in the CFL. No one, it says here, loved the Argos more than Candy.

And here’s a fantastic piece by ESPN Senior Writer Wright Thompson on Montana this is well worth your time.

10. And, finally… here’s the freshly-signed Demski when asked earlier in the week how the Blue Bombers have been able to keep so much of the team intact while working under a strict salary cap:

“It’s just the organization. Everybody wants to play here,” he said. “We’ve got a family here. Everybody is motivated to get to that goal. A lot of teams can say they are, but right here we bring those words to action. It’s really a blessing to be in a place with all like-minded people that all want to get to the same finale year-in, year-out.”