It is as daunting a list as it is long, and as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers head into full offseason mode it has already led to some serious hang-wringing and nail-biting among the loyal fanbase.
The Blue Bombers’ list of prospective free agents features 36 names, including the entire starting offensive and defensive lines, three starting receivers, five players who made starts in the secondary, ace return man Janarion Grant, kicker Sergio Castillo and – just to punctuate the point – Canadian Football League rushing champ and top homegrown product, Brady Oliveira.
There’s also this: GM Kyle Walters, along with his assistants in Danny McManus and Ted Goveia, are also working on expiring contracts.
Yowzers.
Some context here, before clenched fists slam down on the proverbial panic button: at this time last year the Blue Bombers had 26 free agents, with eight then signing new deals before the New Year and another 10 before the annual league-wide talent grab began in February.
The bigger questions are how does a team that is so big on continuity keep this group together, knowing that everyone is a year older, that so many deserve raises or have taken cuts to stay? Who retires and who tries to squeeze out another year? Who might leave for the NFL? And which players does management make those difficult calls on and moves on from for someone younger and cheaper?
“My hope is that everybody comes back, obviously,” said quarterback Zach Collaros, who is locked up through 2025. “It was a great run this season. We came up short in the final game but with the group that we had it was a successful season minus the last moment. You go back to last season as well and it was basically the same group of guys.
“I don’t know what management has planned and I’m sure they’ve already started their due diligence with the evaluation process. It’s just tough, whether it’s guys moving on to a better contract or the team moving on from a person, or guys just choosing not to play anymore. It all makes it difficult.”
Another factor here: the reality is with the amount of success this franchise has had over the last few years – seven straight double-digit win seasons and four straight trips to the Grey Cup – it’s somewhat shocking more talent, including that on the coaching and management staffs, hasn’t been poached by other organizations.
How long can that last?
“Good question,” said guard Pat Neufeld, among the group of prospective free agents. “There’s also a feeling that you’ve worked so hard to get to this spot. It’s a group effort where guys have sacrificed a whole lot.
“So, you say guys could have gone or maybe should have been poached, but that also says a lot about what we’ve done here; the brothership and camaraderie we’ve built here. It means a lot to come to work and enjoy being with the people you work with.
“I’ve talked to a lot of guys before – the grass isn’t always greener. I understand if there’s a massive jump in salary that will have an impact on things, but if you truly love coming into this building and working with these people, that has to help with your decision, too.
“I’ve guided my decisions on that a lot,” he added. “I’ve never really gone into free agency and knowing that I love being here, I don’t want to change.”
Financial rewards haven’t always been paramount in keeping this group together over the last few years, but it is always a factor. Opportunity matters for those fighting for starting work, too. And a player like Oliveira, for example, will be watching closely – should he not land a gig down south in the NFL – as to how the club handles the uncertainty along the O-line while weighing his own financial demands.
“Everyone always says it’s a special group – other teams would probably say that about their group,” Oliveira said this week. “What makes it special? I’ve had time to reflect on that and I think it’s because when you have so much continuity – the same guys in the locker room for multiple years – you start to create a really close bond. We’ve had lots of these same guys together for the last couple of years and just the reality of it now is we don’t know how it’s going to look next year. It’s probably going to look a lot different and that’s what sucks the most about it.”
A look at the Blue Bombers pending free agents:
The Starters
Canadians
RB Brady Oliveira: CFL All-Star, rushing champ, the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian and a hometown product.
Guard Pat Neufeld: CFL All-Star, has made no secret of his desire to stay.
Guard Geoff Gray: Manitoba product has made 35 regular season starts over the last two seasons.
Centre Chris Kolankowski: Took over from Michael Couture and the offence hasn’t dipped one iota.
Receiver Drew Wolitarsky: Posted career-best numbers in receptions (47), yards (668) and touchdowns (6) while continuing his evolution as a leader in the room.
Defensive tackle Jake Thomas: The longest-serving Blue Bomber, he turns 33 next month but is also coming off a season in which he matched his career high with five sacks.
Dimeback Redha Kramdi: Grabbed hold of the dime spot this year and made 11 starts there.
Americans
Receiver Dalton Schoen: CFL All-star two years in a row and with gaudy numbers in his two years. Due a huge raise if he doesn’t get another NFL shot.
Receiver Rasheed Bailey: Took a cut last year to stay in this corps and does the grinding work while others often get the glory. That doesn’t go unnoticed around the league.
Tackle Stanley Bryant: What’s left to be said? Legend. He’s 37 but proved he can still get it done.
Tackle Jermarcus Hardrick: CFL All-Star and a finalist for the league’s top lineman. Sets a tone for the club every day.
Defensive end Willie Jefferson: CFL All-Star who led the team in sacks, led the league in knockdowns, lives here year-round and is a fan favourite. All that = leverage.
Defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat: Had eight sacks – second highest in his career – in 14 games to put him in the Top 10 in franchise history in that department. He’ll be 33 on Boxing Day and will be in demand if he gets to free agency.
Defensive tackle Ricky Walker: Five sacks and 37 tackles on the inside, his solid work comes in the shadow of Jefferson and Jeffcoat.
Safety Brandon Alexander: West Division All-Star whose experience is critical on the field and in the room.
Cornerback Demerio Houston: CFL All-Star who led the league in interceptions, he won’t turn 28 until next September.
Halfback Deatrick Nichols: Forget his absence from the CFL All-Star team – he’s dominant at his position. Period.
Cornerback Winston Rose: Turns 30 next week and still has something to give but was also replaced by Jamal Parker in the playoffs.
Kicker Sergio Castillo: Set a club record for field goal percentage in a season at 90.2. In a league where the margins of victory are so thin, that can’t be overlooked.
Returner Janarion Grant: The franchise all-time leader in kick return touchdowns, he’s as dangerous as any in the league. Did miss 10 games in ’23.
Other pending free agents:
Canadians
Receiver Brendan O’Leary-Orange: The size and skill is there. He’ll get interest if he gets to the market.
Running back Johnny Augustine: Morphed into a steady special teams player and is a valuable back-up if the team continues to go homegrown at the RB spot.
Fullback Mike Miller: The Goat special teams player did not play a single down in 2023 due to injury leading to questions about his future. Turns 35 next spring.
Defensive tackle Cam Lawson: The heir apparent to Thomas quietly had a solid year with five sacks. A still-emerging talent.
Linebacker Shayne Gauthier: So valuable for so long as a special teamer, his defensive snaps went up, too. He’ll be 32 in February.
Linebacker Jesse Briggs: Another fixture on specials, he’s been here for seven years and will be 34 next spring.
Linebacker Tanner Cadwallader: A younger version of Gauthier and Briggs at 26; third on the club in special teams tackles.
Safety Nick Hallett: Has proven he could be a starter when Alexander was down and when the head coach referred to him as ‘grimy’ there can be no higher compliment.
Defensive back Kerfalla Exume: Former draft pick scooped up by the Blue Bombers after his release by Montreal. A solid special-teams contributor.
Americans
Quarterback Dru Brown: His phone should be buzzing all winter with calls from around the league. Deserves a chance to start. Critical for him will be choosing his best spot.
Quarterback Dakota Prukop: A master at short yardage, which has become a massive gig in the Blue Bombers offence and across the league.
Running back/receiver Greg McCrae: Smaller CFL rosters means every team needs a versatile player like ‘Nighthawk’, who can step in at so many positions.
Linebacker Brian Cole: Superb speed for his position and has shown enough in his spot snaps on defence to earn more.
Linebacker Malik Clements: Made seven starts this year and, like Cole, could be in the position to command more.
Dime Alden Darby, Jr.: His best attribute is his experience, but has been passed by others on the depth chart.
Global
Defensive end Thiadric Hansen: A testament to his work ethic that he returned to the field after suffering an Achilles injury in 2022.
