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Winnipeg Blue Bombers Greg Carr (bottom) is tackled by BC Lions Anthony Reddick as BC Lions Solomon Elimimian steps in during first-half action of the 2011 Grey Cup final between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the BC Lions in Vancouver November 27, 2011. (POSTMEDIA POSTMEDIA NEWS)

There was a worry out there that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers would have a tough go of it when CFL free agency opened up Wednesday.

Those concerns were accurate. It could have been better.

This is what happened to the Bombers: They thought they had a deal in place with import wide receiver Greg Carr, only to have the carpet pulled from out under them, and they lost non-import defensive lineman Don Oramasionwu.

Throw in the fact the club's biggest free-agent asset -- Canadian offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte -- spent Wednesday touring around the Saskatchewan Roughriders' team complex and meeting with the Edmonton Eskimos, and you get how things went from bad to worse for Winnipeg.

If the team didn't manage to lock up sturdy import offensive lineman Glenn January to an extension (he re-signed shortly after free agency started), a navy blue day on Maroons Road might have very well turned completely black.

Let's begin with Carr, who started the day a Bomber, became an Eskimo just after free agency started, came close to a deal with the Bombers around the supper hour, only to spurn Winnipeg and agree to terms with Edmonton in the evening.

Did you get all that?

On Wednesday afternoon, reports surfaced that Carr's agent, Keenan Davis, and the Bombers had verbally agreed to terms, but nothing had been officially registered with the CFL office. Less than two hours after it looked like Carr was returning to the Bombers, a source said the deal immediately fell apart when Edmonton, after hearing that Carr might be off the table, swooped in with a better offer.

"That's exactly what happened," said the source, who requested anonymity. "(Edmonton) put more money down. Usually players don't change their mind, though."

Earlier in the day, an erroneous report via Twitter put the receiver in Eskimos colours. Carr was close to signing in Edmonton, but threw it into reverse and started talks with Winnipeg again, only to stiff-arm the Bombers and go back to Edmonton.

The whole process was mind-numbing and bottom line, losing Carr hurts the Bombers. At 6-foot-6, 214-pounds, he creates mismatches all over the field for smaller defenders. In less than two seasons in Winnipeg, the 26-year-old caught 77 passes for 1,216 yards and eight touchdowns.

He joins an Edmonton import receiving corps that features Fred Stamps, Adarius Bowman and newly acquired Cary Koch, who signed with the club earlier in the day.

No one from the Bombers wanted to speak on the record about the Carr situation, but understandably they were quite miffed with how the negotiation transpired.

Meanwhile LaBatte, whose camp told the Bombers Wednesday their client would not be returning to the Blue and Gold, appeared headed to the Roughriders or the Eskimos Wednesday night.

No shock there. The Bombers had a firm grasp of this reality already.

They put up a three-year, $500,000 offer in front of LaBatte, a number they thought was reasonable for the 25-year-old all-star guard, and he chose to look west.

It's been reported LaBatte is looking for $200,000 per season. As of Wednesday night, he had not signed.

LaBatte wasn't the only non-import -- a valuable commodity GM Joe Mack singled out when he addressed the media Tuesday (he was unavailable Wednesday) -- Winnipeg lost on the first day of free agency.

Defensive lineman Don Oramasionwu, once deemed as the potential replacement for Doug Brown, signed with the Eskimos after the Bombers didn't put much effort in trying to retain his services.

The Winnipeg native, who played for the Manitoba Bisons, said while it is difficult to leave the hometown club, if that club isn't interested you have to move on.

The 25-year-old said the Bombers obviously didn't want him back.

"If that team shows that they don't want you, you have to go to a club who believes in you," he said. "I'm upset I have to leave home for that, but I'm pretty excited at the chance I have now."

Oramasionwu registered 39 defensive tackles, nine sacks and two fumble recoveries in three seasons as a backup lineman with the Bombers.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

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Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 16, 2012 C1