Bombers got drunk on free agents, now face the hangover

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/02/2016 (3524 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you’ve always thought the fairer sex were the only ones that enjoyed endless hours of shopping and trying things on, then you may have missed the retail therapy that the Winnipeg Football Club embarked on last week, on Day 1 of free agency. The team rolled up to Saks Fifth Avenue, valeted their ride, and didn’t flinch as they charged five big-ticket starters, and two depth players, to their American Express black card.

If you have any interest in the goings-on of the football team, and even if you think free-agency frenzies are not a sustainable way to build a franchise, it was hard not to crack a smile on this fabled day, as the team signed all of the players it was reported to covet, and then some. They brought Andrew Harris back home, who was literally seven of eight cylinders in the BC Lion offense last year, and is probably the most versatile back in the CFL. He is physical enough to run between the tackles and quick enough to threaten the outside. He can make people miss in space, he catches most everything thrown at him, and provides mismatches galore as a receiver. Most importantly, for this offence, he is also an adept blocker who understands protection schemes.

They took a page out of the New England Patriots blueprint by signing the CFL version of wide receiver Danny Amendola — Ryan Smith — to go with their recently acquired Weston Dressler, who isn’t far from a Julian Edelman (another Patriot receiver). Both are less than six feet tall, but precise route runners and fearless competitors when the ball is in the air. In a motion happy offence with high doses of play action and misdirection, it should be easy to scheme these two open with their inherent quickness and sharp cutting aplomb.

The most accurate field goal kicker in CFL history was signed to do all the kicking chores, two starting defensive tackles were picked up, and a cagey, veteran, national offensive lineman and Canadian tailback were acquired for depth, competition, and insurance — not to mention the players that were signed prior to this bonanza. Yes, indeed, it has been quite a romp of retail of late, and a positive aura is now warming this club that hasn’t been felt in sometime.

Just like any spending spree, however, there are now consequences and considerations to be made, and the sooner they are addressed, the better. When the statement comes in the mail for these acquisitions, only the club will know how far it has gone over its credit limit. In fact, the only way to pay for this day of euphoria will be to end the tenures of some long-standing and established players with this ball club; some of whom have done little wrong other than be associated with the last two losing seasons, instead of being associated with the optimism that comes with change.

At running back, with two nationals signed, you have to wonder about the future of Paris Cotton — though Cameron Marshall has already vacated to the NFL. Either way, the cost of Harris had to have been more money than both of those players combined. Signing Medlock most likely came at a price around three times what Lirim Hajrullahu was making last year, as he played out the final year of his rookie deal. At receiver, the next biggest ticket after Nick Moore — who has gone back to BC — is Clarence Denmark, and while ideally you would want to keep him, Smith, and Dressler, it no longer appears financially viable, as once again, more money has been spent upgrading the position.

With a large chunk of change allocated to Keith Shologan to start on the defensive line, and what it must have cost to win an up-and-coming Euclid Cummings, this is where most of the purging — defensively — will likely take place. Shologan’s salary automatically makes him the second highest-paid player on that line, after Westerman, which means that being an American, and being expensive, puts you on dangerous footing right now. This is not a good time to be an international defensive lineman on this team.

In a salary cap era, there are always consequences to taking a big field trip during free agency. As much warranted jubilation as there was last week, it gets tempered real fast when you look to the fallout of these splashes. Since the higher ups of this organization have all played pro-ball before, and experienced this kind of limbo once the writing is on the wall, they should at least understand that if the club cannot be bettered by trading any of these players and their now prohibitive price tags, then they are all much better off if their fortunes and futures are dealt with sooner rather than later.

Doug Brown, once a hard-hitting defensive lineman and frequently a hard-hitting columnist, appears weekly in the Free Press.

Twitter: @DougBrown97