Riders cut Muamba, Bombers interested

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This article was published 15/02/2018 (3020 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After a successful first couple of days working CFL free agency, what should have amounted to somewhat of a victory lap for Winnipeg Blue Bombers general manager Kyle Walters on Thursday suddenly turned into the start of an entirely new race.

Facing the media for the first time following three new and notable signings made on the first day of free agency Tuesday — inking a pair of Winnipeggers in receiver Nic Demski and running back Kienan LaFrance, along with a versatile defensive back in American Chandler Fenner to complement a number of other deals reached in recent weeks — what took centre stage instead was the release Wednesday of Canadian middle linebacker Henoc Muamba from the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Muamba was let go just hours before he was due a $35,000 signing bonus (his salary with the Riders for 2018 was approximately $220,000). What was most unusual about the timing was the Roughriders released Muamba almost two full days after the free-agent market had opened, a time when most teams had much of their roster already set and with a large chunk of their budgeted money spent.

With Muamba now available, all that has changed. Walters was quick to recognize the race for the ratio-breaking star was officially on, as all CFL teams, including the Bombers — who are in desperate need of a proven middle linebacker — are likely now rallying to find the money to ink such a valuable player.

“Everybody right now is looking at him,” Walters said. “He’s a Canadian starter, a quality Canadian starter, which in our league is at a premium. I don’t anticipate us being any different than any of the other teams.”

Although the Bombers are interested in Muamba, they haven’t offered a contract to his agent, Jonathon Hardaway, Walters said, adding it was still too early for either side to start talking about a potential deal.

“Other than just saying that Henoc’s been released, they’re just going to take a deep breath and figure out what their next move is.”

Winnipeg has a well-documented history with Muamba. The Bombers selected him with the first-overall pick in the 2011 draft, and he spent his first three seasons with the Blue and Gold. By his third year, Muamba had developed into a CFL star, collecting 92 defensive tackles, one quarterback sack and one interception in 2013.

When his rookie contract was up, Muamba bolted for the NFL and spent the 2014 season with the Indianapolis Colts. He was released prior to the 2015 season and was soon back in Canada looking for a job. The Bombers had hoped the time they spent developing him would work in their favour, but Muamba and Hardaway took their time when looking for a potential suitor, talking with every CFL team before signing a two-year deal with the Montreal Alouettes, which paid him north of $200,000 per season.

When neither side was happy with the arrangement, and with Muamba looking to keep his NFL dream alive, the two parted ways prior to the 2016 season. Muamba eventually signed with the Dallas Cowboys, but was one of the last cuts. He then signed with Saskatchewan.

“Any time a good football player gets released, regardless of where he’s played prior, I don’t think any team will worry about where he’s played, or I don’t think it factors in,” Walters said. “We know he’s an outstanding young man and a good football player — which I guess is my point, that you know you’re getting a quality individual. But I think word’s out on him around the league, and everybody knows he’s a quality young man.”

A decision to move aggressively on Muamba would be a stark shift in direction for the Bombers and what they had planned to do at middle linebacker prior to Wednesday night.

With the decision to add to an already potent offence in recent days — the Bombers added two standout veterans in receiver Adarius Bowman and quarterback Darian Durant prior to free agency — Winnipeg appeared to be set on starting six Canadians on offence and just one on defence (teams need to have seven Canadian starters between offence and defence).

Perhaps in an attempt to appear not too interested, Walters made the argument that to suggest the Bombers need Muamba would be to ignore the talent already on the roster. Both Jovan Santos-Knox and Ian Wild were capable of playing the position, even if their experience has been limited at the CFL level, he said.

The middle-linebacker spot has been a sensitive issue for Bombers fans, with many believing it has has been the Achilles heel of team’s defence over the past few years.

“I understand the talk about the linebacker spot, but we’ve got two guys that have played the MAC and the WILL spot at high levels at various times in their career, plus we’ve got a couple young guys that we think real strongly of,” Walters said.

With Muamba likely to fetch somewhere in the neighbourhood of $200,000 per season, if the Bombers are to agree to those terms, they will likely have to shed some salary somewhere else in order to remain within with the salary cap. If they were able to sign Muamba, any big roster move would likely wait until training camp, or be figured out later in the season.

“The way we’re currently set up, if you’re going to want to add a Henoc Muamba, then something’s got to give,” Walters said. “That’s just the reality of it.”

The question is whether he can afford that high price tag, Walters said. But with the Bombers stuck in a Grey Cup drought now at 27 years, and the seemingly one missing piece now available, perhaps he should be asking whether he could afford not to make a deal?

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton