Walters ready to roll With a new contract in his pocket, Bombers GM gets down to business of building 2024 team By: Taylor Allen Posted: 5:10 PM CST Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023 Last Modified: 9:01 PM CST Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023 Updates

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It’s time to get to work.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers general manager Kyle Walters can’t celebrate his new two-year deal for long as he has a laundry list of challenges that need to be tackled.

The club announced Tuesday that Walters, assistant GM/director of U.S. scouting Danny McManus, and senior GM/director of player personnel Ted Goveia have been extended through the 2025 season.

All three were on deals expiring at the end of the calendar year.

“The uncertainty is over,” Walters told a room of reporters at IG Field on Wednesday.

“We’ve got everything ready to roll now. Things are in place, and now we’re excited to get going for next year.”

With 10 years of service, more importantly, four straight Grey Cup appearances, you’d think Walters, 50, would be due for a pay increase.

It’s not that simple.

The CFL’s football operations salary cap is around $2.5 million, making it a juggling act for Winnipeg Football Club president and CEO Wade Miller to hand out raises to coaches, general managers, scouts and equipment and video personnel — even when it’s well deserved.

The football ops cap for the next two years wasn’t decided until October, and according to Miller, that’s why Walters, McManus, and Goveia had to go to work with their future up in the air.

“There was a small increase. They were able to get some (raise), but it’s very tough,” said Miller in a phone interview.

“You’re trying to make it work for your GM, assistant GMs, and all your coaches. We’ve got such a tenured staff, which should be something that’s encouraged, supported and is great for organizations long term. It makes it very difficult and that’s why it took the time it did to get it done right.”

The Walters situation has been sorted, but the uncertainty isn’t over for the roster. The Bombers have 36 pending free agents and a lot of players at key positions who are on the wrong side of 30.

“You’re trying to make it work for your GM, assistant GMs, and all your coaches.”–Wade Miller

They need to figure out if they want to run it back with nearly everyone, or if getting younger is the better move, but before that decision is made, Walters wants to sit down with staff for post-season roster meetings.

It’s a process that has been slightly delayed with offensive co-ordinator Buck Pierce being a finalist for the Saskatchewan Roughriders head coaching job. The final two candidates were Pierce and Toronto Argonauts defensive co-ordinator Corey Mace.

It was reported late Wednesday that the Riders hired Mace.

“I think we’re a year older now and I think this will be a more challenging off-season than in years past because of the transition and the potential loss of Buck,” said Walters before the Riders hire was announced.

“Yeah this will be more of an interesting off-season and a challenge, for all those reasons, than in years past.”

Retaining the services of receiver Dalton Schoen and running back Brady Oliveira will be a stiff test. After working out for numerous NFL teams last off-season without getting signed, Walters feels it’s unlikely for Schoen to get another shot down south this winter. Schoen will, however, be a name the other eight CFL teams will happily throw money at if the Bombers don’t get him re-signed before free agency opens for business on Feb. 14.

Schoen is arguably the best receiver in the three-down game and is in the prime of his career at 27.

“His agent is certainly open to listening,” said Walters. “We’ve been talking and they’re in no rush to sign a contract, that’s for sure.”

Oliveira, 26, told the media last week whether he stays with his hometown club depends on who Walters and Co. bring back for 2024.

The Most Outstanding Player finalist has also expressed interest in pursuing the NFL, but that could be a tough sell considering the Winnipegger ran the forty-yard dash in the high 4.70s at his pro day in 2019 at the University of North Dakota. That would’ve been the slowest time out of all running backs at the 2023 NFL Draft Combine.

“Obviously money is an issue, players will want to know who our offensive co-ordinator is moving forward, which players are getting re-signed, for running backs they’d like to know what the O-line is going to look like.

“Brady is obviously a top free agent in the CFL this year. He and his agent are obviously going to do their due diligence and make the best decision for them,” said Walters.

If the Bombers can bring those two back, some of their older talent will have to walk out the door to free up the cap space.

Head coach Mike O’Shea said earlier in the week that they’re expecting to lose some players to retirement, but Walters shared a different sentiment.

The wound from their 28-24 loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the Grey Cup in Hamilton is still too fresh. Everyone still needs some time to ponder their next move.

“It was such a devastating loss for all of us, it’s taken a little bit of time to get over,” Walters said.

“Don’t make a rash decision based on the raw emotion that you’re feeling after a loss like that. That’s where we’re at.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

X: @taylorallen31