Dipping and ducking to a new deal Oliveira negotiated wisely to remain in Winnipeg By: Jeff Hamilton Posted: 3:10 PM CST Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024 Last Modified: 4:01 PM CST Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024 Updates

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This article was published 07/02/2024 (970 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brady Oliveira says he was simply playing the game.

Not the one the Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive star is used to playing — the one for which he is now set to be handsomely paid.

Oliveira took centre stage Wednesday to make it clear that home is always where his heart is, and any hesitation he might have demonstrated through his words and actions was all part of contract negotiations.

And it paved the way to finding middle ground to keep the 26-year-old in Winnipeg through the 2025 CFL season.

Following weeks of speculation about his future and fears from fans that he might be on the move, Oliveira signed a two-year, $470,000 contract Tuesday, making him the league’s highest-paid tailback.

“It definitely was stressful, I’ll say that. It was a rollercoaster,” Oliveira said, during a Zoom call with reporters. He’s currently in Bali with his partner, Alex, on a dog rescue mission. “But I knew at the end of the day where I wanted to be, obviously, and now here we are.

“With the number I put out there, us athletes, we’ve got to play the game, too. I’m not going to come in with a lowball number. I got to go in with a high number and that was kind of a tactic on our end, and we got what we wanted.”

Oliveira is coming off a breakout season, where he registered 2,016 scrimmage yards, including a league-high 1,534 rushing yards to go with 13 total touchdowns, another league-high. He was named the Most Outstanding Canadian and was runner-up to Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly for Most Outstanding Player, accolades that seemed to give him plenty of options in and out of the CFL.

The Winnipeg product had two priorities heading into the offseason after helping lead the Bombers to a third consecutive West Division title and a fourth straight Grey Cup appearance.

Oliveira wanted to live out a childhood dream of playing in the NFL, so he and his American agent went searching south of the border for opportunities. There was a lot of back and forth with NFL teams, he said, with a particular interest from the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills, but nothing materialized in the form of workouts or contract offers.

With his sights set back on the CFL, Oliveira hoped to reset the running back market, asking for around $250,000 per season. He ended up taking a tad less – earning $230,000 in 2024 and $240,000 in 2025 – while turning down higher offers from other clubs.

While Oliveira didn’t disclose those numbers from other teams, league sources say there was heavy interest from the B.C. Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, both of whom were ready to offer more than what even Oliveira was asking for, with figures reaching as high as $275,000 per season.

In 2023, the highest salary for a running back went to Montreal’s William Stanback, who made $160,000 plus incentives.

“Everyone says the running back position is a dime a dozen. But when you have a guy that is productive and is proven year in and year out as being productive, and, the biggest thing, is a guy that can stay healthy and available and help the team win games,” Oliveira said. “My thing was just to put more respect on the position but, ultimately, the league needs to stop paying players based off position and pay them based on production, because I think you pay the guys to show up on game day and help you win games.”

The Bombers have done a lot of winning with Oliveira in the mix, and he was a key piece to what was the CFL’s top offence in 2023. Winnipeg led the CFL in several offensive categories, including points, touchdowns, rushing attempts and rushing yards.

Oliveira recognized a bit part of his success has been because of the pieces around him, including arguably the league’s best offensive line. That several key O-linemen signed for 2024 – the notable exception being right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick, who signed a two-year deal with Saskatchewan – was another significant reason why Oliveira wanted to re-sign.

“My heart is just tied to Winnipeg … I could never see myself leaving. I’m just thrilled we got this done.”–Brady Oliveira

There’s also deep roots planted in Winnipeg, where Oliveira not only has his friends and family, but much of his charitable efforts are heavily focused in Manitoba communities.

“My heart is just tied to Winnipeg,” Oliveira said. “I could never see myself leaving. I’m just thrilled we got this done.”

Although the outcome was favourable for both sides, the negotiations weren’t exactly smooth. The Bombers held strong in their resistance to pay Oliveira’s asking price, and there were long stretches where communication was non-existent.

There was one point during negotiations where it looked like the Bombers were unable – or unwilling, feeling the pinch of the salary cap – to dole out that kind of money for a running back, despite being a team that runs more than any other in the CFL. Alternative plans were at least being discussed, with the Bombers having contact with Toronto’s A.J. Ouellette (now signed with Saskatchewan) and Calgary’s Ka’Deem Carey, in the event Oliveira opted to sign elsewhere.

In fact, it wasn’t until late Monday that they were finally able to agree on terms, announcing the two-year pact the next morning. Hours later, the Bombers pulled off the seemingly impossible, inking all-star receiver Dalton Schoen to a one-year deal worth the same as Oliveira this season.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, unfinished business, and that’s a big reason why I came back – I can’t go to another Grey Cup and lose it,” Oliveira said. “I know what I can do. I know I’m just scratching the surface. I want to be a big part, a massive reason, to help this team get to another Grey Cup and ultimately win another Grey Cup for the city.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

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