Don’t expect much from Bombers

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This article was published 12/02/2024 (573 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers aren’t likely to set off any fireworks once CFL free agency begins Tuesday morning.

Much of the excitement has already taken place, including a busy couple of days last week that led to new deals for all-stars Brady Oliveira, Dalton Schoen and Brandon Alexander.

Of the Bombers’ 35 pending free agents this off-season, one has become the new special teams co-ordinator (Mike Miller), and another has retired (Jackson Jeffcoat), with 17 re-signing for 2024.

While there’s been plenty of good news to report over the last few months, the Bombers, in their pursuit to re-sign as many players as possible, have seen a few key producers heading elsewhere. Offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick (Saskatchewan), defensive back Demerio Houston (Calgary) and defensive lineman Ricky Walker (Calgary) have all registered new contacts with the CFL head office, which were signed during the league’s recent negotiation window and will be made official once the market officially opens at 11 a.m.

The Blue and Gold have spent a significant amount of their $5.58-million salary cap, leaving little left over, and certainly nowhere near enough to land a big fish still out there. Perhaps there could be an addition or two, but none are expected to steal the headlines or break the bank.

Indeed, the Bombers appear just fine with coasting through the free agent waters. So, let’s take a peek at where they currently stand on offence, defence and special teams, and what holes might exist or changes to come.

Offence

The Bombers have the best quarterback in the CFL, with Zach Collaros under contract through 2025, and they also added the league’s most exciting backup in Chris Streveler. With Streveler now on board to handle short-yardage duties, the club will say goodbye to Dakota Prukop, with the third QB spot left open for the Bombers to develop another arm like they did with the now-departed Dru Brown, who was traded and since signed with the Ottawa Redblacks.

Winnipeg made the offensive line a priority to kick off the winter, reaching deals early with right guard Patrick Neufeld and left tackle Stanley Bryant, before re-upping centre Chris Kolankowski. The Bombers are planning to move on from left guard Geoff Gray, a Winnipeg native, with Tui Eli and Liam Dobson both in line for increased roles. Hardrick will be tough hole to fill at right tackle, and although the Bombers aren’t sure where they’ll find his replacement, it could come from anywhere. The choice might come from in-house, including someone such as Chris Ivy, through free agency or the club’s scouting staff unearthing a gem as U.S. tryout camp.

The re-signing of Oliveira solidifies the running back position, with fellow Canadian Johnny Augustine also back for another year as the No. 2. Expect Streveler and receiver Nic Demski to also factor into the run game.

With Schoen signing a last-minute deal, the Bombers will once again have one of the league’s top receiver groups, a unit that also includes starters Kenny Lawler, Demski and Drew Wolitarsky. The future of fan-favourite receiver, Rasheed Bailey, is unclear, as he has yet to put pen to paper, but the feeling is unless he’s willing to take a significant pay cut again this year, there’s a good chance he’ll be playing somewhere else.

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Defence

The Bombers have their best defensive player in defensive end Willie Jefferson back for another year, with Jake Thomas, the team’s longest-tenured player, also returning to the defensive line in 2024. Gone are Jeffcoat and Walker, with the Bombers planning to go with a combination of Cam Lawson, Celestin Haba, Anthony Bennett, Tanner Schmekel, among others, to fill the void. This is also a position area that teams will lean heavily on their scouting staffs to bring in cheap and effective talent from south of the border.

Winnipeg will start the 2024 season with the same linebackers they ended with last year, as Adam Bighill is back patrolling the middle and Kyrie Wilson will continue his role at weakside. At strongside linebacker — a position most often grouped with defensive backs — Canadian Redha Kramdi will have a shot to earn the starting role out of training camp.

As for the rest of the secondary, Alexander is back at safety; Deatrick Nichols and Evan Holm provide arguably the best one-two punch at halfback; and Jamal Parker also returns to play one of boundary or field-side corner. There will be plenty of competition for the vacant corner spot left by Houston, but the inside track appears to belong to Tyrique McGhee. The club was high on the 25-year-old Georgia native last year before he suffered an injury in training camp.

Special teams

Long-snapper Mike Benson, also a proud Winnipegger, is back to deliver the ball again this season. The Bombers, however, need to sign someone to kick it.

That’s not completely true. Winnipeg does have global punter Jamieson Sheahan on the roster and the club will hope he can continue to take strides in his sophomore season. It’s the place kicker — or more specifically, Sergio Castillo — who is still unsigned for 2024.

Sources told the Free Press the Bombers have been working with Castillo’s camp on a new contract and there was notable progress. The talks have been positive, so the expectation is a contract will get done.

What about dynamic returner Janarion Grant? There seems like there is less confidence Grant will be signed ahead of Castillo, but without a reliable option to replace him, there’s a real chance the Bombers make a concerted effort to re-sign him. If Grant isn’t re-signed, then much like the case with defensive backs and defensive linemen, it won’t be through free agency, but through the scouting staff a replacement is likely to be found. That work has already started with last week’s signing of Aaron Cruickshank, who had a standout collegiate career with Rutgers before getting looks in the NFL last year from Chicago and Pittsburgh.

The Bombers’ punt return and coverage teams look a massive hit last year when Miller was knocked out for the season — and forced to retire — after suffering a neck injury in training camp. Shayne Gauthier, another mainstay with the group, was limited to six games in 2023 due to injury.

Miller, of course, won’t be available, but he does bring a high degree of knowledge to his new coaching role, while Gauthier, back to having a clean bill of health, is fresh off signing a one-year extension on Monday. Nick and Noah Hallett have also re-signed, with plenty of other regulars on special teams also back in the mix. One notable exception is veteran linebacker Jesse Briggs, who has been with the Bombers since 2016 but hasn’t yet secured a contract for this season.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.