NFL’s loss is Bombers gain Elite receivers Lawler and Schoen ready to terrorize CFL defenders By: Taylor Allen Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Monday, May. 15, 2023

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This article was published 15/05/2023 (857 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Many expected Dalton Schoen to be one-and-done with the CFL.

Surely there would be at least one NFL team that would be impressed by the incredible numbers he put up with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a rookie — 70 catches for 1,441 yards and 16 touchdowns — and offer him a contract.

He came close, as six clubs brought him in for workouts this past offseason, but ultimately, they all said the same thing in the end.

Thanks, but no thanks.

The NFL’s loss is Winnipeg’s gain as the Bombers were waiting in the wings to welcome the 26-year-old Schoen back.

“It’s definitely frustrating when you go through the whole process and ultimately don’t get signed. I think as a competitor, at the end of the day, each of us want to play at that highest level. That is something you want to attain and there’s naturally going to be a little bit of disappointment when it doesn’t come through,” Schoen told the Free Press at the end of Day 2 of Bombers training camp on Monday at IG Field.

“They’re a little bit arrogant. They see what they want to see and a lot of times they already have their minds made up about certain things they’re going to do. I can’t affect anything they’re going to see or how they’re going to evaluate me as a player, whether it’s what I did in 20 games last year, or what I did in a 10-minute workout. Who knows, that’s up to them.”

“They’re a little bit arrogant. They see what they want to see and a lot of times they already have their minds made up about certain things they’re going to do.”–Dalton Schoen

It’s a feeling familiar to Schoen’s new teammate, Kenny Lawler. Lawler had several NFL workouts during his first tenure with the Bombers, most recently with the Atlanta Falcons in January of 2022. Atlanta ultimately passed, and the Edmonton Elks swooped in and made Lawler the highest paid receiver in the CFL last season at $305,000.

After one year in Edmonton, Lawler, 28, hit free agency again and signed a two-year deal to return to the Bombers.

Lawler’s NFL shortcomings are quite a bit different though as he likely scared some teams away after he was arrested for impaired driving in October of 2021.

“I did it to myself. I either got to accept it, or I’m gonna let that haunt me forever and regret it forever,” said Lawler. “But Dalton, he’s young. He has time. If he puts in another year like he did last year, I guarantee we’ll see him in the NFL next year. Sometimes you don’t catch their eye. If you do it again, you certainly will.”

The University of California standout has already reached the acceptance stage and realizes the opportunity he has with the three-down game.

“I’ve more than accepted it. If you look at last year, I was the No. 1 paid receiver (in the CFL). I made history in the game where people at my position are going to start getting $300,000 and we saw it this year with Geno Lewis getting $320,000 (from Edmonton) and we’ll see it next year. And then we’ll start to see that I started that,” said Lawler.

“I’m OK with being in the CFL because one, the community is great. I love living in Canada. I got my family living here full time. I’m grateful, I’m blessed, and make a decent amount of money where I don’t have to worry about much.”

Lawler does, however, hope he and Schoen can give opposing defenders lots to worry about. When Lawler signed in February, he sent Schoen a text sharing his excitement about getting to work together.

“I’m OK with being in the CFL because one, the community is great. I love living in Canada. I got my family living here full time. I’m grateful, I’m blessed, and make a decent amount of money where I don’t have to worry about much.”–Kenny Lawler

“He was the leading receiver last year. That part we already know. The big part about me is getting to know who you are as an individual and as a person. So, that’s all I’m doing. I’m not worried about going out there and saying, ‘This is what we got to do’ and talk football all the time because I know we’re going to handle that,” said Lawler, who led the league in receiving in 2021.

“It’s about building that chemistry. You don’t just build that chemistry always talking about football. It’s about everything else.”

The two have yet to play a game together and there’s already chatter about them being the best receiving duo in the league. According to Schoen, it’s time to pump the breaks.

“You can’t fall into the trap of potential. I had a receiver coach one time tell me ‘Potential just means you haven’t done anything yet,’” said Schoen. “And so, it’s all about how we prepare and how do we attack each day to live up to that to be able to perform well and help this team win games.”

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As for using his missing NFL contract as an extra source of motivation, Schoen said that won’t be necessary. He’s excited to be back in Blue and Gold.

“I think when you use anger and frustration as motivation, it burns quick. It’s a short-term motivator,” said Schoen.

“For me, the way I try to approach everything, and this off-season, is I want to let my love for football and the process fuel me. I just want to try to be the best player that I can be.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

Every piece of reporting Taylor 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.