Bombers lose all-star safety Loffler to Alouettes

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This article was published 13/02/2019 (2781 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ON the same day they saw their all-star safety head to the Montreal Alouettes, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers limited the damage by adding another defensive back to their secondary.

The Alouettes, who were reported to have inked a deal with Taylor Loffler late Tuesday, made it official on Day 2 of CFL free agency when they announced Wednesday a two-year contract for the 26-year-old. Loffler was an all-star in all three seasons with the Bombers and was expected to fetch a hefty raise coming off his rookie contract.

While Bombers general manager Kyle Walters said last week Loffler had let the team know he intended to test the market, the fact he hadn’t formally signed a contract Tuesday at least opened the door, if only slightly, to a return to Winnipeg.

Loffler, who registered 185 defensive tackles, eight interceptions and seven forced fumbles in 50 career games, will spend the next two seasons with the lowly Alouettes — a CFL club with the reputation for overpaying for players. The Free Press reported last week Loffler’s camp was looking for as much as $175,000 per season — more than double what he was making with the Bombers — though it’s unclear how close he got to that number.

The Alouettes can certainly use a hard-hitting safety like Loffler to improve a defence that has finished near the bottom of almost every statistical category the past few seasons. Montreal had a regular-season record of 21-51 over the past four years, each of which ended without a playoff berth.

Winnipeg is expected to lean on Canadians Derek Jones and Jeff Hecht to replace Loffler at safety. While neither Jones nor Hecht is at the same calibre as Loffler, the Bombers did make a notable move Wednesday that should help add some playmaking ability to the group, acquiring American defensive back Winston Rose.

Rose started his CFL career in 2017 with the Ottawa Redblacks, before joining the B.C. Lions last season. He played in all 18 games with the Lions, registering 32 tackles and five interceptions, including one against Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols in Week 5.

It’s unclear where Rose will play in the secondary. He could be slotted in at field-side corner, where he was used in B.C., or across the field at the boundary side — a spot currently vacant after Winnipeg released veteran Chris Randle last month.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @jeffkhamilton