CFL Coaching & GM Changes for 2025

[don corleone]

Rigmaiden had been AGM/Director of Player Personnel for the past 3 years.

So Jauch worked under him as the U.S. scout I guess. I was under the impression it was Rigmaiden who was finding the talent. On that note I would not be surprised to see Lucky back.

Big trade with Cam Judge going to the Argos. Everything will be done before FA even starts which was my point a few weeks ago.

[Hambone]

Rigmaiden had been AGM/Director of Player Personnel for the past 3 years.

So Jauch worked under him as the U.S. scout I guess. I was under the impression it was Rigmaiden who was finding the talent. On that note I would not be surprised to see Lucky back.

Big trade with Cam Judge going to the Argos. Everything will be done before FA even starts which was my point a few weeks ago.

Finding talent is always a collaborative effort. One should never use titles to put FOPs staff into functional silos. Rigmaiden and Jauch both based themselves quite close to each other in North Carolina. There would be a lot of you look at this list of players, I'll check on that list then let's get together to discuss what we find.

Much of the offseason heavy lifting happens prior to free agency. Last year I think there was close to 120 players who extended with their teams prior to free agency plus a couple of trades. Only something like 42 players signed with new teams in the 2 or so weeks after the free agency floodgates opened.

[don corleone]

Interesting to see Brock Sunderland back in the CFL. Could be he was getting paid by the Elks all this time and now is off the books. Also makes me think something is up with the Bombers having not yet re-signed Walters or O'Shea as they head into the final year of their deals.

[Hambone]

Interesting to see Brock Sunderland back in the CFL. Could be he was getting paid by the Elks all this time and now is off the books. Also makes me think something is up with the Bombers having not yet re-signed Walters or O'Shea as they head into the final year of their deals.

Sunderland's last EE extension was good to the end of 2023. He was fired in 2021. He should have been off the books before this past season.

Walters might cause some concerns. O'Shea has quite often entered the season on the final year of his contract and signed his next deal later in the season.

[Toppy Vann]

Interesting to see Brock Sunderland back in the CFL. Could be he was getting paid by the Elks all this time and now is off the books. Also makes me think something is up with the Bombers having not yet re-signed Walters or O'Shea as they head into the final year of their deals.

I think it's a Wade Miller philosophy not to do the LT deals that cost the team money if they need/want to terminate the GM or HC.

https://3downnation.com/2024/11/26/kyle ... ff-season/


Two things from 2022 IIRC:

1. Mike O'Shea doesn't worry about this stuff and likes it this way ( I read a while back).

2. This is Wade Miller's way. Remember they extended O'Shea a few years ago and left Kyle Walters hanging.
O'Shea responded IIRC it wasn't a big deal BUT Walters was on holidays when they held the media event on O'Shea's renewal.

[Toppy Vann]

Jim Barker disagrees with Rod Pedersen on the RBs hiring Dyce's replacement:

> believes these guys like to coach and how Dyce was with Rick Campbell earlier.


In another RP show Jim Barker stated some interesting stuff like:

> he spoke with Chris Jones and he wanted to go back to Hamilton but they chose not to have him.
Jones gave him no reasons for his non-retention.

> called the Fajardo - MBT trade - fascinating, brilliant, genius to have these two QBs as back ups and why it was best for both to be traded.
Cites what others said here - that if they stayed where they were as back ups, it can be divisive.
Also with MBT, if a QB goes down and he's in the CFL practicing his value goes up as now someone needs a QB bad.

[Hambone]

Interesting to see Brock Sunderland back in the CFL. Could be he was getting paid by the Elks all this time and now is off the books. Also makes me think something is up with the Bombers having not yet re-signed Walters or O'Shea as they head into the final year of their deals.

I think it's a Wade Miller philosophy not to do the LT deals that cost the team money if they need/want to terminate the GM or HC.

https://3downnation.com/2024/11/26/kyle ... ff-season/


Two things from 2022 IIRC:

1. Mike O'Shea doesn't worry about this stuff and likes it this way ( I read a while back).

2. This is Wade Miller's way. Remember they extended O'Shea a few years ago and left Kyle Walters hanging.
O'Shea responded IIRC it wasn't a big deal BUT Walters was on holidays when they held the media event on O'Shea's renewal.

I had thought O'Shea worked on a lot of 1 year deals but in reading about his current deal which expires after the upcoming season the article commented that it was his 3rd consecutive 3 year contract.

With deals for Walters and O'Shea expiring after this season I'm wondering how keen they will be to be part of a total overhaul. Winnipeg hosts the GC. Several key veteran key pieces are on expiring deals. They include Collaros, Bryant, Neufeld, Jefferson, & Oliviera. Others like Bighill and Thomas will be on 1 year deals, if they're brought back for the GC year. I smell a strip it down to the frame rebuild starting in 2026. Would O'Shea want to be part of that? Or would he rather go elsewhere perhaps to a club that might have the pieces in place to be instant contender, just add coach?

[David]

Jim Barker gets a lot of flack online. Many people don't seem to like him for some reason (perceived brashness?). But I respect his takes and analysis and believe he's a valuable TSN contributor.

He has been calling out BC for the past few years as not being big enough or strong enough in the trenches. He absolutely right. Hopefully now, management will address this (e.g. acquiring Allen).


DH

[SammyGreene]

Geroy's hiring at his alma mater now official. Great to see him land on his feet in a big way by seeking opportunities beyond a 9-team league.

[Hambone]

Fantastic career move for Geroy to break out from the opportunity-challenged 9 team CFL. If he does well with the Terps countless more opportunities stand to present themselves in the future.

[Toppy Vann]

Jim Barker gets a lot of flack online. Many people don't seem to like him for some reason (perceived brashness?). But I respect his takes and analysis and believe he's a valuable TSN contributor.

He has been calling out BC for the past few years as not being big enough or strong enough in the trenches. He absolutely right. Hopefully now, management will address this (e.g. acquiring Allen).


DH

I wasn 't aware of this but I make it a point to check Rod Pedersen's show as Jim Barker is a fantastic analyst and commentator on all things CFL.
He knows everyone but he stops short of revealing confidences.

Online bozos seem to be in abundance I guess.

Barker states it as physicality up front and that wins in the play offs and BC lacked that in the past few years.

Barker doesn't tolerate CFL put downs which I like from him.


Mike Miller QB Coach is interviewing for the Bombers OC role.

He is on the bench with the QB after every series.

The year MTL went to the GC during that East Final there was no Mike Miller (unexplained absence) and lots of Argos fans felt Chad Kelly was lost due to that.

If he gets the OC the Bombers will have 3 Mikes 2 of whom are Mike Miller.
They'll have to name them something like M1, M2, M3.

[B.C.FAN]

Saskatchewan has hired Andrew Harris as running backs coach. I wonder if he was under consideration for the Lions’ vacant position of running backs coach.

https://3downnation.com/2025/01/20/ride ... cks-coach/

[don corleone]

Harris will add to the team and of course be very familiar with AJ Ouelette as well as Corey Mace. I am happy for him to find work after he got the cold shoulder from the Bombers.

Also seeing Dedrick Mills has re-signed with Calgary which tells me he knows what what was coming in free agency. Can't wait for the legal tampering period to begin.

Would love to see the Lions sign Mason Fine as QB3. Unfortunate he lost his job to a guy so much older imo.

[Hambone]

What is the cold shoulder Harris received from the Bombers?

Mills is a good retention by Calgary. He would have been my pick for BC to land if they were to make a change at tailback. I consider him a slight upgrade over Stanback. However even before the Stanback/Butler shuffle and other pending FA options I felt Mills was a priority re-signing for Calgary. They weren't going to let him get away unless he demanded stupid money like AJ Ouellette money.

Who is the "so much older" QB Fine lost out to?

[don corleone]

What is the cold shoulder Harris received from the Bombers?

Mills is a good retention by Calgary. He would have been my pick for BC to land if they were to make a change at tailback. I consider him a slight upgrade over Stanback. However even before the Stanback/Butler shuffle and other pending FA options I felt Mills was a priority re-signing for Calgary. They weren't going to let him get away unless he demanded stupid money like AJ Ouellette money.

Who is the "so much older" QB Fine lost out to?

I thought it was a good quote by Bob Dyce the other day when he was asked about hiring Rick Campbell when Campbell could potentially replace him and he said "he chose to not live his life that way" . Unfortunately many are not the same.

Bombers turned their back pretty quickly on Harris after the 2021 GC win. Say what you want but he was the heart and soul of those teams that "won" the GC. It should have been a no brainer to bring him into the fold after his playing career was done but it was thanks for coming out and good luck down the road. Winnipeg could have done better.

My prediction is Andrew Harris will one day be coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and lead them to victory again. Might take some time. If it starts in Sask so be it.

Also won't be overly surprised if 2025 is it for Walters and O'Shea in Winnipeg.

Trevor Harris was the guy Sask went with over Fine. I would have gone with Patterson and Fine. Fine had excellent pocket presence and suffered from O line issues. I thought he showed promise.