Mike

BREAKING: The #CFL and the players association agree to start free agent period earlier than noon. Lunch schedules were comprised and both sides have now agreed to begin as soon as breakfast is over.

Only in the CFL.

Salary cap is 4.4 million as of right now. You have to pay 46 guys + a practice roster. Once you factor in your ~10% for injuries and wiggle room + the practice roster money, I'd say you get left with around 3.75 to play with for salaries. Close enough to get a working idea anyways. Even at 3.75, you could afford to pay your starter + backup QB a total of probably about 500k. Leaves you 3.25 for 44 spots, that's still an average of almost 75k a player. I mean really, let's try and figure it out Starting QB - 350k Backup QB - 150k 7 starting Canadians - Average of 125k Then you consider how many guys on the roster are guys who make minimum money (a backup RB, Canadian special teamers, etc) and it's easy to see how you can spend big money on more than one or two or even a handful of guys.

Not surprised. I know we're not used to paying quarterbacks properly but that's what a legitimate starting QB costs in the CFL and as much as it'd be nice to lowball him, we need him just as much as he needs our money. $350,000 isn't going to cripple us as far as the cap goes.

+/- means about as much as wins for pitchers.

How credible is he? I don't know much about him. I wonder if he is just speculating or whether he has some inside info? It really depends. Pedersen is one of those reporters who needs to have information. His reputation isn't as solid as guys like Madani or Edwards, so he can't just wait for information to fall into his lap. If there's none to be had, he simply makes up his own. He's right sometimes, wrong an awful lot more.

Rod Pedersen is out to lunch.

Says who? Or are you just assuming and making things up on the fly again? Says you!! You wrote - > Again, I'm aware of that, but I think it would be a shame if bickering with Henry over X amount of dollars ends up costing us someone like Henoc. I find your posts to be far from Perfect.... I'd say you're more Brooklyn Brawler with the continuous fails that you make. So this team now has 3 qbs under contract... none of them are making "big money" .... They offered Collaros more money then Hamilton ..... so for some reason you don't think they cant use that same "pot" of money to put towards Burris???? This team is loaded with young guys are very few "big time all stars" so how is it that a team like Calgary can afford to re-sign Tate and Mitchell and sign a cfl vet for a 3rd stringer and yet still be able to pay big money for their all stars like Cornish , Lewis and so many others...... yet Winnipeg wouldn't be able to sign Burris (at a discounted price) and Muamba??? I love how Winnipeg's salary cap is apparently only 20% the size of every other teams..... Having the right mindset isn't always the popular mindset.Now, coming from a guy who was serious about inquiring about Steven Jyles last year...pot meet kettle. Someone like Henoc is an EXAMPLE hence why I said "someone like". The cap will go up, and probably a decent amount because of the new TV deal. The fact is, is that guys like (but not limited to) Turner, Vega, Edwards, Banks, January, Henoc (if he signs) all get paid handsomely. If the team decides to pursue top tier free agents from other teams they will also get paid handsomely. If you think Burris is coming here at a discounted price, you are kidding yourself since there have been reports he has offers in excess of $300,000. Granted that's fair market value for him, and that price will continue to climb as teams continue to negotiate. You're kidding yourself, and frankly making a fool out of yourself (again) if you think Burris is coming here at a discounted price. I never once said Burris signing here would cost us Muamba. I suggested as a hypothetical (that isn't too big of a word for you is it?) that it would be a shame if a band-aid solution in Burris ended up costing us "someone like" Muamba. But hey, keep making yourself look silly, I'm certainly not going to stop you. Once again how does every other team manage to sign free agents while having a high priced qb and lots of other all stars on their team...... you are making yourself look silly. Burris has to come at a discounted price.... using your ridiculous theory how could any other club in the CFL "afford" Burris at a high price when they already have a QB on their team making big money. Discounted price is still higher then what Hall or Pierce was making last season... but it's not like he is going to be making the most money in the league considering he was dumped and his *only* chance at starting is with Winnipeg. Turner, Vega, Edwards, Banks, January, Henoc ???? How did Saskatchewan manage with Durant, Sheets, Dressler, Getzlaf, Geroy Simon, Labatte, Picard, Chick , Foley, Hall etc.... How did Calgary afford Glenn, Tate, Mitchell, Cornish, Lewis, Hughes, Simpson, Tsoumpas etc... But apparently from your theory us signing a bunch of average guys equals us not being able to sign both a QB and one NI LB.... it's hilarious. This team *should* be able to sign a whole crap load of players considering we were the youngest team and we by far had the cheapest set of QB's across the league last year. So many guys on entry level contracts and so few big time players. Again, since you can't read very well, where did I say we won't be able to add pieces - it was posed as a hypothetical - NOT stated as a fact that we wouldn't be able to.Why does Burris have to come at a discounted price? Because you say so? You really don't pay attention very well do you? Our offer to Collaros was in the neighborhood of $250,000 - If you don't think Burris is getting offered AT LEAST this much you are out to lunch. Again as i said, reports have said he has offers exceeding $300,000 dollars. That is not a discount rate - That is what someone like Burris should command on the open market. Burris is in the position of power here, we are not. He may come here at the end of the day, but in no way, shape, or form will it be at a discounted rate. Winnipeg is not his only chance to start. He'll start in Montreal and he'll start in Edmonton as well. He isn't being pursued by others to sit on the bench. That statement of yours in itself saying Winnipeg is his only chance to start shows exactly how out to lunch you are. Both of those teams have made offers, that's been reported. It's also been reported there are people within the Eskimos organization who are not sold on Reilly. You don't have MULTIPLE offers exceeding $300,000 to sit on the bench. Period. I'll also bring to your attention the following tweet from Milt Stegall, who just maybe has a better grasp on the team than you do given his connections to the club... "Milt Stegall ‏@MiltStegallTSN Jan 31 @DoorMatt95 @24banks @henryburris @Wpg_BlueBombers after signing Korey and Henry I don't think much money is left" If that is so difficult to comprehend, then i don't know what to say for you, and feel rather sorry for you. That tweet was a joke, he was answering a joke about him coming out of retirement.

Burris is going to be a Bomber. It's simply a matter of making everything make sense, which isn't easy when you're talking as many $$$ as you are with Hank. Not to mention, they're not going to announce it until he's flown into Winnipeg for a press conference.

Bogosian has been playing fantastic ever since Maurice took over, I literally have no idea where you would get the idea that he's anywhere near the worst defenseman on our team.

but what number is Semaj Moody going to wear now?!

According to Penton, Banks is "jacked about trade to Bombers." Not used to hearing stuff like that.

Keep in mind, until Walters establishes himself, he's going to need to pay "sticker price" in some cases because there are some moves he just can't afford to miss on. He needs to be very careful in getting the moves that he wants completed to go through until he establishes a foundation that will allow him the luxury of passing on certain deals.

He was really clipping along at a 12 QBR until that gosh darn -58.8 game. And to think, that doesn't even count the fumbles.

I think Daniel Sheffield set the record for most times being cut and released in a single season without ever doing anything.

The end of an era.

No doubt he meant Banks, they work out together in Atlanta during the offseason.

Didn't he broke his leg recently ? Like a year and a half ago.

Cauchy?

Everyone should probably keep in mind that while Poblah had potential, he also had a contract that was nowhere near what he is actually worth. The two kind of balance out into an average piece. Poblah was making over 100k a year.

I fully expect the Bombers to bring Stephen Alli to camp.

As per Darren Cameron

what's his Madden rating from 2009 though?

Only Bryant Turner can produce water OVER a bridge.

I was told 5-10 minutes ago that Burris agreed to a deal with Winnipeg some time this morning. I'm not going to say I'm incredibly confident in it, but we'll see.