It is a few weeks into the new year yet the Bombers are continuing to re-sign players that they believe will be integral to their success in 2026.

The 2024 off-season was a bit of an oddball one, for the Bombers letting many players walk. This year, the Bombers seem to have decided that keeping key players is more predictable than having a large roster turnover.

Evan Holm
Holm first joined the Bombers in 2022, and looks poised to spend (at least) the next two years with the Bombers – as he signed a 2-year contract extension. Yet, there was no guarantee that Holm would be back with the Blue and Gold, as he had a workout with the Pittsburgh Steelers in December of 2025.

Holm has made an impression on the field in numerous games. Some astute fans will remember his play in the Western Final in 2024, which sent the Bombers to their fifth straight Grey Cup. “Starting at the Bombers 33, Ouellette picked up four, before Harris found his favourite target on the evening, Schaffer-Baker, for a pair of first downs to bring the team down to Winnipeg’s five-yard line. On first-and-goal, Jefferson had a second knockdown of the game and on the next play, Kramdi sacked Harris on second down. On third down, Bombers forced yet another turnover on downs, with Holm knocking the ball away out of Johnson’s hands in the end zone.” (source)

And if we really want to see a difference in the Bombers’ mentality this year over last year, look no further than the contract the Bombers offered him. “Let’s get the salary out of the way first. At a reported $180,000 this year, $185,000 the next, Holm inches ahead of the other top American DB’s in the CFL, including teammate Deatrick Nichols.” (source) But if you ask me, that pay is deserved as 025 as he was named a CFL all-star for the first time, while also winning the Bombers Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award

Schmekel
This one is still a bit of an unknown for the Bombers, but they sure liked what they saw last year…before he was injured for the remainder of the season. Selected in the fourth round in 2023, and going 35th overall in the draft are not numbers to boast about. But hey, not everyone can be a first round pick, and not a single team is made up of only first rounders. Arguably, Schemkle was having a career year in 2025, and the Bombers hope that they will really see what they have in him in 2026. The Bombers like players named “Tanner,” as their next signing is also a “Tanner.”

Cadwalleder
Also signing a two year deal with the Bombers was Tanner Cadwalleder. He too is a tale of a guy who did not go high in the draft, “Cadwallader, now 28, was selected by the Blue Bombers in the 7th round, 64th overall, in the 2020 Canadian Football League Draft” (source). But as they say, the best ability is availability. And Cadwalleder, has not missed one game since his rookie reason. Couple that with the fact that from 2022-2025 he has finished second or third place each year in special teams tackles for the Bombers; ranks 12th in the Bombers’ history in that category, and needs just four more special teams tackles to crack the teams 10 top all time special tackle list…and you can see that draft ranking is not always the be all and end all.

Looking Ahead
The Bombers still are in need of some key pieces. And at the time of writing this article one of those pieces were released by the Bombers. I will highlight that in a upcoming article.

But for the time being, one thing is clear; the approach to the 2026 season is much different to the approach of the 2025 season. Will that change the Bombers’ fortunes this year? While that is yet to be seen, repeating their approach to the 2025 season was just not going to work.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments section wherever you are reading this!

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