It was around this time last year when diehards in Bomberland were left wondering the same thing.
‘That’s it?’
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were gearing up to host the 2025 Grey Cup and yet their free agency class consisted of defensive end James Vaughters, running back Peyton Logan and receivers Dillon Mitchell and Jerreth Sterns.
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Winnipeg Blue Bombers general manager Kyle Walters on free agency status quo: “that eventually bites you in the ass.”
The lack of difference makers in that group, along with superstar receiver Kenny Lawler and standout Canadian corner Tyrell Ford walking out the door, led to a fourth-place finish in the West and an opening round playoff loss.
“It is that fine line — we’re winning, we’re going to Grey Cups so it’s status quo, status quo and then that eventually bites you in the ass and it did last year,” Bombers GM Kyle Walters said Thursday in a Zoom call with reporters.
The Bombers learned the error of their ways and made it clear this off-season they don’t intend on making the same mistake twice — no matter how much it costs.
“You go from first place all those years to fourth place and then the next slide is out of the playoffs and that’s not something we were prepared to think as a realistic option,” said Walters.
“So, yes, let’s be aggressive, let’s get back to making a splash. It’s been a few years. We’ve been quite status quo, to be honest, so it certainly was a concerted organizational effort. Let’s target the guys we want and let’s get them.”
And boy, did they get them.
The Bombers paid a premium to land both offensive lineman Jarell Broxton (B.C.) and defensive lineman Jake Ceresna (Edmonton). They further opened their wallet to add corner Jonathan Moxey (Hamilton), receiver Tommy Nield (Saskatchewan) and linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox (Ottawa).
This all came a week after inking three-time CFL all-star receiver Tim White, who was made available before free agency began as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats had released him.
“For us just to stand pat or make minor moves, I don’t think sends the right message of who we are as the Winnipeg Football Club,” said Walters.
“And the bar we’ve set is, I want to say we’re the model of the CFL, we had that run of going to Grey Cups and being aggressive and showing them that last year was a blip, not the norm.”
The roster looks nice on paper, but they don’t hand out the Grey Cup in the off-season. Plus, there are still questions that need answers.
Broxton: LT or RT?
Jarell Broxton was an all-star left tackle last season for the B.C. Lions and has minimal experience on the right side. Stanley Bryant, who turns 40 in May and signed a one-year extension for 2026, has protected the quarterback’s blindside in Winnipeg dating to 2015 and is considered by many as the greatest offensive lineman in CFL history.
So who’s playing where?
“(Broxton’s) comfortable with the right. He’s willing to do anything. So that’s the way we see it. He’s fine with it,” said Walters.
Broxton is the highest paid American offensive lineman in the league. That title used to belong to right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick who left Winnipeg for Saskatchewan in 2024. Since then, the Roughriders — the reigning champs — have been on the up, and the Bombers have been on a slide.
“You don’t want to admit a mistake, but you go back and wish, yeah, would we have maybe made a couple of different decisions to keep (Hardrick), then probably we would have liked to in hindsight. But it is what it is,” said Walters.
“We would have liked to with Kenny (Lawler) in hindsight, too. You just can’t make all the finances work all the time.”
Improving the defence
Does this team have room for Tony Jones, Kyrie Wilson and now Jovan Santos-Knox at linebacker?
Jones and Wilson held down the fort at the two starting spots last season. Meanwhile Santos-Knox is a former all-star and is coming off an impressive season in Ottawa where he was the club’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player nominee.
“It’s just a guy we’re familiar with, that the coaches know and like and trust. In that linebacker group he’ll be able to come in and compete and we’ll wait and see how things shake down after training camp,” said Walters.
“I’ve had this discussion with Mike (O’Shea): let’s try to be careful not to have our Week 1 roster set prior to training camp. You have an idea of where everything fits in but there’s nothing wrong with having some competition out there with players and let’s see who wins the jobs.”
Jonathan Moxey’s name has been lost in the shuffle with all the other signings, but don’t get it twisted: the Bombers are very high on him — especially defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger.
Moxey has 76 career starts and eight interceptions to his name and was a CFL all-star in 2022.
“It’s no secret: we had some issues at corner last year, whether it be injuries, whether it be performance. It just wasn’t good enough,” said Walters.
“That interior group (Evan Holm, Redha Kramdi, and Deatrick Nichols) was pretty set but we really needed to improve the outside. And (Moxey) was the guy that JY had put ahead of any of the corners at the time that this is the guy we wanted.”
Then of course, there’s Ceresna. In recent years, the Bombers have rolled with younger, cheaper Americans on the interior of the defensive line. Walters explained that since the club has a few intriguing prospects at defensive end — such as Matthew Jaworski and Kydran Jenkins who were signed to the practice roster in October and started the regular-season finale — that it allowed them to splurge for Ceresna.
Elgersma update
Walters must be tired of getting asked about quarterback Taylor Elgersma.
The Bombers drafted the Canadian passer in the second round, 18th overall, in the 2025 CFL Draft but they haven’t seen him yet as he continues to chase the NFL dream. To further complicate matters, he was recently selected in the United Football League’s draft by the Birmingham Stallions.
“They’re still holding out hope that there’s an NFL contract… So there is zero clarity and I guess the longer it goes, from my standpoint, I guess the worse it feels that he’ll be in Winnipeg,” said Walters.
“I guess I was hoping come February 1 if there’s no futures contract that he’d jump at the chance to sign a Blue Bombers contract but that has not been the case.”
Saying goodbye
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Former Bombers Keric Wheatfall (Hamilton), Demerio Houston (Ottawa), Sterns (Montreal) and Vaughters (Saskatchewan) have all signed on with new teams.
“Unfortunately for those guys, once all this was executed there just wasn’t the means to bring them back,” said Walters.
Then there’s veteran Canadian linebacker/special teams ace Shayne Gauthier who remains unsigned. Gauthier, who turns 34 next week, had been with the Bombers since 2016.
“Shayne had a hell of a career, but Mike’s let Shayne know that we won’t be offering him a contract this year.”
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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.
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