By Canadian Press

Bombers GM in holding pattern while Oliveira, Schoen examine NFL options

Jan 9, 2024 | 3:34 PM

Kyle Walters is in a holding pattern.

The Winnipeg general manager has re-signed seven of the Blue Bombers 35 pending free agents to date. But Walters can’t really start talking turkey with many of his high-end players until his top two _ Canadian running back Brady Oliveira and American receiver Dalton Schoen — complete their NFL due diligence.

“There’s so many pieces that need to fall into place at the high-end price points and (then) everything else will sort itself out,” Walters said Tuesday during a Zoom call from the CFL meetings in Nashville, Tenn. “We’re in a bit of a waiting pattern at the moment . . . it is a little bit slower than normal years but it is only Jan. 9 so we’ve got plenty of time to get this sorted out in the next month.”

CFL free agency opens at noon ET on Feb. 13.

Oliveira, the CFL’s top Canadian last season, and Schoen, the league’s outstanding rookie in 2022, top the Bombers pending free-agent list. Oliveira, a 26-year-old Winnipeg native, ran for a CFL-best 1,534 yards, the second-most by a Canadian after Hall of Famer Jon Cornish had 1,813 yards in 2013.

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Following Winnipeg’s 28-24 Grey Cup loss to Montreal in November, Oliveira talked about wanting to give the NFL a shot. To date, though, the five-foot-10, 222-pound running back has yet to work out for a club south of the border.

Schoen, 27, has registered 141 catches for 2,663 yards and 26 touchdowns the last two seasons with Winnipeg. He was the CFL’s top rookie in 2022 after leading the league in receiving with 70 receptions for 1,441 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Walters said he’s had very preliminary discussions with both players.

“Brady and Dalton are still looking at NFL opportunities and aren’t really interested in committing that dollar value until they exhaust all NFL opportunities,” Walters said. “There’s been discussions . . . but that’s not where their energies are focused right now.”

In a perfect world, Walters could see both Oliveira and Schoen back in Winnipeg in 2024. However the reality is that’s virtually impossible to predict until the financial ground rules are more firmly established.

“It’s just how all of the math works out,” he said. “You can make any scenario work, it’s just how do all of the other pieces fit in?

“Ideally yes, it would be great to have those two guys back. But at this point I can’t say, even guess, on what the probability would be.”

Trouble is, Winnipeg has other top players who are poised to become CFL free agents. That includes stalwart offensive linemen Jermarcus Hardrick and Stanley Bryant, defensive lineman Jackson Jeffcoat, defensive back Brandon Alexander and kicker Sergio Castillo. 

“Once those higher ones get settled . . . then I think the rest of it should move along fairly quickly,” said Walters.

Another pending Bomber free agent exploring his NFL options is defensive back Demerio Houston, who led the CFL in defensive takeaways last year (10, seven interceptions and three fumble recoveries).

Backup quarterback Dru Brown, who has performed admirably in spot duty behind incumbent Zach Collaros, is also slated to hit CFL free agency. But with Collaros, twice the CFL’s outstanding player, firmly entrenched under centre, Walters expects Brown to look elsewhere in order to secure more playing time.

“My gut tells me even if the Winnipeg Football Club could afford to match a contract, they (Brown and his agent) would think long and hard about the opportunity of where to go,” Walters said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2024.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press