Did you think we were taking the week off because of the holidays? If so, you underestimated how much we love gossip.
Every Wednesday I publish a handful of anonymous quotes from sources within the CFL community. It’s fun, informative, and has quickly grown popular since I started this column a few weeks ago.
Enjoy the quotes and come back next Wednesday for another edition of Insider Talk.
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(Director of U.S. Scouting) Ryan Rigmaiden is going to make B.C. better. He finds a lot of talent, which is something the Lions really need. Did you know that he (Rigmaiden) almost got (all-star receiver) Bryan Burnham to sign in Winnipeg in 2019?
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How are you praising guys who are getting $200,000 signing bonus cheques when hundreds of employees have been laid off or furloughed? (Vernon) Adams and (Cody) Fajardo are not giving back anything but the tax dollars they saved. (Expletive) hypocrites.
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He probably plays another year of college or signs in the NFL, but (offensive lineman) Liam Dobson deserves to be the top pick (in the 2021 CFL draft). He’d be an absolute monster in our league.
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How much are player salaries coming down? Let me put it this way — (Montreal Alouettes’ left tackle) Tony Washington is getting $50,000 less than he did on his last deal.
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People in Winnipeg told me (Blue Bombers’ president and CEO) Wade Miller was spearheading the hub city initiative and (CFL Commissioner) Randy Ambrosie wasn’t on any of the planning calls. There were at least three calls per week with medical people, government people, etc. and Ambrosie was not on any of those calls.
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Zack Evans was the first (CFL veteran to be released) but he won’t be the last. Teams are waiting until after the holidays to cut guys. Evans just went early because he had a bonus due soon (on January 5).
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Typically when you re-sign guys in December it’s to spend the rest of your cap money in (signing) bonuses before the year ends. This year it’s kind of irrelevant since nobody’s giving out upfront money anyway.
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Teams like Saskatchewan and Montreal are being really proactive re-signing guys because their quarterback situations are set. You can tell who might make a change at quarterback based on how quiet they’ve been since the (signing) moratorium ended.
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(Former Toronto Argonauts’ quarterback) McLeod Bethel-Thompson really wants to be an emergency QB in the NFL, although the weeks are running out for that — quickly.
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We’re expecting that there will be fewer players in training camp (than the usual 75 plus non-counters). That’s why there’s a few periphery guys we’re not planning to re-sign.
