The full list of the pending free agents was released last week, and as usual, the list is long and brimming with star power.
Why only 5 players? From 5 teams? 
Pretty sure BC, CGY, TOR and OTT have 1 pending FA they should keep.
I was thinking that Malik Carney is one guy the Riders could afford to lose. Let’s face it the team will lose some excellent players. That’s the price you pay for a star studded team. Riders do have guys ready for prime time. DE Baldonardo is one of them. He will be a lot cheaper than Carney and along with Shane Ray give the Riders two excellent defensive end. Another one is Joe Robustelli at receiver. Canadians like Tevaughn Campbell, AJ Allen and Sam Emilus are the key players to be resigned
Pretty good list. As a non-Rider fan looking in, IMO Carney is a guy you should keep as an Edge Rusher. I’d look at losing Ray first who’s turning 33. You’ve got Rose & Johnson on the interior who are really pushing it, especially Micah. They had great years but the Riders have too many old players & Carney is only 30 & had way better stats than those 3.
Think 2013 when the Riders loaded up with “veterans” like Simon etc.. As the saying goes, it’s great to have a lot of veterans until it isn’t”.
I’ve said it before, as did Jon more recently. The Riders aren’t head & shoulders above the rest of the league - full credit for their well deserved GC. But there were 3 teams with ONE less win. And the GC losers played TEN games without Alexander. Had he been healthy it’s very likely they may have led the league in wins.
The competition is going to be very intense in 2026. The Elks found some chemistry in the latter part of the season with half the defence playing rookies & have only a handful of players still to be signed. There are major changes in Ottawa & Toronto which will probably help the clubs. I’d be very leary about letting a “younger” guy on that defence go. He rated pretty highly this year.
Due to giant contracts to guys like Zach, Willy Jefferson and Sweet Daddy Sneaky (Stanley Bryant), Bombers will invariably lose a solid free agent (or 2) to higher bidders.
Don’t forget Mr. Olivera is taking in nearly $300,000, too. Tons of money to 4 quality players although the wheels obviously starting to fall off on Zach, Jefferson & Bryant.
Imagine how hamstrung the Bombers would be if they went deep on Kenny Lawler last year and retained his services?
Despite O’Shea’s loyalty play to hang in on the sinking ship, I don’t see the Bombers competing for anything more than the 6th seed for playoffs. Might not even get there!
Yes, I think they’ll make a concerted effort to keep Demski around, but at 32 going on 33, the wheels began falling off on the gallant Nic towards the end of last season. Partly age, but Zach was literally hanging the guy out to dry with some tosses that defied gravity but resulted in Demski getting pulverized/damaged.
Demski might want a greener pasture for his last season - or 2.