Thomas Miles released

[Wobbler]

Sorry, TM.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">U of M product LB Thomas Miles released by <a href="https://twitter.com/TorontoArgos">@TorontoArgos</a>. Was due a roster bonus <a href="https://twitter.com/CFL">@cfl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cfl?src=hash">#cfl</a></p>&mdash; gary lawless (@garylawless) <a href="https://twitter.com/garylawless/status/836803522410708994">March 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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[Stevoman]

Dang it. Miles was a good backup with potential to grow into a starter.

[dmont]

.

That sucks. I like Miles.

He was Greenwoods backup. Does this mean Greenwoods gone too and were going import at that position?

[Will]

Felt this one deserved it's own thread since Miles has been around for a couple of years.

[paulwoods13]

This doesn't necessarily mean he is gone. He was apparently due a roster bonus today, so the decision had to be made by yesterday whether or not to pay that. It's at least possible Popp has reached out to say they want to re-sign him but not pay the bonus. I hope that's the case because I think he's a player.

[RoRoYoBoat]

Team needs to be very careful how they handle their Canadian content for this season. Eddie Steele just hit the market. Signing him and drafting a DT would be a wise move.

[jerrym]

I am surprised. He played with an impact that often seemed to positively affect his teammates. I hope Paul is right and the Argos resign him because someone else will if we don't.

[Jon Gonzo]

Teams love Canadian LB's these days who can pinch start. I suspect we've seen the last of Thomas Miles in double blue. My only guess was that the new DC plans to use another body type or has other plans at Mike.

Probably didn't grade that well with the new guy.

I think this guy is a baller. Well worth the pick up.

[AngeloV]

Teams love Canadian LB's these days who can pinch start. I suspect we've seen the last of Thomas Miles in double blue. My only guess was that the new DC plans to use another body type or has other plans at Mike.

Probably didn't grade that well with the new guy.

I think this guy is a baller. Well worth the pick up.

We still don't know if there will be a new DC. Stubler didn't seem to use Miles much on D last year, so maybe it's a sign that he is returning as DC, and they asked his opinion of the current players on D.

[doubleblue]

That's a surprise. Both that he was released and that he must have had a size able bonus due. Probably resurface in Winnipeg.

[R.J]

Disappointing as I thought Miles showed some real good potential (as a WIL moreso than Mike). Hopefully we can find a way to bring him back along with Greenwood.

[jerrym]

That's a surprise. Both that he was released and that he must have had a size able bonus due. Probably resurface in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg makes sense as this was his birthplace, but if he wants to stay in the Toronto region and the Argos aren't interested, Hamilton might be an alternative.

[OV Argo]

Winnipeg makes sense as this was his birthplace, but if he wants to stay in the Toronto region and the Argos aren't interested, Hamilton might be an alternative.

The Ticats lost 3 former back-up NI MLB types this off-season - Plesius (traded to the Als), Omara (signed as a FA by Ottawa) and Archambault (retired to go coach with his college team Carabins); they did get Shorthill for Plesius but he's maybe not a true MLB type like Miles is; they do however have a bunch of NI linebacker types around as special teamers - for whatever reason - Kenty loaded up on NI LBs the past couple of drafts.

[jerrym]

Former Argo LB/ST Thomas Miles has signed with the Bombers.



Thomas is another solid key piece to our Canadian depth,” said Blue Bombers general manager Kyle Walters. “He has the ability to play a role on special teams as well as on defence, and obviously being able to add a local product to our organization is always an added benefit.”

http://www.cfl.ca/2017/03/04/bombers-sign-former-bison-miles/

[argos1873]

Kind of disappointed at this turn of events, I thought Miles had a lot of upside. Good for him though that he signed in his hometown.

[paulwoods13]

Bummer. I do wonder if he's but his ceiling and will be mostly a special teamer from now on. The promise he showed on defence was quite a long time ago, for the most part. Maybe he didn't get enough of a chance or maybe he was not capable of starting. Guess we'll see how much he plays in Winnipeg.

[OV Argo]

Makes too much sense - Miles is a Winterpeg guy and a natural MLB - and the Bummers have an opening there; IMO - they should draft one of the 2 MLB blue-chippers (Herdman or Mulumba-T) this draft and let that guy and Miles compete for the open MLB job = should have a solid 1-2 punch there = another starting NI to add to there decent crop there (Westerman/Corney at DE; a DT maybe; Loffler at safety)

He was probably making a bit more than CFL minimum wage now - and Jimmy P / Chamblin would have no use for him on D anyways.

[Wobbler]

This doesn't necessarily mean he is gone. He was apparently due a roster bonus today, so the decision had to be made by yesterday whether or not to pay that.
Is there a modern CFL precedent for that? Our head office situation has been seemingly chaotic, but isn't an important contracted player with a bonus "problem" renegotiated rather than released and re-signed?

[doubleblue]

Makes too much sense - Miles is a Winterpeg guy and a natural MLB - and the Bummers have an opening there; IMO - they should draft one of the 2 MLB blue-chippers (Herdman or Mulumba-T) this draft and let that guy and Miles compete for the open MLB job = should have a solid 1-2 punch there = another starting NI to add to there decent crop there (Westerman/Corney at DE; a DT maybe; Loffler at safety)

He was probably making a bit more than CFL minimum wage now - and Jimmy P / Chamblin would have no use for him on D anyways.

Maybe this was the last payment of the Willy trade. lol

But I thought Miles played well, especially in his first year, which was surprising seeing where he was drafted. But last year he was on and off the injured list and never seemed to get it going. If Winnipeg does land Herdman or Mulumba to play MLB, Thomas will be a valuable backup/rotation guy for them IMO.

[paulwoods13]

Is there a modern CFL precedent for that? Our head office situation has been seemingly chaotic, but isn't an important contracted player with a bonus "problem" renegotiated rather than released and re-signed?

It has happened both ways. The player can always refuse to renegotiate, and if the team doesn't want to pay the bonus, it has no choice but to release him. If we'd had a GM weeks ago, maybe we'd have had a better shot at renegotiating. But it's also possible that neither the acting GM nor the new one had much use for him. He missed a lot of games because of injury the past two years -- maybe he was seen as injury-prone, or a career backup/ST guy.

[Jon Gonzo]

He certainly seemed like a baller to me.

Not sure how he was grading after the injuries, but having missed 15 games in 3 seasons he may well have been deemed injury prone? Hard to tell if this guy is a career Kyle Jones, or whether he's Rick Sowieta -- but I commend Winnipeg for aggressively putting together a seemingly improved roster this year. He has started 8 games in his career, so there's been some ability. My guess is that based on the starter potential tag, he was overpaid. I don't recall the nature of his injuries, but as he was essentially a special teams player, he may be getting some of the blame for being part a poor special teams unit, or his injuries were deemed to be a hindrance to his potential.

If Winnipeg gets the Thomas Miles we all saw in 2014-2015, a huge score for them.

As for the Argos, it seems the Canadian Depth at Linebacker that we all once felt we had, has been stripped away.

Watch for at least a couple of LB's drafted in May. We're pretty much down to Curtis Newton unless they bring back Yuri. And I think we pretty much all agree how important Cory Greenwood is in the mix. That is a ratio changer at this point for sure.