Muamba wanting more gold

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This article was published 19/03/2018 (2234 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Despite a strong effort to reel in another big free agent, the Blue Bombers will not have Henoc Muamba wearing blue and gold during the upcoming 2018 CFL season.

At least not at the Canadian linebacker’s current price.

“We brought Henoc out here three weeks ago, showed him our organization, told him what we’re all about and thought it went very well,” general manager Kyle Walters told reporters Tuesday at Investors Group Field.

“It was our understanding that they were going to have a decision within 48 hours after returning from their visit to talk to the family, talk to the agent and go from there. We have been told the offer that was put together is not going to get done, so Henoc won’t be coming here based on the communication that I’ve had.”

Walters, speaking ahead of CFL Week in Winnipeg, which kicks off today and includes five days of events honouring the past, present and future stars of the league, said Muamba was offered a “good and fair” deal. But the offer is short of the $200,000 sought by Muamba’s agent, Jonathan Hardaway, who has a reputation of waiting for more money.

“We presented an offer prior to him coming out, obviously, and we were prepared to make Henoc the second-highest paid Canadian on our team and within our salary cap,” Walters said.

“We were certainly not prepared to offer Henoc a contract higher than Andrew Harris, which they were asking for. So it was not going to happen from our end, for a multitude of reasons.”

According to sources, the Bombers deal was valued at nearly $170,000, plus incentives. Harris is paid around $190,000, and is following up a campaign where the Bombers’ starting runniung back was named the CFL’s most outstanding Canadian.

Another source said the Montreal Alouettes are currently the highest bidder, moving up from an original offer of close to $190,000 to a number near the $200,000 mark Muamba is looking for. Muamba, 29, is coming off his best season in years, playing in 17 games with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and racking up 82 defensive tackles, 11 special teams tackles, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.

When the Bombers opted to fly Muamba to Winnipeg, many fans voiced their displeasure that he might be chasing the most money. Muamba had similar tours across the league in 2015, following a brief stint with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, travelling to each of the nine CFL teams that year.

He signed a deal with Montreal, where he played four games before he was cut and returned to the NFL for another shot. He signed a three-year deal with Saskatchewan in 2016, but with the team looking to shed salary — Muamba was set to make upwards of $240,000 in 2018 — he was released in February.

In the most recent tour, Muamba visited Winnipeg and Montreal. From the Bombers’ perspective, it was an opportunity to prove that much had changed since 2013, when Muamba was the team’s best defensive player on an awful club that finished the season 3-15. He was taken out for dinner, given a behind-the-scenes look at Investors Group Field and spoke with the management and coaching staff.

‘We were certainly not prepared to offer Henoc a contract higher than Andrew Harris, which they were asking for. So it was not going to happen from our end, for a multitude of reasons’– Bombers GM Kyle Walters

Walters wanted to convince Muamba that joining the Bombers made the most sense, even if it didn’t add up to the most dollars.

“We fly the guy out here, I mean we’re doing our due diligence. He’s a good football player. We came up with what we thought was a fair offer and what we could do and it doesn’t always work out,” Walters said.

Walters also insinuated that he understands the fans’ desire to have Muamba on the team, an addition that would fit nicely at a middle linebacker position that has been the cause for criticism over the past few years. But he was also unwilling to break the bank, believing the club is a Grey Cup contender this year, with or without Muamba.

“I understand from a public perception it’s ‘pay players whatever they want,’ but that’s not generally good business practice,” he said. “Sure, every player that you like we’d like to pay them whatever they want to keep them in the organization. But you saw through free agency that’s impossible to do in a hard salary cap, especially once you’re moving towards your roster. That being said, it’s a difficult situation.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton